ESL / EFL RESOURCES

NAME: Paragraph and Essay Structure

Comparison

Essays have an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. These three basic parts follow the
same structure as a paragraph.

Just as a paragraph has a topic sentence, an essay has a thesis statement. They both
express the main idea or central focus.

Just like a paragraph has supporting ideas and details, an essay has body paragraphs,
which all link to the main idea in the thesis statement.

Just as a paragraph has a concluding sentence, an essay has a concluding paragraph,

which restates the thesis statement and summarises the main ideas of the body
paragraphs.

A. Read the example paragraph and complete the paragraph section of the
outline below. Use only keywords and phrases in the outline.

University education should be free for all. The first reason why is it makes for a fairer
society. This is because it enables people from poorer backgrounds to enter more
lucrative careers and improve their economic situation. In addition, free education helps
boost national economies. This is because graduates do not accumulate debt, and they
have more money to spend on goods and services, which helps increase employment.
Finally, making university tuition free helps advance social progress. This is due to the
fact that people with degrees tend to have effective problem-solving skills and are more
politically and socially engaged. To conclude, abolishing university fees results in a
number of benefits.
Paragraph outline Essay outline

Introduction More people want

higher education

Background expensive uni fees

= social effects

Topic sentence education free for all Thesis statement university fees
abolished

Body

Supporting idea 1 Fairer society a. Topic Social inequality

sentence problems

Detail poorer people enter Supporting idea economic advancement

1

more lucrative jobs Supporting idea avoid high student debt

2

Supporting idea 2 Boost national b. Topic Benefits to the economy

economies sentence

Detail Graduates do not Supporting idea Avoid large debts

accumulate debt 1
 Increase employment Supporting idea More innovation
2

Supporting idea 3 advance social progress c. Topic sentence promotes social

progress

Detail Supporting idea Skills development

People with effective 1
problem-solving skills

Supporting idea Politically engaged

People are politically 2 people
and socially engaged

Concluding A lot of benefits Conclusion Government and

sentence citizens should consider
seriously

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ESL / EFL RESOURCES

ESSAY WRITING Paragraph and Essay Structure
Comparison

B. Read the example essay below and complete the essay section of the outline on
the previous page using keywords and phrases.

a. The increase in the number of people pursuing higher education has placed a financial
burden on governments to meet this demand. Previously, with fewer people going to
university, governments could afford to subsidise or even provide free university
education. However, in many countries, students must now cover the costs of their tuition,
and fees are becoming unaffordable. This could result in negative social impacts. Thus, to
avoid these consequences, university fees should be abolished.

b. The main reason to eliminate tuition fees for higher education is to tackle the problem
of social inequality. If people from lower socio-economic backgrounds are unable to attain a
university degree, they are being denied an opportunity for economic advancement. This is
because having a university degree is a requirement for entering careers that provide
higher salaries such as medicine, finance, or technology. Without a degree, many people
are only able to obtain jobs that are typically less secure and poorly paid. Moreover, if
people from lower
income backgrounds do commit to attaining a degree, they sometimes end up highly in
debt as a result. This debt can take many years to pay off and place them at a financial
disadvantage.

c. Apart from building a more equitable society, free university education benefits the
whole economy. One reason for this is that it would avoid the situation where graduates
are burdened with large debts. The money graduates are using to pay off university debts
could be used for other purposes such as purchasing a new car or new home. Thus,
graduates free of debt would inject more money into the economy and create jobs.
Additionally, economies with a higher proportion of university graduates tend to be more
innovative. Innovation is a key to improving productivity, which means more goods and
services are produced, and the economy grows as a result.

d. Finally, making university freely available to all promotes social progress. This is because
higher education develops skills such as analysis and critical thinking. Therefore, people
with university degrees, in general, can solve problems more effectively, which helps
society to advance at a faster pace. Another social benefit is that the population will
become more engaged politically and develop a deeper sense of civic-mindedness. This is
due to the fact that university graduates tend to have a good understanding of history and
current political and economic conditions, which can help them better understand the
importance of certain issues.

e. In conclusion, reducing social inequality, boosting the economy, and promoting social
progress are arguments for ending student-funded university education. Free higher
education is a policy that governments and citizens alike should give serious consideration
to.

* Note: regular academic essays do not have paragraphs labelled with numbers or letters.

C. Now, read the example essay again and answer the questions below. 1. Which

paragraph ends with an expression of the main idea of the essay? ....a............ 2. Which

paragraph begins with an expression of the main idea of the essay? .....e........... 3. Which

paragraph summarises the main ideas of the three body paragraphs? ...e............. 4.

Which paragraphs follow the same structure? ......a b c d..........

5. Which paragraph ends with a suggestion? ...e.............

6. Which paragraph begins by referring directly back to the previous one? ....b....c........

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