English 28

Serial

Prof. Joey Cannizzaro

09/13/16

ESSAYSTRUCTURE1
Thereisastandardessaystructureyoucanfollowtohelpensureyourthoughtsare
presentedlogicallyandclearly.Atypicalessayshouldconsistofthefollowing:
Anintroduction
Severalbodyparagraphs
AConclusion

Introduction
Theintroductionisthebroadbeginningofthepaperthatanswersthreeimportant
questionsforthereader:1.Whatisthis?2.WhyamIreadingit?3.Whatdoyouwantme
(thereader)tothinkorbelieve?
Youcananswerthesequestionsbydoingthefollowing:
1. Setthecontext:providegeneralinformationaboutthemainidea,explainingthe
situationsothereadercanmakesenseofthetopicandtheclaimsyoumakeand
support
2. Statewhythemainideaisimportant:tellthereaderwhyheorsheshouldcare
andkeepreading.Yourgoalistocreateacompelling,clear,andconvincingessay
peoplewillwanttoreadandactupon
3. Stateyourthesis:composeaconcisesentence(ortwo)statingthepositionyou
willsupportinyouressay.
BodyParagraphs
Theensuingparagraphsshouldsupportyourthesisstatementbyexplainingthemain
pointsinyourargument.Typically,eachmainpointshouldbediscussedinitsown
paragraph.
Eachbodyparagraphshouldstartwithatopicsentencethattellswhichmainpointyou
willbecovering.Youshouldthenincludesupportingsentencesthatdescribeyourideas
and/orprovideevidence.Makesureyoufullyexplainyourpointsandgiveanynecessary
information(quotations,examples,etc.)toconvincethereaderthatyourargumentis
valid.Bodyparagraphswillusuallyendwithatransitiontothenextparagraph,orwitha
statementthatconcludesorfurtherstheideasstatedinthatparagraph.
Bodyparagraphs:Movingfromgeneraltospecificinformation

1AdaptedfromCUNYAcademicCommons(https://bacwritingfellows.commons.gc.cuny.edu/essaystructure/),
WritingwithaThesis:ARhetoricReaderbyDavidSkwireandSarahSkwire,andNortonLitWeb
(http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/litweb10/writing/B3aintro.aspx)

English 28
Serial

Prof. Joey Cannizzaro

09/13/16

Yourparagraphsshouldmovefromgeneraltospecificinformation.Everytimeyoubegin
anewsubject,thinkofaninvertedpyramid:thebroadestrangeofinformationsitsatthe
top,andastheparagraphprogressestheauthorbecomesmoreandmorefocusedonthe
argumentendingwithspecific,detailedevidence.Lastly,theauthorexplainshowand
whytheinformationshehasjustprovidedconnectstoandsupportsherthesis(abrief
wrapup).
Serialbodyparagraphexampleforthisthesisstatement:Wehaveeveryreasonto
believethatAdnanSyedisinnocentbecausetheevidenceusedagainsthimintrialwas
inconclusiveandunreliable.
1. Another reason we have to believe that Adnan Syed is innocent is
that Asia McClain provided a sound alibi. 2. There was only a 20 minute
window of time in which Hae Lee could have been murdered, and
Adnans classmate Asia was with him in the library at that time. 3. She
wrote him a letter about this during the original trial saying, Im not
sure if you remember talking to me in the library on January 13th but I
remember chatting with you my boyfriend and his friends remember
seeing you too. 4. Suspiciously, this alibi was never investigated by
Adnans lawyer, but it changes the case completely. Instead of it being
a witness word against the word of the accused (Jay vs. Adnan), it
would have been an impartial observers word against the word of a
drug dealer (Asia vs. Jay). 5. Would you believe the word of a selfdescribed criminal element who cant keep his story straight?
^^^(NextparagraphwouldaddressJaysunreliability)
Bodyparagraphtemplate/abodyparagraphonbodyparagraphs:
1.Iftheconnectionbetweenthisparagraphandtheonebeforeitisnotapparent,youll
needtostartyourparagraphwithatransitionstatement.2.Nowyouneedtomakea
specificclaim:aminithesisjustforthisparagraph.Theclaimmadeineachparagraph
shouldclearlyrelatetoyourinitialthesisstatement.3.Nextyoullprovideevidenceto
supportthatclaim,suchasaquotationfromthetextyourewritingabout,oradescription
ofwhathappenedinthetext.4.Explainwhatthisevidencemeansandhowitprovesyour
claim.Thisanalysisshouldtakeupthebulkofyourparagraph5.Ifnecessary,youcan
finishwithatransitionsentencetothenextparagraph,oryoucansimplywrapupwhat
wasarguedintheparagraph.
TheConclusion
Yourfinalparagraphshouldwrapupthepaperandleavethereaderwithoneormore
finalthoughts.Itshouldreferbacktotheintroductionandincludeasummaryofyour
mainargument.Donotsimplyrestateyourthesisstatement.Instead,brieflyremindthe
readerofyourpositionandthemainpointsyoumadetosupportthatposition.Finish

English 28
Serial

Prof. Joey Cannizzaro

09/13/16

withsomethingthatclearlyindicatestheessayisending.(Or,inotherwords,donotjust
stopmidthought!)Somewaysyoucanendyourconclusionare:

Makesomekindoffinalpointthattiestogetheralltheideasinyouressay
Askaquestionthatpromptsfurtherthought
Suggestadirectionforfurtherresearch
Looktothefuture(giveaprediction,expressaparticularhope,etc.)