How to construct and structure an essay

Writing an essay under a constrainted time can be daunting at first, however, it is crucial to know that one should spend at least 20 percent of their time to construct an essay plan before writing; this can significantly minimize your time staring into space as you write your essay and can save a lot of time. 

You should first start by constructing a thesis statement, and that shall be your stance of the essay. A good thesis statement will allow the reader to know whether the writer agrees or disagrees with the question, or the direction in which the essay will undertake. An easy trick to construct thesis statements is to convert the question into your sentence followed by the techniques the poem/prose has used. For example, if the question is, 'to what extent does the author convey the mood of depression?' Then your thesis statement should look something like this, 'The author successfully convey the mood of depression through the utilization of metaphor and tone.' As you can see, the question itself was incorporated into the answer, which is then followed by the use of techniques that was used by the author. When your thesis statement is constructed you are ready with the introduction. The first sentence of the introduction should be the hook, a sentence that instantly catches the reader's attention. Something interesting, or that stirs curiosity to the reader. Afterwards, you can give a brief account of the passage that you read. Last but not the least, the thesis statement should then be inserted in the last sentence of the introduction. The following paragraphs are simple, start each paragraph with a topic sentence. Topic sentences are the core of each paragraphs, a theme that you wish to analyze. Followed on are evidences, this includes your quotations from the passages, as well as any techniques used by the author. Last but not the least are your analysis and conclusions at the end of each paragraph. You should now be at your final paragraph, the conclusion. The conclusion can simply be constructed by restating your introduction of the passage, or your own personal thoughts. Another way of constructing your conclusion is by putting an end to your analysis, and then with your answer construct a new question that is worthy to be investigated in the future. You have now successfully constructed an essay with clear directions with a sturdy backbone. Good luck!