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An essay is a thing of beauty. We may not think so if we're writing one at the last minute, but there is no more elegant way to present our ideas than through a carefully constructed argument.
An essay is a thing of beauty. We may not think so if we're writing one at the last minute, but there is no more elegant way to present our ideas than through a carefully constructed argument.
Prompt - a question or statement to which the writer must respond.
Writer - the person who plans, writes and edits an essay.
Reader (audience) - the person who reads an essay.
Essay - a piece of structured writing in which an argument is presented to the reader.
Argument - a connected series of points intended to establish a position.
Position (contention, thesis, stance) - the thing a writer is attempting to convince their reader of.
Point (claim, statement) - a logical reason that supports the writer's position.
Evidence - textual examples or external sources that support a point the writer is making.
Introduction
Introduction
An essay is a type of text in which a writer attempts to convince a reader of something; however, this simple premise can be easily forgotten as we worry about things like word counts, adding quotes, and formal language. Fortunately, with a greater understanding of exactly what an essay is, and how we should prepare for one, we can stop worrying and begin to enjoy the process of crafting a well-prepared argument.
In this guide we learn how to structure and write an essay. Specifically, an essay which argues in favour of a particular interpretation of a literary text—the most common type of essay we are likely to encounter in English classes.
At the end of the guide there are downloadable and printable resources that summarise the information presented here, along with some sample essays. However, before we go any further, we should confirm the Golden Rule when it comes to using The English Inventory to help with assessment tasks:
The Golden Rule: The information presented here may differ from that which is taught in your school. When in doubt, always complete assessment tasks in line with your teacher's expectations.
All clear? Then let's get started.
Defining Essays
Defining Essays
Perhaps the best way to confirm what an essay is, is to confirm what an essay is not.
An essay is not emotional: it does not rely on subjective language or persuasive techniques to convince the reader. Rather, it uses objective language to argue that a particular position is valid based on logical reasoning and supporting evidence.
An essay is not a narrative: it does not try to compel the reader to learn "what happens next." Rather, the entire argument is presented in the introduction and subsequent paragraphs merely elaborate on this information.
An essay is not visual: it does not rely on formatting or images to engage the reader. Rather, all information is transmitted through carefully chosen language which demonstrates the validity of the argument being made.
So, what are we left with, if an essay is not emotional, narrative or visual?
Well, not much, and herein lies the beauty, and perhaps the terror, of the essay form: it does not allow us to "hide" behind emotional pleas, creative storytelling or pleasing visuals. Rather, we must convince our reader that our position is valid using only a set structure and specific language.
Essay Structure
Essay Structure
An essay should present the reader with the right information at the right time. That way, they are not overwhelmed with information and they can see how individual concepts fit together to form a cohesive whole.
To best guide our reader through our ideas we can use a conventional essay structure which consists of three distinct parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.
Introduction
Introduction
Our introduction should tell our reader everything they need to know about the argument we are presenting. To this end, our introduction should establish our position in response to the essay prompt and signpost the three supporting points that make up our argument.
This introduction should not be long: it should tell our reader everything they need to know about our argument, but should not include any actual argumentation or evidence. Thus, it should simply inform the reader of what we are going to say in our essay and the order in which we will say it.
The following structure is an effective way to present information in an introduction:
INTRODUCTION
Opening (one or two sentences) - A brief overview of the subject of our essay, and why this subject is important. We should also inform our reader of the text we are interpreting, its creator, and anything else that would be helpful before we present our argument.
Position statement (one sentence) - A clear statement which establishes the position that we are arguing in favour of in our essay. This statement should be a direct response to the prompt, and everything that comes after it in our essay should help to convince our reader that this position is valid.
Signposting of supporting points (one sentence for each point) - The three points we will make to convince our reader that our position is valid. We can use transitional phrases such as In addition or Furthermore to guide our reader through these points.
Position statement (one sentence) - A paraphrased version of our position statement to reinforce our stance.
Body
Body
The body of our essay contains the details of our argument. It is here that we explain to our reader how our points support our position, whilst also providing specific evidence to support these points.
Each body paragraph should argue a single point in favour of the overall position. And by single point, I mean single point. One of the biggest problems I see when assessing essays is the combining of multiple ideas within a single paragraph.
Avoid this.
Really.
Helpfully, many structures exist to help us write the body paragraphs within an essay (TEEL, TEXAS, PREP, etc.). However, I would like to muddy the waters further by offering a new paragraph structure: PPEERS.
Fortunately, this structure is not too different from the others, and I hope it helps you to plan and write your essays.
BODY PARAGRAPH
Position and Point (one sentence) - The first sentence in a body paragraph should clearly state the point we are making to support our position. The relationship between these two concepts should be immediately clear to our reader from this sentence, and we can use words like because or due to to connect them.
For example: Macbeth is responsible for his tragic fate because he allows himself to be emotionally manipulated.
Evidence (multiple sentences) - A specific textual example that supports the point we are making. We should give some brief context when introducing an example so our reader can position it within the text. If we are writing a research essay we can also use external sources as evidence to support our point.
Explanation (multiple sentences) - A clear explanation of how our evidence supports our point. When referring to our evidence we should focus on how a creator uses specific elements or techniques to engage their audience. We should also evaluate how effectively these elements or techniques achieve their intended purpose.
Note: The more evidence we offer in support of a point the more convincing this point becomes. Therefore, we should repeat these two steps as many times as possible within each body paragraph, while still staying within the word limit. That said, we should be wary of providing too many pieces of evidence with too little explanation of how they support our points. Balance is important.
Rebuttal (if necessary) - To make sure our argument is robust we should acknowledge any potential weaknesses in the point we are making. These rebuttals should be based on logical reasoning and specific evidence.
Note: This step is not always required. If there is no clear counterpoint that needs rebutting in our paragraph, or we are simply not confident making a rebuttal, we can omit this section of a body paragraph.
Summary (one sentence)- We must assume that our poor reader is forgetful so we need to remind them again of the point we are making to support our position. This sentence can effectively paraphrase the opening sentence of the paragraph.
Note: If we are feeling fancy, we can also include a link in our final sentence to our next body paragraph. However, this is not mandatory and we should only attempt it if we are confident that we can link these two paragraphs in an elegant way.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Our conclusion is our final chance to reinforce our argument, leaving our reader in no doubt that our position is valid.
Importantly, we should not introduce any new information in our conclusion. If we have any sudden inspiration that a somewhat related (but really cool!) concept would make for a great way to finish our essay, we should take that inspiration, scrunch it up in a ball, and throw it in the wastepaper basket.
Our conclusion should merely remind our reader of the position we are arguing in favour of and the three points we have made to support this position.
Nothing more.
Given this, our conclusion will look a lot like our introduction, which is fine. However, rather than inform the reader about the argument that will follow, in our conclusion we are simply confirming the argument that has already been made.
Given this, we can structure our conclusion as follows:
CONCLUSION
Position statement (one sentence) - A reminder of the position that we are arguing in favour of in our essay. Again, this can be a paraphrased version of the position statement we offered in our introduction.
Supporting points (one sentence for each point) - A reminder of the three points we made to convince our reader that our position is valid. Again, we can use transitional phrases such as Additionally or Finally to guide our reader through these points.
Position statement (one sentence) - A final reminder of our position. In addition, we should try to word this final sentence in a satisfying way for the reader.
Essay Language
Essay Language
Our essay should be written in language that clearly communicates our ideas to our reader.
Specifically, we should write our essay using objective language, clear and concise phrasing, and from the third person perspective in the present tense.
Objective language
Objective language
Our essay should communicate meaning through objective language. This requires us to present information in such a way that our reader is convinced by our ideas, not our language.
Being objective means avoiding subjective language and persuasive techniques. By subjective language, we mean language which appeals to the reader's emotions and makes value judgements, and by persuasive techniques, we mean the use of techniques such as rhetorical questions, anecdotes and hypotheticals.
Subjective language
Clearly, Romeo and Juliet is Shakespeare's most famous play because it's still really funny, and it has a very powerful ending that reminds us that life is precious.
Objective language
Romeo and Juliet is Shakespeare's most well-known play because it effectively combines comedy and tragedy.
Clear and concise phrasing
Clear and concise phrasing
Our essay should communicate meaning to the reader through clear and concise language. By clear, we mean language which does not confuse the reader in any way, and by concise, we mean language which uses as few words as needed to convey information.
In addition, an essay should be written in formal diction to avoid confusing or distracting slang.
Confusing and rambling phrasing
Shakespeare says to the audience in the opening bit that Romeo and Juliet are gonna die it means the audience is expecting this to happen which makes the audience more hooked to know how and when Romeo and Juliet kick the bucket.
Clear and concise phrasing
The revelation in the prologue that Romeo and Juliet are fated to die helps to invest the audience in the narrative.
Third person perspective and the present tense
Third person perspective and the present tense
Our essay should communicate meaning from the third person perspective. This means avoiding references to ourselves using the personal pronouns I or my, avoiding references to the reader using you or your, and avoiding inclusive pronouns such as we or our.
The reason for avoiding these pronouns is that our essay should be about the argument that is being presented, rather than the people reading or writing it. In other words, our essay should be about impersonal ideas rather than personal opinions.
Our essay should also be written in the present tense. Understanding the reason for this is a little tricky because we naturally want to write about texts like Romeo and Juliet in the past tense because they are already finished. However, every time a text is studied it is, in effect, experienced all over again. In other words, a text is ever present and thus should be interpreted in the present tense.
Confused? Don't worry—lets consider an example:
First person perspective in the past tense
I think that when you witnessed the blossoming romance between Romeo and Juliet it was a moving experience which was further heightened by the awareness that their relationship would end in tragedy.
Third person perspective in the present tense
Witnessing the blossoming romance between Romeo and Juliet is a moving experience which is further heightened by the awareness that their relationship ends in tragedy.
On Essays
On Essays
It may appear that the structure and language of the essay form are restrictive and aloof, and this is a fair critique. However, such rigidity and objectivity also offer the greatest defence of the essay form.
Just as a scientist seeks to isolate an experiment from all external interference, so too does an essay writer seek to convey the essence of their argument without unnecessary distraction. Thus, creativity and emotion are stripped away from the essay form to allow the clearest possible communication of meaning to the reader.
It is worth noting, however, that while this type of formal essay is the most commonly practiced in secondary schools, it is by no means the only manifestation of the essay form. There is a long history of influential informal essays, each of which employed techniques and writing styles that are not recommended here.
Once you have mastered the formal essay, you may find opportunities in life where an informal essay is the best way to present your ideas to an audience.
Just don't submit one to your teacher if they aren't expecting it.
Downloadable Resources
Downloadable Resources
Essay Breakdown
A two-page document which summarises the information presented in this guide.Essay (Introductory)
An 800-word essay which offers an interpretation of Romeo and Juliet in response to a specific prompt. This essay presents a straightforward position and there are no rebuttals in the body paragraphs.Essay (Advanced)
A 1000-word essay which offers an interpretation of Macbeth in response to a specific prompt. This essay presents a more nuanced position and the body paragraphs include some rebuttals.
Essay Breakdown.pdfEssay (Introductory).pdfEssay (Advanced).pdfGoogle Sites
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