The Basic Essay Form

An essay, by definition, is an attempt to persuade the reader. Therefore, the form for the basic essay is based on proving the thesis statement, which presents the argument of your essay. Each body paragraph is a building block towards proving your thesis. While the number of blocks that are necessary may grow with the complexity of a thesis statement, three body paragraphs are the minimum amount for a full essay.

Introduction:

Introduce your topic, including the author and title of any work that you are using. State your thesis – the point that you are trying to prove.

Body Paragraph #1:

Discuss one aspect of your thesis.

Body Paragraph # 2:

Discuss a second aspect of your thesis.

Body Paragraph #3:

Discuss a third and final aspect of your thesis.

Conclusion:

Restate your thesis, demonstrating that you have proved it with your three body paragraphs.