Basic Format of a College Essay

At Paper Masters, we believe essay writing is a skill like many others that can be strengthened and developed with practice. In the same way that a professional musician or athlete spends hours each day practicing, and years before the desired level of skill can be achieved, so too have our writers practiced, worked and developed.

A traditional essay takes the form of five paragraphs:

1. Paragraph 1 is an introduction, where the thesis is presented;
2. Paragraphs 2 - 4 are three body paragraphs, where the thesis is supported with evidence;
3. The final paragraph is a conclusion, where the evidence is brought together, showing that the thesis has been proven.

In a shorter essay, the body may be only one paragraph. Therefore it is essential to provide concrete examples from the key phrases of a thesis statement. Developing the middle paragraph in an essay is often the most important lesson gleaned from the essay writing exercise. Without substance to an essay, the thesis is weak and unproven.

What makes a great essay? Exquisite language is but one ingredient to strong essay writing. Without a solid foundation of support, the most verbose of thesis statements is icing without the cake: unsatisfying and incomplete.