English study plan Essay

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How To Structure A Killer Essay
Posted on May 20, 2012 by Matrix Education • 0 Comments

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It is claimed time and again that writing an essay is like building a house. The statement is rather clichéd, but that doesn’t nullify its truth. Both require a solid foundation to support additional components or ‘levels’, and each require something to reinforce or complete the structure. For a house, this finishing piece is a roof, and for an essay it is a conclusion. In order to ‘build’ that perfect essay, follow the structure below, making sure to ‘support’ your argument with textual evidence:

Introduction
First, answer the question and then introduce your thesis statement. Remember, your thesis statement is your ‘big idea’ or ‘main argument’. After this, introduce the texts which you will use to support and elucidate your thesis. Provide a sentence or two that specifically explains their thematic or conceptual relevance to your thesis. Finish with a concluding sentence to links to your first body paragraph.

Body Paragraphs
Always begin with a topic sentence which states what theme/concept/aspect of the text you will be discussing in the paragraph. After this, explain this theme/concept/aspect in further detail, drawing in contextual information if relevant to your argument. Then, introduce a textual example to support your argument and identify the techniques the composer uses to demonstrate their effect on meaning. Repeat as required. End with a concluding sentence that summarises your key point in the body paragraph. Follow this structure for however many body paragraphs you have.

Conclusion
Your conclusion should mirror your introduction by answering the question. You should also restate your thesis and in turn consider whether or not it holds up after your analyses of the texts. Finish your conclusion with a brief summary of the main concerns of your essay.