Learning Lab

How do I structure an essay? Essays have three parts: A beginning... A middle... and an end. That is, the introduction, body, and conclusion. It’s important to have structure in your essay, or you will lose the flow of your argument.

How do I write an essay introduction? Writing an essay introduction can sometimes be quite challenging. It helps to break down your introduction into three important parts: First, start by introducing your topic. Then, state your argument. And finally, outline your main points.

By doing this, your introduction should start broad and become more specific, focusing in on your essay topic. Basically, you’re letting the reader know what you’re going to discuss throughout the essay. Let’s have a look at this introduction as an example:

Self-confidence means possessing a positive, yet realistic, view of one’s self and abilities. Self-confident people have trust and faith in their abilities. Self-confidence can be affected by a variety of factors. This essay will argue that self-confidence develops through a complex interaction between a range of factors. The essay will firstly define self-confidence, and then analyse the interaction between various factors that affect the confidence of an individual. In particular, these are personality style, situational factors/life experiences self-efficacy and self-esteem.

Notice the structure: The topic and context at the start of the paragraph; the argument in the middle, and what will be covered in the essay at the end of the paragraph.

How do I write an essay body? An essay body is a series of paragraphs that support the main argument.

How do I write an essay conclusion? Your essay conclusion is written in the opposite way to the introduction: it starts narrow and becomes broad. Begin with the detail of the essay, and expand out to the bigger picture. Here’s an example of how to structure a conclusion:

Self-confidence is not ingrained within individuals and can be influenced by a variety of factors. The personality style of an individual can determine whether the individual is an introvert or an extrovert, which will affect self-confidence. Life experiences and situational factors have a large impact on the stability of personalities and confidence. Self-efficacy and self-esteem are major factors that can contribute to a lack of self-confidence. Self-confidence is essential for effective and positive engagement in all professional and personal activities.

For more information about essay writing, try the tutorials.

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