Basic Structure of Your Essay
Your essay should include an introductory paragraph, a body expressing your main points and a concluding paragraph(s) that summarizes your point.
- Develop your first paragraph(s) so that your introduction clearly indicates the elements of the question that you are answering, and signals the way your argument will develop. In some subject you need to include a thesis statement in the introduction. The structure and content of your answer will in large part be influenced by the directive verb that is used in the question.
- Clearly introduce and explain the main points from your outline. Insert information from your sources, being careful to cite each source whether the information is a direct quotation or a summary. Use direct quotes, set off in quotation marks, sparingly.
- Each paragraph should have a topic sentence, followed by an explanation of your point. You then must use evidence to prove your point. In some subjects, this will require a quotation to be used and integrated. In other subjects, it will require statistics, or further details that you have learned either in class or in your research
- Restate your thesis in your concluding paragraph. Expand your ideas, and make connections for larger ideas or trends.
Ensure you understand from the assessment notification the method of referencing that is required. It might be that you use footnotes, or in text references. It is the student’s responsibility to determine with the teacher what the requirement is in relation to the approach to referencing for the piece of writing.
Bibliography
If your task requires a bibliography, review the guidance on bibliographies.
