5 paragraph essay assignment
In a recent post over at Talks With Teachers , Brian Sztabnik puts a price on the head of the 5-paragraph essay. Torch it, bury it, at all costs, make it go away. Why this bounty? Well, the gist of the argument is that, of all the great writing we read, virtually none of it is in the form of a 5-paragraph essay.
Five Paragraph Essay: How to Write a Good Essay in 6 Steps
In a recent post over at Talks With Teachers , Brian Sztabnik puts a price on the head of the 5-paragraph essay. Torch it, bury it, at all costs, make it go away. Why this bounty? Well, the gist of the argument is that, of all the great writing we read, virtually none of it is in the form of a 5-paragraph essay. In that second post, nine teachers share what authentic writing means to them, along with a favorite authentic writing assignment.
There are some fantastic ideas there, and I highly recommend reading both. You knew it was coming. And here it is:. However, for all the great ideas in these two posts, and despite the immense value of authentic writing, I still teach—and will still teach—the 5-paragraph essay. In this post, at the risk of seeming quaint and conventional, I will present a defense of the 5-paragraph essay, as part of a broader strategy for writing instruction.
In the Talks With Teachers posts, we hear many of the undoubted benefits of authentic writing: cultivating passion, personal expression; writing with purpose, with audience in mind; writing as a means of empowerment; helping students to discover and develop a distinctive voice.
All are desirable outcomes, to be sure, and all are likely to result from authentic writing assignments. Furthermore, the writer rightly observes that these desirable outcomes are unlikely to develop directly from lessons focused on the 5-paragraph essay hereafter, the 5-PE, because nobody wants to read thefiveparagraphessay thefiveparagraphessay thefiveparagraphessay.
But throwing out the 5-PE for not building student voice, proposing authentic writing as an alternative to it, is like replacing your hammer with a sponge, because, hey, has the hammer ever been any help washing the dishes? The two have entirely different functions; they are used at different times and in different ways. In a given assignment, we may need to make a choice, but in terms of the instruction of writing broadly, the two are by no means mutually exclusive.
The writer argues that the 5-PE is simply a relic of an age gone by that does little for our students but stifle their creativity. The conclusion is this:. Formats confine. They box you in. They limit where you can go. By discussing style, sharing mentor texts of varying styles, I am encouraging my students to be exist [sic] beyond those limitations and operate on a higher level.
Formats may change but style endures. Well, yes, formats do confine and limit where you can go. If we as writers want to be understood by our readers, we must step back from our ideas, see them as an outsider will see them, and arrange them in a comprehensible way. Reading and writing are unnatural, artificial acts. The notion that imposing limits on our ideas stifles creativity is a dubious one.
In fact, I would go so far as to argue that, in combination with a variety of instructional techniques, including some more authentic ones, teaching students to recognize and manipulate the structure of texts is essential to stimulating creativity in all its many manifestations. More importantly, when I get a new group of learners in my writing classes, what they lack is not passion or voice or expressiveness; it is structure and focus in their writing.
This is the one area where student writing tends to need the most work. The structures and conventions of writing do not come naturally. They must be learned; they must be taught. When we want our students to learn the basics of English sentence construction, we introduce them to the fundamental components, nouns and verbs, and then to the simplest constructions, S-V-O sentences.
These sentences are often contrived; in authentic use, few sentences actually fit this neat form. From sentences, we move on to paragraphing, and from there onto longer composition.
And again, certain contrivances are useful in helping students to orient themselves in the dauntingly convoluted structures of written discourse. The 5-PE is a good place to start. In them we encounter introductions and conclusions, supporting details, even that funny affinity for threes , a great chance to practice our basic transition words and discourse markers.
We should then be moving on to recognizable variations on this basic format, and soon enough, students will be able to recognize the various functions that paragraphs can serve, and restructure or invent formats that fit the shape of their ideas. I cracked my knuckles in preparation for writing a fiery rebuttal, but decided to Google a bit and see what the state of the pro-5P field was. Kudos and thanks again. Thank you for this post. I will speak about this same issue from the same viewpoint at TESOL, so finding this post has been a happy accident.
I give my intl freshmen the parallel of a chef who mixes up the expected courses, like ice cream for an appetizer. Only a true master can get away with that. The rest of us should stick to the expected format, at least at first! Thanks for your thoughts Robert. I will also continue to teach the 5 PE. All beginning writers, whether in a native language or a subsequent one, need to learn the boundaries and rules before these can be successfully broken.
I tell my pre-university ESL students that the limits set on an essay eg. To be able to express yourself effectively while keeping to a limit is a valuable skill to master and one which they will need once they enter university and have to write academic essays.
I am, too, for the 5-PE. Putting ideas into form does not rule out creativity, motivation, or interest levels, especially that writing is a process. Therefore, the teaching approach makes a whole difference. Importantly enough, when students learn how to write an essay, they will gain more practicality and thus able to write a thesis, for example, later on. Agreed, Nahida. And your point about writing, say, a thesis, is one that I should have emphasized even more: if we think about it, why and when do we need to write?
Unless we are aspiring to be professional writers, most of the longform writing that we need to do is to fulfill a finite number of functions, many of which must follow prescribed formats: cover letters, theses, test responses, even blog posts!
We NEED to develop the ability to express our ideas in forms that may not naturally fit the shape of our ideas. I tell my students that the 5-paragraph essay is like learning formulas in math. Before you can explore and make new discoveries in math, you need to be able to do the formulas. I think a disdain for the 5-paragraph essay comes from Composition studies for native speakers and may work for fine for some ESL students, but many need a basic template.
I think part of the problem is the educational pendulum. We make wild swings back and forth and there is no middle ground. I guess politics is the same way — who knows? There is a time and a place for many instructional strategies and having students writing 5 paragraph essays is just one of the many ways to write. I think it can be a great scaffold for students who need help with focusing their writing.
I agree, Gary, that the pendulum effect is at work here. The reason we have five is for an introduction, conclusion, and three supporting details in between. Now, we could certainly argue that the three supporting details is an arbitrary number, but the rule of three is a convention with a whole lot of history to it, and, for me at least, it really does seem to be more effective and punchy than, say, two or four.
There seems to be some reason to believe that the appeal of threes is intrinsic rather than arbitrary. Thanks, Rachel! I completely agree. There is a reason that all forms of creative expression tend to follow set patterns: songs are organized into verses and choruses, poems in to stanzas following some standard rhyme schemes, photographs are generally composed according to the rule of thirds, etc.
Can we violate these standard formats? Some of the best art does. But learning these forms helps us to develop as creatives, and breaking from these forms should be an informed decision. I think ultimately form has to follow content, but developing the ability to make that happen involves a mastery of forms, which can benefit seriously from being forced to express your content in various forms.
What do you think!? Your email address will not be published. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Email Address. Blog Submission Guidelines. And here it is: However, for all the great ideas in these two posts, and despite the immense value of authentic writing, I still teach—and will still teach—the 5-paragraph essay.
A False Dichotomy In the Talks With Teachers posts, we hear many of the undoubted benefits of authentic writing: cultivating passion, personal expression; writing with purpose, with audience in mind; writing as a means of empowerment; helping students to discover and develop a distinctive voice. Structure vs. The conclusion is this: Formats confine. About Robert Sheppard. Bookmark the permalink.
Nancy Overman says:. Julia MacDonald says:. Robert Sheppard says:. Nahida El Assi says:. Theresa Pruett-Said says:. Gary Hewgley says:.
Five-paragraph essays are incredibly useful in two situations — when writers are just starting out and when a writing assignment is timed. The five-paragraph essay has three basic parts: introduction, body, and conclusion. The introduction is. This is an ideal template to be used for persuasive or informational essays. Best practices tip: model the use of this template before starting your essay assignment.
Writing an essay, choose a credible structure used by thousands of students around the world. This format is called 5-paragraph essay, and has a couple of simple rules to follow. The best part about this type of outline is that it fits any topic. Did you know that you can effectively unleash your creative capacity and astonish everyone with your talent by creating just 5 paragraphs?
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Alternatives to the 5 Paragraph Essay
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In Defense of the 5-Paragraph Essay
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. Keep reading the detailed guide from the EssayPro team to perfect your writing skills to the level of an experienced essay writer. The 5 paragraph essay format is the most common essay a student can be faced with. The name is a result of the five paragraph structure: one introductory paragraph, three body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph. Because of the layered structure, you might have also heard this type of essay being called a hamburger essay, one three one, or a three-tier essay. This allows students to answer the exam prompt quickly and efficiently. How many words is a 5 paragraph essay you may wonder? Typically, they are around to words long.
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.
This resource is designed to teach high-school students how to write a 5-paragraph character analysis essay for Othello. The step-by-step processes and explanations make teaching the 5-paragraph essay simple and engaging for all levels of students!
How to Write a 5-Paragraph Essay: Superb Tips on Championing the Essay Monster!
Its sturdy structure provides students with a safe and organized way to express their thoughts. The introduction enables them to stake a claim with the thesis. The body paragraphs are where they can make assertions and provide the supporting details to prove their argument. The conclusion wraps it all up, reinforcing the main ideas. Many students need that predictability. They need that familiar structure to develop a thoughtful progression of ideas. Teachers know what to expect from five-paragraph essays, too. Both the writing and the grading are neat and orderly. There are other, more authentic ways in which students can flesh out complex thoughts, experiment with voice, and present a sequence of ideas in an organized way. Stephen King, in his memoir, On Writing , recognized the weight of writing. You can come to the act with your fists clenched and your eyes narrowed Come to it any way but lightly. Let me say it again: You must not come lightly to the blank page. Here are five ways students can turn a blank page into a powerful expression of their mind and heart.
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Just share your requirements and get customized solutions on time. Communication regarding your orders. To send you invoices, and other billing info. To provide you with information of offers and other benefits. Do you feel that familiar lump in your throat for missing out on parties, all thanks to that 5-paragraph essay you got to finish?
