Whether you’re beginning your college career or have graduated and are attempting to make a name for yourself as a writer, you probably know that proper essay writing is extremely important. Experienced essay writers will point out that a key to mastering essay writing consists of two parts:
- Knowing how an essay is generally structured
- Knowing the differences in some of the more popular types of essays
In this article, we’ll examine both of these points in order to give you the background knowledge to become a better essay writer. There’s no doubt that essay writing is an important part of academics and professional writing, so the more you know about this subject, the better you will become as a writer.
Keep reading to learn some of the following:
- What are the main parts of an essay
- What are the parts of argumentative, expository, descriptive, and narrative essays
- Also, some common mistakes to avoid when writing an essay will also be explored
What Are the Main Parts of an Essay?
Although the different essays we’ll be profiling in this article have different content and arguments, the form of each one is pretty similar. A good essay consists of three primary parts with some sub-parts.
Let’s briefly look at each of these parts before examining them more in-depth in the following sections.
The Introduction
This is the first paragraph of your essay. It includes the hook and thesis statement.
The Body Paragraphs
These paragraphs support your thesis. Because the body paragraph can be one or multiple paragraphs, depending on the required length of the essay, I consider each body paragraph a sub-part.
The Conclusion
This is the final paragraph of the essay. You conclude with another hook, restate your thesis, and wrap everything up.
With all of this in mind, let’s use a hypothetical example to more thoroughly see how each part functions in a proper essay.
Parts of an Essay Introduction
For our hypothetical example, we’ve been assigned to write an essay about the Protestant Reformation. The first thing to do is research. Once you’ve done some research, you can narrow down the broad topic to formulate your thesis statement.
The Thesis Statement
This is the most important part of the introduction because it states the argument you’re making in your essay. So, for our example, after conducting some research, I discovered that German monk Martin Luther initially did not want to start his own church. Based on that, I’ve formulated the following thesis statement:
“Despite what is often believed, Martin Luther only wanted to reform the Roman Catholic Church, not start a new church, and his writings clearly show this.”
Now I can write the second most important part of the introduction: the hook.
The Hook
The hook is probably the second most important part of the introduction paragraph, but it is the first sentence your readers will read. Because of that, the hook needs to be catchy and engaging. It also has to be relevant to your general topic and thesis statement. The following is a good hook for our hypothetical example.
“Charges of heresy and being burned at the stake were what those who challenged the Roman Catholic Church could expect in sixteenth-century Western Europe, but despite this, men such as Martin Luther held strong to their faith.”
After the hook, but before the thesis statement, there should be one or two sentences that give a very broad background of your topic. There should also be a sentence after the thesis statement that transitions into the next part of the essay – the body paragraphs.
The Body Paragraphs: Building on the Core of the Essay
The body paragraphs are the next part of an essay. Because the body paragraphs often include more than one paragraph, you could argue that these are sub-parts of the essay.
Each body paragraph is a point of supporting evidence for your thesis. So, for our hypothetical example, I’ll use two examples.
Body Paragraph 1
Martin Luther’s “95 Theses” never advocated for a complete break from the Roman Catholic Church. Since this essay is limited in words and scope, I’ll only focus on those theses that go to prove my point.
Body Paragraph 2
For this paragraph, I’ll focus on some of Luther’s writings to other people. I’ll stress that in the first few years of his work, he generally refrained from criticizing the papacy and hoped that the pope would recognize the errors in his ways. With both of these paragraphs, it’s important to cite your sources and to use quotes if possible. These give your argument authority. It’s also important to use transition sentences to make your writing more effective.
Transition and Topic Sentences
Effective essays utilize transition and topic sentences in every part, but they are probably most important in the body paragraphs. The first sentence of each body paragraph is the topic sentence. The topic sentence tells the reader what the paragraph will cover and where the essay is going.
Transition sentences are used to segue from one paragraph to another in a way that makes the essay easier to read. You’ll use them in every paragraph to create a seamless segue into the next topic sentence.
Parts of a Conclusion in an Essay
The final part of a typical essay to consider is the conclusion paragraph. In many ways, the conclusion paragraph is a reflection of the intro paragraph, with three primary subparts.
- Secondary hook
- Summary
- Restatement of thesis
Secondary Hook
Like the primary hook, the secondary hook is the first sentence in the conclusion paragraph. It should be catchy and relevant to the topic and thesis, but it should be different than your intro paragraph hook. Consider this example:
“Sixteenth-century Europe was a time of great transition, where many men led great changes. Few of these men are more misunderstood than Martin Luther.”
Summary
After the secondary hook, you’ll summarize the arguments of the main body paragraphs in about two or three sentences before finally restating your thesis.
Now that you know more about the constituent parts of a typical essay, let’s take a look at some of the more common essays you’ll encounter in your writing.
Now, when you know how to write an argumentative essay, let’s consider an expository essay.
Parts of an Argumentative Essay
An argumentative essay involves you doing plenty of research in order to provide facts to support your thesis. Another notable aspect of a good argumentative essay involves offering counterarguments.
So, let’s take a look at how an argumentative essay differs in structure from the standard essay we’ve already discussed.
The intro and conclusion paragraphs of an argumentative essay are the same as a standard essay: primary and secondary hooks, thesis statement, and summary of the main points are all included. The difference is in presenting the counterarguments.
You will often still use two paragraphs as your main body in an argumentative essay. The difference will be that one paragraph will be dedicated to the counterarguments, while the other paragraph will support your thesis. It’s up to you if you want to present the counterargument first or second, but for our hypothetical example, I’ll start with the counterargument.
If you’re pressed for time or up against a hard word count, you may need to combine your argument and counterargument into one paragraph. Whichever format you choose, it’s important to remember that counterarguments are part of every argumentative essay.
Now, when you know how to write an argumentative essay, let’s consider an expository essay.
Parts of an Expository Essay
An expository essay is very similar to an argumentative essay in many ways. You argue a point in both essays, but an expository essay is generally less detailed and requires less research. An expository essay is more explanatory than argumentative, and the counterpoints are usually not presented. Because there is a difference between these two essays, and because you’ll probably have to write one or both types, it’s important to know how to write an expository essay.
So, what are the major parts of an expository essay?
A good expository essay follows the standard essay format, with an intro paragraph, main body paragraph(s), and a conclusion paragraph. For the hypothetical example we’ve been using, the thesis statement would be a little different.
Expository Essay Thesis Statement
“The evidence shows that Martin Luther only wanted to reform the Roman Catholic Church, not start a new church.”
This is essentially a stripped-down version of the original thesis statement I used. It’s important to remember that because an expository essay is more explanatory, you should get right to the point.
Parts of a Descriptive Essay
A descriptive essay, sometimes referred to as a profile essay, is an essay in which the writer describes a person, place, thing, or event. These tend to be more creative essays, where you use adjectives, adverbs, and even metaphors to create a mental image of the subject and thesis in the reader's mind.
Although the structure of a descriptive essay is very similar to that of a standard essay, there are some notable differences.
The Descriptive Essay Thesis Statement
You’ll use a thesis statement in a descriptive essay, but it should relate to how the subject is described. So, for the subject I’ve been using in our hypothetical example, the following would be a good example:
“Martin Luther was perhaps the most influential theologian of the modern world, but much of his influence is based on the emotions he’s stirred in people, good and bad.”
The biggest format difference then will be in the main body paragraphs. In one paragraph, I’ll highlight how Luther has evoked feelings of joy, pride, and happiness in followers of Lutheranism, while in the other paragraph, I’ll relate how he has produced negative emotions, primarily among Roman Catholics.
Parts of a Narrative Essay
The narrative essay is a favorite among many writers because it allows you to showcase plenty of creativity. The writer tells a story in a narrative essay, and because of that, first-person pronouns are often used.
Crafting a Narrative Essay
Most narrative essays, although not all, follow a chronological format. Many writers choose to relate an important event in their lives, so there is a definite beginning and end to the essay. Narrative essays use the intro, body paragraphs, and conclusion format, but there are a few minor differences.
The Narrative Thesis
All narrative essays have a thesis, but they are more personally oriented, so they aren’t as apparent at first glance. For example, if you’re writing about how being accepted to college changed your life for the better, then your thesis statement may read like the following:
“With a combination of fear and excitement, I opened the letter from Big State. My excitement soon overtook the fear when I realized I was accepted. I knew right then that my life was about to change for the better.”
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Structuring an Essay
Now that you know about some of the most common types of essays, let’s take a look at some of the more common mistakes essay writers make.
- Not Understanding the Specific Essay:
Although many of these essays follow a similar and sometimes the same structure, as you saw above, that’s not always the case. Make sure you’re following the proper format for the specific type of essay you’re writing. - Not Presenting a Clear Thesis Statement:
This could actually be #1. No matter what type of essay you’re writing, it’s important to clearly state your thesis in the intro paragraph. Also, everything you discuss should be based on your thesis statement. - Know Your Audience!
If you’re writing an essay for an academic audience, then you should use an academic tone. Likewise, if you’re writing a narrative thesis, then you should adopt a more laid-back tone. - Proofread and Edit Your Work!
This applies to all types of writing. Let friends and colleagues read your work, looking for structural, stylistic, and content problems. Once you’ve addressed those issues, make sure to reread the paper yourself, looking for typos.
Level Up Your Essay Writing
If you want to be a good writer, you have to understand the basic essay. The best way to understand the basic essay is to break it down into its constituent parts, as we’ve done in this article.
Once you’re able to understand the different parts of a basic essay, then you’ll be able to understand how other types of essays are formatted.
With the information related in this article, you now have the knowledge to look at any type of essay and know immediately how you should state your thesis and how the supporting evidence should be presented.
Hopefully, this article will help you relax a little more the next time you’re assigned an essay. And who knows, you may even find out you enjoy essay writing!
