Essay Structure Review English 100

Intro Each Body Paragraph Conclusion

Tips There is no set number of sentences in a paragraph. How many sentences does it take you to fully explain your point? That’s how many you need. The average is 5-10 sentences. There is no set number of paragraphs in an essay. The standard formula is 5: intro, conclusion, and 3 bodies. This is a great starting point and often, teachers ask questions that suit this formula. Examples: What are three non-human primates? (You describe each in its own paragraph). What caused the civil war? What were the major battles? And why do you think the North succeeded? (Each question gets its own paragraph). But the 5 paragraph essay is formulaic and could become boring (for you as well as your reader), so I would like to challenge you to grow past the 5 paragraph essay this semester Paragraphs need topic sentences, and if you struggle with focus, they work best at the start of your paragraph, but they do not necessarily have to be the first sentence. However, each paragraph does need a transition—a smooth connection from one point to the next.

A Final Note Writing is a process and we will treat it as such in this class. Good writing does not magically flow from your fingertips. It first comes out like sludge, and then you refine, and refine, and refine until it is smooth and clear. If your essays appear to you upon first draft as if inspired by a muse, then just think what you could do if you revised. You could be the most inspiring writer the world has ever known! You could definitely get an A in this class ;-)