Crafting a compelling essay means fashioning a well-structured set of ideas into an explanation. An essay must have a clear, rational structure to communicate your arguments to the readers. Moreover, it shows the connection between the arguments to provide readers with constructive understanding. This blog post delves into the art of structuring a compelling essay to guide UAE writers.
Normally, UAE writers struggle with producing an effectively structured essay, which ensures readability and an appropriate flow of arguments. The following general principles of essay structuring can be practised to craft a captivating essay:
· When points are interconnected and support one another, it is essential to follow linear structuring. Proper sequencing needs to be made to avoid jumping backwards and forwards.
· Start your essay by including general ideas to establish a base in the reader's mind. Once the base is developed, move forward and explain specific points to keep your reader hooked. In this way, writers can easily communicate their stance to the target audience.
· Establish a flow of arguments by prioritising the available information as per the weightage and relevancy. It helps to put the important information first and avoid inappropriate narratives.
· Practice cohesion in academic writing to develop a strong connection between ideas and arguments within the context. Coherence makes your paragraphs readable and lets the readers stick together.
Generally, essays are divided into three parts: Introduction, Body and Conclusion. UAE writers are required to understand the basic essay structure to produce a compelling paper.
The introduction is the first part of your writing. It sets the direction and tone of your paper. It must be 10-20% of your context and have the ability to grab the reader's attention. A compelling introduction includes the hook, background and thesis statement.
The hook
The first sentence of your introduction must be written in a way that piques the readers' curiosity; therefore, it is called the hook. It could be an interesting question, a bold stance or surprising factual information. It is essential to focus on the relevance of the topic when crafting the hook.
Background
After that, it is essential to develop a basic idea of your study in the minds of readers. For this purpose, a background should be developed that gives a brief overview of your writing purpose. At times it is apposite to explain difficult terms in the background. It is essential to avoid information overloaded when preparing a background in your paper.
Thesis statement
A thesis statement is the backbone of your essay. It is considered a central argument that sets a roadmap for your paper. It defines the stance or position of a writer regarding the chosen topic. Ideally, it is suitable to have three sentences in your thesis statement; nonetheless, a one or two sentences long thesis statement is also acceptable.
Essay mapping
In a longer essay, writers can end the introduction by concisely describing what will be included in each part. Essay mapping guides the readers by giving them a brief preview of the presented arguments. In the case of shorter essays, essay mapping can be avoided to manage the word limit.
The body of a compelling essay comprises of detailed explanation of the main arguments, evidence and concepts. It also includes a series of supporting arguments to justify the stances of the writer. The primary focus of a body is to analyse, interpret and justify the presented narrative. On average, the length of the body text should be 60-80% of your essay. This could take up to 5-9 pages. It is crucial to organise information into paragraphs to structure the body. Each paragraph should be aligned with the main point or essay prompts.
Topic sentence
In compelling essays, a topic sentence can be defined as the main idea stated in the paragraph. It is undeniably the significant sentence, the most important point on which the paragraph is made.
Supporting evidence
Supporting evidence can be a quotation, statistical information, fact or event that justifies the writer’s explanation. Supporting evidence is collected from different academic sources; therefore, they are properly cited. It enhances the credibility of an essay and provides fact-based analysis to the readers.
The conclusion is the final paragraph of your essay. It should ideally take up 10-15% of the paper. An inclusive conclusion must summarise the main argument, proves the thesis statement by reinforcing it and present a valid closing statement. A compelling conclusion must be structured in a way that leaves a memorable impression on the mind of a reader. It is extremely significant to avoid including a piece of new supporting evidence and undermining the main argument.
Thesis statement reinforcement
A compelling conclusion should state with a reinforcement of your thesis statement to maintain coherence from beginning to end. Reinforcing the thesis statement is apposite as it reminds readers of the actual purpose of the essay.
Main argument summary
The writer is required to look back to their essay after completing the body section. All the main points, arguments and evidence need to be reviewed and mentioned in the conclusion. Never rewrite the information word for word as it disturbs the credibility of the essay.
Valid closing statement
A well-structured compelling essay gives a suitable farewell to the reader. It provides a complete sense of closure. It is advisable to end the essay on a positive note to maintain credibility throughout.
The chronological structuring approach is also known as the cause-and-effect approach. It is the easiest way of structuring an essay. The chronological structuring approach compels the writer to explain the events in the exact order in which they happened. A linear structure is established to maintain the sense of information. First, the writer discusses the event and then explains the involved causes and effects.
Problems-methods-solutions structuring approach is used when the essay focuses on elucidating a specific problem. The writer first defines the problem, applies authentic study methods and theories, identifies solutions, justifies the solutions and finally presents an in-depth analysis. This structuring approach is participative and interactive, exploring different patterns related to the concerned issues.
Compare-and-contrast structuring approach is used when an essay aims to explore two or more main arguments. It actuates writers to compare different texts using authentic evidence. Compare-and-contrast structuring approach often compares the strengths, weaknesses or differences between two or more arguments. It includes two ways: Alternating methods and block methods
· Alternating method: The writer compares each paragraph based on a specific point of comparison.
· Block method: Each subject is covered in one go across different paragraphs. Two paragraphs are written and in the third paragraph, the notions are compared and contrasted.
1. Introduction
a. The hook
b. Background
c. Thesis statement
d. Essay mapping
2. Body
a. Topic sentence
b. Supporting evidence
3. Conclusion
a. Thesis statement reinforcement
b. Main argument summary
c. Valid closing statement