In short
- Decide your answer to the question before you plan the paragraphs.
- Introduction: context, your answer, and the route the essay takes.
- Body: one point per paragraph, each with evidence and what it shows.
- Conclusion: your judgement, drawn from the points, with nothing new.
Most essays that lose marks for structure don’t lack paragraphs. They lack a line of argument running through them. The fix happens in the plan, before you write a sentence.
This lesson is part of step 5, plan the chapters. You’ll need your marked brief from step 1.
The three parts
Introduction
A sentence or two of context, what the question is asking, your answer in a sentence, and the order the essay takes. Keep it short: about a tenth of the word count.
Body paragraphs
Each one makes one point that moves your answer forward. A useful pattern is: the point, the evidence (with a citation), what the evidence shows, and how it links to the question.
Conclusion
Bring the points together into a judgement that answers the question directly. Don’t add new evidence here, and don’t just repeat the introduction.
Match the structure to the command word
- Evaluate or “to what extent”: points for and against, then a judgement on balance. The judgement is where the top marks are.
- Compare and contrast: organise by theme, comparing both sides in each paragraph, rather than all of one then all of the other.
- Discuss: several perspectives, each weighed, leading to your own view.
- Explain or analyse: the causes or parts in a logical order, showing how they connect.
A plan you can copy
For “Evaluate how far school uniform affects behaviour in secondary schools” (1,500 words):
| Section | What it does | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | Context; what “behaviour” covers; answer: some effect, smaller than claimed | 150 |
| Paragraph 1 | The case for: studies linking uniform to fewer incidents | 250 |
| Paragraph 2 | Limits of that evidence: other changes made at the same time | 250 |
| Paragraph 3 | The case against: studies finding no clear effect | 250 |
| Paragraph 4 | What else shapes behaviour: leadership, class size, support | 250 |
| Paragraph 5 | Weighing the two sides | 200 |
| Conclusion | Judgement: a small effect at most, and only alongside other changes | 150 |
Linking the paragraphs
A structure only works if the reader can see how each paragraph follows from the last. Two small habits help:
- Start each paragraph with its point, in a sentence that could only belong in this essay. The reader should know what the paragraph argues before the evidence arrives.
- End each paragraph by linking back to the question, or forward to the next point: “However, this evidence comes from schools that changed more than their uniform.”
A quick test: read only the first sentence of every paragraph, in order. If they make a short version of your argument, the structure works.
Common mistakes
- Describing instead of arguing. If a paragraph could be moved anywhere in the essay, it probably isn’t moving your answer forward.
- Two points in one paragraph. Split them. Each gets its evidence and its link back.
- A conclusion that sits on the fence. “It depends” can be a judgement, but say what it depends on and which way the evidence leans.
Plan the structure in KanBananza
- The plan lives on a scrap of paper. Make a card for each section, with its word count and its point. The ready-made Essay or dissertation board is a good start. Free
- A section is still too big to start. Add its steps as a checklist, or ask Break it down with Pip for three to six small steps. Free Pip
For your level
GCSE and A level
Exam boards often reward a clear line of argument. Plan your conclusion first, then make sure every paragraph leads to it.
University
Markers look for an argument, not a summary of the reading. Write your answer to the question in one sentence and keep it above your plan.
Reports and dissertations
These use set sections with headings instead. See dissertation chapters, explained.
Questions
What is the basic structure of an essay?
An introduction that sets out your answer, a series of body paragraphs that each make one point with evidence, and a conclusion that brings them together into a judgement. Longer pieces may use headings, but the shape is the same.
How many paragraphs should an essay have?
It depends on the word count, not a fixed number. As a rough guide, a body paragraph is often 150 to 250 words, so a 1,500-word essay might have five or six, plus the introduction and conclusion.
What goes in an introduction?
A sentence of context, what the question is really asking, your answer in a sentence or two, and how the essay will get there. Many people write it last, once they know what the essay says.
Should I use headings in an essay?
Usually not in a short essay, unless your brief allows them. Reports and dissertations normally use headings. If the brief doesn’t say, ask.
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