This document outlines the basic structure and components of an essay. It discusses the typical sections of an introduction, body, and conclusion. The introduction aims to engage the reader and introduce the main idea, while the body presents and supports the main idea over multiple paragraphs. The conclusion signals that the essay is complete by restating the main idea or posing additional questions. The document also categorizes the main types of essays and provides examples of ordering techniques for the body paragraphs.

2.  A prose composition with a focused subject of
discussion
 A written composition giving expression to one’s
own personal ideas or opinions on some topic

3. Standard essay structure is a specific essay
form that has a clear introduction, body and
conclusion. Even though the structure can have
more than five paragraphs, it is often called a
five-paragraph essay. Each main piece of
support needs its own body paragraph.

4. There are five main types of essays:
1. Narrative essays—essays that tell a story
2. Persuasive or argumentative essays—essays
that attempt to convince the audience to
believe, think or do something
3. Expository essays—essays that define,
explain, or analyze.

5. 4. Reflective essays –essays that reflect on
some thought on some subject (social,
political, domestic topics)
5. Descriptive essay – Description of some
place or object

6. Many essays use techniques or structures from
two or all five of the main types of essays.

7.
The basic structure of all essays has three
sections: the introduction, the body and the
conclusion

12. The introduction serves two main functions:
1. To engage the reader—catch the
reader’s interest
2. To introduce the main idea

13. There are six main ways to engage your
audience:
1. Ask a question (the weakest of the
methods)
2. Tell an anecdote
3. Provide a relevant quotation
4. Share some dialogue
5. Reveal a startling or unusual fact
6. Paint a vivid description (use sensory
detail)

14. There are five main ways to introduce your main
idea:
1. State the problem
2. Present the information you are going
to compare/contrast
3. Give background for your story
4. State your thesis
5. Introduce the idea/object/process
person/place that you are going to
describe

15. In the body, the writer presents at least three
paragraphs. Each paragraph has a main
supporting idea that directly relates to the thesis,
main idea or topic of the paper as presented in
the introduction. For these main supporting
ideas, the writer supplies additional details
explanations and proof related to the supporting
main ideas.

16. Goal—the body serves one or more of the following
purposes:
1. Tell your story in a narrative essay
2. Compare and contrast your information in an
expository essay
3. Describe your idea/object/process/person/
place in an expository essay
4. Prove your point or thesis in an argumentative essay
5. Explain your solution to a problem in an argumentative
essay

17. Use a specific order or orders in the body of an
essay:
1. Spatial order—order based on location—use
for descriptions
2. Chronological order—order based on time—
use for events in a narrative essay

18. 3. Logical order—order based on ways of thinking
—use for cause/effect, problem/solution, main
idea/support in argumentative and expository
essays
4. Order of Importance—order based on most
important information to least important/ least
important to most important—use in
argumentative and expository essays

19. The goal of the conclusion is to signal to the
audience that the piece is complete

20. There are nine basic ways to write a conclusion:
1. Restate (put in new words) the main
idea— show chain of main ideas
2. Answer a question from the body or
introduction
3. Ask an additional question that extends your
main idea
4. Make a call to action

21. 5. Make a suggestion
6. Make a prediction
7. Explain the importance of the information in
the piece
8. In a narrative, end with the last event
9. Extend the specific to the general and/or
universal

22. Remember, this is not exhaustive. If you can
figure out a way to organize or present your
piece that grows out of the information itself, use
that.