5 paragraph essay writing tips
We bet that many of you have faced this form of academic written assignment at some point in your life and studies. Where is it used? This form of paper is rarely used by professional authors, but it is a common format of an academic paper that students get as a task in college. The five-paragraph essay helps to write a clear response on the topic of a text. A 5 paragraph essay is a common structure that is used for a myriad of different papers. This form of document includes 5 specific sections that are clearly defined.
How to Write a Five-Paragraph Essay That Works
While the classic five paragraph essay is a form seldom if ever used by professional writers, it is commonly assigned to students to help them organize and develop their ideas in writing. It can also be a very useful way to write a complete and clear response to an essay question on an exam. It has, not surprisingly, five paragraphs:. The introduction should start with a general discussion of your subject and lead to a very specific statement of your main point, or thesis.
Sometimes an essay begins with a "grabber," such as a challenging claim, or surprising story to catch a reader's attention. The thesis should tell in one or at most two sentence s , what your overall point or argument is, and briefly, what your main body paragraphs will be about. For example, in an essay about the importance of airbags in cars, the introduction might start with some information about car accidents and survival rates. It might also have a grabber about someone who survived a terrible accident because of an airbag.
The thesis would briefly state the main reasons for recommending airbags, and each reason would be discussed in the main body of the essay. Each main body paragraph will focus on a single idea, reason, or example that supports your thesis. Each paragraph will have a clear topic sentence a mini thesis that states the main idea of the paragraph and as much discussion or explanation as is necessary to explain the point.
You should try to use details and specific examples to make your ideas clear and convincing. Your conclusion begins with a restatement of your main point; but be sure to paraphrase, not just repeat your thesis sentence. Then you want to add some sentences that emphasize the importance of the topic and the significance of your view.
Think about what idea or feeling you want to leave your reader with. The conclusion is the reverse of the introduction in that it starts out very specific and becomes a bit more general as you finish. Transitions connect your paragraphs to one another, especially the main body ones. Between each paragraph and the one that follows, you need a transition. It can be built in to the topic sentence of the next paragraph, or it can be the concluding sentence of the first.
It can even be a little of both. To express the relationship between the two paragraphs, think about words and phrases that compare and contrast. Think about your paragraph topics and brainstorm until you find the most relevant links between them. Click here to see more suggestions for transition words.
You'll also want some kind of transition from the last paragraph to your conclusion. One way is to sum up your third body paragraph with some reminders of your other paragraphs.
You don't need to restate the topics fully that comes in the conclusion but you can refer to a detail, or example, or character as a way of pulling your ideas together and signaling that you are getting ready to conclude. Need even more information? Don't forget to search the reference sources of Infoplease for answers to your homework questions. Updated February 28, Infoplease Staff. Homework Center — Writing Skills.
See also:. It has, not surprisingly, five paragraphs: an introduction three main body paragraphs a conclusion We'll look at each type of paragraph, and at transitions, the glue that holds them together. Introduction The introduction should start with a general discussion of your subject and lead to a very specific statement of your main point, or thesis. Main Body Paragraphs 3 Each main body paragraph will focus on a single idea, reason, or example that supports your thesis.
Conclusion Your conclusion begins with a restatement of your main point; but be sure to paraphrase, not just repeat your thesis sentence. Transitions Transitions connect your paragraphs to one another, especially the main body ones.
Does the first paragraph tell us a pro and the second a con?
Develop a thesis statement, or what you want to say about the main idea. List three points or arguments that support your thesis in order of importance (one sentence for each).
Every student wants to succeed during the first year at college. A five paragraph essay is quite a popular college assignment. As you get from its name, it is a paper, which consists of five paragraphs: introduction, three arguments with supportive data, and conclusions, where you sum all the results of your work. Using this simple outline you will be able to cover every issue without missing anything out. Do you want to know whether there is a way to solve problems of homework and other tasks?
In this post, we discuss how to write a five-paragraph essay that works, regardless of subject or topic, with a simple—but effective—plan for completing a successful essay. As a parent of five children three now in high school , I've helped brainstorm and edit my fair share of essays.
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.
The Ultimate Guide to the 5-Paragraph Essay
The 5-paragraph essay is the most common academic task a student may face. Because the majority of these examinations restrict the student in time, you should be ready for the writing section. Try to memorize the structure of the 5-paragraph academic essay on any topic. It makes it possible to complete the assignments faster and efficiently. The best part of the five-paragraph essay is that it is rather flexible regarding the topic choice and various writing formats.
Structuring the Five-Paragraph Essay: Examples of Five-Paragraph Essays
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.
Making the best of college: majors, study abroad, internships, roommates, study tips, thesis writing, and more.
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. Students can practice with creative writing prompts to get some ideas for interesting ways to start an essay.
How To Write A Five Paragraph Essay?
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. The first sentence should contain the "reverse hook" which ties in with the transitional hook at the end of the introductory paragraph. The subject for this paragraph should be in the first or second sentence. This subject should relate to the thesis statement in the introductory paragraph. The last sentence in this paragraph should include a transitional hook to tie into the second paragraph of the body. The second paragraph of the body should include the second strongest argument, second most significant example, second cleverest illustration, or an obvious follow up the first paragraph in the body. The first sentence of this paragraph should contain the reverse hook, which ties in with the transitional hook at the end of the first paragraph of the body. The topic for this paragraph should be in the first or second sentence. This topic should relate to the thesis statement in the introductory paragraph. The last sentence in this paragraph should include a transitional hook to tie into the third paragraph of the body. The third paragraph of the body should include the weakest argument, weakest example, weakest illustration, or an obvious follow up to the second paragraph in the body.
5 Paragraph Essay: How to Write It & What is It?
While the classic five paragraph essay is a form seldom if ever used by professional writers, it is commonly assigned to students to help them organize and develop their ideas in writing. It can also be a very useful way to write a complete and clear response to an essay question on an exam. It has, not surprisingly, five paragraphs:. The introduction should start with a general discussion of your subject and lead to a very specific statement of your main point, or thesis. Sometimes an essay begins with a "grabber," such as a challenging claim, or surprising story to catch a reader's attention. The thesis should tell in one or at most two sentence s , what your overall point or argument is, and briefly, what your main body paragraphs will be about.
