When students work on different writing prompts, they can organize their essays better by following a simple structure: introduction, body, and conclusion. Let’s break it down:

1. Understand the Prompt

• Analytical Prompts: These ask you to look closely at why characters do what they do. For example, if you need to explain Simon’s role in "Lord of the Flies," your introduction should clearly state what Simon symbolizes.
• Comparative Prompts: If you are comparing two stories, like "The Great Gatsby" and "Of Mice and Men," your introduction might ask a question about their ideas on the American Dream.

2. Body Paragraphs

• For Analytical Essays: Start each paragraph with a strong main idea. Use quotes from the story to back up your thoughts. For instance, talk about how Simon's actions show innocence.
• For Comparative Essays: Focus each paragraph on a specific point of comparison. You could write, "Both Gatsby and George have dreams that cause their problems," and then back it up with examples from both stories.

3. Conclusion

• No matter the type of essay, your conclusion should repeat your main idea based on what you discussed. In analytical essays, think about why your analysis is important. For comparative essays, highlight what you learned from comparing the two stories.

By matching your essay structure to the type of prompt, you can write a clearer and stronger essay.