Most college classes in the humanities, literature, or history require essays. This is generally because it is easier to evaluate what you have learned in written form than relying on exams. For humanities classes, it is often more important you put concepts into practice than knowing what they are. While each essay topic is different, and each essay we create is one hundred percent original, there are some standard components to any 3 page essay.

Every essay should start with an introduction. This provides a very brief history of the topic, and explores different approaches that can be taken. In a short essay, the introduction should be concise and to the point; you should not waste time setting up the scope of the paper. After the introduction you will most likely find the thesis statement, a concise sentence that sums up the overall argument. From reading this, your audience should know exactly what you will be arguing in the paper.

Following the introduction are your body paragraphs. Generally, these can be split up into two different sections: information that enhances your argument, and disputing arguments against your argument. These sections may be split by headers, but are not necessary. Each paragraph should contain a topic sentence, which outlines the purpose of the paragraph, and a concluding sentence that leads into the next paragraph. A sample essay outline might look like this:

Intro: Thesis statement. For example “George W. Bush's PATRIOT Act was unconstitutional.”
Body Paragraphs 1 and 2: Evidence the Act is unconstitutional, using a different source for each paragraph
Body Paragraph 3: An argument that the Act is constitutional, refuted by evidence you have found

After the body paragraphs (and there is no rule as to how many there should be, break paragraphs when you deem it necessary) is the conclusion. Here you re-state your thesis, using different words, and sum up the major points of your paper. Like the introduction, the conclusion need not be too lengthy; it is just a way to bring the paper to a close, and risks sounding repetitive if it is too long.