Parts of an Essay

Parts of an Essay -- traditionally, it has been taught that a formal essay consists of three parts, the introductory paragraph, or introduction; the body paragraphs; and the concluding paragraph.

Introductory Paragraph: The introductory paragraph accomplishes three purposes. It captures the reader's interest. It suggests the importance of the essay's topic. It ends with a thesis sentence. Often, the thesis sentence states a claim that consists of two or more related points.

Tips
Often, writing an introductory paragraph is the most difficult part of writing an essay. Being faced with a blank page can be daunting. Here are some suggestions for getting started. First, determine the context in which you want to place your topic. In other words, identify an overarching category in which you would place your topic. Then, introduce your topic as a case-in-point.

Body Paragraphs: Each body paragraph begins with a topic sentence. If the thesis contains multiple points or assertions, each body paragraph should support or justify, in order the assertions made in the multi-point thesis sentence. Generally, if the thesis sentence contains three related points, there should be three body paragraphs, though the number of paragraphs should be based on the number of supports needed. Thus, the topic sentence for the first body paragraph will refer to the first point in the thesis sentence and the topic sentence for the second body paragraph will refer to the second point in the thesis sentence.

Concluding Paragraph: The concluding paragraph usually restates the thesis and leaves the reader something about the topic to think about. If appropriate, it may also issue a call to action, inviting the reader to take a specific course of action with regard to the points that the essay presented.