Introduction (6-8 sentences) Lead-in (attention getter) Build up to thesis statement Thesis statement (main idea of the essay+essay map: main argument + the three points you're going to discuss) Body Paragraph 1 (8-12 sentences) Topic sentence 1 (main idea of the paragraph) Supporting details (2-3 examples to support your topic sentence) Concluding sentence (wraps up paragraph and ties everything together) Body Paragraph 2 (8-12 sentences) Topic sentence 2 Supporting details Concluding sentence Body Paragraph 3 (8-12 sentences) Topic sentence 3 Supporting details Concluding sentence Conclusion (6-8 sentences) Paraphrase thesis statement Paraphrase topic sentences Final thoughts (what do you want the reader to do/remember?)