How is an essay structured?

In order for your essay to be convincing and make sense, it needs to be presented inside a well structured piece of writing. How do you do this within the framework of an essay's general structure of Introduction, Body, Conclusion? Firstly, you need to be clear about what elements you should include within these three sections of an essay. The table below outlines these elements.

Introduction	General statement or orientation to topic Thesis statement Brief summary of the main topics/arguments/points made in the essay
Body paragraphs	Topic sentence A supporting sentence supporting sentence supporting sentence Topic sentence B supporting sentence supporting sentence supporting sentence Topic sentence C supporting sentence supporting sentence supporting sentence	These sentences support, expand or explain the point made in the topic sentence
Conclusion	Restatement or summary of the main points made in the body paragraphs and a final comment (if appropriate)

You also need to be clear about the function of each of these essay sections.