Arrangement: Write a Sectional Essay
- Essay paragraph getting too long? You might need to split paragraphs and use sections.
- For example, a 9-11 paragraph problem-solution essay:
- Introduction section (1 paragraph)
- Description section (1-3 paragraphs)
- Problems section (3 paragraphs)
- Solution section (3 paragraphs)
- Conclusion section (1 paragraph)
Add subheadings for each section
- This section is easier to understand if you’re looking at the template I sent
- Subheading before every section (except usually Introduction).
- Heading 2 style in template, or:
- 12 pt, left aligned
- Bold
- Title Case
- Blank line before each subheading
- Subheading = short clear version of your section thesis
- Columbia: Problems with Pollution
- Comparison of USJ and Disney
- Issues Experience by Blue Whales
- USJ and Disney: A Comparison
Comparison 2Issues
- Heading 2 style in template, or:
Careful with how you start the section.
You need BOTH section thesis AND paragraph topic. e.g. “This SECTION looks at…FIrst this PARAGRAPH examines”
- Problems Paragraph
- Paragraph Topic Sentence “This paragraph outlines three problems…”
- Problem 1
- Structure sentence (“The first problem is”)
- Detail sentence 1
- Detail sentence 2
- Problem 2
- etc
But a problems SECTION might look like this:
- Problems SECTION
- Problem 1
- SECTION THESIS STATEMENT “This SECTION outlines three problems…”
- ALSO A Paragraph Topic sentence (“The first problem is”)
- Detail 1 sentence 1
- Detail 1 sentence 2
- Detail 2 sentence 1
- Detail 2 sentence 2
- Problem 2
- etc
- Problem 1
Careful how you end the section and paragraph
- Ask yourself - how many summaries do I need?
- Paragraphs and section? Only if section is REALLY long.
- Paragraph summaries only (not recommended, not sure where this would work)
- End of each section only (recommended for repetitive “three problems” type sections
- Ask yourself - how many links do I need?
- Everywhere
- “The next paragraph”-“The next paragraph”-“The next paragraph”-“The next section”
- Only if each paragraph is different style (e.g. description-proble-solution SECTION
- Section only
- No paragraph summaries. Just “The next section”
- (better for repetitive “three problems” type section.
- Everywhere
Style tips
- Bored of “this paragraph…this paragraph”? See the worksheet on topic sentence for alternatives.
- Be careful with nested style
- e.g. don’t use “Secondly” in the middle of a paragraph that starts “The third”
- e.g. don’t use “Finally” in the middle of an essay.
- Instead, use “One—Another—Yet another” or alternatives