The average student can expect to write up to 15 essays per semester.

Essay writing is a skill that you need to master if you are going to college. It will make up a large percentage of your grade.

Writing excellent essays shows that you are capable of a higher level of critical thinking and able to research a topic thoroughly. But how do you write a good essay, and what are the parts of an essay that you need to include?

Read our guide below on the five parts of an essay, and make sure you include all the key elements in your next writing.

The Introduction

The introduction is the starting point of your essay where you introduce your thesis. This is one of the main parts of an informative essay where you will be introducing arguments for the main body section. There are two parts of an essay introduction: the Hook and the thesis statement.

Start your introduction with a great hook, something enticing that will draw your readers in. A good way to do this is to ask the reader a question. Use something that will make them think about the topic and question their standpoint.

Then introduce your main idea, the thesis. What point are you presenting, and why is it important to the essay?

Finding a good hook and thesis is key to writing a good essay. If you need help with this part of the process, you can look for professional help to assist you with putting these initial ideas in place or you can even find an online essay writer.

The Three Body Paragraphs

The meat of the essay sits in the three body paragraphs that you need to make your arguments. These arguments must support the thesis that you introduced at the start of the essay.

Usually, to write a strong and well-defended essay, you need to be able to make at least three points defending your ideas. These can be broken up into three main paragraphs, one representing each point.

You must back your thoughts and ideas with credible research that you can reference in your essay. Arguments without supporting research will appear weak and indefensible. Just stating a fact does not make it true; you need to back it up with evidence. However, providing proof for your arguments does not mean you should fill your essay with superfluous details. Key literary principles like Chekhov’s Gun state that every element in an essay must be necessary, and that unnecessary elements need to be removed. In other words, don’t draw attention to something of heightened importance just for the sake of it if it doesn’t actually turn out to be important – otherwise you’re just wasting your readers’ time. 

The Conclusion

At the end of the essay, you have hopefully brought your reader around to your way of thinking. Now it is time to wrap your thoughts and restate your original thesis in a new and unique way.

You can include a concluding hook that makes your reader reconsider their position on the topic. Again, here you could ask a question that challenges their viewpoint in line with the present evidence.

Knowing the Main Parts of an Essay

Following this template and ensuring you include the five main parts of an essay is a sure-fire way to ensure that you gain maximum marks for your work. Experiment with your opening and closing hooks as you write. But above all, be sure to research your topic thoroughly before you even begin the process.

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