5 paragraph essay style questions
Many students find it challenging to write a good essay. Often the main challenge is to organize and develop the ideas and arguments in a clear and coherent way. Sometimes a step-by-step description can help students on the way and make essay writing a more manageable task. The five paragraph essay is often assigned to students to help them in this process. A good 5-paragraph essay is a lot like a triple-decker burger, and is therefore often called the hamburger essay. It requires a clear introduction and conclusion the top and bottom bun that hold the main body of the essay the burgers in place.
How to Write a Five Paragraph Essay
That just about everyone reading this is well-familiar with the 5-paragraph essay is a testament to why it needs to be retired, and by retired, I mean killed dead, double-tap zombie-style, lest it rise again.
The 5-paragraph essay is indeed a genre, but one that is entirely uncoupled from anything resembling meaningful work when it comes to developing a fully mature writing process. If writing is like exercise, the 5-paragraph essay is more Ab Belt than sit-up. They cannot hope to develop unless and until we first undo the damage done. Not really. At least not these rules, and the way students learn them. More troublesome is what the 5-paragraph essay does to the writing process.
The act of writing is primarily treated as a performance meant to impress a teacher or score well on a standardized exam. Mature writers need to navigate choices rooted in genuine rhetorical situations. They must consider audience, purpose, and message. The 5-paragraph essay requires none of this.
My teacher, Mrs. Goldman, told us we needed to write directions for making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Goldman brought in the necessary supplies for making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and then told us we had to make our sandwiches exactly according to our directions. If you forgot to mention that you needed bread on which to spread the peanut butter, you smeared it on the plate. That day, I learned that writers need to be careful with their words because if someone is asked to follow them, things can go very very wrong.
Goldman was teaching us a number of different things, genre awareness, audience, structure and sequencing. None of it had anything to do with a standardized assessment. We were solving a writing-related problem. Most of all, we were absorbing the lesson that above all, writing is done for audiences. A book report is the solution to a genuine writing-related problem. The steady encroachment of standardized assessment on education and learning has only exacerbated the damage of the 5-paragraph essay.
If the 5-paragraph essay was only one genre among many, we could safely contain the contagion, but as it is the easiest form to assess, it is now the monolith at the center of the English classroom. It is a spirit killer for both students and teachers. Be the first to know. Get our free daily newsletter. The rush to reopen colleges this fall ignores harsh scientific and ethical realities opinion. CDC releases new guidance for colleges on reducing coronavirus spread.
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Google Tag Manager. Advertise About Contact Subscribe. Enable Javascript to log in. Title Kill the 5-Paragraph Essay. There may be no greater enemy to quality writing than the 5-paragraph essay.
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The type of essay will determine your topic and thesis. Essays for standardized tests are typically either persuasive, in which you will answer a question, or literary. 5-paragraph Essay. Introductory paragraph. The introductory paragraph should also include the thesis statement, a kind of mini-outline for the essay. This is.
The introductory paragraph should also include the thesis statement, a kind of mini-outline for the essay. This is where the writer grabs the reader's attention. It tells the reader what the paper is about. The last sentence of this paragraph must also include a transitional "hook" which moves the reader to the first paragraph of the body of the essay. The first paragraph of the body should include the strongest argument, most significant example, cleverest illustration, or an obvious beginning point.
Still, teaching students to organize essays into the five-paragraph format is an easy way to introduce them to writing literary criticism, which will be tested time and again throughout their primary, secondary, and further education. The introduction is the first paragraph in your essay, and it should accomplish a few specific goals: capture the reader's interest, introduce the topic, and make a claim or express an opinion in a thesis statement.
The 5 paragraph essay is considered to be the standard essay writing assignment. Once you have learned how to write it, you are prepared to tackle any other one.
what is a five paragraph essay?
That just about everyone reading this is well-familiar with the 5-paragraph essay is a testament to why it needs to be retired, and by retired, I mean killed dead, double-tap zombie-style, lest it rise again. The 5-paragraph essay is indeed a genre, but one that is entirely uncoupled from anything resembling meaningful work when it comes to developing a fully mature writing process. If writing is like exercise, the 5-paragraph essay is more Ab Belt than sit-up. They cannot hope to develop unless and until we first undo the damage done. Not really.
Writing a Five-Paragraph Essay
When your aim is to give a clear answer to the exact question in your paper, then 5 paragraph essay is the best option. Students often get such task in college and university, because professors can easily check their skills in a topic. Such writing format looks very simple because it includes several parts and only pages. No matter its size such a task requires even more efforts than a traditional essay. The point is you have to work hard on the exact sentence because each one is under the spotlight. Besides, according to its small length, the author must create a proper structure and make a lot of edits. Sometimes editing requires much more time than writing. The format of the 5 paragraph essay is simple for the first sight. It includes traditional parts of academic papers: engaging introduction, full body, and interesting conclusion.
Go there now. Similarly, a five-paragraph essay gives you a clear structure to follow so you can focus on getting your ideas in order without worrying as much about how the pieces of your essay should fit together.
Of the three supporting paragraphs, each should have its own distinct idea and evidence which supports your overall thesis. Must include a topic sentence and let the reader know what you will be discussing. It should also include a grabber-the first sentence that should catch the readers attention.
5 paragraph essay question
I have lost count how many times I have been asked this question. Usually, I get a flurry of emails as the essay deadline approaches asking me how to write the essay. This page is dedicated to answereing that question! Your essays must be double-spaced and typed. You are to write an essay reflecting on some aspect of world conflict as presented in the Klare book, Resource Wars. Your essay should have an introduction, with a clear thesis statement. At a minimum your essay should be five paragraphs in length but this is not going to be enough space but your essay will almost certainly range beyond five paragraphs. You should, however, use the five paragraph essay format to structure your essay i. Use this format but simply add more body paragraphs as appropriate. Your conclusion should be more than a summary of the argument.
How to Write a 5 Paragraph Essay
Jump to navigation. Our students are finishing their second essay. The first was on a place, and this one is on a person from the Civil War. They enjoyed this last one. The next assignment will be on another person from the Civil War.
