Structure of an Academic Essay
Updated January 23, 2005

Let's start with acknowledging that students should use whatever essay structure their teacher dictates.  Here are some guidelines that describe many teachers' criteria for organizing academic essays.

1. Create an Essay with Three Main Parts. Help your readers by first telling them what you are going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you told them. Readers appreciate having this guidance; teachers reward it with points.

Introduction Introduce your topic and then state your thesis, which is your main point and more specific than a topic.
Body Present 2, 3, 4 or more supporting points, organized so that they flow logically from point to point.
Conclusion Conclude by restating your thesis and presenting a final insight. Do not add new points that need proof.

2.  State Your Main Point in the First Paragraph. Some styles of writing encourage writers to unfold their main point slowly in order to give the reader a lot of work.  However, most college teachers prefer that their students divulge their main point in the first paragraph. This helps the reader's comprehension.  The reader can then focus on finding adequate support and explanation for that main point.

3. Divide Your Point into Logical Subsections. Students are often tempted to pick three random points for supporting an essay topic.  Strong writers look for the natural divisions in a topic and then find a rational way to organize those points. 

4. Organize the Subsections to Highlight Their Relationship to Each Other. Students should find a relationship among the subsections and organize them accordingly, then write transitions between paragraphs.  Creating an organization with purpose aids the reader's comprehension. . 

5.  Create an Inviting Introduction and an Insightful Conclusion. In most cases, students need to develop a context for their thesis before stating it.  This helps prepare the reader for the main point.  The introduction can also help pique the reader's interest as well.  Conclusions should be more than a restatement of the thesis. The reader needs to feel a sense of closure that a well-earned insight provides.  Be careful not to add any extra information in your conclusion; but save your most poignant thought for the end. 

Example Outline #1

Here is a sample outline in response to this essay question: Explain who serves the best pizza locally and what criteria you used for selecting your choice.

Introduction Anecdote about driving around town with friends on a Friday night, arguing about where to eat pizza. Thesis that Hollywood Pizza was our best choice according to our criteria of convenience, atmosphere, service, ingredients and price.
Body [Note how the points are organized chronologically, in the order that the author experience them.]
Point 1: Convenient to the biggest movie theater in the county.
Point 2: Entertaining atmosphere with movie posters,  movie memorabilia, and monitors showing blockbuster films.
Point 3: Wait staff are friendly, accurate and speedy.
Point 4: Varied and fresh crust, sauce and toppings.
Point 5: Price is reasonable, given the quality.
Conclusion Return to anecdote of friends walking to the movie theater, wondering why they ever discuss where they will go for pizza since they always choose Hollywood Pizza at the end of their lively debates.

 Example Outline #2

Here is an outline on a more standard academic essay topic.  The essay is this: Choose a symbol from Alice Walker's "Everyday Use" and explain how it contributes to the story's theme(s).

Introduction Introduction to the dominance of household objects in the story, but the importance of one quiet symbol, trees.  Thesis: Walker contrasts Dee's use of the gum tree in her childhood yard with Uncle Stash's and Aunt Dee's relationship to the tree in their yard to reinforce this theme:  using objects for domestic work honors heritage more than using them for pleasure.
Body [Note how the points are organized in a comparison/contrast pattern.  The body paragraphs present the rejected view first, followed by the view that is preferred, concluding the body section with evidence that the author intended this preference by the way other household items are managed.]

Point 1:  Dee paid attention to the tree in her yard by picking out gum and chewing on it for pleasure.
Point 2:  Uncle Stash paid attention to the tree in his yard by creating a dash with it, which his wife, Aunt Dee,  used until her fingerprints wore sinks into the wood.
Point 3:  Dee tries to appropriate that same dasher and use it to please herself as she did the gum tree.
Point 4:  Mama emphasizes the value of domestic work over pleasure by giving preference to the daughter who uses household items for their purpose as they were created and blocking their use for pleasure.
Conclusion Restate thesis but also point out how trees are symbols of life and security--for families themselves (family trees), so Walker's use of trees as a symbol reinforces her themes relating to family heritage.

For more information on how to structure academic essays, see a tutor in the Writing Center, Knutti 207
http://www.shepherd.edu/scwcweb/