How can I improve the structure of my essay?

Often one of the most difficult aspects of writing a good essay is nailing its structure. It’s very easy to have great points laid out in a way that’s confusing and hard to pin down – and a well-structured essay will help get those same points across in a way that is easy to digest and assess. Your wonderful analysis of the text will be complimented by an easy-to-follow ‘narrative’ contained within the essay that, when followed the examiner, will show a comprehensive understanding of the work in question.The best way to start is with the basics – your individual paragraphs. Start with a simple PEEL (Point, Evidence, Explanation, Link) structure for your points, leaving the ‘Link’ part until you’ve drafted a few possible points to answer the question. Once you have a series of points, add in those ‘Links’ to form a narrative – guide the marker through your understanding of the text like you’re giving them a tour of the essay. An overarching narrative also assures a strong conclusion – if the question is ‘How are the working class treated in Jane Eyre’, use your points to strongly swing one way or the other to assure your ending packs a punch – perhaps even save your best point until last to really hammer home your opinion. This structure will then let the final, often most tricky piece of the puzzle (your introduction) slide into place – its much easier to know how to begin when you know where you’re going!