Essay Structure

Start with the parts of an essay

Essay Structure is a section of the Writing Skills and Process unit in English language. The resources on this page offer different ways to look at how an essay is put together, from a quick outline of its parts to notes on planning and developing paragraphs.

A useful starting point is Part 2. These notes describe an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion. Read them for an overview, then look at the mind map Basic Essay Structure for another way to view the topic.

Move from an outline to details

The mind map Writing looks at writing an essay, including how an introduction can show your understanding of a question. The essay guidelines note suggests ways to attract a reader's attention, such as using a quotation or a rhetorical question. Compare these ideas as you plan an opening.

For the body of an essay, the mind map English Writing Structure and Acronyms includes explaining a point and linking it to the next paragraph or the question. Another mind map sets out a thesis statement, topic sentences and supporting details. Use these alongside the overview to think about how individual paragraphs fit into the whole essay.

Use maps and quizzes together

After reading a note, open a mind map and follow its branches to see how ideas are organized. You can also look at Essay Writing Process, which suggests reading freewriting and highlighting strong ideas. That gives you a way to move from collecting ideas toward planning what to include.

The page also has a few quizzes, including English semester final. Try one, then return to a relevant note or map to go over the points you want to study further. Explore the resources in an order that works for you.