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Helpful Hints On How To Organize A 6-Paragraph Essay
The essay is a genre of academic writing characterized by its clear and precise structure, which must be followed. Whatever topic you are to review, it is necessary that you know the basic rules and principles of essay organization. The main thing to consider is that an essay consists of three parts: introduction, main body, and conclusion. The first and the last parts usually contain one paragraph only. Thus, if you are to submit a text that includes six paragraphs, four of them should belong to the main body.
According to the rules of academic writing, each paragraph of your paper also must have its own structure. The following hints will help you learn and understand the rules of paragraph organization and, as a result, facilitate the whole process of writing.
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Introduction (3–5 sent.)
- A good introduction has three components: a hook (1 sent.), the elaboration of the topic (1–3 sent.), and the statement you are supporting (1 sent.).
- A hook is meant to capture the reader’s attention. It may be a quote, joke, a controversial question, a striking fact, or statistics.
- To elaborate the topic means to start with the most general aspects of it, and to proceed smoothly to more specific ones. This passage should logically lead to the statement presented in the next sentence in a clear and concise way.
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Main body (4–7 sent. each paragraph)
- Each of the body paragraphs must start with a topic sentence, i.e., an argument in favor of your statement.
- To prove the relevance and the weight of an argument, add details or examples (3–5 sent.). If you find it difficult to write them as complete sentences, start by making an outline. It is desirable that you provide three details for each argument.
- Mind the logical ties between the paragraphs.
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Conclusion (2–3 sent.)
- A good conclusion must summarize all the information stated in the main body. To do this, reformulate both the statement and topic sentences, and combine them all in a sentence or two.
- To make the reader remember your paper you may finish it with a quote that sums up your topic.
- Another way to do it is to demonstrate the connection of your statement to real life, and appeal to the reader’s own daily experience.