Mastering the art of essay writing is beneficial not only in your academic life but to your life in general. For instance, once you start your career, you’ll find yourself writing business letters, contracts, memos, and many other organizational documents. Learning how to write a good essay as early as now will help you achieve perfection in such documents, hence propelling you towards career excellence. The good news about all this is that essay writing is not rocket science. Thus, anyone can become a pro. It all starts with the basics, such as knowing and understanding the main parts of an essay.
What are the Parts of an Essay?
Any essay, whether argumentative, expository, or analytical, is made of three main parts. Each part is directly interconnected with the other and should be written in a way that brings harmony to the rest of the essay. That said, take a look at the essential parts of an essay below
Skip that all-nighter.
- The Introduction
This is a highly important part of an essay. Depending on the task at hand, it can be a short paragraph at the beginning or can take even two pages. It is made up of three main parts, namely
- The topic sentence or what is known as the essay hook
- The Supporting sentence also known as the essay bridge
- The thesis statement
Each part of the introduction plays a crucial role in the outcome of the entire essay. For instance, the essay hook captures the interest of the reader. The bridge explains the hook, giving the reader an idea of what’s about to go down. The thesis statement, on the other hand, is considered the heart of the essay as all the other parts revolve around justifying it.
- Thesis Statement
Even though it’s under one of the essential parts of an essay and might be at times made up of only one sentence, note that the thesis is also made up of small parts. Combining these parts creatively is the secret to crafting an amazing one. That said, here are the parts of an essay thesis
- The Topic part which briefly highlights what you’re talking about and gives the main idea of your essay
- The angle part which offers your precise opinion on the matter or your viewpoint.
The introduction as a whole is considered one of the essential parts of an essay. This is because it’s the first thing the reader encounters and is also what determines whether the reader will finish going through the rest of the argument. Therefore, while all the other parts are of the essence, essay writers are often advised to learn how to craft the best introduction.
The Body
The second of the main parts of an essay is the body. This is where you present arguments that support your thesis statement. Depending on the essay category, the body may have five or more paragraphs. However, the average essay usually has a minimum of at least three paragraphs and a maximum of five. Other than supporting the thesis statement, each paragraph plays different roles. In respect to that, here is how to write each paragraph to perfection.
- The First Paragraph
This is what comes immediately after the introduction. Therefore, it should be the part where you expand further on the thesis statement, hence should carry the strongest point regarding your topic. Also, it serves as the transition from the introduction to the essay. Therefore, it should also adequately explain to the reader what you’re going to prove in the essay as well as define the key terms.
Its last sentence should inform the reader you’re about to move to another point, so the essay flows naturally from one part to another.
- Second Paragraph
The first sentence of your second paragraph also acts as the transition from the first one. Therefore, it should clearly state the main idea. In other words, it should mark the flow from the first paragraph by clearly stating the main point that you’ll be discussing on this part without being too obvious.
- Third Paragraph
Being the last part of the body of the essay, it should hold your weakest argument in regards to your thesis statement. But then again, just because it’s your weakest controlling point doesn’t mean you make it evident to the reader. You’re the only one who knows that it’s not as good as the predominant ideas presented in the earlier paragraphs. Therefore, craft it clearly and logically as you did with the other two main points. Being the last one, it should also alert the reader that you’re working towards the end of the essay. If you’re going to add other paragraphs, use your weakest point on the last paragraph and structure this like you did the second paragraph.
- The Conclusion
The conclusion is the last of the three parts of an essay. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most overlooked parts of an essay, yet it serves a crucial role. For instance, it’s your last opportunity to convince the reader to take your position on the topic. Therefore, you should use it to remind the reader of why you wrote the essay in the first place by restating the thesis. It should also connect the thesis to the points in the body paragraph, so you should also provide a summary of all controlling points.
Additionally, it should serve as the call to action part of the essay, and whatever you want your reader to do should be written here. For instance, if you want them to research the topic further, tell them to do so in the last sentence of your conclusion.
How to Write a Top-Notch Essay
Now that you know the main parts of an essay, how do you write a good one? By keeping the tips below in mind while at it
- Take Time to Analyze the Essay Prompt
Even if you’ve been given the essay topic to write about, don’t just jump straight into action. Take time to read through and understand the essay prompt. Consider what the prompt is, directly and indirectly, asking you to do. For instance, how long does the essay have to be? Does the prompt ask me to provide my own opinion, or does it want the view of reputable scholars on the topic?
2. Do Your Research
Once you understand what your professor expects from you through the essay at hand, set out to look for information on the subject. Browse the internet and your institution’s website for resources. Try and source your ideas from reputable sites, blogs owned by experienced industry leaders on the topic, and famous writers. Take time with this step as it’s the most critical one. What you come up with determines whether your essay will be informative and helpful to the reader or not. Therefore, give yourself time, analyze the topic from different angles, and do the same for your sources. Note any point you think is essential to your topic down.
- Structure Your Thoughts
Once you get all the ideas you think will suit your topic and have noted them, take time to create an outline of how you want them to appear in the actual essay. Outlining might seem unnecessary, but it helps make your work appealing. It also makes connecting the main parts of an essay as well as the writing process seamless as you already know where what is going. It also enables you to eliminate any illogical points that you might have written down in the step above and also ensures no point is left out.
The Different Types of Essays
While knowing the three main parts of an essay is of the essence, it’s also vital you know the different types of essays so you can be ready for any that comes your way
- Argumentative Essays
- Expository Essays
- Informative essays
- Personal essays
- Descriptive essays
Finally
Essay writing can be, at times, a challenge even to the most skilled writers. However, knowing how to connect the different parts of an essay will make things less stressful. Also, having the tips highlighted above in mind while writing yours will make the process a tad easier. Besides, it’s possible to get professional help from us whenever the need arises.
