2. Parts of an Essay
1)Introductory Paragraph
2)Body Paragraphs (generally 2 or 3)
3)Concluding Paragraph
3. Introductory Paragraph
• We start by stating the “problem or situation” about the topic. This is
done by using “generalizations” about the topic.
• For example, if the topic of the essay is “Levels of Education in
Argentina” we can start our essay in this way:
• Education is fundamental in the life of human beings. Ever since we
are born we are constantly learning, first through our family members
and friends, and then when we start our formal schooling. Typically,
people start with kindergarten to then move on to primary and
secondary school…
4. Introductory Paragraph
• The idea of the “generalizations” is to introduce the topic and
to slowly start narrowing it down to what will be the Thesis
Statement.
• The Thesis Statement is the most important sentence of our
essay because it contains the topic and the subtopics we will
discuss in our Body paragraphs.
• Considering the topic of “ Levels of Education in Argentina”
we may have this Thesis Statement:
• Education in Argentina is typically divided into three levels:
school, university and post graduate studies.
5. Introductory Paragraph
• Let’s see how the whole Introduction looks like with the General
Statements and the Thesis:
• Education is fundamental in the life of human beings. Ever since we
are born we are constantly learning: first through our family members
and friends, and then when we start our formal schooling. Typically,
people start with kindergarten to then move on to primary and
secondary school. These constitute the first steps of education. In
Argentina, students normally go through different educational stages
when they pursue their studies. Education in Argentina is typically
divided into three levels: school, university and post graduate studies.
6. Introductory Paragraph
• So, to summarize, our Introduction needs to have:
• Generalizations
• A Transition to the particular topic
• The Thesis Statement.
• Immediately after the Thesis Statement, we start a new
paragraph with the first idea provided in our Thesis. This
paragraph and the ones that follow constitute the Body of the
Essay.
7. Education is fundamental in the life of human beings. Ever since we are born we
are constantly learning: first through our family members and friends, and then
when we start our formal schooling. Typically, people start with kindergarten to
then move on to primary and secondary school. These constitute the first steps of
education. In Argentina, students normally go through different educational
stages when they pursue their studies. Education in Argentina is typically divided
into three levels: school, university and post graduate studies.
Red: generalizations
Green: transition
Blue: thesis statement
8. Activity 1: Look at this introduction for an essay. Mark the
generalizations, the transition and the thesis statement.
• There is much evidence that more and more youngsters have opted to
stick to urban areas in the recent few decades. There are several
grounds for such a tendency; however, it is generally believed that a
wide range of job opportunities and a great variety of entertainment are
among crucial factors. But what is the major reason for young
generations to settle down in the urban areas?
9. Body Paragraphs
• The Body Paragraphs are the ones that describe and explain
what we have anticipated in the Thesis.
• They follow a particular structure:
• 1) A Topic Sentence
• 2) Discussion
• 3) Examples
10. Body
• Let’s have a look at the body of the essay
on Levels of Education:
11. • The first educational level in Argentina is the school. Typically, students are
required to obligatory attend from the age of 5, in kindergarten, up to the age of
18 where students graduate from secondary school. The school level is divided
into three main categories: kindergarten, primary school and secondary school.
In kinder, students typically learn to socialize and to express themselves through
games and physical and artistic activities. Moving on to primary school, students
begin their formal education in subjects such as Science, Maths and Language
to start developing their concrete thinking and analysis. Finally, students focus
on their abstract thinking and critical evaluation in secondary school.
• This is an example of a body paragraph.
• We can identify 1) Topic Sentence 2) Discussion 3) Examples.
12. 1) The first educational level in Argentina is the school. 2) Typically, students are
required to obligatory attend from the age of 5, in kindergarten, up to the age
of 18 where students graduate from secondary school. The school level is
divided into three main categories: kindergarten, primary school and secondary
school. 3) In kinder, students typically learn to socialize and to express themselves
through games and physical and artistic activities. Moving on to primary school,
students begin their formal education in subjects such as Science, Maths and
Language to start developing their concrete thinking and analysis. Finally,
students focus on their abstract thinking and critical evaluation in secondary
school.
• 1) Topic sentence 2) Discussion 3) Examples
13. Activity 2: Look at this body paragraph and identify: the topic
sentence, discussion and examples.
• To begin with, numerous companies and businesses presented in big
cities serve as an enticement for young adults, who look to embark on
a career in a dynamic working environment offering both professional
development and competitive salaries. Not only do they seek for career
prospects and financial reward, but also fast-paced fields with cutting-
edge technologies and challenging tasks are valuable for young
people. However, some lucrative position at first sight might as well
turn out to be another heavy workload with endless red-tape and
mundane tasks.
14. Activity 3: Look at the second body paragraph and identify, again, the
topic sentence, discussion and examples.
• Conversely, a hectic social life is what anyone would never fail to
discover in any big city with a broad array of attractions for locals and
tourists. There is also a great choice of activities to everyone’s taste –
one can have a full diary for every weekend as a party animal or a true
culture vulture – something is sure to be cooked up for you to brighten
your mood.
15. Body
• To summarise, the Body Paragraphs should have
• 1) A topic sentence
• 2) Discussion
• 3) Examples
• You will repeat this structure for each Body
Paragraph you write!
16. Concluding Paragraph
• After we have written the Body Paragraphs, we have to write a
conclusion.
• In the Conclusion we restate/paraphrase our Thesis Statement and
make some final comments that summarise our Body Paragraphs.
• It’s important to remember that we NEVER include new information in
our conclusion and that we GIVE OUR OPINION here.
• Let’s look closely at this conclusion on the essay of School Levels and
compare it with the Introduction:
17. Conclusion:
• In my view, the levels of education in Argentina are pretty traditional
and they follow a universal structure. As the world keeps evolving, one
is bound to see this evolution reflected in the school system since it is
a part of our society that reflects how we act, think and feel. A clear
testament of a universal aspect that is equal to all.
18. Planning
• It’s extremely important that, before you write, you Plan your essay.
Planning will help you organise your ideas and write faster and in a
more organised way.
• When we plan, we write an Outline. The outline is like a short plan or
draft that is like the skeleton of your essay. In the outline you include
the thesis statement and then key words / phrases to guide you
• You have an example of how to make a plan on page 14, but the plan
can depend on each person. It’s just an outline of what you plan to
include on your essay.
19. • So, in order to write a good essay, consider the following:
• 1) Make sure you understand the topic.
• 2) Write an outline considering your Thesis Statement.
• 3) Once the outline is planned, start writing your First
Draft.
• 4) Re-read it and check your punctuation, spelling,
collocations, connectors and structures.
