Chapter 2-Essay Organization
Essays can be organized in a variety of ways, and ultimately, you should follow the instructions that your teacher gives you.
Traditionally, essays are made up of a variety of paragraphs. Paragraphs can vary in length. Oftentimes, students will ask, “How many sentences do I need for each paragraph?” This is a stylistic decision and really depends on the writer. I have seen paragraphs as short as two sentences or longer than 20! It depends on the purpose and context of your paragraph and the length and types of sentences you use.
In general, though, each paragraph should contain a topic sentence, body sentences, and a concluding sentence.
Another common question students ask is, “How many paragraphs should my essay contain?” Once again, this depends on the assignment and type of writing (and, of course, you should always follow your teacher’s instructions). Please keep in mind essays can (and often should) be longer than five paragraphs! However, essays do generally follow a typical organizational pattern similar to that of the paragraph: introduction, body, and conclusion.
Introductory Paragraph(s)
This paragraph does exactly what you would expect: it introduces the topic of the essay. This can be a single paragraph or multiple paragraphs but should contain your essay “hook,” background information, and thesis statement. When the reader finishes this paragraph, they will have a good idea of the purpose of your essay.
Check out this detailed introductory paragraph from an ESL student:
New Destinations
Written by Giovanni Agostini
It was a cold fall’s day in the South African town of Paarl. Work was busier than usual. A few older crowds shuffled in for their afternoon outing to the famous Reuben’s café. It was always a good sight seeing the seniors stroll in as they always tipped the best. I made sure to give them special attention because I knew that with the whole mask situation, it was not the easiest to hear each other speak. In the end, they made it worth the extra effort. After all the old couples had enjoyed their delicious bowls of mushroom soup and glasses of wine, they were off to the retirement complex, and I was free to have my break. Upon sitting down on the cold steps outside under the umbrella, I noticed a new email from the university I was hoping to attend. I read it aloud to everyone. Before the flourish of steamers and celebrations started on my phone from the email attachment, everybody was cheering and congratulating me because they all knew how much I wanted it. The workday ended, and the real fun began…
What makes this paragraph interesting? Do you want to read more? What techniques does the author use? What news did the author receive from the university?
Body Paragraphs
The body paragraphs are the portion of your essay where you will include the details. You should include specifics like examples, research, anecdotes, and statistics. Each body paragraph should have one main idea that is reflecte