- Utility Menu
- Questions about Expos?
- Writing Support for Instructors
Essay Structure
Writing an academic essay means fashioning a coherent set of ideas into an argument. Because essays are essentially linear—they offer one idea at a time—they must present their ideas in the order that makes most sense to a reader. Successfully structuring an essay means attending to a reader's logic.
The focus of such an essay predicts its structure. It dictates the information readers need to know and the order in which they need to receive it. Thus your essay's structure is necessarily unique to the main claim you're making. Although there are guidelines for constructing certain classic essay types (e.g., comparative analysis), there are no set formula.
Answering Questions: The Parts of an Essay
A typical essay contains many different kinds of information, often located in specialized parts or sections. Even short essays perform several different operations: introducing the argument, analyzing data, raising counterarguments, concluding. Introductions and conclusions have fixed places, but other parts don't. Counterargument, for example, may appear within a paragraph, as a free-standing section, as part of the beginning, or before the ending. Background material (historical context or biographical information, a summary of relevant theory or criticism, the definition of a key term) often appears at the beginning of the essay, between the introduction and the first analytical section, but might also appear near the beginning of the specific section to which it's relevant.
It's helpful to think of the different essay sections as answering a series of questions your reader might ask when encountering your thesis. (Readers should have questions. If they don't, your thesis is most likely simply an observation of fact, not an arguable claim.)
"What?" The first question to anticipate from a reader is "what": What evidence shows that the phenomenon described by your thesis is true? To answer the question you must examine your evidence, thus demonstrating the truth of your claim. This "what" or "demonstration" section comes early in the essay, often directly after the introduction. Since you're essentially reporting what you've observed, this is the part you might have most to say about when you first start writing. But be forewarned: it shouldn't take up much more than a third (often much less) of your finished essay. If it does, the essay will lack balance and may read as mere summary or description.
"How?" A reader will also want to know whether the claims of the thesis are true in all cases. The corresponding question is "how": How does the thesis stand up to the challenge of a counterargument? How does the introduction of new material—a new way of looking at the evidence, another set of sources—affect the claims you're making? Typically, an essay will include at least one "how" section. (Call it "complication" since you're responding to a reader's complicating questions.) This section usually comes after the "what," but keep in mind that an essay may complicate its argument several times depending on its length, and that counterargument alone may appear just about anywhere in an essay.
"Why?" Your reader will also want to know what's at stake in your claim: Why does your interpretation of a phenomenon matter to anyone beside you? This question addresses the larger implications of your thesis. It allows your readers to understand your essay within a larger context. In answering "why", your essay explains its own significance. Although you might gesture at this question in your introduction, the fullest answer to it properly belongs at your essay's end. If you leave it out, your readers will experience your essay as unfinished—or, worse, as pointless or insular.
Mapping an Essay
Structuring your essay according to a reader's logic means examining your thesis and anticipating what a reader needs to know, and in what sequence, in order to grasp and be convinced by your argument as it unfolds. The easiest way to do this is to map the essay's ideas via a written narrative. Such an account will give you a preliminary record of your ideas, and will allow you to remind yourself at every turn of the reader's needs in understanding your idea.
Essay maps ask you to predict where your reader will expect background information, counterargument, close analysis of a primary source, or a turn to secondary source material. Essay maps are not concerned with paragraphs so much as with sections of an essay. They anticipate the major argumentative moves you expect your essay to make. Try making your map like this:
- State your thesis in a sentence or two, then write another sentence saying why it's important to make that claim. Indicate, in other words, what a reader might learn by exploring the claim with you. Here you're anticipating your answer to the "why" question that you'll eventually flesh out in your conclusion.
- Begin your next sentence like this: "To be convinced by my claim, the first thing a reader needs to know is . . ." Then say why that's the first thing a reader needs to know, and name one or two items of evidence you think will make the case. This will start you off on answering the "what" question. (Alternately, you may find that the first thing your reader needs to know is some background information.)
- Begin each of the following sentences like this: "The next thing my reader needs to know is . . ." Once again, say why, and name some evidence. Continue until you've mapped out your essay.
Your map should naturally take you through some preliminary answers to the basic questions of what, how, and why. It is not a contract, though—the order in which the ideas appear is not a rigid one. Essay maps are flexible; they evolve with your ideas.
Signs of Trouble
A common structural flaw in college essays is the "walk-through" (also labeled "summary" or "description"). Walk-through essays follow the structure of their sources rather than establishing their own. Such essays generally have a descriptive thesis rather than an argumentative one. Be wary of paragraph openers that lead off with "time" words ("first," "next," "after," "then") or "listing" words ("also," "another," "in addition"). Although they don't always signal trouble, these paragraph openers often indicate that an essay's thesis and structure need work: they suggest that the essay simply reproduces the chronology of the source text (in the case of time words: first this happens, then that, and afterwards another thing . . . ) or simply lists example after example ("In addition, the use of color indicates another way that the painting differentiates between good and evil").
Copyright 2000, Elizabeth Abrams, for the Writing Center at Harvard University
- How to Read an Assignment
- How to Do a Close Reading
- Developing A Thesis
- Topic Sentences and Signposting
- Transitioning: Beware of Velcro
- How to Write a Comparative Analysis
- Ending the Essay: Conclusions
- Brief Guides to Writing in the Disciplines
Quick Links
- Schedule an Appointment
- Drop-in Hours
- English Grammar and Language Tutor
- Harvard Guide to Using Sources
- Writing Advice: The Harvard Writing Tutor Blog
- Departmental Writing Fellows
- Videos from the 2022 Three Minute Thesis Competition
Follow @HCWritingCenter
How to write an essay: Body
- What's in this guide
- Introduction
- Essay structure
- Additional resources
Body paragraphs
The essay body itself is organised into paragraphs, according to your plan. Remember that each paragraph focuses on one idea, or aspect of your topic, and should contain at least 4-5 sentences so you can deal with that idea properly.
Each body paragraph has three sections. First is the topic sentence . This lets the reader know what the paragraph is going to be about and the main point it will make. It gives the paragraph’s point straight away. Next – and largest – is the supporting sentences . These expand on the central idea, explaining it in more detail, exploring what it means, and of course giving the evidence and argument that back it up. This is where you use your research to support your argument. Then there is a concluding sentence . This restates the idea in the topic sentence, to remind the reader of your main point. It also shows how that point helps answer the question.
Pathways and Academic Learning Support
- << Previous: Introduction
- Next: Conclusion >>
- Last Updated: Jan 9, 2023 11:45 AM
- URL: https://libguides.newcastle.edu.au/how-to-write-an-essay
Argumentative Essay – Outline, Form, and Examples
What is an argumentative essay?
An argumentative essay requires the writer to investigate a specific topic by collecting and evaluating evidence to establish a position on the subject matter.
When preparing to compose a good argumentative essay, utilize the following steps:
Step 1: Select a topic.
Step 2: Identify a position.
Step 3: Locate appropriate resources.
Step 4: Identify evidence supporting the position. ( NOTE: If there is little evidence in support of the claim, consider re-examining the main argument.)
When gathering evidence, use credible sources . To determine the credibility of the source, consider authority, currency, accuracy, and objectivity:
Who is the author ? Are they an expert in the field? Has a reputable publisher published the work?
How current is the information in the source? Does the currency of the source matter? Does the age of the source impact the content? Is there newer information that disproves the source’s information?
Can other sources verify the accuracy of the information? Does the information contradict that found in other commonly accepted sources?
Is there any evidence of bias, or is the source objective ? Is the research sponsored by an organization that may skew the information?
The following are typically recognized as providing appropriate, credible research material:
Peer-reviewed journals/research papers
Government agencies
Professional organizations
Library databases
Reference books
Writers should avoid using the following sources:
Social media posts
Out-of-date materials
Step 5: Utilize the research to determine a thesis statement that identifies the topic, position, and support(s).
Step 6: Use the evidence to construct an outline, detailing the main supports and relevant evidence.
Argumentative essay outline
After gathering all of the necessary research, the next step in composing an argumentative essay focuses on organizing the information through the use of an outline:
Introduction
Attention Grabber/Hook
Background Information: Include any background information pertinent to the topic that the reader needs to know to understand the argument.
Thesis: State the position in connection to the main topic and identify the supports that will help prove the argument.
Topic sentence
Identify evidence in support of the claim in the topic sentence
Explain how the evidence supports the argument
Evidence 3 (Continue as needed)
Support 2 (Continue as needed)
Restate thesis
Review main supports
Concluding statement
Invite the audience to take a specific action.
Identify the overall importance of the topic and position.
How to write an argumentative essay
Regardless of the writer’s topic or point of view, an argumentative essay should include an introductory paragraph, body paragraphs, a conclusion, and works cited.
Background information
Body Paragraphs
Analysis of evidence
Rephrased thesis
Review of main ideas
Call to action
Works Cited
Argumentative essay introduction
The introduction sets the tone for the entire paper and introduces the argument. In general, the first paragraph(s) should attract the reader’s attention, provide relevant context, and conclude with a thesis statement.
To attract the reader's attention , start with an introductory device. There are several attention-grabbing techniques, the most common of which consist of the following:
The writer can emphasize the topic’s importance by explaining the current interest in the topic or indicating that the subject is influential.
Pertinent statistics give the paper an air of authority.
There are many reasons for a stimulating statement to surprise a reader. Sometimes it is joyful; sometimes it is shocking; sometimes it is surprising because of who said it.
An interesting incident or anecdote can act as a teaser to lure the reader into the remainder of the essay. Be sure that the device is appropriate for the subject and focus of what follows.
Provide the reader with relevant context and background information necessary to understand the topic.
Conclude with a thesis statement that identifies the overall purpose of the essay (topic and position). Writers can also include their support directly in the thesis, which outlines the structure of the essay for the reader.
Avoid the following when writing the introduction to argumentative writing:
Starting with dictionary definitions is too overdone and unappealing.
Do not make an announcement of the topic like “In this paper I will…” or “The purpose of this essay is to….”
Evidence supporting or developing the thesis should be in the body paragraphs, not the introduction.
Beginning the essay with general or absolute statements such as “throughout history...” or “as human beings we always...” or similar statements suggest the writer knows all of history or that all people behave or think in the same way.
Argumentative essay thesis
The thesis statement is the single, specific claim the writer sets out to prove and is typically positioned as the last sentence of the introduction . It is the controlling idea of the entire argument that identifies the topic, position, and reasoning.
When constructing a thesis for an argumentative paper, make sure it contains a side of the argument, not simply a topic. An argumentative thesis identifies the writer’s position on a given topic. If a position cannot be taken, then it is not argumentative thesis:
Topic: Capital punishment is practiced in many states.
Thesis: Capital punishment should be illegal.
While not always required, the thesis statement can include the supports the writer will use to prove the main claim. Therefore, a thesis statement can be structured as follows:
TOPIC + POSITION (+ SUPPORTS)
No Supports: College athletes (TOPIC) should be financially compensated (POSITION).
Supports: College athletes (TOPIC) should be financially compensated (POSITION) because they sacrifice their minds and bodies (SUPPORT 1), cannot hold
Argumentative essay body paragraphs
Body paragraphs can be of varying lengths, but they must present a coherent argument unified under a single topic. They are rarely ever longer than one page, double-spaced; usually they are much shorter.
Lengthy paragraphs indicate a lack of structure. Identify the main ideas of a lengthy paragraph to determine if they make more sense as separate topics in separate paragraphs.
Shorter paragraphs usually indicate a lack of substance; there is not enough evidence or analysis to prove the argument. Develop the ideas more or integrate the information into another paragraph.
The structure of an argumentative paragraph should include a topic sentence, evidence, and a transition.
The topic sentence is the thesis of the paragraph that identifies the arguable point in support of the main argument. The reader should know exactly what the writer is trying to prove within the paragraph by reading the first sentence.
The supporting evidence and analysis provide information to support the claim. There should be a balance between the evidence (facts, quotations, summary of events/plot, etc.) and analysis (interpretation of evidence). If the paragraph is evidence-heavy, there is not much of an argument; if it is analysis-heavy, there is not enough evidence in support of the claim.
The transition can be at the beginning or the end of a paragraph. However, it is much easier to combine the transition with the concluding observation to help the paragraphs flow into one another. Transitions in academic writing should tell the reader where you were, where you are going, and relate to the thesis.
Some essays may benefit from the inclusion of rebuttals to potential counterarguments of the writer’s position.
Argumentative essay conclusion
The conclusion should make readers glad they read the paper. It can suggest broader implications that will not only interest readers but also enrich their understanding in some way. There are three aspects to follow when constructing the conclusion: rephrase the thesis, synthesize information, and call the reader to action.
Rephrased the thesis in the first sentence of the conclusion. It must be in different words; do not simply write it verbatim.
Synthesize the argument by showing how the paper's main points support the argument.
Propose a course of action or a solution to an issue. This can redirect the reader's thought process to apply the ideas to their life or to see the broader implications of the topic.
Avoid the following when constructing the conclusion:
Beginning with an unnecessary, overused phrase such as "in conclusion," "in summary," or "in closing;" although these phrases can work in speeches, they come across as trite in writing
Introducing a new idea or subtopic in the conclusion
Making sentimental, emotional appeals that are out of character with the rest of the paper
Including evidence (quotations, statistics, etc.) that should be in the body of the paper
Argumentative essay examples
Examples of argumentative essays vary depending upon the type:
Academic essays differ based upon the topic and position. These essays follow a more traditional structure and are typically assigned in high school or college. Examples of academic argumentative essay topics include the following:
Advantages or disadvantages of social media
Animal testing
Art education
Benefit or detriment of homework
Capital punishment
Class warfare
Immigration
School uniforms
Universal healthcare
Violence in video games
Argumentative literary essays are typically more informal and do not follow the same structure as an academic essay. The following are popular examples of argumentative literary essays:
“Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Death of the Moth” by Virginia Woolf
“Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell
“Thoughts for the Times on War and Death” by Sigmund Freud
“Does the Truth Matter? Science, Pseudoscience, and Civilization” by Carl Sagan
“Self-Reliance” by Ralph Waldo Emerson
- Departments and Units
- Majors and Minors
- LSA Gateway
Search: {{$root.lsaSearchQuery.q}}, Page {{$root.page}}
- News and Events
- Undergraduates
- Instructors
- Alumni & Friends
- ★ Writing Support
- International Students
- Peer Writing Consultant Program
- Writing Guides
- Minor in Writing
- Transfer Students
- Writing Prizes
- First-Year Writing Requirement
- MWrite Fellows Program
- Upper-Level Writing Requirement
- ★ Writing Workshop
- Dissertation Writing Groups
- Rackham / Sweetland Workshops
- Dissertation Writing Institute
- Teaching Resources & Writing Guides
- Dissertation ECoach
- Fellows Seminar
- Write-Togethers
- Support for FYWR Courses
- Teaching Resources
- M-Write Seminar for Engaged Learning
- Support for ULWR Courses
- Writing Prizes - Nominating Students
- Sweetland Library
- Alumni Gallery
- Giving Opportunities
- How Do I Write an Intro, Conclusion, & Body Paragraph?
- How Do I Make Sure I Understand an Assignment?
- How Do I Decide What I Should Argue?
- How Can I Create Stronger Analysis?
- How Do I Effectively Integrate Textual Evidence?
- How Do I Write a Great Title?
- What Exactly is an Abstract?
- How Do I Present Findings From My Experiment in a Report?
- What is a Run-on Sentence & How Do I Fix It?
- How Do I Check the Structure of My Argument?
- How Do I Incorporate Quotes?
- How Can I Create a More Successful Powerpoint?
- How Can I Create a Strong Thesis?
- How Can I Write More Descriptively?
- How Do I Incorporate a Counterargument?
- How Do I Check My Citations?
See the bottom of the main Writing Guides page for licensing information.
Traditional Academic Essays In Three Parts
Part i: the introduction.
An introduction is usually the first paragraph of your academic essay. If you’re writing a long essay, you might need 2 or 3 paragraphs to introduce your topic to your reader. A good introduction does 2 things:
- Gets the reader’s attention. You can get a reader’s attention by telling a story, providing a statistic, pointing out something strange or interesting, providing and discussing an interesting quote, etc. Be interesting and find some original angle via which to engage others in your topic.
- Provides a specific and debatable thesis statement. The thesis statement is usually just one sentence long, but it might be longer—even a whole paragraph—if the essay you’re writing is long. A good thesis statement makes a debatable point, meaning a point someone might disagree with and argue against. It also serves as a roadmap for what you argue in your paper.
Part II: The Body Paragraphs
Body paragraphs help you prove your thesis and move you along a compelling trajectory from your introduction to your conclusion. If your thesis is a simple one, you might not need a lot of body paragraphs to prove it. If it’s more complicated, you’ll need more body paragraphs. An easy way to remember the parts of a body paragraph is to think of them as the MEAT of your essay:
Main Idea. The part of a topic sentence that states the main idea of the body paragraph. All of the sentences in the paragraph connect to it. Keep in mind that main ideas are…
- like labels. They appear in the first sentence of the paragraph and tell your reader what’s inside the paragraph.
- arguable. They’re not statements of fact; they’re debatable points that you prove with evidence.
- focused. Make a specific point in each paragraph and then prove that point.
Evidence. The parts of a paragraph that prove the main idea. You might include different types of evidence in different sentences. Keep in mind that different disciplines have different ideas about what counts as evidence and they adhere to different citation styles. Examples of evidence include…
- quotations and/or paraphrases from sources.
- facts , e.g. statistics or findings from studies you’ve conducted.
- narratives and/or descriptions , e.g. of your own experiences.
Analysis. The parts of a paragraph that explain the evidence. Make sure you tie the evidence you provide back to the paragraph’s main idea. In other words, discuss the evidence.
Transition. The part of a paragraph that helps you move fluidly from the last paragraph. Transitions appear in topic sentences along with main ideas, and they look both backward and forward in order to help you connect your ideas for your reader. Don’t end paragraphs with transitions; start with them.
Keep in mind that MEAT does not occur in that order. The “ T ransition” and the “ M ain Idea” often combine to form the first sentence—the topic sentence—and then paragraphs contain multiple sentences of evidence and analysis. For example, a paragraph might look like this: TM. E. E. A. E. E. A. A.
Part III: The Conclusion
A conclusion is the last paragraph of your essay, or, if you’re writing a really long essay, you might need 2 or 3 paragraphs to conclude. A conclusion typically does one of two things—or, of course, it can do both:
- Summarizes the argument. Some instructors expect you not to say anything new in your conclusion. They just want you to restate your main points. Especially if you’ve made a long and complicated argument, it’s useful to restate your main points for your reader by the time you’ve gotten to your conclusion. If you opt to do so, keep in mind that you should use different language than you used in your introduction and your body paragraphs. The introduction and conclusion shouldn’t be the same.
- For example, your argument might be significant to studies of a certain time period .
- Alternately, it might be significant to a certain geographical region .
- Alternately still, it might influence how your readers think about the future . You might even opt to speculate about the future and/or call your readers to action in your conclusion.
Handout by Dr. Liliana Naydan. Do not reproduce without permission.
- Information For
- Prospective Students
- Current Students
- Faculty and Staff
- Alumni and Friends
- More about LSA
- How Do I Apply?
- LSA Opportunity Hub
- LSA Magazine
- Student Resources
- Academic Advising
- Global Studies
- Social Media
- Update Contact Info
- Privacy Statement
- Report Feedback
- Environment
- Information Science
- Social Issues
- Argumentative
- Cause and Effect
- Classification
- Compare and Contrast
- Descriptive
- Exemplification
- Informative
- Controversial
- Exploratory
- What Is an Essay
- Length of an Essay
- Generate Ideas
- Types of Essays
- Structuring an Essay
- Outline For Essay
- Essay Introduction
- Thesis Statement
- Body of an Essay
- Writing a Conclusion
- Essay Writing Tips
- Drafting an Essay
- Revision Process
- Fix a Broken Essay
- Format of an Essay
- Essay Examples
- Essay Checklist
Can’t find a perfect paper?
- Essay Guide
How to Score Most Points for Writing Body of an Essay?
Writing body of an essay is difficult task. In many ways, it’s the most relevant section because all major points of your paper should be introduced and dissected there. This is your chance to study the topic in as much depth as needed, presenting your arguments, defending them, and supporting them with academic sources. Most essay points are awarded for this part, so college students should ensure that every paragraph is thought out, valid, and properly formatted.
But naturally, several questions occur. How to use evidence in an essay ? What structure should typical body have? How long should it be? Body is the largest part of a written text, so while it gives you most opportunities for getting a great grade, there are also more risks of making mistakes. If you want to avoid them, you should know all standard rules and follow them while writing. We’ll be happy to help you meet professor’s requirements, so take a look at the tips we’ve devised.
What Does a Structure of Essay Body Include?
Essay paragraph structure follows the same academic standards, no matter what kind of paper you’re writing or which subject you’re exploring. There are four main parts a body must have. Here are they are:
- Topic sentence. Each body paragraph should start with an opening sentence. It functions as an approximate outline of what you’ll be discussing right afterward, preparing the ground and letting your readers know information they can count on getting.
- Evidence. Direct quotes, paraphrases, and other facts are needed to solidify your arguments. Remember that every essay requires it: even if one is writing an informal kind of it, they still should include some points that should be elaborated upon. For that, they need evidence.
- Closing sentence. This is the last sentence of an essay paragraph. It usually summarizes all the facts mentioned in it and makes a general conclusion on this basis. There are several goals such sentence pursues: on the one hand, it reminds an audience of what they just read, solidifying the key points they’ve learned, and on the other, it finalizes your thoughts in general, bringing order to them. It is important to write it broad yet specific to the paragraph.
- Essay transition phrases . Transitions could be made a part of your closing sentence or added as a separate element at an end of the paragraph. They function as links leading toward the next paragraph, so you should make their content fit both your current and your next paragraphs. Use special transitional words to make process of their incorporation easier. Add them into each part, and you’ll get enough marks for your structure.
Create an Effective Essay Topic Sentence
Now is the time to understand the specifics of opening sentences and see how they work on practical examples. So, like it became clear from the previous section, opening sentences are placed at the start of each body paragraph. They announce writer’s intentions and are in direct relation with thesis. Using the topic about reasons that motivate people to become doctors, we have a caring nature, communicativeness, and hunger for power as three attributes introduced in a thesis.
What is a topic sentence in an essay like this? For the first body paragraph, it could say the following: “One of the reasons that encourage young people to pursue nursing career is their caring nature.” The opening line for the second paragraph could be, “Being communicative is another big motivator that pushes individuals toward healthcare work.” These lines are connected with thesis and they disclose the main aim of the paragraphs themselves. Follow this example and your topic sentence will be flawless!
How to Explain Evidence in an Essay?
The next point is evidence. Like we explained, it should be present in any paper irrespective of topics, and the stronger it is, the more chances at success you gain. There are several models you could use for presenting and explaining your evidence, but we’re going to focus only on several of them. The first one requires using a quote. You could cite something directly from a book or an article or put this information in your own words. In both cases, watch out for essay format : some styles like APA need you to use an author’s name and date while formats like MLA demand the mention of pages in all instances. Clarify it with your university — they should provide template. It is vital since, without proper citations, you might be accused of plagiarism. After using this quote, explain its meaning. Elaborate a bit, adding some extra details. After that, present several points of your own, and if needed, support them with more sources.
Another effective model includes basing evidence directly on the first sentence of an essay paragraph. Start going from there: if you mentioned caring qualities, expand on that by pointing out what makes an individual caring and in what ways it is expressed. Slowly, lead toward some relevant quote or paraphrase, and then, again, offer an explanation. This gradual system is just as effective, so choose whichever option you prefer.
Concluding Sentences
What about closing essay transition sentences ? They are extremely important because they give a writer an opportunity to solidify the conclusion they need in the minds of their readers. Not every person is reading attentively enough, so they might skip over some crucial points. With a closing sentence, they are reminded of the goal this paragraph had. Writing this bit is more difficult than working with an opening line because it should be concise yet extremely informative. For example, this is how we close paragraph about caring nurses: “Thus, caring people are more predisposed to helping others, and many of them want to make it a part of their future career.” Here we used a concluding word “thus” and covered the core content from a paragraph. It goes back toward thesis, which is another plus. But there is also another way of concluding essay .
Remember! Use our conclusion sentence generator to create a great last paragraph.
Transitions are Essential
They either conclude an essay or are added to the second half of a closing sentence. Our examples will help you make sense of them. In the first case, transition is a short ending to a paragraph that hints at what is coming next. When you take a reader from a paragraph about kindness toward a paragraph about communicativeness, it could sound like this: “However, being caring is not the only attribute people choosing nursing as career possess.” Pay attention to “however” — it works as a transitional word. There are several words like this, such as “nevertheless,” “but”, “in addition,” “nonetheless,” etc. If you want to incorporate transitions into a closing line, you could rely on them as well. For instance: “Caring people are more inclined to help others, but it is not the only attribute that future doctors tend to possess.” We combined both closing and transitional sentences into one here. Do the same if you like this option.
Tips For Creating Strong Body Paragraph
Before students start writing their paper, they should understand what they need to do. Body is an extremely complex section, so it’s always better to figure out the basics and create an outline. First of all, choose your topic. Determine what argument you’ll be making. Outline all main points, and then rely on these three steps.
- Develop thesis and use it as a guide. Thesis is presented in introduction, but it has strong links with the body, so it’s better to make it before you do anything else. Imagine that you defined 4 main points for your upcoming research. After putting them in a thesis, you can create each paragraph in accordance with them. For instance, your thesis says: “Three main reasons explaining why people become doctors include being caring, communicative, and power-hungry.” “Caring” attribute would be focus of your first body paragraph, “communicative” would be explored in the second, and “power hungry” in the third one. If you find yourself losing focus as you’re working on a body, always look back to thesis and use it for guiding you.
- Figure out body length. How many sentences are in a essay ? Find an answer to this question to understand what volume of info you’ll be working with. Re-read your instructions, they’ll tell you how many words should be written. If not, clarify it with your teacher. If an essay should be 5 pages long, then it has about 1500 words. 10% will go for intro and the same amount will be given to conclusion (meaning that they’ll have 150 words each). The rest should be good for body, so plan accordingly. This could help you understand how much information you need.
- Understand structure of a body. What does a topic phrase mean? How to write a transition sentence ? If you know answers to these questions, great! If no, then you should find everything out as soon as possible. Body is not just shapeless wall of text, it is a section where logic, precision, and order are a must. Students writing an essay should know what each paragraph consists of and how to make every element in it effective.
Create a Perfect Body for a Perfect Essay
Whether you’re writing 5 paragraph essay or a whole dissertation, the body of this work has to be flawless. Ensure this by taking all tips we provided above into account. Remember about four components each body should have (opening and closing sentences, evidence, and transitions) together with strategies for making them effective. You could write them down and tick them off whenever you compose another paragraph.
Trust us, if you cover all these moments, this largest section is bound to get you good grades. If you have issues with citing evidence or creating essay transitions , though, never hesitate to look for help . We have come to the assistance to many students before, and we’ll be glad to do it for you as well. Just explain your instructions and we’ll treat your body like we would our own, with all the care it deserves!
A few hours till deadline?
Let experts write a unique essay and save your time
Blog Navigation
- Comparison and Contrast
Can’t come up with a topic for you paper? We’ve prepared a collection of essay topics for you
Want to write a winning essay but lack experience? Browse our free essay samples
Elizabeth provides educational materials, conducts research, explores and solves student challenges. Her posts are always helpful, innovative, and contain interesting insights.
Related Articles
A request for learning how to write a comparison and contrast essay is extremely popular in online spaces. Students from countries all over the world type it when they receive this kind of college assignment, hoping to find clear answers and instructions. If you’re here, then you’ve come to the…
Not all students know how to write a definition essay. This type of task is pretty rare as for the most part, professors prefer more complex papers, like argumentative or descriptive ones. But when they finally assign it, students start panicking because they don’t understand what it means and how…
A surprising number of students feel unsure about how to write an informative essay. On the one hand, everything seems pretty easy: the name of this college task speaks for itself. An informative paper is a piece of writing where you present objective facts about a specific topic, expanding your…
Do you want to know how to write a descriptive essay? It’s a common question of many students as sooner or later, they all have to work on this task. College is a difficult time since homework is almost never-ending. Descriptive papers are a blessing and a curse because, on…
If you’re plagued by a question of how to write a narrative essay, then it is that time of the year again — time when college professors decide to get their students to do creative yet challenging task. Narrative essay is a piece of non-fiction writing where authors talk about…
If you’re wondering how to write an expository essay, you’ve come to the right place. This common college task always wreaks chaos among the students, making them panic in their attempts to understand what they should be doing now. The first thing students need lies in understanding what an expository…
If you like this sample, we will email it to you with pleasure!
By clicking “Submit”, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy policy. Sometimes you will receive account related emails.
We won’t let you miss your deadline!
Only unique papers, 100% confidentiality, and fast delivery.
Place an order now
Leave it to a pro!
Uniqueness and on time delivery guaranteed!
Type your email
Thank you for your interest in our company.
Unfortunately, we are not hiring writers now due to low season.
We will be glad to review your application in the future.
- Plagiarism checker Do The Check
- Academic editing Ask For Help
- Samples database View Samples Base
Writing A Body Paragraph For An Essay: Structure And Example
07 Sep 2021
Quick Navigation
How to write a body paragraph of an essay, essay body paragraph example.
Everyone knows that any text, article, and even blog posts require decent planning with proper structure and format. This is especially true with essays.
An essay differs from other written assignments because of its freedom of self-expression. The main body of an essay is the most important part of the paper.
The intro prepares the reader by giving general information about the topic and the main thesis to catch their attention. The conclusion summarizes the main points, arguments, evidence, and thesis. But why is writing body paragraphs the most important part of the process? The main body reflects a problem that you will need to support the thesis with evidence, conduct analysis, and provide the main ideas to solving the problem.
You have to pay attention to structure because the body paragraph outline will vary widely, depending on the different essay types, disciplines, and other aspects. Thus, it is important to write the main part following a logical path. You can conduct research and read our advice on how to write a rough draft for an essay .
If you can’t write an introduction from scratch, you can skip it and start with the main body, We will try to provide a couple of examples of a basic essay structure as well as some tips for writing an excellent one.
Take your paper to the next level
Professional editors will check your paper for grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, consistency, and academic style.
Here is what a basic body paragraph in an essay should consist of:
Main idea: All the following sentences in this part will be connected to the main idea that will be stated at the beginning of the text. Main ideas can be the following:
- Focused: They are usually needed to prove a specific point in each paragraph.
- Labeled: We use them at the beginning of each paragraph to tell the reader what will be told next.
- Arguably: Debatable points that you will back up with some evidence.
Evidence: Evidence proves the main idea of the paragraph. You can use different evidence in each sentence. Here are some examples of what you can use as evidence:
- Quotations and citations from the sources
- Real facts, findings, and statistics
- Your own experience.
Analysis: Using analysis, you explain the provided evidence but do not forget to tie the evidence to the main idea and discuss it.
Transition to the next part: These help you move to the next paragraph gradually. It is recommended to start the paragraph with a transition instead of putting it at the end. This will help to make your text clearer to your reader.
Need help with writing an essay?
Get your paper written by a professional writer
The structure can vary depending on the length and the main idea of the text. A thesis means one short finished idea that an author wants to tell the reader. This is in contrast to examples, arguments, and evidence being used to prove the thesis. How do you find decent evidence? It can be anything like a situation from real life, an academic’s opinion, and/or news or facts that were proven by science.
Quick tip: a good way to prove your ideas is to use a few arguments for every point that you make. One of them should be strong and indisputable, while the second one can be less convincing yet informative. However, do not use more than five augments. It can make your text too long and boring.
Don't let plagiarism ruin your grade
Check the originality of a paper with just a couple of clicks.
- Free unlimited checks
- Accurate results
- All common file formats
- Intuitive interface
Here is a good essay paragraph example to make it a bit clearer:
“ [Start with a topic sentence] J K Rowling, in her first book – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone , claims that the appearance of a person can sometimes be misleading, [followed by supporting details] showing one of the kindest and most favorite characters – Hagrid as a scary person. His eyes are 'glinting like black beetles', his face is 'almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard' says the author (Rowling 46). [Then goes an explanation] The author declares that the main character of the book – Harry Potter is frightened by this intimidating figure, which misleads the reader, making Hagrid appear as a villain. [Explains the significance] However, this image is wrong. Later the reader gets to know Hagrid’s true character, which is the opposite. [Ends with a conclusion and transition to the following part] This example proves how misleading an appearance of someone can be, which is easily proved by many other examples from literature and real life.”
In any case, remember that the body paragraph of any paper has to be the strongest part of the whole text. Consider reading other student's essay examples to find out how to write your own!
Was this article helpful?
Thanks for your feedback.
Dr. Karlyna PhD
I am a proficient writer from the United States with over five years of experience in academic writing. I comfortably complete given assignments within stipulated deadlines and at the same time deliver high-quality work, which follows the guidelines provided.
Readers also enjoyed
165 opinion essay topics to write about.
Essay Writing Guides 12 likes
How to Write an Academic Essay - Full Guidance
Essay Writing Guides 14 likes
Turn a tide: Guide on Mastering the Counter Argument
Essay Writing Guides 75 likes
WHY WAIT? PLACE AN ORDER RIGHT NOW!
Simply fill out the form, click the button, and have no worries!
Basics of essay writing - Body
The body paragraphs will explain your essay's topic. Each of the main ideas that you listed in your outline will become a paragraph in your essay. If your outline contained three main ideas, you will have three body paragraphs. Start by writing down one of your main ideas, in sentence form.
If your essay topic is a new university in your hometown, one of your main ideas may be "population growth of town" you might say this:
The new university will cause a boom in the population of Fort Myers.
Build on your paragraph by including each of the supporting ideas from your outline In the body of the essay, all the preparation up to this point comes to fruition. The topic you have chosen must now be explained, described, or argued.
Each body paragraph will have the same basic structure.
- Start by writing down one of your main ideas, in sentence form. If your main idea is "reduces freeway congestion," you might say this: Public transportation reduces freeway congestion.
- Next, write down each of your supporting points for that main idea, but leave four or five lines in between each point.
- In the space under each point, write down some elaboration for that point. Elaboration can be further description or explanation or discussion. Supporting Point Commuters appreciate the cost savings of taking public transportation rather than driving. Elaboration Less driving time means less maintenance expense, such as oil changes. Of course, less driving time means savings on gasoline as well. In many cases, these savings amount to more than the cost of riding public transportation.
- If you wish, include a summary sentence for each paragraph. This is not generally needed, however, and such sentences have a tendency to sound stilted, so be cautious about using them.
Each main body paragraph will focus on a single idea, reason, or example that supports your thesis. Each paragraph will have a clear topic sentence (a mini thesis that states the main idea of the paragraph). You should try to use details and specific examples to make your ideas clear and convincing.
Useful links
- 5-paragraph Essay
- Admission Essay
- Argumentative Essay
- Cause and Effect Essay
- Classification Essay
- Comparison Essay
- Critical Essay
- Deductive Essay
- Definition Essay
- Exploratory Essay
- Expository Essay
- Informal Essay
- Literature Essay
- Narrative Essay
- Personal Essay
- Persuasive Essay
- Research Essay
- Response Essay
- Scholarship Essay
© 2004-2018 EssayInfo.com - Essay writing guides and tips. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy
The Only Guide to Essay Writing You’ll Ever Need
Feel passionately about something and want to share it? Write an essay! Disagree with a popular opinion and wish to convince others to join you? Write an essay! Need to write something because the college you dream of attending is making you? Write an essay!
“Essay” is a loose term for writing that asserts the author’s opinion on a topic, whether academic, editorial, or even humorous. There are a thousand different approaches to essay writing and a million different topics to choose from, but what we’ve found is that good essay writing tends to follow the same framework.
Give your essays extra polish Grammarly helps you write with confidence Write with Grammarly
Below we discuss that framework and how you can apply it to your essays, whatever types they may be. But first, let’s start with the nucleus of any good essay: the topic.
Your essay needs a thesis statement
There are three things to consider before writing your essay: thesis, type, and audience. Of these, the most important by far is your thesis, or the crux of what your essay is about.
Your thesis, encapsulated in your thesis statement , is the central point you’re trying to make. The thesis of Bertrand Russell’s essay “ In Praise of Idleness ,” for example, is that people focus too much on work and don’t value time spent idly. Essays can occasionally stray and go into related tangents, but they always come back to that one core idea in the thesis.
You should always pinpoint your thesis before writing. If you’re having trouble nailing it down, ask yourself, “What’s the one thing I want my reader to remember when they’re done reading my essay?”
The best practice is to include your thesis as soon as possible, even in your topic sentence if it’s appropriate. You’ll want to reiterate it throughout the essay as well, especially when wrapping up everything in the conclusion.
The rest of your essay, then, supports your thesis. You can include empirical evidence, testimonials, logical deductions, or even persuasive rhetoric —whatever gets the job done. The point is that you’re building upon your initial thesis, not switching to completely different topics.
Types of essays
Like any form of writing, essays come in many different types. Sometimes the assignment dictates the type, as with admissions essays, and other times the thesis will determine it. Regardless, it helps to know what your options are, so here are some of the most common essay types:
Argumentative essay
Argumentative essays assert or defend a position. This is the most common type of school paper, so keep that in mind when writing your first college essay .
Admissions essay
Most colleges request an admissions essay in applications, which typically revolve around why you’re interested in their school.
Persuasive essay
A persuasive essay is just as it sounds: an essay to persuade or convince the reader of a certain point. It’s similar to an argumentative essay— they both strongly favor a particular point of view, but the difference is the end goal: Argumentative essays just have to present their case, while persuasive essays have to present their case and win over the reader.
Compare-and-contrast essay
When you want to devote equal attention to two opposing things, a compare-and-contrast essay works better than argumentative or persuasive essays, which lean to one side over the other.
Personal essay
Personal essays are often anecdotal or real-life stories of the authors, like the works of David Sedaris . Because they tend to follow narrative structures, the thesis can be flexible or interpretive.
Expository essay
An expository essay thoroughly explains a certain topic to expand the reader’s knowledge. It is similar to an argumentative and persuasive essay in format, but with one key difference: expository essays don’t have a bias.
Know your essay’s audience
Your final consideration is who will read your essay—a teacher, an admissions counselor, your peers, the internet at large, etc.
No matter what you’re writing, your audience should influence your language. For one thing, your readers determine whether the essay is formal or casual , which has an enormous impact on language, word choice, and style . Take emojis for example: In a casual essay they might be welcome, but for formal writing they’re not the most appropriate choice. 😓
Your audience also affects the essay’s tone, or how you sound on an emotional level (enthusiastic, cautious, confident, etc.). If you’d like to know more, you can read about the 10 common types of tone here .
The essay writing process
If you’re writing an essay, research paper , term paper, novel, short story, poem , screenplay, blog article about essay writing—when writing just about anything , really—it’s crucial to follow an efficient writing process. Even if you prefer the stream of consciousness style for writing your rough draft, you still need to have an orderly system that allows you to revise and hone.
For essay writing, we recommend this six-step writing process :
1 Brainstorming
It always helps to collect your thoughts before you begin writing by brainstorming . Based on your prompt or thesis, try to generate as many ideas as possible to include in your essay. Think of as many as time allows, knowing that you’ll be able to set aside the ideas that don’t work later.
2 Preparing
The preparation phase consists of both outlining your essay and collecting resources for evidence. Take a look at the results of your brainstorming session. First, isolate the ideas that are essential to support your thesis and then organize them in a logical and progressive order. In this stage you’ll incorporate your essay structure, which we explain below.
If you want empirical evidence or complementary citations, track them down now. The way you write citations depends on the style guide you’re using. The three most common style guides for academics are MLA , APA , and Chicago , and each has its own particular rules and requirements for citing just about any kind of source, including newspaper articles , websites , speeches , and YouTube videos .
This is the main stage of essay writing where you roll up your sleeves and actually write your first draft . Remember that everything doesn’t have to be perfect; this is your first draft, not your final draft, so give yourself the freedom to make errors. If you’re focusing on getting every single word right, you’ll miss the big picture.
The revisions stage involves your second draft, your third draft, or even your twelfth draft if necessary. Address all the nuances and subtleties you glossed over in the first draft.
Pay attention to both word choice and clarity , as well as sophisticated writing techniques like avoiding the passive voice . If you’re not confident in your writing skills yet, the Grammarly Editor ensures your writing is readable, clear, and concise by offering sentence structure and word choice suggestions, plus clarity revisions as you write. Grammarly helps catch common mistakes with sentence structure—like run-on sentences, sentence fragments, passive voice, and more.
5 Proofreading
When all the heavy-duty revisions are finished, it’s time for the final polish. Go through your essay and correct misspellings , formatting issues, or grammatical errors. This is also where you can turn to Grammarly’s AI-powered writing assistant, which helps catch these common mistakes for you. Or copy and paste your writing to check your grammar and get instant feedback on grammar, spelling, punctuation, and other mistakes you might have missed.
Essay structure
Essay structure almost always follows a simple beginning-middle-end format, or in this case, an introduction-body-conclusion format. However, it’s what’s contained within those sections that makes all the difference.
Introduction
Essays follow the same guidelines for introductions as any other piece of writing, with an extra emphasis on presenting the thesis prominently, ideally in the topic sentence. By the end of your introduction paragraph, your reader should know without a doubt what your essay is about. From there, follow the conventional best practices on how to write an introduction .
Body paragraphs
The majority of your essay is body paragraphs , all of which support your thesis and present evidence.
Pay close attention to how you organize your body paragraphs. Some arguments benefit from a logical progression, where one point leads to a second, and that second point leads to a third. Remember that the reader doesn’t understand the topic like you do (that’s why you’re writing the essay), so structure your paragraphs in the way that’s best for their comprehension.
What if you’re writing an argumentative essay where you compare and contrast two or more points of view? Do you present your argument first and then share opposing points of view, or do you open with your opposition’s argument and then refute it?
Serious writers can get pretty technical about how to organize an argumentative essay. There are three approaches in particular used often: Aristotlian (classical), Rogerian , and Toulmin . However, these can get exceedingly complicated, so for a simple essay, a basic structure will do just fine:
- Counterpoint
- Evidence supporting your point and/or disproving counterpoint
Essay conclusions wrap up or summarize your thesis in a way that’s easy for the reader to digest. If you get the chance, you can add a new perspective or context for understanding your thesis, but in general the conclusion should not present any new evidence or supporting data. Rather, it’s more of a recap. For more specific tips, read about how to write a conclusion for an essay here .
Five-paragraph essay
For quick and simple essays, you don’t need to get too technical with your essay structure. The five-paragraph essay structure works well in a pinch. This contains:
- One introduction paragraph
- Three body paragraphs
- One conclusion paragraph
While this essay structure might not be flexible enough for more advanced topics, it comes in handy when speed is a factor, like during timed tests.
Essay writing tips
Master the five fundamentals.
Especially for school essays, your reader will scrutinize how well you handle the fundamentals. Knowing about essay structure and the writing process is one thing, but can you demonstrate an understanding of language style? Can you develop your thesis logically and coherently? Are your references and citations trustworthy?
When you’re ready for the next step of essay writing, take a look at the five concepts you must master to write better essays . The tips there pick up where this guide leaves off.
Seek out another pair of eyes
This tip is not just for essays; it’s always advisable to have someone else read over your writing before finalizing it. All too often we miss the forest for the trees, and thinking long and hard on the same topic can give you tunnel vision. The solution is to get a fresh take from someone who’s seeing it for the first time.
Typically you can swap with a friend and edit each others’ works. If that’s not an option, however, you can also use a writing center or join a writing group online. At the very least, you should sleep on it and take another look when you’re refreshed.
Remember: Grammar and form are essential
It’s not always about what you say, but how you say it. You could have the most obvious, objectively agreeable thesis in the world, but if your writing is incoherent, confusing, and full of mistakes, it’s tough to engage with your reader.
For when your writing needs to make the right impact, Grammarly Premium offers full-sentence rewrites for confusing sentences—from splitting long sentences, cutting extra words, or rearranging key phrases—in addition to catching common grammar mistakes. It also gives you readability-focused formatting suggestions, so you know your writing is clear. It also helps those who are looking to improve their writing skill level in English, with suggestions for commonly misused words and phrases.
Honing your writing with these elements in mind is key to relaying your point to your reader—and asserting your thesis as effectively as possible.
How to write a body paragraph for an essay
In academic writing, learning how to write a body paragraph for an essay is one of the first challenges that students encounter. When writing, each body paragraph should follow a standard structure, with some variation allowed for short descriptive paragraphs. Many teachers simply provide their students with a model to follow, but teaching composition skills is important as well.
After all, learning how to write an essay has more value if students know what steps are needed to follow to accomplish that goal.
In this guide, we will use essay body paragraph examples to teach the best strategies on how to start a body paragraph and how to write them.
- How to revise an essay
Attention grabbers for essays
Satire essay.
- How To Write a Photo Essay – Examples and Topics
- Counter argument essay, structure & examples
- Family nurse practitioner (fnp) entrance essay
Let start with the definition of a body paragraph in essay writing.
What Is a Body Paragraph?
Body paragraphs are the second part of an essay after the thesis statement and before the conclusion. They discuss in detail examples, facts or ideas presented in one sentence of the introduction or used in support of a claim made in the thesis statement . A good body paragraph has three section which are the topic sentence, the explanation and the concluding sentence.
The number of body paragraphs in an essay will vary with the length and type of an essay being written, but an average five paragraph essay will have: one introduction paragraph, three body paragraphs, and one conclusion paragraph.
Learning how to write a body paragraph is not difficult when you understand the rules for building knowledge paragraphs in general.
What Is the Purpose of a Body Paragraph?
A body paragraph has one simple purpose: to present a single idea that supports your thesis. In academic essays , the role of writing body paragraphs is to provide individual examples of how the thesis is true.
The body paragraphs are where you present any information that your reader needs in order to understand your point. This means that body paragraphs usually have several sentences, even if they are fairly short ones. Since most academic essays will have three or more body paragraphs, it’s important not to repeat yourself in any way when writing each one.
Body paragraphs should also avoid being too short, or else you might end up giving your reader the impression that there’s not much to back up your thesis after all. A good rule of thumb is to aim for three well-developed sentences in each paragraph. However, it’s important to remember that no rule is set in stone, and the best way to judge whether you’ve written a good body paragraph is by reading it out loud. If you find yourself running out of breath, then your reader will likely stop reading before they get very far. Making your sentences concise enough to support solid arguments is important, but avoid sacrificing clarity over brevity (unless you are specifically asked to do so).
Tips on how to start a body paragraph in an essay effectively
Starting an essay body paragraph is not as simple as it may look because you have to convince the readers that your arguments are significant and plausible. The end of the introduction should bring about a transition into the body paragraph.
The way to start an essay body paragraph is to create a link between what you wrote in the introductory paragraph and what you are about to say next. This can be done through an essay hook which is a transitional phrase that helps to link the opening and the body of the essay.
The following hooks have been classified into three categories: transition hooks, comparison hooks, and correlation hooks.
- Transition hooks : You can start an essay body paragraph with a transition hook if you feel there is a need for a connection between what you wrote in your introduction and what you are about to talk about in the body paragraph.
- Comparison hooks : You can opt for comparison hooks if you want to compare and contrast your arguments with others in the introduction.
- Correlation hooks : Correlation hooks may be used when you want to draw a connection between what is stated in the introduction and what you are going to discuss in the essay’s body paragraphs.
Here are the steps start a body paragraph:
Step 1: Create a transition hook that relates the body of your essay to the introduction.
Step 2: Provide an explanation for why your evidence is important and relevant.
Step 3: Give examples, statistics, illustrations etc., related to what you have stated in step 2.
Step 4: End the paragraph with another transition hook that relates the body paragraph to the rest of your essay.
For instance, if you are writing about how poverty affects students’ grades in school, you can create a transition hook between your introduction and your body paragraphs by saying something like “Statistics show that…” or “According to statistics,…”. What follows after the transition hook is an explanation of the statistics you have provided. In the second paragraph, you can offer specific examples from your personal experiences to prove what you have stated in step 2.
For example:
A study shows that only 33% of students who come from disadvantaged homes move away from poverty when they become adults while around 50% of children with middle class parents achieve the same thing.
Statistics show that poverty has a huge effect on educational attainment; therefore, the statements in the introduction will provide support for what is stated in step 2.
In your second body paragraph, you can use this transition hook: “As shown by the example…” In this case, you would give an example that helps to prove what you stated in step 2.
Finally, end your essay with yet another transition hook that relates the rest of your essay’s body paragraphs to the introduction. For example: “Thus, these are some of the ways poverty can affect students’ grades in school.”
Read more: body paragraph argumentative essay
Example of words to start a body paragraph in an essay -essay body paragraph starters
Here is a list of words to start a body paragraph in an essay. You are free to choose any of the essay body paragraph starters listed below:
- A striking example of this is the case of…
- The most compelling evidence for … can be seen in…
- An interesting statistic concerning… is…
- One important reason why….is because…
- Another vital element that helps us understand …. is . ..
- The primary purpose behind …… is……
- The most frequent reason given for …. is …..
- In conclusion, the only feasible way to understand …… is by considering it from all these angles.
Essay body paragraph starters tip : It must be noted that using the above words to start a body paragraph in an essay might not yield perfect results if there are other words interfering with them. This is because the reader might not be able to follow your line of thinking. However, they are useful as a starting point for brainstorming.
What Are the Components of a Body Paragraph?
A good body paragraph should include the following components:
- A topic sentence: The topic sentence, which introduces the idea of the paragraph and previews the examples that will support the thesis.
- Supporting sentences: Several details or examples to support your thesis. Depending on length requirements, a body paragraph should include at least two examples.
- A concluding sentence: A concluding sentence restates your thesis and ties all of the details of your essay together.
These are the 3 components of a good body paragraph. This is usually all you need to write a good body paragraph, but for descriptive essay paragraphs this strategy will not work as well because the focus must be on describing details of an event or object rather than explaining them. These types of body paragraphs include more of a narrative essay style that focuses on emotions or sensations rather than just the facts.
Some teachers want their students to follow a specific format for writing each paragraph, starting with an introductory sentence and ending with a conclusion sentence. However, this is not always possible in certain essay types such as in writing a process essay or process analysis essay where the purpose is to explain how something works.
How to Write a Body Paragraph in an essay
Now that we have gone through most details on body paragraphs and how they are used in academic writing, let us now review important tips in writing the body paragraphs effectively:
Tip 1: Write with a purpose
When writing a body paragraph, you should aim to express one primary idea at the beginning of the paragraph. This will be your position or claim that you are going to justify in the rest of the paragraph. Try to limit yourself to only one primary claim per body paragraph.
Also, it is important to keep in mind that every single sentence in a body paragraph should have a clear connection to the primary claim that you have made.
For example, if your main position is “The United States should take military action against North Korea”, you should make sure that every sentence in your paragraph directly has something to do with this idea. The purpose of each sentence is to either prove or support your claim.
North Korea is a threat to the safety and security of the United States with its unpredictable nuclear missiles. The most recent test showed that they can fire a missile as far as California . This is an immediate danger to the population because most of them are not aware of how close they actually are from getting attacked.
Tip 2: Include counterarguments
A counterargument is an opposing view to your claim that you will need to address in order to prove your point. It is important to include a counterargument because this will show that you have thought about the issue from all angles and that you are not simply providing a one-sided argument.
Including a counterargument also makes your argument stronger because it allows you to refute any possible objections that your reader might have. This will make it more difficult for them to argue against your position.
Even if you are citing sources that directly support your claim, it is important to include counterarguments. This will act as a good backup just in case your reader tries to disagree with you. If you feel like adding more details to your paragraph then this would be the best place for it.
Tip 3: Use strong evidence
When writing body paragraphs, it is important to use strong evidence in order to support your position. This evidence can come from a variety of sources such as scholarly articles, statistics, expert opinions, personal experiences, etc.
It is important to remember that citing sources will always help you prove your point because it shows the reader that you are not just making things up by yourself.
Remember that not all evidence is equally strong. Statistics, expert opinions, and hard data are considered much stronger than personal experiences or opinions of others. You should aim to use this type of evidence whenever possible.
Tip 4: Stay focused
Make sure that everything in your paragraph is directly related to the topic at hand. Each sentence should have a connection to your primary argument or else it will not be considered part of your body paragraph.
It is important to remember what exactly you are trying to prove in every body paragraph so that your can stay focused and avoid going off on a tangent.
For example, if you are writing about the reasons why North Korea is dangerous then it would not be appropriate to start talking about how innocent its people are or how their country has been victimized by past wars. Even though these may be considered factors in why they pose a security threat to the United States, they are not directly related to your primary argument.
Tip 5: Use paragraph breaks as necessary
It is important to remember that you need to create clear connections between each of your sentences. This will become increasingly more difficult if all of your sentences are combined together. Therefore, it is important to use paragraph breaks as necessary so that the reader can clearly see what points you are trying to prove and how they are connected.
The best way do this is by including a topic sentence that previews the point you are trying to prove in the next paragraph. This will allow your reader to get ready for what you have to say and it will make your argument much easier to follow.
Tip 6: Revise your work
Remember that writing is a process and the final product will always be different from what you initially had in mind. This means that it is important to constantly revise your work until you are completely satisfied with the result.
Even though this can seem very time-consuming at first, it will make it much easier to come up with a good body paragraph. This is because you will not be simply writing something down as it comes to your mind. You will instead be trying to create a solid argument that has all the necessary components and details.
Tip 7: Evaluate and edit your work
It is important to evaluate and edit your work before you submit it for grading or publishing/posting online. You should always make sure that your work is logical and follows the necessary guidelines for creating good body paragraphs.
If you are unsure of how to go about this process, there are many resources available on the internet that can help guide you in the right direction.
Essay body paragraph examples
Here is an example of a body paragraph in an essay, followed by commentary describing how it follows the guidelines presented above.
PARAGRAPH ONE:
Many people attend church for different reasons. Some go to be closer to God, some go because their family wants them to, and some are forced into going by peers or religious figures.
This paragraph clearly describes its topic—the general subject of church attendance—and gives three specific instances of church attendance, all of which are relevant to the topic. This subject/topic/topic sentence structure is both concise and appropriate for a body paragraph.
PARAGRAPH TWO:
I used to attend church for the sole reason that my family expected me to go.
This sentence immediately offers an example of the writer’s particular situation regarding church attendance, and it is relevant to the topic. This sentence also has a clear subject/topic/topic sentence structure.
PARAGRAPH THREE:
I have gone to church occasionally since then because I feel that being religious can sometimes help society be more peaceful.
This paragraph offers another example of the writer’s specific reason for attending church, which is relevant to the topic and clear in its subject/topic/sentence structure.
As you can see, the three body paragraphs essay above follow the guidelines we established above. However, not all students’ work will be this simple. To further demonstrate how to properly format a body paragraph, consider the following paragraph.
Over time, churches have proven to be excellent places for marriage proposals, funerals, and other social gatherings.
This subject/topic sentence is clear and concise enough that it could serve as a thesis statement for an essay about many different types of events that are held in churches. Because of its general subject, it could not be a proper topic sentence for a body paragraph; we need more specific detail to base our examples on.
My cousin was the recipient of one such marriage proposal in my uncle’s church and described the event as “beautiful,” and even teared up when she recalled it for me .
This sentence gives us a specific example of one event that was held in a church: a marriage proposal. It is relevant to the topic and has a clear subject/verb/sentence structure.
However, funerals provide an even more vivid illustration of churches’ role as community gathering places.
This subject/topic sentence is specific, but it does not offer any information to illustrate the point; thus, though relevant to the topic, it cannot serve as a proper body paragraph topic sentence.
PARAGRAPH FOUR:
Some of my fondest memories are of listening to the music and beautiful words at my grandparents’ and uncle’s funerals.
This sentence offers a relevant example of the topic, but it is not clear in its subject/verb/sentence structure. Because this sentence only describes one personal experience that the writer had with church, it cannot support a thesis statement ; instead, it would work better as part of an introductory paragraph about churches being community gathering places.
For most people, good topic sentences are not just the first sentence of a paragraph; most are also found in the last sentence or two of that same paragraph. After you have written several body paragraphs, go back and review them to ensure they have clear topic, subject, sentence structures.
- Writing body paragraphs – Research & Learning Online
- How Do I Write an Intro, Conclusion, & Body Paragraph?
- Body – How to write an essay – University of Newcastle Library
- Body Paragraphs | UAGC Writing Center
- Essay body paragraphs – OWLL
- Guide to essay paragraph structure – Deakin University
- Writing Essay Body Paragraphs – Griffith University
- Five-Paragraph Essay | Jackson State Community College
- Write the main body | Essay writing | Library | University of Leeds
- How To Write a Photo Essay – Examples and Topics
- Academic book proposal cover letter
- 250 word essay
- 5 Parts of an essay
- Conclusion transition words & phrases
- How To Write an Autobiography Essay Paper
How to write concluding sentences and examples
Related guides, how to write a summative essay | definition,..., how to write an ethics essay, topics, outline,..., enduring issues essay, writing a commentary essay, how to write a film analysis essay with..., background information essay, dialogue essay, formal essay vs informal essay, short story essay, discussion essay, how to shorten an essay, how to write a photo essay – examples..., proper heading for essay, analysis paper, essay draft: how to write a draft essay, how to polish an essay for a better..., peel paragraph, how to write a position paper essay |..., how to write an interview paper.
Need Academic Writing Help?
Hire a Writer Now
Have a language expert improve your writing
Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.
- Knowledge Base
- Example of a great essay | Explanations, tips & tricks
Example of a Great Essay | Explanations, Tips & Tricks
Published on February 9, 2015 by Shane Bryson . Revised on December 6, 2021 by Shona McCombes.
This example guides you through the structure of an essay. It shows how to build an effective introduction , focused paragraphs , clear transitions between ideas, and a strong conclusion .
Each paragraph addresses a single central point, introduced by a topic sentence , and each point is directly related to the thesis statement .
As you read, hover over the highlighted parts to learn what they do and why they work.
An Appeal to the Senses: The Development of the Braille System in Nineteenth-Century France
The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability. The writing system of raised dots used by visually impaired people was developed by Louis Braille in nineteenth-century France. In a society that did not value disabled people in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing was a significant barrier to social participation. The idea of tactile reading was not entirely new, but existing methods based on sighted systems were difficult to learn and use. As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness. This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people’s social and cultural lives.
Lack of access to reading and writing put blind people at a serious disadvantage in nineteenth-century society. Text was one of the primary methods through which people engaged with culture, communicated with others, and accessed information; without a well-developed reading system that did not rely on sight, blind people were excluded from social participation (Weygand, 2009). While disabled people in general suffered from discrimination, blindness was widely viewed as the worst disability, and it was commonly believed that blind people were incapable of pursuing a profession or improving themselves through culture (Weygand, 2009). This demonstrates the importance of reading and writing to social status at the time: without access to text, it was considered impossible to fully participate in society. Blind people were excluded from the sighted world, but also entirely dependent on sighted people for information and education.
In France, debates about how to deal with disability led to the adoption of different strategies over time. While people with temporary difficulties were able to access public welfare, the most common response to people with long-term disabilities, such as hearing or vision loss, was to group them together in institutions (Tombs, 1996). At first, a joint institute for the blind and deaf was created, and although the partnership was motivated more by financial considerations than by the well-being of the residents, the institute aimed to help people develop skills valuable to society (Weygand, 2009). Eventually blind institutions were separated from deaf institutions, and the focus shifted towards education of the blind, as was the case for the Royal Institute for Blind Youth, which Louis Braille attended (Jimenez et al, 2009). The growing acknowledgement of the uniqueness of different disabilities led to more targeted education strategies, fostering an environment in which the benefits of a specifically blind education could be more widely recognized.
Several different systems of tactile reading can be seen as forerunners to the method Louis Braille developed, but these systems were all developed based on the sighted system. The Royal Institute for Blind Youth in Paris taught the students to read embossed roman letters, a method created by the school’s founder, Valentin Hauy (Jimenez et al., 2009). Reading this way proved to be a rather arduous task, as the letters were difficult to distinguish by touch. The embossed letter method was based on the reading system of sighted people, with minimal adaptation for those with vision loss. As a result, this method did not gain significant success among blind students.
Louis Braille was bound to be influenced by his school’s founder, but the most influential pre-Braille tactile reading system was Charles Barbier’s night writing. A soldier in Napoleon’s army, Barbier developed a system in 1819 that used 12 dots with a five line musical staff (Kersten, 1997). His intention was to develop a system that would allow the military to communicate at night without the need for light (Herron, 2009). The code developed by Barbier was phonetic (Jimenez et al., 2009); in other words, the code was designed for sighted people and was based on the sounds of words, not on an actual alphabet. Barbier discovered that variants of raised dots within a square were the easiest method of reading by touch (Jimenez et al., 2009). This system proved effective for the transmission of short messages between military personnel, but the symbols were too large for the fingertip, greatly reducing the speed at which a message could be read (Herron, 2009). For this reason, it was unsuitable for daily use and was not widely adopted in the blind community.
Nevertheless, Barbier’s military dot system was more efficient than Hauy’s embossed letters, and it provided the framework within which Louis Braille developed his method. Barbier’s system, with its dashes and dots, could form over 4000 combinations (Jimenez et al., 2009). Compared to the 26 letters of the Latin alphabet, this was an absurdly high number. Braille kept the raised dot form, but developed a more manageable system that would reflect the sighted alphabet. He replaced Barbier’s dashes and dots with just six dots in a rectangular configuration (Jimenez et al., 2009). The result was that the blind population in France had a tactile reading system using dots (like Barbier’s) that was based on the structure of the sighted alphabet (like Hauy’s); crucially, this system was the first developed specifically for the purposes of the blind.
While the Braille system gained immediate popularity with the blind students at the Institute in Paris, it had to gain acceptance among the sighted before its adoption throughout France. This support was necessary because sighted teachers and leaders had ultimate control over the propagation of Braille resources. Many of the teachers at the Royal Institute for Blind Youth resisted learning Braille’s system because they found the tactile method of reading difficult to learn (Bullock & Galst, 2009). This resistance was symptomatic of the prevalent attitude that the blind population had to adapt to the sighted world rather than develop their own tools and methods. Over time, however, with the increasing impetus to make social contribution possible for all, teachers began to appreciate the usefulness of Braille’s system (Bullock & Galst, 2009), realizing that access to reading could help improve the productivity and integration of people with vision loss. It took approximately 30 years, but the French government eventually approved the Braille system, and it was established throughout the country (Bullock & Galst, 2009).
Although Blind people remained marginalized throughout the nineteenth century, the Braille system granted them growing opportunities for social participation. Most obviously, Braille allowed people with vision loss to read the same alphabet used by sighted people (Bullock & Galst, 2009), allowing them to participate in certain cultural experiences previously unavailable to them. Written works, such as books and poetry, had previously been inaccessible to the blind population without the aid of a reader, limiting their autonomy. As books began to be distributed in Braille, this barrier was reduced, enabling people with vision loss to access information autonomously. The closing of the gap between the abilities of blind and the sighted contributed to a gradual shift in blind people’s status, lessening the cultural perception of the blind as essentially different and facilitating greater social integration.
The Braille system also had important cultural effects beyond the sphere of written culture. Its invention later led to the development of a music notation system for the blind, although Louis Braille did not develop this system himself (Jimenez, et al., 2009). This development helped remove a cultural obstacle that had been introduced by the popularization of written musical notation in the early 1500s. While music had previously been an arena in which the blind could participate on equal footing, the transition from memory-based performance to notation-based performance meant that blind musicians were no longer able to compete with sighted musicians (Kersten, 1997). As a result, a tactile musical notation system became necessary for professional equality between blind and sighted musicians (Kersten, 1997).
Braille paved the way for dramatic cultural changes in the way blind people were treated and the opportunities available to them. Louis Braille’s innovation was to reimagine existing reading systems from a blind perspective, and the success of this invention required sighted teachers to adapt to their students’ reality instead of the other way around. In this sense, Braille helped drive broader social changes in the status of blindness. New accessibility tools provide practical advantages to those who need them, but they can also change the perspectives and attitudes of those who do not.
Bullock, J. D., & Galst, J. M. (2009). The Story of Louis Braille. Archives of Ophthalmology , 127(11), 1532. https://doi.org/10.1001/archophthalmol.2009.286.
Herron, M. (2009, May 6). Blind visionary. Retrieved from https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2009/05/blind-visionary/.
Jiménez, J., Olea, J., Torres, J., Alonso, I., Harder, D., & Fischer, K. (2009). Biography of Louis Braille and Invention of the Braille Alphabet. Survey of Ophthalmology , 54(1), 142–149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.survophthal.2008.10.006.
Kersten, F.G. (1997). The history and development of Braille music methodology. The Bulletin of Historical Research in Music Education , 18(2). Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/40214926.
Mellor, C.M. (2006). Louis Braille: A touch of genius . Boston: National Braille Press.
Tombs, R. (1996). France: 1814-1914 . London: Pearson Education Ltd.
Weygand, Z. (2009). The blind in French society from the Middle Ages to the century of Louis Braille . Stanford: Stanford University Press.
Frequently asked questions about writing an essay
An essay is a focused piece of writing that explains, argues, describes, or narrates.
In high school, you may have to write many different types of essays to develop your writing skills.
Academic essays at college level are usually argumentative : you develop a clear thesis about your topic and make a case for your position using evidence, analysis and interpretation.
The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.
The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.
Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order:
- An opening hook to catch the reader’s attention.
- Relevant background information that the reader needs to know.
- A thesis statement that presents your main point or argument.
The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay .
A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.
A topic sentence is a sentence that expresses the main point of a paragraph . Everything else in the paragraph should relate to the topic sentence.
At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).
Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.
The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .
Cite this Scribbr article
If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.
Bryson, S. (2021, December 06). Example of a Great Essay | Explanations, Tips & Tricks. Scribbr. Retrieved March 3, 2023, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/example-essay-structure/
Is this article helpful?
Shane Bryson
Shane finished his master's degree in English literature in 2013 and has been working as a writing tutor and editor since 2009. He began proofreading and editing essays with Scribbr in early summer, 2014.
Other students also liked
How to write an essay introduction | 4 steps & examples, academic paragraph structure | step-by-step guide & examples, how to write topic sentences | 4 steps, examples & purpose, what is your plagiarism score.
Short on time?
Essay Service Examples Business Media
Essay on Ted Talk Analysis
- Topics: Media
- Words: 1417
- This essay sample was donated by a student to help the academic community. Papers provided by EduBirdie writers usually outdo students' samples.
When I think of body language I think of those movies that are about Cinderella and when you go on an interview and do not want to slouch over. The body language we have can make us as people feel powerful and confident at interviews and just in a personal matters. When we communicate it is not just through words, it is our body language as well. It can relate to the way we walk up to someone or the attitude of our body like we do not want to talk to someone, or when we just feel open, and finally when our arms are not crossed. When I was watching this ted talk it reminded me of when I was in my public speaking class and in a situation where I was feeling scared and nervous and my body language affected my ability to talk to the class or said persons.
I did not want to feel this way because I felt like I did not do so well and I have been defeated. When my body feels like that I start to notice what my body does, I start to cross my arms, I start fidgeting my legs crossing them and uncrossing them, and start to look towards the ground which is a sign of being nervous or shy. When I feel uncomfortable as in a feeling it would show in my body language. Does that mean our work, is the same or just about? Another thing is that we feel confident will the language of our body coincides with doing better in public speaking and anything else that is personal. In the Ted Talk that was done by Amy Cuddy, it was about “Your Body Language May Shape Who you are, what I did notice is that she used a lot of ethos, pathos, and logos, but also a lot of mixed media (visuals), she uses these to argue effectively that body language and the mindset can shape who a person is and how their life can turn out to be.
Amy Cubby is a social psychologist, she also does lectures, and she does things for the New York Times. I have noticed she has talked about in this Ted Talk she talked about verbal behaviors, but also how people affect their own thoughts, feeling, and even behaviors. Another thing I really like about this Ted talk is that she said something that really caught my eye “ you can fake it till you make it”. That is something I go by all the time because you can not control what others do but you can control your own body language and how you perceive it. Amy did talk about a lot of her non-verbal behavior experiments, that were talked about in the TED talk. When they have a powerful body stance and a weak or not-so-good body stance you can tell the difference in confidence in public speaking and or in everyday life.
Logos which is logic-based reasoning has been present through more than two-thirds of the whole Ted Talk which is a lot. This does support everything she was talking about in body language and what mindset you would need or will find out who you really are you can get a lot of that throughout your life and it can also affect how well you do in your life as well. The first one Amy Cuddy used for logos is all about facts and data through all of the examples she provides throughout the ted talk. Then she talks about the findings from Tufts University by Nalini Ambady, on how people react to body language. Amy Cuddy also talks more about that with the facts and data, that can coincide with that the behavior of humans and even animals throughout the animal kingdom. There were more studies on the animal kingdom and the behaviors of humans. The facts that were said and studies that were done help picture the body language and how nonverbal behaviors look like and how you can help that to be better.
- Proper editing and formatting
- Free revision, title page, and bibliography
- Flexible prices and money-back guarantee
There were a lot of examples that can prove her point, but she also has a persuasive strategy that proves it all as well. What I found throughout Amy Cuddy’s Ted talk was that she clearly displayed the ethos side of the whole beginning of her talk. Ethos is the credibility of a speaker, it is also it is all about the character that is being displayed or talked about and how true it is. When Amy Cuddy starts to walk out of that stage she used visuals to aid her in what she was trying to say, not only to get her point across but to get the audience engaged. But really if you think about it she did this throughout the whole ted talk. What she did was tell me her educational background and where she works currently or in the past. She told us that she is a social psychologist and she teaches at a business school. What I forgot to mention in the beginning is what I liked about Amy Cuddy, is that she tells us as her audience a little about her personal experiences and life but also where and what she did for her education and this was throughout a few minutes of the video but also sporadic in the video.
Throughout the Ted Talk, there was pathos. Pathos is emotionally based statements and talks so that it will be able to convince her audience. Her goal is for us to believe that our body language would shape how we think and also change how our lives turn out because of our body language. When she starts to get personal it seemed like the audience in the TED talk was convinced and believed why she was doing the ted talk and her credibility but also I was believing her through all of the stories she was telling us and what she was just saying. When the Ted talk started towards the middle to end of it there were a lot of media being used to help support her talk and even convince her audience still but to keep them all engaged. At the beginning of the talk, she used a photo of a runner who was happy and his hands were in the air, but he was also smiling. That is something she said is positive body language where they feel accomplished. Then they succeed in the end. But she also was talking about how his stance so that it can demonstrate what she was trying to say and give examples to the audience. Throughout the whole Ted Talk, she used around 5 pictures to support the evidence she was trying to make her point. But she also used her own body and another example for real-life visuals so that her audience so she can show what a good body stance looks like and what does not look so good to a higher authority. When Amy Cuddy used all of these multimedia choices it was to highlight her argument and to bring everything she was saying, it all comes together and the audience does get it and I do.
There was another multimedia thing where she used a chair to describe the difference between high-power and low-powered poses can change how people do things like when people gamble than with people with testosterone. We use body language every day, it is not something we do not do. When we go about our everyday lives we see all different kinds of body language. Now that I think of it when my body language is good or great I am able to control my emotions and feel more confident. Body language is very important and we work on that every day as well for important things and just in general.
It is better to know how your body reacts to something or how it feels so that we as people can realize what we need to change and how we can feel more confident to do better in life. This Ted Talk is a very persuasive argument of how we see our body language and how we react to those things that control our body language. I will always remember now what Amy Cuddy said, “Fake it till you make it”. That’s something I have always gone by but really didn’t notice.
Citation Page:
- “Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are | Amy Cuddy.” YouTube, 1 Oct. 2012, www.youtube.comwatch?v=Ks-_Mh1QhMc
Our writers will provide you with an essay sample written from scratch: any topic, any deadline, any instructions.
Cite this Page
Get your paper done in as fast as 3 hours, 24/7.
Related essay Topics
Popular categories, most popular essays.
Do you open media every time you are free ? Did it become the first thing your eyes see in the morning and the last thing you see before you sleep ? I am sure yes. Media became one of the main ways of communication for our next generation. Social media that provided for people pictures and news that are unrealistic to what is considered beautiful in today’s society forced people to take extreme and harmful things which led to...
- The Hate U Give
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas focuses on the racism that black communities face in modern America. Throughout the novel, Thomas highlights the impact of the media, particularly how it influences society, elevates racism and creates bonds between characters. In The Hate U Give the media strongly influences society and encourages racism. One of the forms of media used is music, during a Garden Height’s riot following the grand jury’s conclusion that officer one-fifteen is innocent the N.W.As ‘F*ck...
Drawing on appropriate scholarship and using the relevant contemporary and historical examples, this essay will explain the arguments around the role played by television in the development of the nation state and national identity, and clearly explain both terms. To understand the role played by television in the development of the nation state we must first explore what the terms nation state and national identity imply. Anderson (2006) links the attributes and origins of nation states historically, traditionally and politically...
- Islamophobia
INTRODUCTION Islamophobia, the fear of or prejudice against the Islamic religion, is a social phenomenon prominent worldwide and in dire need of the public’s attention, considering the wide implications it has on the lives of Muslims. With the internet and social media facilitating both the misrepresentation and exaggeration of the Islamic religion as pro-terrorist and a threat to society, the lives of three million Muslims residing in the UK have limited socio-economic mobility, restricting and denying Muslims from access to...
The word ‘genocide’ was invented by a polish – Jewish origin lawyer ‘Ralphael Lemkin’. Raphael followed the widely-reported massacres and deportations of armenians in his youth and then later on he came up with the word ‘genocide’ as an original term to reflect and highlight the phenomenon.The Armenian genocide is the phenomenon of terribly killing of people after World War I in the Near East and the Russian Caucasus. About 1.5 million people suffered; some were killed and those who...
Abstract Tourist destinations are currently pursuing more distinction in an increasingly competitive market, within which image is a decisive element in tourists’ destination selection. This research studies the impact of media channels, such as television, radio, magazines, newspapers, and magazines on the destination image and how it is delivered differently from one media platform to another. Introduction The rapid growth and versatility of the tourism industry during the last five decades, but also its fragility, has spawned a number of...
The main objective of media regulation is to enhance the benefits of media while reducing any harmful effects. Media practises who have large audiences are viewed as beneficial to society and are promoted by regulation. Media regulation is the control or guidance of mass media by governments and other regulatory bodies. This regulation is implemented through laws, rules or procedures and can have various goals. An example of this is to protect ‘public interest’, or encourage competition. .The main targets...
This chapter reviewed the relevant literature on the effect of mass media on adolescents. The purpose of this review is to provide a background that would be appropriate for understanding what is currently known about the study. The theoretical and empirical information considered the influences of mass media on socialization of adolescent students. The influence of parental attitude on the use of mass media of adolescent students are also discussed. In today’s world, media has made a very special place...
- Social Media
INTRODUCTION In a democratic country, public and its opinion matters the most because democracy itself means of the people, by the people and for the people. According to lord Bryce public opinion is a term that is commonly used to denote the aggregate of the views, men hold regarding matters that affect or interest the community. Thus, understood it is a mixture of all sorts of different nations, belief, fancies, prejudices, aspirations. It is simply viewing of people on general...
- Get original paper written according to your instructions
- Save time for what matters most
Fair Use Policy
EduBirdie considers academic integrity to be the essential part of the learning process and does not support any violation of the academic standards. Should you have any questions regarding our Fair Use Policy or become aware of any violations, please do not hesitate to contact us via [email protected]
We are here 24/7 to write your paper in as fast as 3 hours.
- Words with Friends Cheat
- Wordle Solver
- Word Unscrambler
- Scrabble Dictionary
- Anagram Solver
- Wordscapes Answers
Make Our Dictionary Yours
Sign up for our weekly newsletters and get:
- Grammar and writing tips
- Fun language articles
- #WordOfTheDay and quizzes
By signing in, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy .
We'll see you in your inbox soon.
5 Main Parts of an Essay: An Easy Guide to a Solid Structure
- DESCRIPTION Student working on his computer, sitting outdoors
- SOURCE Deagreez / iStock / Getty Images Plus
- PERMISSION Used under Getty Images license
You might think of essays as boring assignments for explaining the themes in Huckleberry Finn or breaking down the characters in The Great Gatsby , but the essay is one of the most timeless forms in all of literature. It’s a genre that includes deep readings of texts, personal essays, and journalistic reports. Before you get to any of that, you need to figure out the basic parts of the essay.
What Are the Parts of an Essay?
You can think of any essay as consisting of three parts: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. You might see some small variations, but for the most part, that is the structure of any essay.
Take the five-paragraph essay as a simple example. With that form, you get one introductory paragraph, three body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph. That’s five paragraphs, but three parts.
What Are the Main Parts of an Essay Printable 2022
Like a good word burger: how to write the three parts of an essay.
A good essay is much like a good burger (or a sandwich, but we’re a burger society here). Your intro and conclusion are the buns sandwiching the patty, cheese, and other good toppings of the body paragraphs.
What Is an Introduction Paragraph?
“Hello! My name is Seymour. It’s nice to meet you.” That might seem like a simple, non-essay introduction, but it has all the basic components of what you want in an introduction paragraph . You start with the hook. Your hook is the first sentence of your entire essay, so you want to grab people’s attention (or hook them) immediately.
From there, you have sentences that lead the reader directly to the thesis sentence . Your thesis is possibly the most important part of your entire essay. It’s the entire raison d'être . It’s what you’re arguing or trying to accomplish with your essay as a whole.
Kaboom! That, the sound of the entire universe forming in an instant, giving rise to apples, toenails, and what we know today as the humble five-paragraph essay. Since that fortuitous moment, the five-paragraph essay has become the favorite assignment among English teachers, to the bemusement of students. Although many educators, professionals, and youths have valid criticisms about the form, the five-paragraph essay is an important component of developing writing skills and critical thought.
What Is a Body Paragraph?
The body paragraphs are the main part of your essay burger. Each body paragraph presents an idea that supports your thesis. This can include evidence from a literary source, details that build out your thesis, or explanations for your reasoning.
The first sentence of each body paragraph is known as the topic sentence . You can kind of think of it like a smaller part of your thesis sentence. It’s the main idea that you want to discuss in that specific body paragraph. The rest of the body paragraph is made up of supporting sentences, which support that topic sentence.
While many are critical of the five-paragraph essay’s rigid form, that rigidity is part of what makes it so advantageous. Every five-paragraph essay is an introductory paragraph, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion paragraph, and they will always have that structure. With such a stable form, a writer truly only needs to worry about the contents of the essay, putting all the focus on the actual writing and ideas, not the organization.
What Is a Concluding Paragraph?
A burger needs a solid, sturdy bottom bun. Otherwise, the burger would fall apart. The same holds for a conclusion. A good conclusion holds the essay together, while offering a unique finishing touch to the whole thing.
The conclusion is at once the easiest and hardest part of the essay. It’s easy in that it mostly involves restating your thesis and much of what you already discussed. The hard part is thinking outside of the essay and considering how your thesis applies to components of real life.
In conclusion, the five-paragraph essay is a useful and effective form for teaching students how to write and develop their critical thinking skills. It’s not without its setbacks, but it’s a simple form that can give way to other ways of writing. Longer research papers are essentially five-paragraph essays with more body paragraphs, while short fiction and creative writing require similar critical thought and writing acumen. Even if you don’t write, five-paragraph essays can teach you how to use your voice and express your ideas.
Explore Essay Examples
Understanding each part of an essay is essential to writing one, but seeing actual essay examples in the wild can take you from essay noob to essay expert. Look at specific types of essays, and see if you can pick out the different parts in each one — from thesis statements to hooks and concluding sentences.
- Argumentative Essay Examples
- About Me Essay Examples
- Descriptive Essay Examples
- Examples of Insightful Literary Analysis Essays
- Narrative Essay Examples
Writing the Main Body of Your Essay
Y ou can write an excellent main body of your essay if you follow these five steps:
- Analyze the thesis statement to identify three subjects or ideas in it.
- Write topic sentences that relate to the subjects or ideas.
- Research to locate specific evidence to support each of the topic sentences.
- Draft the three main body paragraphs.
- Evaluate the structure and content of the essay’s three-paragraph main body.
How to Write the Main Body of an Essay
Last Updated on October 7, 2021, by eNotes Editorial. Word Count: 1795
What is the main body of an essay?
An essay has three distinct parts arranged in this order: an introduction, a main body, and a conclusion. The main body is the heart of the essay in which the writer explains the essay’s thesis statement and supports it with specific evidence found through research.
How is the main body of an essay structured?
A conventional form in essay writing is the three-point essay:
- The main body consists of three paragraphs;
- Each paragraph addresses some aspect of the thesis statement;
- Each of the paragraphs begins with a topic sentence that the paragraph then explains and supports with specific evidence.
To visualize the relationship between the thesis statement and the three topic sentences, think of the thesis as an umbrella that “covers” the topic sentences with all of them fitting under it. Another way to think of the relationship is to frame it as a formula:
Topic Sentence + Topic Sentence + Topic Sentence = Thesis Statement
After explaining each topic sentence and supporting it with evidence, the thesis statement will have been explained and supported.
How to Write the Main Body of an Essay in 5 Steps
1. Analyze the thesis statement to identify three subjects or ideas in it.
An effective thesis will touch on several subjects or ideas, including the essay’s main idea or “claim” that the essay will explain and support. As you analyze the thesis statement, take notes. Here are some examples:
a) A thesis statement for an essay over Of Mice and Men:
Through their unlikely friendship, George and Lennie illustrate the importance of human relationships in overcoming isolation and loneliness, a major theme in the novel.
Several subjects and ideas are found or implied in the thesis:
- George and Lennie and their unlikely friendship
- The importance of human relationships
- Overcoming isolation and loneliness as a theme in the novel
b) A thesis statement for an essay over The Great Gatsby :
In The Great Gatsby , Fitzgerald’s evocative style of writing captures the intensity of Jay Gatsby’s elusive romantic dreams of Daisy Buchanan, suggesting that the obsessive pursuit of impossible dreams can destroy one’s life.
These subjects and ideas are found or implied in the thesis:
- Fitzgerald’s evocative style of writing
- Gatsby’s intense and elusive romantic dreams of Daisy
- Gatsby’s destructive obsession with his dreams of Dais
2. Write topic sentences that relate to the subjects or ideas.
Using the notes you took in analyzing the thesis statement, write topic sentences that address the subjects and ideas in the thesis. If you have more than three subjects and ideas in your notes, combine them as needed in crafting only three topic sentences.
Here are some examples of topic sentences that address the subjects and ideas in the thesis for the essay over Of Mice and Men :
- Topic sentence 1: “George and Lennie’s having become friends was unlikely, considering the differences between them.”
- Topic sentence 2: “Despite their differences, George and Lennie’s relationship is of primary importance in their daily lives.”
- Topic sentence 3: “Through George and Lennie’s relationship, they overcome isolation and loneliness, which underscores a major theme in the novel.”
These topic sentences address the subjects and ideas in the thesis for the essay over The Great Gatsby :
- Topic sentence 1: “Fitzgerald’s evocative style of writing is most evident in his descriptions of Gatsby’s love for Daisy.”
- Topic sentence 2: “Despite Gatsby’s determination to fulfill his intense romantic dreams of Daisy, they remain elusive, just beyond his reach.”
- Topic sentence 3: “Gatsby’s obsession with his impossible romantic dreams of Daisy ultimately destroy his life.”
3. Research to locate specific evidence to explain and support the topic sentences.
Whether you’re researching within one text or within numerous sources, the specific evidence to look for includes the following: facts, examples, passages to quote, and passages to paraphrase.
Remember to keep quotations fairly brief; don’t quote long blocks of text. Also, when paraphrasing a passage, meaning that you express in your own words the information in the passage, make certain that you have accurately represented the content of the passage.
Keep this process in mind as you research:
- Focus on one topic sentence at a time.
- When you locate a piece of specific evidence to explain or support each topic sentence, take notes.
- Continue researching and taking notes until you have sufficient specific evidence to explain and support all three topic sentences in the main body paragraphs.
- When you have completed your research, you should have a variety of facts, examples, quotations, and paraphrased passages to use in explaining and supporting your topic sentences.
4. Draft the three main body paragraphs.
Begin each of the main body paragraphs with the topic sentence for that paragraph. Referring to your research notes, write the paragraph so that it explains and supports the topic sentence.
Write as if you are speaking to readers—which you are—and “making your case” so that they will understand and accept the truth or accuracy of what you have stated in the topic sentence. Convince them with the specific evidence you have gathered through research.
As you draft the main body paragraphs, follow these guidelines:
- Arrange the content of each main body paragraph in a logical way as it moves from one piece of evidence to another. Some writers save their strongest evidence for the end of the paragraph, so that the explanation becomes more convincing as it develops.
- After writing the three main body paragraphs, arrange them in the most natural order in the essay’s main body so that one paragraph leads logically to the next. (The order of the topic sentences you create in Step 2 of the writing process may or may not be the best order for the paragraphs in the main body.)
- At the end of each paragraph or the beginning of the following paragraph, provide a sentence of transition so that the main body flows smoothly from one paragraph into the next.
5. Evaluate the structure and content of the essay’s three-paragraph main body.
After drafting the three main body paragraphs and arranging them in the order they will appear in the essay’s main body, evaluate the effectiveness of the main body you have written for your essay. To determine the main body’s effectiveness, examine the structure and content of each of the three paragraphs. Use these questions as a guide in examining each paragraph:
- Does the paragraph begin with a topic sentence?
- Does each sentence in the paragraph help explain or support the topic sentence in some way?
- How much specific evidence have you included in the paragraph in explaining and supporting the topic sentence? For instance, have you included facts, examples, a short quotation or two, and/or paraphrased passages from the text?
- Does each sentence in the paragraph flow smoothly into the next sentence?
After evaluating each paragraph for effectiveness, consider the main body of your essay as a whole:
- Are the three main body paragraphs arranged in the most natural or logical order? What is the reason you arranged them in this particular order instead of another?
- Does each paragraph transition smoothly into the next paragraph?
- Does the main body of your essay thoroughly explain and support the essay’s thesis statement? Will readers be convinced of the truth or accuracy of your thesis statement?
Note: In writing an essay developed from internal research (gathering information from within one text) or external research (gathering information from numerous texts), some assignments call for identifying or citing the source or sources of specific evidence included in the essay. Before researching and writing an essay, find out if you will be required to include citations in the essay; if so, clarify which citation style—such as MLA or APA—you should use.
Examples of Main Body Paragraphs
Here are two sample main body paragraphs. Each of them explains a topic sentence written in Step 2 of the writing process and supports it with specific evidence from the text. Topic sentences are highlighted and then followed by explanation and specific evidence.
A main body paragraph for an essay over Of Mice and Men :
Despite their differences, George and Lennie’s relationship is of primary importance in their daily lives. Without homes or family ties, they essentially function as a family of two—traveling, working, and living together as companions while struggling to survive during the Great Depression. Lennie depends on George to think for him and tell him what to do. For instance, before George and Lennie meet the boss at the ranch to convince him to give them jobs, George tells Lennie not to talk, fearful that Lennie’s mental deficiencies will be evident and prevent them from being hired. George sometimes complains to Lennie that he complicates George’s life: “God, you’re a lot of trouble …. I could get along so easy and so nice if I didn’t have you on my tail. I could live so easy ….” However, whenever George’s complaints frighten Lennie, George reassures him that he will stay with Lennie. The mentally and emotionally challenged Lennie could not survive without George, and caring for Lennie and protecting him give George’s life meaning and purpose.
A main body paragraph for an essay over The Great Gatsby:
Fitzgerald’s evocative style of writing is most evident in his descriptions of Gatsby’s love for Daisy. His love for her is described in scenes so rich in imagery that they draw readers into the moment and evoke in them the emotions Gatsby feels. When Gatsby first pursues a reunion with Daisy after a five-year separation, he stands alone one night on the sweeping lawn of his mansion and looks across the bay at the green light that marks the estate where Daisy lives. The “deep summer night” is bright with moonlight, and “the silver pepper of the stars” illuminates the sky. Gatsby “stretched out his arms toward the dark water” and appeared to be “trembling.” Through the imagery in the scene’s description, readers can feel Gatsby’s desperate longing for Daisy. His love for her is also depicted in Fitzgerald’s description of Gatsby’s experience when he kissed Daisy for the first time on an autumn night. While walking with her on a quiet street, leaves were falling, and the sidewalk was “white with moonlight.” Gatsby’s heart “beat faster and faster as Daisy’s white face came up to his own.” After “listening for a moment longer to the tuning fork that had been struck upon a star,” Gatsby kissed her, and “[a]t his lips’ touch she blossomed for him like a flower ….” The imagery in Fitzgerald’s description draws readers into the romantic moment, allowing them to experience Gatsby’s feelings.
Cite this page as follows:
"Essay Lab - How to Write the Main Body of an Essay" eNotes Publishing Ed. eNotes Editorial. eNotes.com, Inc. eNotes.com 3 Mar. 2023 <https://www.enotes.com/topics/essay/essay-help/how-write-main-body-an-essay>
Note: When citing an online source, it is important to include all necessary dates. The citation above will include either 2 or 3 dates.
- If there are three dates, the first date is the date of the original publication in traditional print. The second is the date of publication online or last modification online. The last date is today's date — the date you are citing the material.
- If there are two dates, the date of publication and appearance online is the same, and will be the first date in the citation. The second date is today's date — the date you are citing the material.
See eNotes Ad-Free
Start your 48-hour free trial to get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and more than 350,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts.
Already a member? Log in here.
How to Write an Introduction to an Essay
How to Write a Conclusion to an Essay
Explore Study Guides
Man's Search for Meaning
by Viktor Emil Frankl
by Aristotle
Dulce et Decorum Est
by Wilfred Owen
To His Coy Mistress
by Andrew Marvell
Black Woman
by Léopold Senghor
by Maya Angelou
The Chimney Sweeper
by William Blake
Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802
by William Wordsworth
Death, be not proud
by John Donne
Dover Beach
by Matthew Arnold
The Light We Carry
by Michelle Obama
South to America
by Imani Perry
The Song of the Cell
by Siddhartha Mukherjee
The Passenger
by Cormac McCarthy
Demon Copperhead
by Barbara Kingsolver
The Myth of Normal
by Gabor Maté
The Daughter of Auschwitz
by Tova Friedman, Malcolm Brabant
by Javier Zamora
The Marriage Portrait
by Maggie O'Farrell
The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child
by Francisco Jiménez
How to Write a Summary
How to Write a Character Analysis
How to Write a Book Review
How to Write a Speech
Language Arts
How to Write a Character Comparison
How to Read Literature Critically
How to Analyze A Poem
How to Avoid Plagiarism
How to Write a Research Paper
Study at Cambridge
About the university, research at cambridge.
- Undergraduate courses
- Events and open days
- Fees and finance
- Postgraduate courses
- How to apply
- Postgraduate events
- Fees and funding
- International students
- Continuing education
- Executive and professional education
- Courses in education
- How the University and Colleges work
- Term dates and calendars
- Visiting the University
- Annual reports
- Equality and diversity
- A global university
- Public engagement
- Give to Cambridge
- For Cambridge students
- For our researchers
- Business and enterprise
- Colleges & departments
- Email & phone search
- Museums & collections
- Resources for students
- Essay writing in Human Geography
- What makes a 'good' essay?
- Transkills: supporting transition to University
- Resources for students overview
- Master's Students: Pre-Arrival Course
- Undergraduates: pre-arrival course
- Biological sciences overview
- Biological sciences - Referencing overview
- Referencing in Parts
- Referencing and plagiarism
- Further information
- Biological sciences - Academic writing overview
- Addressing the question overview
- Approaches to planning
- Activity - Practice planning
- Using evidence, diagrams and tables overview
- Reliability of sources
- Developing argument
- Critical evaluation
- Structuring overview
- Activity - Evaluating introductions
- Activity - Evaluating main body
- Activity - Evaluating conclusions
- Activity - Connectives
- Activity - Layout
- Language overview
- Activity - Practice formal-informal language
- Activity - Practice word choice
- Biological sciences - Using feedback overview
- Transition from A-level
- Activity - action points
- Activity - assessment
- Further reading
- Biological sciences - Exam writing overview
- Activity - Exam process quiz
- Activity - Exam planning
- Activity - Timed writing
- Activity - Exam scenarios
- Exam checklist
- Divinity overview
- Divinity - Essay writing overview
- Essay writing, essay writing, essay writing
- Before the essay overview
- Active and selective reading
- Know what you are looking for
- Books have indices for a reason
- Take notes selectively but thoroughly
- After reading and before writing: Thinking
- Planning and using your notes
- Putting your notes aside
- Writing the essay overview
- Some common mistakes corrected
- Clarity of language 1: Plain English, not Essayese
- Clarity of language 2: Word choice
- Clarity of structure
- An essay is an argument
- Other people's ideas and you
- Sweeping points, not specific generalisations
- Quotations and examples
- References and bibliography
- After the essay
- Divinity - Exam writing overview
- A revision plan
- Getting a first
- Economics overview
- Economics at Cambridge
- Supervisions
- Writing essays
- Solving short-answer problems
- Examinations
- Students' feedback
- And finally...
- English overview
- English at Cambridge
- How might I interpret an essay title? overview
- How might I use this resource?
- What is being asked?
- Supervision essays
- Exam essays
- How are titles set? overview
- Precise, exam-style approach overview
- Types of question
- 'Real' questions
- Instructions
- Implied or topic titles
- Strategies: Rephrase it
- Strategies: Problematise it
- Strategies: Break it down
- Strategies: Challenge it
- Creative, supervision-style approach overview
- Defining terms
- Challenging propositions
- Challenging assumptions
- Engaging with quotations
- End of section
- How do I set my own title? overview
- Interesting
- Developing a title
- Further information and advice
- Site map - Interpreting essay titles
- How might I manage the process of producing an essay? overview
- Time management overview
- SMART study
- When to work
- Where to work
- Tasks in the process overview
- Getting started
- Research overview
- Finding information
- Managing information overview
- Referencing
- Reading lists
- Types of source
- Catalogues and searching
- Other ways of finding material
- Trouble shooting
- What format should I choose?
- How do I select from what I've found?
- What should I read first?
- Reading overview
- Reading primary texts
- Reading secondary texts
- Reading strategies
- Note-taking
- Editing overview
- Infelicities of style
- Structure and focus
- Pitfalls and challenges overview
- Procrastination
- Perfectionism
- Writer's block
- Getting bogged down
- Concentration span
- Too stressed to think
- Site map - producing an essay
- How do I produce a well-structured essay? overview
- What is meant by structure?
- Where does structure go wrong? overview
- Finding a clear direction overview
- Knowing where you're going
- Knowing where you're coming from
- Strategies to help find direction
- Effective planning overview
- Bullet points
- Q&A dialogue
- Mindmapping
- Structure Diagrams
- Connective phrases
- Common planning issues
- Planning in retrospect
- Communicating structure effectively overview
- Introductions overview
- "What are you doing?"
- "Why are you doing this?"
- "How will you do this?"
- Common questions about introductions
- Activity - Introductions
- Conclusions
- Paragraphing overview
- Paragraph structure
- Paragraphing strategies
- Connectives
- Further guidance
- Site map - Producing a well-structured essay
- How do I write in an appropriate academic style? overview
- What is academic style?
- Portraying yourself as an academic author
- Qualities of academic style overview
- Aware of your reader
- Aware of your own position on an issue
- Strategies: Developing your own position
- Objective and rational overview
- Personal pronouns
- Emotive language
- Activity - practice using objective language
- Formal and professional overview
- Writing in full
- Well-informed and knowledgeable overview
- Primary and Secondary sources
- Using quotation
- Activity - Using quotations
- Using references
- Precise in meaning
- Clear and concise
- Grammatically correct
- Academic style in exam writing
- Site map - Academic style
- Geography overview
- Essay writing in Human Geography overview
- Introduction
- How can I take notes more effectively?
- How should I plan my writing?
- How long should my essays be?
- What makes a 'good' essay? overview
- Essay components: the introduction
- Essay components: the main body
- Essay components: the conclusion
- How should I structure my essays? overview
- Essay structure: definition
- Essay structure: analysis
- Essay structure: cause and effect
- Essay structure: comparison-contrast
- Essay structure: process
- Essay structure: thesis and support
- How should I reference my writing?
- How do I organise a book review?
- Spelling and grammar
- Over-sophistication
- Final words
- Essay writing in Physical Geography overview
- Focus on the question
- Structure overview
- The introduction
- Paragraphing
- The conclusion
- Activity: Evaluate an essay
- Presentation
- Writing with precision
- History overview
- Transitions to study in History Part I overview
- Time management
- How much time is enough?
- Reading and reading lists
- Final comments
- Essay writing overview
- What makes a good essay?
- How do I interpret an essay question?
- How do I structure my argument? overview
- Balancing knowledge and argument
- Activity: Relating argument to question
- Activity: Cohesive argument
- How do I write with authority? overview
- Speak with your own voice
- Use of language
- Activity: Writing with authority
- Activity: Developing claims
- How do I 'actively argue'?
- Revision overview
- What is the nature and purpose of Part I?
- What makes a good exam essay?
- How can I revise effectively?
- Law overview
- Writing answers to problem questions in Criminal Law
- What is a problem question?
- How do I treat the facts given in problem questions?
- How do I use cases and statutes?
- Should I refer to journal articles and textbooks?
- How do I know what is relevant to my answer?
- How do I structure my answer?
- What is the appropriate writing style for problem questions?
- Linguistics overview
- Writing in Linguistics
- What makes a 'good' supervision essay?
- How is Linguistics writing different from other sub-disciplines?
- How should I structure my essay?
- Referencing in Linguistics
- Common mistakes
- Should I include my own analysis?
- Exam writing
- MML overview
- MML: History essay writing overview
- MML: What makes a 'good' History essay?
- MML: How do I interpret an essay question?
- MML: Reading and reading lists
- MML: Note-taking
- MML: Planning your essay
- MML: Writing your essay
- MML: Structure
- MML: How do I write with authority?
- MML: Language and spelling
- MML: How do I 'actively argue'?
- MML: Literature essay writing overview
- MML: What is an 'essay'?
- MML: What do supervisors want?
- MML: What is 'academic' writing?
- MML: What is your writing style?
- MML: Reading for supervision essays
- MML: Planning your literature essay
- MML: Focusing on the question
- MML: How can I improve? overview
- MML: Writing introductions
- MML: Writing conclusions
- MML: Writing paragraphs and linking ideas
- MML: What is an academic argument?
- MML: Writing to persuade
- MML: Writing examination essays
- MML: Dissertation toolkit overview
- Approaching the dissertation
- Initial ideas and finding a supervisor
- Avoiding common pitfalls
- Choosing and defining a topic
- Producing a work schedule
- Reading for your dissertation
- Planning your dissertation
- Writing a first draft
- Reworking and editing your dissertation
- Inserting quotations
- Referencing other works
- Using footnotes
- Presenting your bibliography
- Plagiarism (MML dissertations)
- Using images in your dissertation
- Preparing your dissertation for printing and binding
- Resources for staff overview
- English supervisors: Teaching academic writing overview
- Scenarios and examples
- Embedding academic writing in supervisions
- Background reading
- English supervisors: Teaching critical evaluation overview
- Transition challenges
- Examples and strategies
- Useful links
- MML supervisor package overview
- Part IA: Seminar 1: What is an essay? overview
- Introduction to writing skills
- What supervisors want
- Reading for supervision essays
- Focusing on the question
- Starting to plan
- Constructing an argument
- Part IA: Seminar 2: Why do we write essays? overview
- Writing conclusions
- Writing the main body
- Paragraph links
- Engaging with primary texts or sources
- Part IA: Seminar 3: Revision styles
- Part IB: Seminar 4: Five writers, which one are you? overview
- Developing an argument
- Using core statements
- Introductions and conclusions
- Part IB: Seminar 5: Speaking versus writing overview
- When is it appropriate to write 'I'?
- Persuasive writing
- Approaching the year abroad project
- Skills portal overview
- Key skills for undergraduates overview
- Intellectual skills
- Communication skills
- Organisational skills
- Interpersonal skills
- Research skills
- Computer literacy
- Foreign language skills
- Resources to develop your maths skills
- How should I structure my essays?
The main body of the essay is where you develop your argument in detail and make reference to secondary sources that provide documentation of your argument or that have influenced your thinking. You should present both sides of an argument and then say why you think one is more convincing than the other. This should make up the majority of the text and include a number of references to authors and articles. You should also try to bring in one or more case studies (actual examples from the world) that illustrate your argument. If necessary, don’t be afraid to include diagrams and pictures, but you must always remember to refer to them in the text. Graphics should be large enough and crisp enough to make a striking visual effect.
The main body of the essay should be divided into paragraphs, each of which begins with a topic sentence and then supports that point with specific ideas and evidence. The first paragraph should follow from the thesis statement, and each paragraph thereafter should follow from the one before. Each paragraph should develop the argument in a logical and structured manner, and be clearly linked to the paragraphs that go before and after.
Click here to access an undergraduate essay that was produced in response to a question about the relationships between cities and nature. It is judged as a largely impressive answer, but what do you think?
You may wish to consider:
- how cohesively is the argument presented? Are points linked and developed?
- does each paragraph have a clear topic?
- how effectively has the author referred to sources/engaged critically with a range of views?
- are there points where the author could improve on their expression or choice of words?
Once you have made notes, click here to access an annotated version of the essay commenting on the essay’s strengths and weaknesses.
If we were to break down this essay into its component parts, we might find a straightforward structure, something like this:
1. Introduction (paragraphs 1 and 2) 2. Remarks on the complexity of private and public interests (paragraphs 3 and 4) 3. On the provision of municipal water (paragraph 5) New York City (paragraphs 6-8) Boston (paragraph 9) intermediate conclusions of the comparison between New York and Boston (paragraph 10) 4. On the production and alienation of waterfront land (paragraph 11) Seattle (paragraphs 12 and 13) Boston (paragraph 14) 5. Conclusions (paragraph 15)
This list would work well as a linear plan which might have helped the author to stay on topic as they drafted the essay. It would work equally well as a mind map for more visual planners.
Clearly this is only one interpretation, and it lacks the detail of the particular argument, which, if summed up, would be something like the following: that the new relationships between society and the natural world that developed in the United States were inseparable from the inevitable tensions within urban society between different groups; these tensions revealed themselves in the competition between ‘public’ and ‘private’ interests, but we should be careful to note that these categories do not map neatly on to the interests of the poor and the rich respectively. Instead, these interests were complex and dynamic, taking different forms in different cities, particularly insofar as these interests took form in urban consciousness and were represented in urban politics. For all these complexities and specifics, we can learn from the American historical experience valuable lessons about the urban process and the political ecology of all cities.
Now that you have evaluated somebody else's essay, reflect on your own in a similar way. It is useful to reflect on a term's writing to see how you have improved or to identify recurring issues that you need to work on next term.
© 2023 University of Cambridge
- Contact the University
- Accessibility
- Freedom of information
- Privacy policy and cookies
- Statement on Modern Slavery
- Terms and conditions
- University A-Z
- Undergraduate
- Postgraduate
- Research news
- About research at Cambridge
- Spotlight on...
Basic essay structure
Improve your writing
Organise your essays to demonstrate your knowledge, show your research and support your arguments.
Essays are usually written in continuous, flowing, paragraphed text and don’t use section headings. This may seem unstructured at first, but good essays are carefully structured.
How your assignment content is structured is your choice. Use the basic pattern below to get started.
Essay structure
An essay consists of three basic parts:, introduction.
The essay itself usually has no section headings. Only the title page, author declaration and reference list are written as headings, along with, for example, appendices. Check any task instructions, and your course or unit handbook, for further details.
Content in assignment introductions can vary widely. In some disciplines you may need to provide a full background and context, whereas other essays may need only a little context, and others may need none.
An introduction to an essay usually has three primary purposes:
- To set the scene
- To tell readers what is important, and why
- To tell the reader what the essay is going to do (signposting)
A standard introduction includes the following five elements:
- A statement that sets out the topic and engages the reader.
- The background and context of the topic.
- Any important definitions, integrated into your text as appropriate.
- An outline of the key points, topic, issues, evidence, ideas, arguments, models, theories, or other information, as appropriate. This may include distinctions or contrasts between different ideas or evidence.
- A final sentence or two which tells the reader your focal points and aims.
You should aim to restrict your introduction to information needed for the topic and only include background and contextual information which helps the reader understand it, or sets the scene for your chosen focal points.
In most essays you will have a considerable range of options for your focus. You will be expected to demonstrate your ability to select the most relevant content to address your focal points.
There are some exceptions. For example, if an assignment brief specifically directs the essay focus or requires you to write broadly about a topic. These are relatively rare or are discipline-specific so you should check your task instructions and discipline and subject area conventions.
Below are examples of an opening statement, a summary of the selected content, and a statement at the end of the introduction which tells the reader what the essay will focus on and how it will be addressed. We've use a fictional essay.
The title of our essay is: 'Cats are better than dogs. Discuss.'
To submit this essay you also would need to add citations as appropriate.
Example of opening statements:
People have shared their lives with cats and dogs for millenia. Which is better depends partly on each animal’s characteristics and partly on the owner’s preferences.
Here is a summary of five specific topics selected for the essay, which would be covered in a little more detail in the introduction:
- In ancient Egypt, cats were treated as sacred and were pampered companions.
- Dogs have for centuries been used for hunting and to guard property. There are many types of working dog, and both dogs and cats are now kept purely as pets.
- They are very different animals, with different care needs, traits and abilities.
- It is a common perception that people are either “cat-lovers” or “dog-lovers”.
- It is a common perception that people tend to have preferences for one, and negative beliefs about and attitudes towards, the other.
Example of closing statements at the end of the introduction:
This essay will examine both cats’ and dogs’ behaviour and abilities, the benefits of keeping them as pets, and whether people’s perceptions of their nature matches current knowledge and understanding.
Main body: paragraphs
The body of the essay should be organised into paragraphs. Each paragraph should deal with a different aspect of the issue, but they should also link in some way to those that precede and follow it. This is not an easy thing to get right, even for experienced writers, partly because there are many ways to successfully structure and use paragraphs. There is no perfect paragraph template.
The theme or topic statement
The first sentence, or sometimes two, tells the reader what the paragraph is going to cover. It may either:
- Begin a new point or topic, or
- Follow on from the previous paragraph, but with a different focus or go into more-specific detail. If this is the case, it should clearly link to the previous paragraph.
The last sentence
It should be clear if the point has come to an end, or if it continues in the next paragraph.
Here is a brief example of flow between two summarised paragraphs which cover the historical perspective:
It is known from hieroglyphs that the Ancient Egyptians believed that cats were sacred. They were also held in high regard, as suggested by their being found mummified and entombed with their owners (Smith, 1969). In addition, cats are portrayed aiding hunters. Therefore, they were both treated as sacred, and were used as intelligent working companions. However, today they are almost entirely owned as pets.
In contrast, dogs have not been regarded as sacred, but they have for centuries been widely used for hunting in Europe. This developed over time and eventually they became domesticated and accepted as pets. Today, they are seen as loyal, loving and protective members of the family, and are widely used as working dogs.
There is never any new information in a conclusion.
The conclusion usually does three things:
- Reminds your readers of what the essay was meant to do.
- Provides an answer, where possible, to the title.
- Reminds your reader how you reached that answer.
The conclusion should usually occupy just one paragraph. It draws together all the key elements of your essay, so you do not need to repeat the fine detail unless you are highlighting something.
A conclusion to our essay about cats and dogs is given below:
Both cats and dogs have been highly-valued for millenia, are affectionate and beneficial to their owners’ wellbeing. However, they are very different animals and each is 'better' than the other regarding care needs and natural traits. Dogs need regular training and exercise but many owners do not train or exercise them enough, resulting in bad behaviour. They also need to be 'boarded' if the owner is away and to have frequent baths to prevent bad odours. In contrast, cats do not need this level of effort and care. Dogs are seen as more intelligent, loyal and attuned to human beings, whereas cats are perceived as aloof and solitary, and as only seeking affection when they want to be fed. However, recent studies have shown that cats are affectionate and loyal and more intelligent than dogs, but it is less obvious and useful. There are, for example, no 'police' or 'assistance' cats, in part because they do not have the kinds of natural instincts which make dogs easy to train. Therefore, which animal is better depends upon personal preference and whether they are required to work. Therefore, although dogs are better as working animals, cats are easier, better pets.
Download our basic essay structure revision sheet
Download this page as a PDF for your essay structure revision notes
Better Essays: Signposting
Paragraphs main body of an assessment
- RESEARCH PAPERS AND ESSAYS
- ESSAY TOPICS
- PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES
- Joseph Robinette Biden
- Donald Trump
- Barack Obama
- States Ranked by Size & Population
- States Ranked by Date
The Body Of Chris Greed Essay
The body if christopher creed analysis.
pressure changes the meaning of Humanity. The body if christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci displays how people's fear pressures them to wrongfully blame others in order to escape the situation that the themselves have created, which in our case is the disappearance of Christopher Creed. This whole situation separates the citizen of Steepleton into two sides having a major impact on several but most on 17 year old Torey, Mrs. Creed and Allie who then realize that they were a part of Chris's
Silent To The Bone Analysis
An example of character development can be found on page 14 paragraph 3, “Dr. Zamborska has never stopped wishing that he had been killed instead of his wife.” This line is significant because it reveals more about Dr. Zamborska and develops his character into a grief stricken parent. I liked this development because it told me that Dr. Zamborska was rueful over his wife’s demise. An additional reference demonstrating the humanity of Dr. Zamborska’s character is on page 18 paragraph 2, when Connor reflects, “My mother told me that even when Branwell was an infant, Dr. Z would bicycle over from his lab to feed him.” I appreciated this development of Dr. Zamborska for the reason that I now knew that Dr. Zamborska did not really resent his son Branwell for some unknown reason possibly due to his late wife’s death. One final illustration of character development is on page 15 paragraph 3, “Branwell cannot hit a ball with a bat or get one into a basket. “When he isn’t picked, he seems just as happy to watch as to play.” These two excerpts from the book characterize Branwell as an enthusiastic, un-athletic adolescent boy. I like this excerpt a lot because unlike some books where the main character is a non-relatable jock, Branwell is something different and special. Which leads us to begin to realize that this silent dishevled boy could not have possibly done what he was accused of; that there must be some other explanation to his
The Change In Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man
Change is commonly associated with everyone and everything in life. We see it in our surroundings and in the people and creatures we encounter, and is not as significant for every scenario, whether it is involved with someone’s personality, health, or the environment. Most people are not the same person they were five years ago due to the different experiences which assisted them to shed their aged skin; revealing the new persona they have acquired. Some events in our life change us for the worse or better, all depending upon the order of events and affected individuals. In the realistic fiction Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, the narrator changed drastically from the beginning to the end of the novel with three major events contributing to his development. The protagonist progressed from being naive and blind to reality to eventually honing the
Finding Identity In Speak By Laurie Halse Anderson
One will eventually come across the day where they are able to figure out who they truly are as a person. A discovery like this will lead to new chapters of life and start new beginnings. Although finding one 's identity can be difficult to understand and accept, it is crucial in life to discover oneself. In the novel Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, a teenage girl, who had to overcome and deal with an awful tragedy, takes readers on the long journey she walked before finding meaning and value in who she is as a person. The journey I was taken on while reading the novel had a beneficial effect on myself, expressed significance to the world about a common topic and showed how the main character gradually changed throughout the story.
The Watsons Go To Birmingham-1963 Character Analysis
In the novel “The Watsons go to Birmingham - 1963” by Christopher Paul Curtis, between Kenny and Byron I think Byron changes the most on both the inside and the outside. For example, Byron goes from throwing people at fences, to risking his own life to save his brother’s. In the beginning of the story, Byron is a rude jerk who doesn’t care about anyone else. However, towards the end of the story Byron becomes a kind, strong-willed person willing to save his brother’s life by risking his own.
Role Of Character Development In The Great Gatsby
Character development is literary device used in every piece of writing. It can be large or small. The characters change in one way or another. Character development can be clearly stated or hinted by the author. Authors explain character developments via dialogue, actions, conflicts, and many other things. Being aware of character development in a text can assist one in analyzing that text. It helps the reader to know more about why some events take place in books. Character development drives the plot because if the characters don’t move the story doesn’t move. The character has to develop in order for the novel to progress. One example of a piece of literature with a very distinct character development is classic novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Character development in The Great Gatsby is essential to even understand the plot as well as driving the plot. Character development is most distinctively shown by Jay Gatsby in his mysteriousness,
Analyzing Character Development In Octavia Butler's Kindred '
It grabs the reader’s attention immediately with its opening sentence, “I lost an arm on my last trip home.” This foreshadows the violence and physical suffering that Dana will face in the novel. The police officers, who arrested Kevin because they believed he was responsible for Dana’s injuries, foreshadows the abuse of power that the authority figures, in this case Rufus and his father, will display. The reader also gets a look at Dana’s hesitation to tell the complete truth out of fear of being disbelieved or considered
The Pardoner's Tale Greed Essay
“Radix malorum est cupiditas” translated from Latin into “Greed is the root of all evil.” (Chaucer 125) Throughout the Pardoner’s Tale, written by Geoffrey Chaucer, this is the story of three men that treat people lower than them and they end up finding a whole pile of gold, but they end up killing each other to get the gold to themselves. The entirety of the three men end up dead and not even one gets the gold. There are many topics involving greed, this essay will involve what it is about, the dangers, and the benefits of controlling the desire to gain.
Bitter Ground Analysis
However, that is of little import as his identity is shaped over the course of the four chapters of the story after he detaches himself of his old persona – he leaves his home, throws away his phone and retrieves as much of his money as possible and wonders if someone else would slip into his old life as easily as he had slipped out of it. As Mark Currie mentions in his Postmodern narrative theory, “identity is relational, […] it is not found within a person but that it inheres in the relations between a person and others” (17). Although we only get to see the events through the eyes of the unnamed narrator, he only begins to crystallize as a character once he begins interacting with others – he is the good Samaritan to the stranded Professor, giving him a lift when he needs to get back to his car and retrieves his wallet from the hotel, after the Professor vanishes, he unconsciously picks up his identity and gradually returns to life, plagued only by the fear of being uncovered as an impostor, while still feeling comfortable enough in his new identity in the company of strangers, playing along with the new game he has gotten himself into. Currie states that the way in which the author can control the sympathy and antipathy felt for characters is in direct relation to the distance from and
Essay On Jem's Maturity In To Kill A Mockingbird
I made the mistake of reading the first Little House on the Prairie book once again after finishing the series. It was just so hard to believe that the distinguished Laura Ingalls Wilder was once a naughty five-year-old, always secondary to her flawless older sister. This transformation made me realize that in reality or literature, characters change as they grow. Their change depends on the events taking place in the book, which explains how and why Laura Ingalls rose up to be the head of the family when her older sister was unable to do so. Many literary works portray growth or refinement of certain characters; physically, mentally, or emotionally. For example, Jem Finch, the gullible child who believed his society was flawless, isn’t the same person by the end of the novel. In her novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee demonstrates Jem’s maturity through his behavior and speech.
Examples Of Dialectical Journal For Into The Wild
(R) This passage illustrates a man who wants to change and start a new life by becoming a new person. This is very important as we learn that Chris McCandles is a dynamic character, and he wants to change from the type of person he was at the beginning of the book. Even when Chris McCandless had “adopted a new name”, it had symbolized that he was transforming into a new person that was now known as “Alexander Super-tramp, master of his own destiny”. I feel like he wanted to change his identity mainly because I think that his old personality traits would be linked to his old name,Chris McCandless, and whenever someone would call that name, he would start to transform to those personality traits. So to prevent this from happening, Chris McCandless changed his name to Alexander to resemble a new person that have better personality traits and a better person at life in
Identity In Walk Two Moons By Sharon Creech
A person’s identity changes much over time. The reasons may vary, from life experiences, friends, or merely growth, people go through a multifold of changes during his or her lifetime. In the novel Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech, we accompany thirteen-year-old Salamanca Tree Hiddle, as she walks her late mother’s footsteps to Lewiston, Idaho in an attempt to better understand her. As Sal travels throughout the country, she tells us her best friend Phoebe’s story, which in truth is just a cover for her own, or as she says “The reason Phoebe’s story reminds me of that plaster wall and the hidden fireplace is that beneath Phoebe’s story was another one. Mine.” (Creech 3) . As we read through the book, we witness the changes Salamanca goes through
Epiphany In The Fisher King
The purpose of this paper is to explain jacks epiphany. An epiphany is often explained as being a sudden insight into reality or the essential meaning of something, usually originating from something simple, such as an experience or occurrence. (Dictionary.com) The influences of an epiphany change the individual forever. Following the concept of epiphany comes a catharsis, anagnorisis, and kenosis. Each of these have a part in making reality known, rather than what you initially believe. Going through any of these processes can have a life changing effect. Not only could this affect you but others around you, an example of this could be the realization that Jack faced had an impact not only on him, but on Parry too.
Analysis Of The Body Of Christopher Greed
3.) To begin with, finding out the truth is very important, no matter what obstacles one may face. The truth begins with dedication and determination, and this is shown in the novel, The Body Of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum- Ucci by Torey when he expressed that, “Something inside of [him] felt totally ready to be completely nice to the rejects” (Plum- Ucci 59). Before Torey started searching for Creed and before he became friends with Bo and Ali, Torey was inconsiderate and stingy to the lower- social class kids. After realizing what a negative impact he had on these people’s lives, he started being friendly with them and decided to find out where Christopher was, so he could level everything out with him. Overall, finding out the truth may come with many obstacles, but it is important to overcome them.
More about The Body Of Chris Greed Essay
Related topics.
- Short story
- English-language films
- Main content
Students can quote ChatGPT in essays as long as they do not pass the work off as their own, international qualification body says
- Students taking the International Baccalaureate will be allowed to use ChatGPT, per The Times.
- The students can quote from the chatbot as long as they don't pass the work off as their own.
- Several schools and universities have already moved to ban the use of ChatGPT.
Students taking the International Baccalaureate (IB) will be allowed to use ChatGPT so long as they don't try to pass the work off as their own.
Matt Glanville, head of assessment principles and practice at the IB, a qualification body that's popular in Europe, told The Times of London that students would be allowed to quote AI-generated content. He compared the new technology with "familiar" challenges such as the risk of pupils buying essays from the internet.
Many people have expressed fears over ChatGPT's growing influence in the education sector. One writer who produces assignments for students previously told Insider: "I think ChatGPT has the potential to completely disrupt what I do," Austin said. Taylor added that demand had "dropped considerably."
Per The Times, Glanville said essay writing was being profoundly challenged by new technology and "there's no doubt that it will have much less prominence in the future." Institutions should try and embrace ChatGPT as an "extraordinary opportunity," he added.
Several schools and universities have already moved to ban the use of ChatGPT , citing concerns about plagiarism and misinformation . The New York City Department of Education blocked the chatbot from school networks and other US school districts have taken similar action.
The IB said it would work with schools to help students use AI ethically, per The Times. However, Glanville said trying to pass off AI-generated content as original work was an act of academic misconduct.
He told the Times: "The clear line between using ChatGPT and providing original work is exactly the same as using ideas taken from other people or the internet. As with any quote or material adapted from another source, it must be credited in the body of the text and appropriately referenced in the bibliography."
Representatives for the IB referred Insider back to The Times article when approached for comment.
The Body Ritual Of The Nacirema Summary
Show More Selena Cortez Professor Lauren Arenson Anthropology 1500 3 March 2017 The Subsistence Patterns of the Nacirema In the case study “The Body Rituals of the Nacirema”, Horace Miner is using coded language to describe the daily health routines of the average American. He describes George Washington as a mythical hero of the Nacirema people who chopped down a cherry tree and cross the Potomac River. The “body rituals” that he portrays as “uncivilized” and “barbaric” are quite common if someone does see the underlying context of the case study. Some of the health care routines that are depicted are going to the hospital, the dentist, and seeing a therapist. Through lenses of ethnocentrism, however, many people may believe that this is yet another isolated native tribe that has not become “civilized” yet. In the case study, Horace describes that these acts of hygiene as “a passive distaste for their own body and life”. The rituals are in order to prevent aging and to achieve the “perfect body”. The women in the tribe change their breast size, take birth control, and change their appearance by “putting their heads in …show more content… Through enculturation, their children are taught to accept these ideas as their own, learn the rituals that go along with them, and to keep this on a cycle of learning. If kept unchecked, the idea of body image will be heavily engraved in the American culture and possibility becomes more harmful than tribe members may know. Through contact with other tribes, however, their ideas can possibly change and form to make a healthier idea of body image that would stop the constant contact with the witch doctors. When Chagnon came into with the Yanomani’s tribe, he saw an impending cholera outbreak coming. Chagnon and someone else gave the 1,000 Yanomani tribe members vaccinations for the outbreak. This outside contact was important to the Yanomani’s
Related Documents
Body ritual among the nacirema summary.
November 29th, 2014 Article Critique of “Body Ritual Among the Nacirema” written by anthropologist, Horace Miner. Introduction People of the Nacirema people have some very attention-grabbing cultural practices when it comes to their attitudes of the body. How they view the physique in general and their fascination with the mouth, specifically, is quite bizarre. The purpose of this paper is to critique the peer-reviewed research entitled “Body Ritual Among the Nacirema” written by anthropologist, Horace…
Summary Of The Body Ritual Among The Nacirema
Nacirema Culture A Review of the Literature Abstract Various anthropologists and sociologists have used the term Nacirema to examine aspects of the behavior and society of citizens of the United States of America. Nacirema offers a form of word play by spelling “American” backwards. This literature review will explain how “Body Ritual among the Nacirema” relates to ethnocentrism. Nacirema Culture A Review of the Literature “Body Ritual…
Understanding Body Ritual Among the Nacirema by Horace Miner The Nacirema's rituals involving body manipulation can be seen as horrific and appaling. Horace Miner's article allows readers to read about the culture of the Nacirema, including intimate details about their rituals. The North American group of people have a developed economy, stone and potery in their homes, as well as some deeply disturbing practices. Believe it or not, the Nacirema are not that different from other societies we see…
Ready To Get Started?
- Create Flashcards
- Mobile apps
- Accessibility
- Cookie Settings
Body Types Essays
Body and beauty image throughout history, popular essay topics.
- American Dream
- Artificial Intelligence
- Black Lives Matter
- Bullying Essay
- Career Goals Essay
- Causes of the Civil War
- Child Abusing
- Civil Rights Movement
- Community Service
- Cultural Identity
- Cyber Bullying
- Death Penalty
- Depression Essay
- Domestic Violence
- Freedom of Speech
- Global Warming
- Gun Control
- Human Trafficking
- I Believe Essay
- Immigration
- Importance of Education
- Israel and Palestine Conflict
- Leadership Essay
- Legalizing Marijuanas
- Mental Health
- National Honor Society
- Police Brutality
- Pollution Essay
- Racism Essay
- Romeo and Juliet
- Same Sex Marriages
- Social Media
- The Great Gatsby
- The Yellow Wallpaper
- Time Management
- To Kill a Mockingbird
- Violent Video Games
- What Makes You Unique
- Why I Want to Be a Nurse
- Send us an e-mail
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
The body is the longest part of an essay. This is where you lead the reader through your ideas, elaborating arguments and evidence for your thesis. The body is always divided into paragraphs. You can work through the body in three main stages: Create an outline of what you want to say and in what order.
Essay Structure Writing an academic essay means fashioning a coherent set of ideas into an argument. Because essays are essentially linear—they offer one idea at a time—they must present their ideas in the order that makes most sense to a reader. Successfully structuring an essay means attending to a reader's logic.
Your essay's body paragraphs are where you support your thesis statement with facts and evidence. Each body paragraph should focus on one supporting argument for your thesis by discussing related data, content, or events.
The introduction of a literary analysis essay presents the text and background, and provides your thesis statement; the body consists of close readings of the text with quotations and analysis in support of your argument; and the conclusion emphasizes what your approach tells us about the text.
Checklist: Essay introduction 0 / 5. My first sentence is engaging and relevant. I have introduced the topic with necessary background information. I have defined any important terms. My thesis statement clearly presents my main point or argument. Everything in the introduction is relevant to the main body of the essay.
The essay body itself is organised into paragraphs, according to your plan. Remember that each paragraph focuses on one idea, or aspect of your topic, and should contain at least 4-5 sentences so you can deal with that idea properly. Each body paragraph has three sections. First is the topic sentence.
Argumentative essay body paragraphs. Body paragraphs can be of varying lengths, but they must present a coherent argument unified under a single topic. They are rarely ever longer than one page, double-spaced; usually they are much shorter. Lengthy paragraphs indicate a lack of structure. Identify the main ideas of a lengthy paragraph to ...
Body paragraphs help you prove your thesis and move you along a compelling trajectory from your introduction to your conclusion. If your thesis is a simple one, you might not need a lot of body paragraphs to prove it. If it's more complicated, you'll need more body paragraphs.
Body is not just shapeless wall of text, it is a section where logic, precision, and order are a must. Students writing an essay should know what each paragraph consists of and how to make every element in it effective. Create a Perfect Body for a Perfect Essay
The main body of an essay is the most important part of the paper. The intro prepares the reader by giving general information about the topic and the main thesis to catch their attention. The conclusion summarizes the main points, arguments, evidence, and thesis. But why is writing body paragraphs the most important part of the process?
The body paragraphs will explain your essay's topic. Each of the main ideas that you listed in your outline will become a paragraph in your essay. If your outline contained three main ideas, you will have three body paragraphs. Start by writing down one of your main ideas, in sentence form.
The main purpose of the essay body is to explain the essential author's idea and disclose the topic from a new angle by providing convincing arguments. This paragraph is the longest part of the text and should be based on logical deduction, analyzing empirical data, using evidence, or persuasion. How long is a body paragraph?
The body of a good argumentative essay often begins with simple and widely accepted claims, and then moves towards more complex and contentious ones. For example, you might begin by describing a generally accepted philosophical concept, and then apply it to a new topic.
1 Brainstorming. It always helps to collect your thoughts before you begin writing by brainstorming. Based on your prompt or thesis, try to generate as many ideas as possible to include in your essay. Think of as many as time allows, knowing that you'll be able to set aside the ideas that don't work later.
Body paragraphs are units of text that offer supporting evidence to back up the thesis statement of an essay, report, or story. A good body paragraph contains three main sections: a topic sentence (or key sentence), relevant supporting sentences, and a closing (or transition) sentence.
Here are the steps start a body paragraph: Step 1: Create a transition hook that relates the body of your essay to the introduction. Step 2: Provide an explanation for why your evidence is important and relevant. Step 3: Give examples, statistics, illustrations etc., related to what you have stated in step 2.
This example guides you through the structure of an essay. It shows how to build an effective introduction, focused paragraphs, clear transitions between ideas, and a strong conclusion. Each paragraph addresses a single central point, introduced by a topic sentence, and each point is directly related to the thesis statement.
This Ted Talk is a very persuasive argument of how we see our body language and how we react to those things that control our body language. I will always remember now what Amy Cuddy said, "Fake it till you make it". That's something I have always gone by but really didn't notice.
The body paragraphs are the main part of your essay burger. Each body paragraph presents an idea that supports your thesis. This can include evidence from a literary source, details that build out your thesis, or explanations for your reasoning.
An essay has three distinct parts arranged in this order: an introduction, a main body, and a conclusion. The main body is the heart of the essay in which the writer explains the essay's...
The main body of the essay should be divided into paragraphs, each of which begins with a topic sentence and then supports that point with specific ideas and evidence. The first paragraph should follow from the thesis statement, and each paragraph thereafter should follow from the one before. Each paragraph should develop the argument in a ...
An essay consists of three basic parts: Introduction. Body. Conclusion. The essay itself usually has no section headings. Only the title page, author declaration and reference list are written as headings, along with, for example, appendices. Check any task instructions, and your course or unit handbook, for further details.
The Body Of Chris Greed Essay. 779 Words4 Pages. The major events in one's life are what shape their true character and personality. Over the course of the book The Body of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci, many characters underwent a lot of change to their emotions and views of society. A great example of this is Torey.
Students taking the International Baccalaureate will be allowed to use ChatGPT, per The Times. The students can quote from the chatbot as long as they don't pass the work off as their own. Several ...
3 March 2017. The Subsistence Patterns of the Nacirema. In the case study "The Body Rituals of the Nacirema", Horace Miner is using coded language to describe the daily health routines of the average American. He describes George Washington as a mythical hero of the Nacirema people who chopped down a cherry tree and cross the Potomac River.
Body Types Essays. Body and Beauty Image Throughout History. The notion concerning the body and beauty types not only vary in culture but also have changed the course of history, hence dynamic attempts to recreate evolution, creating a different pattern and design of the models that depict 3,000 years ago. The body and beauty of the body shapes ...