How do I structure a good essay?

The most important thing to do at the beginning, before writing an essay, is making a plan. Whether this is for a piece of homework or coursework or in a timed situation like and exam, it is essential to know what to write before you begin writing. The structure to be used should include an introduction, an appropriate amount of paragraphs depending on the level of your essay and finally a conclusion. The introduction should explain what question you are answering, any key background information or definitions and what you will be covering in your essay. It does not need to be really long. Then we move on to the paragraphs. The easiest way to write a good paragraph is to follow the Point, Evidence Comment/Analysis (PEC or PEA) format. You make the point, give an example or evidence of where it can be seen and then comment on the evidence by analysing what it means, why it is important and how it links to your question. Finally, your conclusion will summarise what you have spoken about in your essay, but this is not all a conclusion is for! You can comment on what you think the most important things you have mentioned are and maybe what you didn't have time to mention in your essay. A final top tip is that everything in that essay should be there for a reason, so avoid waffle! Make sure you can justify all of your points so that even if you have a different opinion to the marker, they cannot mark you down if you justify why you chose to make your points.