Essay format is a chameleon
Pros use the format so well it's invisible

When people talk about essay format or expository essay format, they are really talking about the persuasive essay's pattern. This is a pattern in which a thesis statement is supported by evidence. I often refer to it as the thesis + support pattern.

All the information supporting the thesis of the persuasive essay is arranged in emphatic order. That simply means placing information within the essay body so it makes the maximum impression on readers. Call it the Wow! factor.

Classical formula: 1, 2, 3

Over the centuries, writers and researchers have settled on a format that achieves that maximum impression most of the time. The pattern arranges elements supporting the in sets of three:

• There are three main parts to the essay: introduction, body, and conclusion (ending).

• The essay body gives three reasons to believe the thesis is true.

• Each supporting reason is followed by three pieces of evidence showing that the topic sentence is true.

Pros vary the pattern

Most of the essays you see in print are variations on the basic thesis + support (persuasive essay) pattern by experienced and professional writers. They use the pattern so well that it becomes invisible.

That's why many people — including some English teachers (gulp!) — don't realize that there is a basic pattern for the persuasive essay. It is also why:

• People have so much trouble writing.

• Many people think writing can't be taught.

• Students don’t learn to write well by reading good writing.

You’ll be surprised at how simple the pattern is once you know how its parts are arranged.

Note on terminology: The phrase expository format confuses students because all essays are expository regardless of how they are organized. Essay structure suffers from the problem. It is better not to use terms guaranteed to confuse students.

I find the phrase thesis + support is the terminology least likely to confuse students.

Persuasive pattern is my second choice, since the most obvious examples of thesis + support are usually found in persuasive essays.

Teach the pattern as writing tool, then...

You can present essay format in 20 minutes. Your students will need perhaps 20 weeks to begin to be able to use it.

Have students practice using it in their writing a few times until they have at least figured out the the difference between a generalization and evidence.

Then begin having students use it as a reading comprehension technique. What they learned about the essay format of thesis + support will be obvious sooner in their reading skills than in their writing skills.

Slow and steady

You need to use a slow-and-steady approach. Even though the format is simple to recognize once you know the pattern, it isn’t easy to put into practice in writing. Students will need many opportunities to practice using the format before it becomes second nature.

As they keep practicing writing, students will figure out how to translate the essay pattern into their own essays. It takes a while for things to click, but once students really understand essay format, they turn into writers almost overnight.

Do you learn better through pictures?

If you haven't done so already, I suggest you check out the graphics showing essay format. Students (and perhaps you) may find it easier to grasp the structure of an essay by looking at a visual representation than by reading words.