There are many different styles and structures of academic paper that students can write. However, when students are first learning about the essay writing process, they will generally write using a fairly simple structure. For example, one of the easiest forms of academic papers to write is the three paragraph essay. However, whilst it is relatively straightforward and requires far less research and writing than other forms of academic paper, the limited amount of space does sometimes requires students to have to think about how they will write the work before they get started.
The opening paragraph of a three paragraph essay will essentially be the introduction. As part of your introduction, you will need to inform the reader about the topic that you will be discussing. You may also wish to go into slightly more detail about the topic, as well as providing some information relating to why it is that you have chosen to discuss that particular topic.
Furthermore, depending on the style of paper that you are writing, you may also need to provide some further details. For example, if you are writing an argumentative essay, then you may wish to identify a particular issue relating to that topic, and state which point of view you will be arguing for.
The next paragraph will be the body section. In most academic papers, the body section will be the longest part of the paper. However, when writing a three paragraph essay, your body section will be similar in size to the other sections. Of course, you may wish to write a slightly longer paragraph; however, the paper will still largely be split into three relatively similarly sized sections.
Ultimately, the body section will include any arguments or points that you wish to make. A good rule of thumb is to use one paragraph per argument or point that you’re making. Therefore, with a three paragraph essay, you will generally include one argument or point.
Lastly, the final paragraph will be the conclusion. Essentially, the conclusion will refer to any points that were made in the body section, and may also refer to the introduction as well. However, you should not introduce any new arguments or points in the conclusion stage, but merely reflect on what has already been written.