4.3 Structure of an Essay

Introduction

The structure of an essay is basically: introduction, body, conclusion.

Introduction of an essay has to fulfil six criteria:

Orientation statement

Orientation statement is a general statement about the topic. It does not contain argument but simply introduces the topic free of the question in which it occurs.

Example:

Today the ecological balance of the world is being drastically disturbed by human abuse of the natural environment.

Definition

Definition(s) explain terms or titles and their meaning(s).

Example:

(In this essay, no definitions are needed here but when the writer explains about the work of Greenpeace, he/she must also explain what kind of an organization Greenpeace is.)

Background

Background gives information that is necessary for the reader to be able later to follow the writer’s argument.

Example:

Organisations like Greenpeace, a non-profit, independent body founded in 1971, bears witness in non-violent ways to this environmental degradation. It campaigns and lobbies for solutions, change and action. Its information for debate is supplied by the work of the Scientific community, especially those bodies connected to UNESCO, which supply results of research, and work with governments to correct any threats to the earth’s biodiversity and environment.

Purpose of essay

Purpose of essay provides a focus for the reader.

Example:

The work of Greenpeace will be examined in conjunction with that of the Scientific community to see what contribution each brings to the lessening of the ecological imbalance created by individuals, corporations and governments worldwide. At the same time, the actual human abuses will also be examined and the kinds of action humans, corporations and governments can take to help the situation.

Scope/limits

Scope/limits puts parameters on the areas to be discussed in the essay.

Example:

The types of Greenpeace campaigns and the targeted areas, Scientific organizations and their work and the problems confronting these organizations, with possible solutions, will be investigated.

Thesis statement

Thesis statement is the writer’s point of view about the essay topic, the stand the writer will take.

Example:

The work of Greenpeace and similar organizations alone cannot save the world from its downward course of destruction.

Body

Body of essay is written as a series of paragraphs which are created from the points listed in the scope/limits section of the introduction. In a shorter essay, each point now becomes the topic for a paragraph (one paragraph, one point). In a larger essay, the writer may find there is a need to sub-divide a point and to dedicate two or three paragraphs to the overall point, as will happen in the example below.

Each point must be discussed in terms of the claim made in the thesis statement. The argument is developed through the discussion of each point, and the content of all the other paragraphs. A whole argument is being pursued, not a disparate set of ideas.

A paragraph should include:

Paragraph One in body of essay

Topic sentence

The varied types of Greenpeace activities and their targeted areas (topic) are a series of intervention and prevention campaigns (control)

This topic sentence indicates that Greenpeace activities and their targeted areas will be the topic discussed, and they will be discussed only in terms of intervention and prevention campaigns.

Explanation

Greenpeace, in seeking to ensure that human activities, which are destroying the ecological balance are curtailed, pursues a policy of non-violence and creative confrontation. Its aim is to expose and prevent environmental problems and, at the same time, help or nudge some organizations and groups, where possible, to find solutions to the problems they are causing.

Evidence

For instance, in September, 2005, Greenpeace activists in Victoria joined with other environmental groups to set up a smokestack outside the building where Premier Bracks and his cabinet were to meet for a decision on the Hazelwood power station's future. Hazelwood, Greenpeace claims, is the "world's most greenhouse-polluting power station". Greenpeace's action here is attempting to alert the Victorian government to the need to stop the use of coal and to find an alternative means of power generation in order to break down the effect of greenhouse gases polluting the atmosphere and causing permanent climate change (Greenpeace , Australia Pacific, 2005).

Further intervention is seen in the Greenpeace action (linking phrase) to stop logging in the ancient forests of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands where illegal industrial logging occurs. The local communities are fighting back by reclaiming their land but still know they are powerless. So Greenpeace has appealed to people and organizations friendly to ecological causes to stop purchasing wood and paper products associated with logging in these ancient forests. If sales drop dramatically as a result of such action, Greenpeace argues, the loggers will leave the forests. (Greenpeace, Australia Pacific, 2005). A different kind of project is seen in Greenpeace's bid to prevent more release of hazardous dioxins into the atmosphere in its dealings with Meriton Real Estate. (Linking sentence)

It was brought to Greenpeace's attention that, in order to save time and money, Meriton was intending to clean up a proposed toxic building site with incineration technology which, Greenpeace maintains, will release further hazardous dioxins into the atmosphere. Here, the preventative action took the form of persuading concerned people to send e-mails to Meriton asking for a consideration of people's health before profits. When the e-mails were blocked, Greenpeace requested people to send letters (Greenpeace Pacific Australia, 2005). All these projects aimed at helping to restore a pristine natural environment are awaiting outcomes. Similar projects can be multiplied many times across the globe and all have as their objective the intervenion and prevention of ecological imbalance. (Summary sentences). Therefore, Greenpeace are certainly helping to halt some malpractices which are destroying or have the potential to destroy the ecosystem. They are not, however, because of their reliance on scientific information and other factors, alone sufficient for totally stemming the tide of pollution and natural destruction. Obviously Science has a role to play in preventing worldwide destruction of the ecosystem. (Link to the next paragraph)

NOTE: The italicised sentences above link the explanation and evidence to the thesis statement, the argument that Greenpeace alone is not responsible for preventing worldwide destruction of the ecosystem.

NOTE ALSO: The summary sentences in italics.

FINAL NOTE: The last sentence provides the link of what has been argued in this paragraph with what is going to be argued in the next.

How will all this information above appear in the essay?

What about the other two areas for discussion, namely:

They will follow a similar pattern of construction.

Conclusion

Conclusion is the last paragraph in an essay. Sometimes, it may be necessary to split the conclusion into two connected paragraphs The conclusion:

NB. No new information can be introduced in the conclusion.

Opening sentence of conclusion

In conclusion, the halt to the devastation of the world’s ecosystem cannot be achieved just by the work of Greenpeace and similar organizations. (re-statement of the thesis put in different words)

Summarising the significant points

In the first place, Greenpeace can only act on the information that it obtains from scientific observation, experiments and solutions. It intervenes in actual and potential threats to the world’s environment through campaigns and confrontations but it is the work of individual scientific organizations and those particularly associated with UNESCO who supply information, carry out observations, find solutions to actual natural problems and disasters. Their work is evidence that Greenpeace can use to lobby governments and organizations. They, themselves, also make governments and humans aware of disasters and potentially dangerous situations.

Furthermore, (connecting word) both the work of Greenpeace and Scientific bodies are alerting not only governments and corporations of impending dangers but individuals. People, because of Greenpeace and Scientists, are more aware of the destruction to the world environment that some of their actions, even in the home and on the roads and in offices are causing but no single organization can claim to be the sole saviour of the situation. It is only by all organizations co-operating and listening to each other for direction and action that the world’s ecological problems can be solved. (Last sentence -final comment)

(Please note: the full essay on the Greenpeace issue can be found in section six, “The author’s voice – expressing your own opinion”. Here the annotation should help you further understand how an academic essay functions.)