How should I structure my essays?

Often, students think that the structure of their essay depends on the question and is therefore impossible to predict — this isn't true! If you have a solid idea of the composing elements of a good structure, you should be able to apply it to any argument. Firstly, begin with an introduction that sets out the context of the question and concludes with a thesis statement which directly addresses the question (to make sure that you're clearly signposting for the marker) — for example, if the question is "Describe, with examples, the role of disillusionment in The Great Gatsby" then your thesis should be something along the lines of "The role of disillusionment in The Great Gatsby is a, b, and c, resulting in d." Secondly, set out your argument in concise paragraphs that a) take into account all the elements of the question and b) unfold the argument in a logical way. With this Great Gatsby question, for example, you should first make sure you're briefly defining what 'disillusionment' actually means. Then, you can write a paragraph exploring disillusionment in Nick; another showing disillusionment in Daisy; another showing disillusionment in Gatsby; a final one explaining the implications of the characters' disillusionment for the novel as a whole. Three examples is usually a good metric for this type of question.Finally, structure your conclusion in a way that a) summarises your argument and b) relates it to a wider context. Again, make sure to explicitly reference the question in your concluding statement.