How to Write a Good Academic Essay

Organization of an Academic Essay

(ex. Weeklies)

1. Five paragraphs / appx. 600-750 words

Order of Paragraphs

a. Intro paragraph: Catchy first sentence. No personal pronouns. Definitions if necessary.

Thesis statement.

i. On the thesis statement: The thesis is your opinion. It is the statement that you

are going to back up via the support of your primary sources and references. It

should come as the last sentence in your first paragraph and it should stand on

its own: in other words, one should be able to read your thesis statement and

understand exactly what your opinion is on the argument.

b. Paragraphs 2, 3, 4: Supporting paragraphs. These should include primary sources as

well as encyclopedic or secondary information that serves the sole purpose of

supporting your thesis. You should use in-text citations which correspond to the

sources in your MLA format bibliography. This is not the place for summary and

generalization. If the source or reference does not directly help your argument, leave it

out of the paragraph.

c. Conclusion: Your conclusion paragraph should sum up your argument and bring your

essay to a close.

2. Academic Prose

Tips

a. Do not use personal pronouns like "we" and "I".

b. Refrain from generalization, i.e. phrases like: "Everybody thinks that..."

c. Watch out for self-centrism, i.e. remember that not all of your readers will have the

same background as you; therefore, refrain from making assumptions about your

audience.

d. Vary your prose. Refrain from beginning all of your paragraphs or sentences the same

way. Use words that help make your argument as specific as possible.

e. Back up what you say. Use primary sources.
f. Maintain academic tone throughout. You are not writing an email. You are writing an

academic essay.

g. Think outside the box. Anything can make for an interesting topic and answers to open

ended questions can produce the greatest reflection. Think about how a specific

question relates to the topic we are studying in class. Look for parallels, patterns,

relationships.