How do I structure an essay?

One very simple way to structure essays at A-Level and GCSE is to follow the same pattern so that you don't get confused, or end up waffling. I always start with an introduction, pick out three or four main points that are completely relevant to the question, and then finish with a conclusion. When structuring the introduction, begin by introducing the text/author, and then briefly mention a couple of other themes that are relevant to the text, which shows that you know the text as a whole. After this, clearly outline the main concepts of your three or four main points and highlight how they respond to the question. For extra marks, find a critic that either agrees or disagrees with you, and then use it to your advantage - for example: 'Although A.Adams says .... about "King Lear", a more interesting interpretation is that..... ' For the main paragraphs, even to this day at university I always follow this simple structure: 1. 'ONE OF THE WAYS IN WHICH....' or similar phrases > mention the question > the first point. 2. SPECIFIC EXAMPLE from the text, and a small ANALYSIS of this example > LINK to the question. 3. LINK to RELEVANT HISTORICAL CONTEXT or LINK TO A DIFFERENT EXAMPLE/THEME > how this is relevant to the question. Historical context can be hinted at by describing how the performance/a reading aloud of it would have changed its interpretation to the readers of its day, for example.  4. Then back it up with a relevant CRITIC/ANOTHER EXAMPLE from the text and explain how it is different/similar, or agree/disagree with it, explaining why. 5. Then end the paragraph by BRINGING IT BACK to the question. The three key points to remember when it comes to writing main paragraphs is this: 1) Relevance across everything: relevant examples/critics/historical context/analysis 2) ALWAYS have the question in your mind in every single sentence, and bring it back to the question as much as possible: this will help you to focus more, and limit the waffling. 3) The WAY you write an essay is probably as, if not more important than WHAT you write in it (all those AOs are there for a reason!) - so remember: structure in your essay is key to focusing on keeping your mind straight when you are writing it, and getting high marks.