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Speaking as someone who's gotten As on essays through the entirety of an American education, I would say that the answer is-- yes and no. That conventional scheme works very well, which is why it'...
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#3: Attribution notice added
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/5387 License name: CC BY-SA 3.0 License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision
Speaking as someone who's gotten As on essays through the entirety of an American education, I would say that the answer is-- yes and no. That conventional scheme works _very_ well, which is why it's so common. But a good writer can pull off almost any kind of format for an essay: the sky is the limit. In fact, the definition of what an essay even _is_ is a very loose thing. Essays come in a million shapes and sizes; sometimes it's hard to tell the difference between a short story and a reflective essay. If you can pull it off, it's perfectly permitted. If it's just not working no matter how you tweak it, maybe try accepting that the format you've chosen is not right for that particular essay. In sum: there are not strict rules. Do a good job, make sure the reader understands exactly what you're saying and never feels lost, never loses sight of the essay's overall purpose, and you're set.