Essay Structure

Essays, like letters, are often divided into three main sections: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.

It is also critical to write a strong thesis statement.

The first paragraph of an essay is the introduction. This paragraph has a few main components.

1. Hook - this is your very first sentence. You are trying to get your readers' attention so that they want to keep reading. Many hooks start with a question or a fact.

Is having a garden worth the effort? **Note: I did not use the pronoun "your." In high school writing, we do not use the pronouns "I, you, we, me, you" or any form of them.

Owning a garden is a valuable way to give back to society.

2. Supporting Ideas - your supporting ideas help the rest of the paragraph make sense. They can either prove or illustrate the main point(s).

1. Human beings have grown their own food for thousands of years.

2. This has helped them survive and take care of their families.

3. Many people around the world still garden today.

3. Thesis - the thesis is a road map for both you and your readers. A thesis should contain your big idea and about three supporting ideas (topics of your body paragraphs) that you will write more about in your paper, listed in the order they will appear.

Owning a garden is a great way to provide for your family, save money on groceries, and give back to the community.

Our outline will look something like this:

Big Idea: Owning a garden is a great idea.

I. to provide for family

II. to save money

III. to give back to the community

Here is our finished introduction

Is growing a garden worth the effort? Human beings have grown their own food for thousands of years. This has helped them survive and take care of their families. Many people around the world still garden today. Owning a garden is a great idea because helps provide for families, saves money on groceries, and gives back to the community.

In an essay, we also write supporting paragraphs. Depending on the assignment, you will usually write 1-3 supporting paragraphs. A supporting paragraph follows the standard paragraph order:

1. Topic Sentence - this sentence tells the read what this specific paragraph will be about.

One reason more people should plant a garden is to take care of their family.

2. Supporting Sentences - these sentences help prove or illustrate the main point of the paragraph.

a. When people grow their own vegetables, there is more food for their families to eat.

b. Some of the best plants to grow are tomatoes and potatoes because they produce a lot of food.

c. It is also a good idea to grow plants that can be stored for the winter.

3. Conclusion/Transition Sentence - this sentence summarizes your thoughts from that paragraph and helps introduce the next paragraph.

Taking the time to grow a garden can families have enough to eat for the whole year.

Here is our finished supporting paragraph!

One reason more people should plant a garden is to take care of their families. When people grow vegetables, there is more food for their families to eat. Some of the best plants to grow are tomatoes and potatoes because they produce a lot of food. It is also a good idea to grow plants that can be stored for the winter. Taking the time to grow a garden can help families have enough to eat for the whole year.

A conclusion is almost the reverse of an introduction. The main parts are:

1. Thesis Revised - this sentence will look a lot like your original thesis. One way to create this sentence is to copy your original thesis and then tweak it.

Original: Owning a garden is a great idea because it helps provide for families, saves money on groceries, and gives back to the community.

Revised: By planting a garden, families will be able to provide more food for themselves, save money at the grocery store, and share with others in their communities.

2. Summary Ideas - rather than introducing new ideas, you want to summarize the topic sentences of your supporting paragraphs.

a. Owning a garden helps ensure that families will have extra food for the whole year.

b. It will also save money because people will not have to buy all of that food at the store.

c. Lastly, gardening enables people to share with others in your community who need extra food.

3. Concluding/Action Sentence - The last sentence of your paper should summarize what you want your readers to 1) think, 2) feel, or 3) do.

Think: Gardening will help improve the world's food supply and culture.

Feel: Gardening will help serve others.

Do: Plant a garden today!

Here is our finished conclusion!

By planting a garden, families will be able to provide more food for themselves, save money at the grocery store, and share with others in their communities. Owning a garden helps ensure that families will have extra food for the whole year. It will also save money because people will not have to buy all of that food at the store. Lastly, gardening enables people to share with others in your community who need extra food. Gardening will help improve the world's food supply and culture.

Check out the video below to better understand the introduction, body, and conclusion of an essay!