This resource covers key considerations when writing an essay.
Write the body. The body of the essay is everything in between your introduction and conclusion. Depending on the length of the piece, you should have 1, 2, 3, or more separate points that all help argue the value and legitimacy of your thesis statement (i.e. your overall argument) in different ways. Even at University level, the old PEA (Point-Evidence-Analysis) structure works wonders, and you can use it for each of your individual points. Point: One or two sentences describing the point you wish to make in this part of the essay. Evidence: A few sentences detailing the evidence for this point (this could be sources, anecdotes, novels, etc.). Analysis: This is the crux of the essay. Analyze how this evidence you have outlined demonstrates the point you said earlier. Be creative and assertive in your points – no “it could be said” or “it may be understood as” – be confident in your critical analysis skills. For many professors, analysis is the most important part of an essay, so put lots of time into getting your point across accessibly, succinctly, and creatively.
Write the introduction. The introduction is the most important paragraph in your essay. Without a good intro, your reader will feel lost and frustrated, unable to understand what the point of your essay is. So here’s a real easy way to write a good introduction. Firstly, give one or two sentences of context directly related to your topic. Secondly, state what your essay intends to investigate – you can literally write “This paper aims to investigate…”. Thirdly, write a sentence for each of the points your essay will make, in the order they will come in. Finally, write a sentence or two summarizing your thesis statement and what your final argument will be. It’s as easy is that. But the trick is to keep it simple. Speak directly to your reader and keep your sentences short and sweet. You can add flair and style later in the essay – the introduction is for informational purposes only.
Conclude. So you’ve finished writing up your separate points that all argue towards the thesis statement you made in your introduction. Now it’s time to bring them all together. Conclusions are actually pretty simple. You can begin with a sentence stating what the essay set out to do (literally, you can write “This essay investigated…” – there’s no need for over-complication). Following that, briefly remind your reader of the content of your essays – a short sentence for each point and the way in which it demonstrated your thesis statement is ideal. Finally, bring all of this research together in a final sentence or two, stating what it argues and how this aids our understanding of the topic.
This essay structure is ideal if you’re writing about:
Proofread and edit. Firstly, breathe. You’ve written a whole essay, and that’s no mean feat! Distract yourself and get away from your computer for a bit. Then, come back after a day or so (more, if you have the time) with fresh eyes ready to proofread and edit. Proofreading is boring but so, so important. You are looking to see if the essay is easily readable. Read it out to yourself out loud. Does it make sense in a conversational tone? No matter how difficult and complex the topic, the essay should make sense to someone with little experience in the topic. If it doesn’t, consider revising wording, sentence structuring, and grammar. Have a friend read it to themselves and give you honest feedback. Proofreading is its own beast and warrants its own how-to guide, which I’ll write up soon.
Reference and create a bibliography. Firstly, let me make this clear: Reference as you write. Having to backtrack over your work and find where you sourced quotes, paraphrasing, sources and figures is a nightmare, and will extend your workload significantly. As you’re writing, simply bracket or footnote where you are getting the information from – it doesn’t have to be a full reference, simply an author and a page number will do. When you’ve finished your essay, scratch up on the referencing system specified by your teacher (there’s guides to them all online) and reference accurately. Bibliographies and referencing are time consuming, but doing them accurately is an easy way to gain marks (and, likewise, doing them incorrectly will easily lose you marks). Remember that services like Zotero will reference automatically for you, but you should still double-check these for accuracy.
Proofread. Again. Before submitting your essay, read over it one last time. This time, though, don’t attempt to change major parts of the essay – be happy with what you’ve got, because over-editing is a real thing and can ruin a good essay. Simply look out for spelling, grammar, punctuation and syntax issues in your essay, and fix them accordingly.
An essay that makes good, evidence-supported points will only receive a high grade if it is written clearly. Clarity is produced through careful revision and editing, which can turn a good essay into an excellent one.
My essay has an interesting and informative title.
The body of your essay should be written in paragraphs. Each body paragraph should develop one main idea that supports your argument. To learn how to structure a paragraph, look at the page .
Short videos to support your essay writing skills
Submit your essay. You’re done! Congratulate yourself, because every completed essay is an achievement. You probably won’t be happy with the final piece, but don’t worry – we are our own worst critics. Remember that if you’ve been diligent in your research, thorough in your planning, and careful in your writing, you stand a good chance of getting a good grade.
Strong paragraphs are essential to a well-written essay.
I hope this helps some of you in your writing process. It’s important to remember, however, that everyone writes differently, and there are a million ways to write an essay. This is simply the method that works for me. I’d love to read how you guys approach essays in the comments!
Experience the future of academic writing –
The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.
Tips on writing longer pieces of work
Get tailored advice from an Academic Skills Adviser by booking an Individual appointment, or get quick feedback from one of our Academic Writing Mentors via email through our Writing advice service.
So … what are those structures? And how do they influence your topic?
Essay writing is a fundamental skill, a basic task, that is expected of those who choose to pursue their undergraduate and master’s degrees. It constitutes a key requirement for students to complete a given course credit. However, many students and early career researchers find themselves struggling with the challenge of organizing their thoughts into a coherent, engaging structure. This article is especially for those who see essay writing as a daunting task and face problems in presenting their work in an impactful way.