The Essay Structure

1. The Essay Structure Worth Weller, W131 Revised by Mrs. B. PVIS

2. Paper Format • Unless your instructor says otherwise, follow standard MLA guidelines for the format of your paper. Use a very normal looking font, 12 pt., no bold, no ALL CAPS, indent your first line of each paragraph 1/2”, and double space the entire paper. Do not use a cover sheet. Instead, in the top left hand corner do this: Last Name, First Name LA 7 Period ___ Date

3. Use a Header • On the top right should be a header (which Microsoft Word will do automatically for you). On the second and subsequent pages the header should include your last name, first name and a space page number.

5. Here’s What An Essay “Looks” Like: • Title • Introduction • Thesis statement • Body paragraph • Topic sentence • Supporting details • Body paragraph… • Topic sentence • Supporting details • Conclusion

6. Title • This can be catchy, cute, creative or just to the point. • A Day at Disney World • Spaced Out in Space Mountain • How to Wait in Line All Day and Not Lose Your Mind • Captured by Pirates • I Met My Maker on Toad’s Wild Ride • The Most Expensive Junk Food in the World • Postmodernism Meets Late Capitalism

7. But notice… • The title indicates, at least in some fashion, what the essay is about. • Sometimes, after you’ve done some freewriting, clustering, and general research and thinking about your topic, writing the title first helps you focus. • You can always change the title later.

8. Introduction • Your first or introductory paragraph should both explain your topic and stimulate your audience’s interest. • We’ll have an entire lesson on this later, but your introductory paragraph (or paragraphs) somewhere contains a thesis statement that helps your reader focus on what exactly you are going to talk about in the upcoming body paragraphs.

9. Visual Representation 1. Broad sentence that sets the stage 2., 3. narrower sentences that provide some details or a greater degree of specificity 4. Very specific sentence that focuses on exactly what you are going to say in the following essay Thesis statement

10. Body Paragraphs • Body paragraphs support and explain the essay’s thesis. • The more the merrier, for several reasons: • They are reader friendly • They help make the essay look organized. • Each paragraph must contain evidence followed by two sentences of comments indicating the relevance of the evidence.

11. Some Guidelines • Each paragraph is a complete thought. • As soon as you start to change thoughts, or go a new direction, start a new paragraph. • Don’t be afraid of having “too many paragraphs.” • I like to see at least three indents on a page

12. Generally a paragraph starts with a topic sentence, that tells what the paragraph is about, • and the other sentences provide details and support (evidence from text, video, etc.). • The support must be followed by your comments (two sentences) before additional support may be used.

13. Usually a paragraph has five to eight sentences. • It makes your paper more readable, creates a better rhythm, if you vary the paragraph length somewhat.

14. The Golden Rule: • Don’t let a paragraph wander – keep it to one central thought. • When you feel your mind changing gears, it’s time to change paragraphs!

15. Conclusions • A concluding paragraph is the final paragraph in your essay, which sums up your points and restates the thesis in all new words. • It presents a philosophical summary of the essay, linking directly back to the intro • And (sorry) it does NOT start with “In conclusion…”