Paper writing tips: formal essay format

Once you learn how to write a formal essay and you memorize the format, you will never again have trouble organizing and writing an essay. Whether the essay is a persuasive, narrative, or informative essay, the formal essay format is exactly the same. When you think of an essay as being like a hamburger, the format becomes much easier to remember. Here is why:

  • The Top Bun: This part of the essay is the introduction. The sesame seeds on the top of the bun represent the creative hook that you will use to begin the essay. The bread in the middle is the necessary information that you need to include to help the reader understand where you are going to take the essay. The toasted bottom side of the bun is the thesis statement.
  • The Goodies in the Middle: If you think of each body paragraph as a meat patty and condiments, then this metaphor will make better sense. Each patty and condiments serve as a paragraph that needs to have the same elements: the topic sentence, details, and explanations. Each time that you add another patty to the hamburger, you need to add the condiments. It is important to have ample details and explanations to back up the topic sentences that ultimately reconnect to the thesis in the introductory paragraph.
  • The Bottom Bun: This is the conclusion of the essay. Notice that the bottom bun is in the reverse position of the top bun. This is intentional in essay formatting. The toasted top of the bun reminds you to restate your thesis - use significantly different words so you do not sound overly repetitive. The bread in the middle is the reconnections to the main points. The absolute bottom of the bun is where you get to reconnect to the hook.

The format might seem a bit silly, but the idea of a building a hamburger makes sense. Burgers require a set formula with the top and bottom bum surrounding the delicious ingredients you stuff in between them. The ingredients symbolize the variety of topics that any essay can explore , just like you can have a hamburger with Swiss cheese and jalapeno peppers, or you can have a burger with BBQ sauce and ketchup. If you think of the different types of burgers and options, you can only imagine how much creativity can go into cooking up a good burger and an equally good essay.