Essay Structure Worksheet

What is the Essay Structure Worksheet?

 An essay structure worksheet is a tool designed to help students plan and organize their essays effectively by providing a clear framework for how to write the different sections of an essay. The essay structure used in this class consists of an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each section of the worksheet lists key details to remind the writer of important essay components and the order in which these components should be written. This structure not only simplifies the writing process but also ensures that each part of the essay fulfills a purpose effectively.  Additionally, the worksheet helps writers effectively use the Uneven-U paragraph structure, guiding them to start broadly, narrow down to specific points, and conclude in a general way. By breaking the writing process into manageable steps, the essay structure worksheet guides students in developing clear arguments, maintaining logical flow, and ensuring all parts of the essay are cohesive.

Introduction 

Essay Topic Sentence: The essay topic sentence is a general statement describing the overall argument of the essay. The sentence should not include specific evidence to support the argument. The topic sentence is different from the thesis statement and should be a broader level 4 sentence following the Uneven-U Model. 

Specific Points: Three specific points are required for essays in this course. These points are the main concepts of the argument being formed and are further examined in each body paragraph. The specific points should be broader Level 3 sentences that do not provide evidence or analysis but highlight the main points of the argument argued in the essay. 

Concrete Examples to be Examined: The concrete examples being examined in the essay should be related to the specific points and should tie in more specific detail that will be examined. The concrete examples need to connect to the argument and specific points and show the more specific direction that each body paragraph will take. This is where the country of focus for the essay is introduced. Explain how the argument applies to the country being examined in the essay.

Thesis Statement: The thesis statement presents the argument of the essay and how the essay will make that argument. The thesis statement is a Level 5 sentence that should be abstract and clearly state the argument and points being made. In this course, the thesis statement must be written in the following format: “This essay will present the argument that…”

Body Paragraphs - Sections 1, 2, and 3

Paragraph Topic Sentence: A paragraph topic sentence is an overarching statement that sets the main idea of the paragraph. This sentence is both a topic sentence that introduces the concept, while also acting as a hook to draw the reader's attention to the central point of the paragraph. 

Specific Points: A “specific point” in a body paragraph gives context and provides details that support the topic sentence.  However, specific points are not to incorporate cited evidence into the sentence and should instead provide points that agree with the argument of the essay as a whole.  The focus of the specific points is not on the concrete evidence of the paragraph but on specific aspects of the topic alone.

Secondary Source(s): A secondary source is a piece of evidence that has already been interpreted or analyzed by an outside author. The most common examples of secondary sources include biographies, journals, and articles that are written or peer-reviewed by a person other than the author. In the worksheet, secondary sources are to be cited in the text as would be in the actual essay.  A minimum of one secondary source per section is required.

Primary Source(s):  A primary source is a piece of evidence that provides a direct report of an event by someone who has a first-hand account. Examples of primary sources include unbiased new sources, peer-reviewed sources, and statistical data. In the worksheet, primary sources are to be cited in the text as would be in the actual essay. A minimum of one primary source per section is required.

Analysis: The analysis portion shows the student’s own interpretation of each secondary and primary source as well as how this acts as evidence pertaining to the argument of the essay and paragraph. Analysis supports the thesis by providing insight from the student’s perspective through each source and helps the reader to understand the argument more thoroughly.

Paragraph Argument: A paragraph argument is the conclusion of the paragraph. In the paragraph argument, the main topic is reiterated as well as each point made within the paragraph without repeating what has already been written. The general idea is to be summarized while conveying how the paragraph contributes to the argument of the essay as a whole.

Conclusion

Essay Topic Revisited: The conclusion should effectively restate the essay topic, reminding the reader of the essay argument. The topic sentence of the conclusion should refer to the main points introduced in the opening paragraph. This overviews the key arguments, emphasizing the essay’s overall significance. 

Paragraph Argument Claims Revisited: Following the first section, revisiting the essay’s specific claims can reinforce the validity of the essay. This section must be kept succinct to reinforce the argument/ideas while keeping the reader engaged. Rather than including minor details, only restate the major details that effectively justify the claims to the reader. Also, include them in the order in which they were written in the essay.  

Final Argument Claim: A well-written conclusion should end with a revised version of the essay thesis. For a clear final argument claim, note what was written earlier in the paragraph and ensure that the final claim is not repetitive. Rather write the paragraph to logically flow into the final sentence, synthesizing the argument and the main points. This should revisit the introduction while maintaining the strength and clarity of the argument leaving the reader with a final thought or call to action at the end of the essay.