Producing a well-structured essay

A good essay is essentially characterized by good coherence and structure. It should consist of an introduction, a body and a conclusion united by a common thesis statement.  

An introduction needs to contain several sentences describing the scope and features of the problem discussed. Then a thesis statement should follow. It should be no more than one sentence and describe in a nutshell your major findings after research on a given topic. For example: “Discrimination of women in the workplace is manifested not only in the process of hiring but in work conditions and remuneration as well.”

A body of the essay serves to develop the thesis statement in the introduction. If you are assigned a five-paragraph essay it should be three paragraphs. In all other cases, a body part should comprise no less than 80 per cent of the whole essay. This is a part where you provide arguments and examples to support your main idea. You should start with strong arguments, continue with arguments of medium strength and finish with very strong ones so that your essay is persuasive enough. Do not forget to reference facts and figures you provide. 

A conclusion is the last part of the essay. It restates the thesis statement and lists the main conclusions which can be drawn from arguments in the body. However, the thesis statement should not simply be rewritten; the idea needs to be enriched and confirmed with the results from your findings. 

These may sound like basic rules but in fact they are a solid ground for producing a good essay. No matter how original your ideas are and how exclusive the information you have obtained is, a poor structure will drastically lower the chances of your essay’s appreciation.