How should you organize your essay without falling into a 5 paragraph essay formula?
Here's the general structure for this kind of paper:
Paragraph 1:
Catchy Intro:
Start off with a specific attention grabber.
Here are some ideas:
interesting fact
rhetorical question
quote
narrative/description/anecdote
Segue:
You may need to transition between your catchy opening and your thesis. This can be a good place to include a little background information, as well as the the title and author of the text you're analyzing.
Thesis:
This is the overall point you're trying to prove.
(See the separate blog post on thesis examples).
Paragraphs 2 through ?:
In these paragraphs you're proving your thesis. Follow the order of your thesis and find examples from your text that support your thesis. When using direct quotes, use "quote sandwiches." (See the separate blog post on quote sandwiches).
Remember that paragraphs group information that's similar in theme or time. If your paragraphs are an entire page long, they probably need to be broken up into smaller sections.
Last Paragraph:
The final paragraph is a conclusion. Here you should remind us of your thesis and give us a sense of closure. Try to avoid being repetitive.
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