Essay Questions?

It depends on how much time you have to answer them.

If you have timed yourself well, you should be able to write that kind of an organized essay, but if time is short you'll need to drop one of the body paragraphs, and the intro and conclusion would end up being shorter. But yes, what you've said is essentially the standard.

If it a school assignment, not during a test. Answering a question about a book I've read - and if it has to be 700-1000 words - do you think that means I have to split it up into paragraphs? And if so, then how many?

If it a school assignment, not during a test. Answering a question about a book I've read - and if it has to be 700-1000 words - do you think that means I have to split it up into paragraphs? And if so, then how many?

If it a school assignment, not during a test. Answering a question about a book I've read - and if it has to be 700-1000 words - do you think that means I have to split it up into paragraphs? And if so, then how many?

If it a school assignment, not during a test. Answering a question about a book I've read - and if it has to be 700-1000 words - do you think that means I have to split it up into paragraphs? And if so, then how many?

Oh, definately.

1st paragraph - Introduction (tell them what you are going to say)

2nd paragraph - Body (tell them)

3rd paragraph - Conclusion (tell them what you said.

If it's not a timed test, that's the minimum. The body can be as many paragraphs as you need to support your introduction, which is sort of expressing your thesis.

Oh thank you so much! Now I have to rewrite and reorganize the entire thing.. I compressed it all into one crazily messy paragraph.

Hah!

I presented two tentative essays to the best English teacher I ever had, both on the same subject, more or less. She read them, decided what I was trying to say (yes, I needed help), and picked the shorter of the two. I refined it, and it was some of my best writing. That's the value of the introductory paragraph, or one of the values. It focuses your writing. If your essay wanders from the intro (topic), you need to either change the introduction, or eliminate some unneeded thoughts.

Ok well my essay is a mess. I have to write about 10 essays before the summer is over so I'm sort of hurrying just to get it done. My thoughts wander, I am completely off topic, and I don't know what to do.
Oh and it's extremely short too. For the moment.
I feel too sad when I have to erase unneeded thoughts because then I feel like I wasted my thoughts. Haha. I know it's stupid. But I am horrible at editing esays.
Have you read The Oedipus Cycle?