ESSAY STRUCTURE

By:
Rosi Anjarwati, M.Pd.
 THE DEFINITION OF ESSAY

It is a group of paragraphs written

about a single topic and a central
main idea

It must have at least three

paragraphs,.
 THE STRUCTURE OF AN ESSAY

1 . Introductory paragraph : the first paragraph of an essay.

- It explains the topic with general ideas
- it has a thesis statement: it is a sentence that
gives the main idea.

2. Body paragraphs : the paragraphs that explain and

support the thesis statement and come between the
introduction and the conclusion.

3. Concluding paragraph : the last paragraph of an essay.

It summarizes or restates the thesis and the supporting
ideas of the essay.
 INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH

 An introductory paragraph has two parts: general

statements and thesis statement.
 General statement:
- introduce the general topic of the essay
- capture the reader’s interest
 Thesis statement:
- state the specific topic
- may list subtopics or subdivisions of the main topic
or subtopics.
- may indicate the pattern of organization of the
essay
- is normally the last sentence in the introductory
paragraph
 BODY PARAGRAPHS

The body paragraphs in an essay are like

the supporting sentences in a paragraph.
They are the place to develop your topic
and prove your points.
It should be developed based on certain
pattern.
 CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH

 It is the final paragraph in an essay

 The purpose of concluding paragraph:
1. it signals the end of the essay
2. it reminds the reader of the writer main points.
The writer can summarize the subtopics or
paraphrase the thesis.
3. it leaves the reader with writer’s final thoughts
on the topic.
 PATTERNS OF ORGANIZATION

What are patterns of organization?

 Patterns of organization or thought patterns show how
ideas relate in a passage.

Why are patterns of organization important?

 Authors often use patterns of organization or thought
patterns in their writing because it helps to support the
point of their writing and make their writing clearer to
the reader.
 By being able to recognize the thought pattern in a piece
of writing, readers are often better able to identify the
main idea and supporting details of the passage.
 PATTERNS OF ORGANIZATION: DETAIL

 A detail is a particular part or characteristic of a

whole thing or a whole idea. Details are frequently
used in a description.
 Descriptive writing appeals to the sense, so it tells
how something looks, feels, smells, tastes, and/or
sounds.
 A good description is a word picture; the reader can
imagine the object, place, or person in his or her
mind.