Organizing Your Expository Essay: A Guide
Introduction:
1. Grabber (a question, compelling scenario, exciting quote, interesting fact):
2. Your thesis statement:
3. A sentence listing, in order, the main points of your essay:
Body Paragraph 1: This is about your first point in sentence 3 above.
1. Topic sentence – What will this paragraph be about?
2. Lead in to your first piece of evidence about the topic. You may want to start with something
like: “The first evidence of ______ is in Chapter 3, when _____________”
3. Evidence #1: Your first quote. Make sure that your quote directly supports your topic sentence
and thesis statement. If not, it will not make your essay better.
4. Explanation of the quote. Expand upon the quote and clarify how it supports your thesis
statement. Your explanation should also show that you understand the reading.
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5. Lead in to your next quote:
6. Your second quote:
7. Explanation of your second quote:
8. Concluding sentence/lead in to the next paragraph:
Repeat these 8 sentences in each body paragraph. Write about your subtopics in the same order as
they appear in your introduction.
Conclusion
1. Tie back to the thesis statement – may cycle back to your grabber in your introduction
2. Restate your main points.
3. End by telling the reader “So What?” – what can he or she take away from your essay?
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