How should I structure an essay paragraph?

A common way to structure paragraphs is to follow PEE, or ‘point, evidence, explanation.’ First, we start with our ‘point,’ or the statement of our argument. This should be 1 or 2 sentences long. This tells the reader what we think. Then we need to add ‘evidence.’ Our evidence includes facts, statistics and quotes from primary sources.  We use this evidence to give an explanation of why we think our statement is correct, using words like ‘because’ to signal this change. Finally, at A level, we need to add analysis to our essays. This can be done by considering other perspectives on our statement. For example, we may consider how a Marxist or Feminist historian might view a historical event. We can also weave analysis throughout our essay by considering various contrasting points of view and explaining why we agree or disagree with them. 
Let’s consider a fun hypothetical question to practice this technique. You need to answer the question; ‘To what extent do you agree with the statement: Halloween candy should be banned?’ You want to say that you agree. We start with a point: ‘Halloween candy should be banned because it is bad for people’s teeth.’ Then we need to add evidence. We could say; ‘Halloween candy has a high sugar content, and sugar is known to increase tooth decay.’ We could also add a quote from a dentist, or give statistics on tooth decay at different times of the year. We then need to finish with our explanation. We can use a word like ‘because’ or ‘therefore’ to show the reader that we have moved from evidence to explanation. ‘Therefore, the higher than usual amount of candy consumed at Halloween means it should be banned because it raises the risk of tooth decay, especially in small children.’ 

Answered by Philippa S. History tutor

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