How should I structure my essay?

The way in which an essay is structured makes a huge difference to its effectivity and is one of the key criteria in receiving a good mark. The first crucial component of a successful essay is a good introduction. This should outline how you are going to address the question and provide a brief overview of what ideas your essay will explore. A good introduction should not be too long or go into detail about what you are going to say in your essay; it should just be enough to whet the appetite of the reader and introduce them to the ideas they are going to be reading about. In the main body of the essay, it is important to provide detailed analysis of the text. You should employ your best analytical skills of structure, form and language, using concise textual examples to back up your claims. A basic structure of point, evidence, explanation is often useful. First, state the overall point you are making. Next, provide evidence for your claim with quotations from the text. Finally, explain your point in detail; what exactly is the writer doing and what effect does this have? Make sure to be succinct in your writing and selective in your evidence. Try to ensure that every word matters and that you haven’t included any sentences that could be easily eliminated. Additionally, don’t let your sentence length get out of control. If you’re writing an essay that isn’t timed or assessed, it’s often a good idea to read it aloud for this reason. It’s important to really engage with the question and show that you have thought about all aspects of it. If it can be approached from two sides, address both to make it clear that you have thought about different interpretations. Finally, your conclusion should summarise the key points considered in your essay and provide an overall evaluation of the ideas you have discussed. If your essay is exploring two sides of an argument, it is important to demonstrate a firm decision about which side you stand on and why. As your conclusion is the final part of your essay, you should emphasise your engagement with the whole question and demonstrate confidence in your final verdict.