Essay Structure

An essay is an argument with a shape. The shape determines whether the reader follows or gets lost.

Structure is invisible when it works. The reader feels momentum, not architecture. They think “I see where this is going” without noticing the scaffolding. When structure fails, they feel lost or bored — and usually can’t say why.

The essay’s job is to change the reader’s mind.

Not always about beliefs. Sometimes it’s attention — making them notice what they’d overlooked. Sometimes it’s connections. Sometimes it’s action.

If the reader finishes unchanged, the essay failed. Structure exists to move them from point A to point B.

Basic anatomy:

Opening. Capture attention. Establish stakes. The reader asks “why should I care?” within the first paragraph. Answer it.

Body. Develop your argument. Each section does one job, leads to the next. The movement should feel inevitable. If you can rearrange sections without loss, the structure is weak.

Close. Land the argument. Not summary — reframe. Show it in new light. The reader should feel “oh, that’s what this was about.”

Most essays are too long in the body and too short in the close. Writers exhaust themselves before landing.

Opening strategies:

The hook. Start with the surprising, concrete, or dramatic. Drop the reader into a scene. Delay the thesis until they’re curious.

The thesis. State your claim directly. Works when clarity matters more than suspense.

The question. Frame the puzzle your essay solves. The reader follows because they want the answer.

The anecdote. A story that embodies the idea. Then zoom out.

What doesn’t work: throat-clearing. “In today’s society, many people think…” Delete until you hit something interesting.

Body structures:

Linear argument. Premise, support, conclusion. Logical but can feel predictable.

Problem-solution. Describe the problem, then offer the solution. Creates stakes before resolving them.

Comparison. Set two things against each other. The differences illuminate both.

Narrative. Tell a story that illustrates the idea. Harder to control but more memorable.

McPhee’s method: structure as a shape. He diagrams pieces as geometric figures. A line, a circle, a spiral. “This essay goes here, then here, then returns.” Visualizing structure helps you test it.

Transitions are mortar between bricks.

Weak transitions: “Furthermore.” “Additionally.” These are placeholder words that claim connection without providing it.

Strong transitions: repeat a key word from the previous paragraph, ask a question the previous paragraph raised, contradict what came before.

The test: cover the transition and ask if the connection is still clear. If not, the connection is weak — fix the structure, not the transition.

The close needs its own attention.

Don’t summarize. The reader already read it. Don’t introduce new material.

Instead: reframe. Pull back to wider implications. Circle back to the opening. Leave the reader with something to carry.

The last sentence matters disproportionately. It’s what stays.

Go Deeper

Books

Draft No. 4 by John McPhee — A master of structure explains his process.
The Art of the Personal Essay edited by Phillip Lopate — 400 years of essays. Study how they’re built.