Skip to main content
  • Find People
  • Faculty & Staff
  • Student Resource Guide
  • CLASS-Web / MyPortal
  • Canvas
  • Online Learning
  • Library
  • Quick Links
    • 25Live
    • A - Z Index
    • Academic Calendar
    • Bookstore
    • CLASS-Web
    • Copy Services (TRAC)
    • currIQūnet META
    • eLumen
    • Faculty & Staff Email
    • Facility Rentals
    • Facilities Work Order Requests
    • Industry Credentials
    • Most Used Pages
    • Parking Permits
    • Professional Development
    • Program Mapper
    • Service-Now
Las Positas College - Home
  • Discover LPC
    • Why Choose LPC?
    • Office of the President
    • President's Welcome Message to Students
    • About Las Positas College
    • College Governance
    • Parking Permits
    • Administrative Services
    • Foundation
    • Accreditation
    • Measure A
    • Community Education
    • Educational Partnerships
    • Child Development Center
    • Outreach Services
    • Consumer Information
    • Employer Services
    • Student Success Scorecard
    • Salary Surfer
    • A - Z
    • Social Media
    • The Express
  • Admissions
    • Admissions & Records Office
    • Steps to Success
    • Apply for Admissions
    • International Students
    • Admissions Forms
    • Transcripts
    • Fees, Tuition, & Refunds
    • Online Class Schedule
    • Registration Policies
    • Residency Requirement
    • Priority Registration
    • Concurrent Enrollment
    • DegreeWorks
  • Financial Aid
    • Financial Aid Office
    • Financial Aid TV
    • Financial Aid Forms
    • Financial Aid Eligibility
    • Financial Aid Programs
    • Scholarships
    • Fee Waiver Program
  • Students
    • Student Services
    • Assessment Center
    • Black Cultural Resource Center
    • Bookstore
    • Career & Employment Center
    • Counseling
    • Disabled Student Programs and Services
    • Health & Wellness Services
    • Online Orientation Information
    • LPC Tutorial Center
    • Transfer Center
    • Veterans First Program
    • CLASS-Web
    • Student Email
    • Canvas
    • Student Life
    • Student Government
    • Student Clubs
    • Student Resource Guide
    • Classes Not Meeting Today
    • Computer Center
    • ILC (Integrated Learning Center)
    • RAW (Reading & Writing) Center
    • Open Math Lab (Math Students Only)
  • Academics
    • Academic Services
    • Programs & Divisions
    • Academic Calendar
    • Academic Integrity
    • Articulation
    • College Catalog
    • Class Schedule
    • Final Exam Schedule
    • Academic and Career Pathways
    • Degrees & Certificates
    • Industry Credentials
    • Credit for Prior Learning
    • Apprenticeship
    • Continuing Education (Noncredit)
    • High School Credit Program
  • Performing Arts
  • Athletics
Reading & Writing Center
Las Positas College Students
  1. Las Positas College
  2. Reading & Writing Center
  3. Essay Structure

Reading & Writing Center

  • RAW Home
  • Meet the Tutors
  • Tips for your RAW Visits
  • RAW Resources
    • Reading
    • Writing
    • Grammar and Style
    • Research and Documentation
    • Plagiarism
    • Next Level English
  • External Resources
  • Teacher Resources
  • FAQs

Essay Structure

 

Academic essays usually include the following types of paragraphs (click on the links to learn more about each type of paragraph):

Introductory Paragraph (Introduction)

Introduces the topic and main ideas of the essay and ends with a thesis statement summing up the paper's main point. Learn more about introductory paragraphs.

Body Paragraphs

Demonstrates your main point through discussion of examples, quotations, and other evidence and details. Learn more about body paragraphs.

Concluding Paragraph (Conclusion)

Summarizes the main point of the paper and explains why it is important or interesting. Learn more about concluding paragraphs.

 

Putting it All Together

Essays generally have one introductory paragraph and one concluding paragraph, with many body paragraphs in between. You can think of an essay as similar to a hamburger; the introduction and conclusion are like the top and bottom buns of a burger, while the meat, lettuce, cheese, and other fillings are the body paragraphs.

hamburger

The main nourishment in a hamburger comes from the fillings. But without the buns, the fillings would be very messy and difficult to eat. Likewise, the bulk of the argumentation or ideas in your paper appear in the body paragraphs. But without the introduction and conclusion, readers might not be able to digest your ideas. The introdution lets readers know what to expect, so they will not be confused by your points or wonder where your argument is headed. The conclusion sums up so that readers leave the essay with the most important ideas from your paper in their minds. Together, the introduction and conclusion create a neater package that allows readers to make sense of the body paragraphs.

Las Positas College

3000 Campus Hill Drive
Livermore, CA 94551
(925) 424-1000

  • Apply for Admission
  • Bookstore
  • Canvas
  • Contact
  • Jobs
  • Employer Services
  • Faculty & Staff Email
  • Student Email
  • CLASS-Web / MyPortal
  • Campus Map
  • Student Government
  • Document Viewers
  • Parking
  • Air Quality Map
  • Safety & Security
  • Campus Crime Statistics
  • Academic Senate
  • Curriculum Committee
  • Incident Referral Forms
  • Accreditation
  • Title IX
  • Accessibility
  • Disclaimers
  • Governing Board Agenda
  • HEERF Cares Act Reporting
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
Chabot-Las Positas Community College District
7600 Dublin Boulevard, 3rd Floor
Dublin, CA 94568
(925) 485-5208
Chabot College
25555 Hesperian Boulevard
Hayward, CA 94545
(510) 723-6600
© Copyright 2025 Las Positas College
©