5 Paragraph Essay Format

The basic differences between high school and college level writing consist of the banishment of the
five–paragraph essay format, a sharp rise in vocabulary, transitioning from 1 on 10 to 10 on 1, and
a complete revaluing of each sentence. Much more stress is placed on the purpose, effectiveness,
and content of each sentence. All students go through a learning period where they are forced to
drop old high school habits like throwing in filler sentences for style or to reach a word count. I
made this transition rather easily and had no issues with the college writing style structurally.
However, my struggle came in the form of my language and verbiage. Through my first semester
at Ramapo I have come to realize that I am using too many words and lacking formality in many
cases with an approach that is far too stylistic for academic writing. My first wake up call came
early in first semester in the grading of my summer reading paper. It was on So You've Been
Publically Shamed by John Ronson. Initially, I had confidently handed in my paper with thoughts of
mid to high nineties. The part of the paper in which I was most proud of, that being the opening,
turned out to be the part that received the most backlash. Having initially written:
Social media is a shining example of how communities grow and change form as we progress
throughout the twenty first century. It is remarkable how the technology of today has made its way
throughout the populous and how that technology has been
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Campbell's Five-Viewpoints
The five–paragraph formula is a destructive formula that cuts the blood flow of creativity from
students. As Campbell essentially argues in his paper, "Beyond the Five–Paragraph Essay."
Campbell's main idea that he reiterates and stresses over and over again; is that the five–paragraph
formula doesn't properly allow students to express themselves with their own unique voice through
writing. The alternatives to the five–paragraph formula are better suited for students as they allow
students to use as he stated, "their authentic, authoritative voices."
Campbell sets the scene by showing how some teachers defended the five–paragraph formula when
he was doing a presentation on common core standards. Campbell's main reason for writing the
...show more content...
Campbell did a great job in laying out and showing the main reasons and arguments against the
five–paragraph formula. However, in terms of his essay, he neglected to mention a few things that
would've further enriched his essay. One of the critical aspects he neglected to mention that I would
add would be mainly statistics instead of heavily relying on anecdotal evidence. For example, on
page 62 as he is discussing the key issues with the formula he stated, "it doesn't ensure success on
standardized tests–or in college." I would've added a statistics further enriching the say by getting
his point across and having a somewhat of a shock factor. A shock factor would've really made
his point stand out and would not just have the essay rely on anecdotal evidence but a mixture of
scientific and anecdotal evidence. Moreover, I would've also included a more sound concluding
paragraph. I felt like the last paragraph left a somewhat sour taste in my mouth; I would've added
now that they are able to write better essays their writing has drastically improved and really
highlighted the overall difference in quality between using different formulas. I believe that would've
enriched the essay and left a more sound concluding paragraph with a much sweeter taste.
From the get–go Campbell's voice was established and had a booming presence throughout. He also
had his ideas shine through and not get muffled when referencing other people's works; truly
elevating and

Statement of Rhetorical Analysis On February 22, 2016 author John Warner published an article on
Just Visiting entitled "Kill the 5–Paragraph Essay." Warner creatively talks about how rudimentary of
a structure this type of essay holds. Writers are locked inside a cage of regulations and guidelines
making them unable to write the essay as they please, but rather having to piece together regulated
sentences and paragraphs because that's what they have been told would score high on certain test
questions. The article targets people of all kinds, but is more directed towards early college aged
students. The purpose behind this article is to get them to expand their horizon, disregard all the
regulations they have been previously taught and start to write in a much more open–minded sense.
Analysis of John Warner's "Kill the 5–Paragraph Essay" Simply spoken, the aging youth are facing a
very large dilemma when it comes to making the transition from high school to college level courses.
As many have been taught in the past, just as many will be taught in the future, the commonly
known 5–paragraph essay is quickly becoming an eyesore in the writer's community. John Warner
published an article in which he deploys a full on assault to persuade others to do away with this
type of essay format all together. In his article "Kill the 5–paragraph Essay" Warner establishes his
credibility, paints an imaginary picture of the 5–paragraph essay and uses logical and emotional

Summary of Unteaching the Five-paragraph Essay
In an excerpt of Unteaching the Five–Paragraph Essay," Marie Foley reveals how the
Five–Paragraph Essay formula contradicts writing instructor's most basic goals. Foley shows that
the formula deters from generating individual thinking. In today's society, essays are used by
millions of people in order to express their different ideas. The Five–Paragraph Essay formula was
originally developed to help retain the efficiency and clarity of the essay. Foley, however, believes
that this process eventually separates the student from his or her written expression and should be
used only as a first step tool for beginning student writers. Foley insists that the formula blocks
discovery, squelches authenticity and undermines the reader's need for...show more content...
The formula is comfortable and familiar to them. It becomes imprinted.
Foley contends that in addition to blocking discovery, the Five–Paragraph Essay formula squelches
the student's authenticity. Foley states, "filling the structure with the requisite 500 words, they go
through the motions of writing, but they seldom create something authentically theirs," (232). Foley
knew that students feel much more at liberty to freely express themselves in their personal journals
and in their letters to friends, but take on a different identity for the essay. The students' character,
personality, and convictions are locked away until given the opportunity to free write.
On a more serious level, coherence is undermined while being one of the writer's and reader's most
basic need. "The problem is not that the Five–Paragraph formula produces incoherence but rather
that it limits students to a superficial, predictable level or coherence," (232) states Foley. This
allows for students to throw any three liberally related ideas together for the body of the essays.
Once students fabricate a thesis statement that elucidates for their three ideas, the students feel they
have mastered structure. Foley states, "To be asked merely to enumerate three aspects of any topic
relieves the student of the need to probe relationships... it robs them of any motivation to do so,"
(232). Juxtaposition is not

Genre Analysis Example
Essay #3 Genre Analysis The main focus of the Problem Solution essay is to analyze different
topics related to the subject of "image" in Asian American studies. This essays aims to go more in
depth about the problems that surround the subject of "image" and then creating a solution to these
issues. In order to get to a solution one must first come up with a method that includes thinking of a
topic that is closely related to the subject of image, present said topic to the professor, compose an
outline for a rough draft and eventually a final draft. This process will ultimately allow the student to
further evaluate and resolve other issue in Asian American studies. While the reader of the essay
better understands the problems that writing can have, the writer also presents and realizes how
"genre" can cause different recurrences within social interactions. The assignment sheet states the
...show more content...
Beyond the limitations of the actual assignment, the overall prompt presents restrictions in that the
meaning of vocabulary like "Thesis" and "Body Paragraph" require prior knowledge and exposure to
the word. Also the use of outside documents, which were apparently previously presented in the
class, in the assignment sheet like "Takaki's strategy" and the "'Paper Structure' handout," present
problems when people outside of the "peers" and the instructor read this essay. The requirements call
for the student to turn in other assignments with the actual final draft, which may enhance the
understanding of the finished piece. In turning in these several other pieces will show how,
ultimately, the academic writing process takes numerous steps. The finished piece is the result of
many different steps of the writing

The Influence Of My Writing Style
It was second semester of my senior year of high school. To get an academic honors diploma, I
was required to take an advanced composition class. I had heard that it was a difficult class, but that
the teacher made it worth taking. Mrs. Mishler, or just "Mish", was the kind of teacher that students
could relate to. Mrs. Mishler made a huge impact on me as a writer.
Mrs. Mishler taught me that writing wasn't just a list of rules that had to be followed. She always
commented, "Most of the rules of writing are just made up to teach young kids how to write." She
encouraged me to create my own style of writing. The thesis didn't necessarily have to be in the
introduction paragraph. I didn't have to follow the five–paragraph essay format. The word

In "Breaking the Five–Paragraph–Theme Barrier" professor Thomas Nunnally describes his
experience teaching the popular writing tool. The five–paragraph theme requires an introductory
paragraph, three middle paragraphs that each have their own ideas, and a concluding paragraph.
Nunnally believes that this writing model should only be used as a writing tool and not the backbone
to all essays (Nunnally). I agree with Nunnally's stance, but also think that by the age of sixteen,
students should no longer be given the opportunity to rely on the model for writing opportunities. **
The five–paragraph theme was created to be a general teaching tool for inexperience writers. It
allows the writers to easily formulate a structure essay. It tells you that you only need three
supporting details for your thesis and that each do not need to be in depth. Most teachers say that a
paragraph is only roughly 4–5 sentences long. As a result, if every paragraph is short then you're
only writing approximately 20–25 sentences. A writer can easily follow the structure given and
finish an essay in a well timely–manner. The model is effective for beginners, but ineffective for
professionals (Nunnally).
Until a certain point, the model is effective for writers. It is a practical, easy template that allows a
writer to quickly set up and then write an essay,...show more content...
Nunnally states its purpose to "provide[s] for effective inculcation of concepts such as unity,
coherence, and development (Nunnally)." The model is structured to unite each paragraph to each
other by using a thesis statement paragraph, three supporting paragraphs for said idea and finally, to
summarize your essay. The use of transitional words allows the author to smoothly connect each
paragraph and idea. Finally, the model develops chronologically. The author will introduce, prove
and conclude. The five–paragraph model fulfills its purpose for the inexperienced writers

As miniscule as it may seem, writing plays a significant role in your development as a scholar and
your professional growth. It allows you to unravel yourself more adequately within the academic
ambit whether in a verbal discussion or a nonverbal assignment, an essential skill in the college life;
in addition, writing helps individuals expand their vocabulary and enhance the skills taught to them in
high school. As a high school student, you are accustomed to create outlines , write essays, and
construct research papers following the same basic structure and format: a five–sentence
introduction that contains an appealing hook for the audience, background information that helps
the reader identify the root of the problem being studied, its scope. There are major differences from
high school writing and college academic writing, in high school, you may have been taught to
construct five paragraph essays and other short forms of writing. College writing strongly
discourages this five–paragraph essay format, and instead pushes students to break out of the limits
imposed by such a rigid structure. This introduction of three supporting points and conclusion
strategy is simply not practical for college assignments. Enhancing your writing skills will provide
more development improvement but it will also help you professionally. Be prepared to explore
alternative strategies that will help you enhance your academic writing.
In In the article "What is An Academic Paper?", the

Five Paragraph Themes
The III Effect of the Five Paragraph Theme article by Kimberly Wesley is more about persuading
students to write other types of essays rather than just the common five paragraph essay that's been
taught for countless years. In my opinion, I prefer not to write my essays in the five paragraph
theme because it isn't remarkably conducive to not only high school students like me, but as well as
other writers. As of my own experience in writing throughout my school years, there's no doubt in
confessing that I have had more than three main ideas for a certain essay, while on the other hand,
there have been essays where I would struggle to come up with even two ideas! According to a
college student (my sister), I have been told that the FPT is not

Personal Narrative: My Year With Rasmussen
This year with Rasmussen has been a blast. There have been some bad and good moments
throughout the school year. I will always remember how to use a comma, tier words and how to
write an essay. These will be helpful in my future. There are many memorable learning skills that
I have learned but there are also many things we could work on like making our groups more
diverse, having more tests review and having an open class discussion for more opinions to be
expressed. In this class there is always need for improvement, but also there are valuable learning
skills that will be cherished.
Comma use has always been a struggle for me but as of this year I have really understood the rules
of when to use each type of comma. Rasmussen demonstrated...show more content...
I really worked hard to learn how to format an essay. It is a big factor in learning how to write an
essay. What is the format? The format of an essay starts with a paragraph that introduces the
topic. The next part is to continue with the body of the paper. It is used to introduce what you
will be talking about with evidence, and analysis. The final sentence is used to wrap up the end of
that paragraph. The last step is your concluding paragraph. It restates your topic and should wrap
up the whole essay with a strong ending. I have seen an improvement in my grades through the
year by using this format to write an essay. When using formats to write essays it helps keep you
organized and stay on track with what your essay will be

The Five Paragraph Essay and My Own Writing Style
The five paragraph essay is tremendously valuable to me as a student. I have realized throughout
my research that this format is seldom used by professionals; it is mostly used by students like
me. I believe I now understand why that is; it seems to be a very clear way of composing a paper.
It has a great deal of structure to it, and allows for more consistency and a better flow. Without
having such structure, it is easy to go off on tangents, and at the same time, confuse the reader. The
five–paragraph essay is essentially a sealant. Just like sealant fastens things together and helps ensure
that things are in order, well–fitted, and secure. So too, the five paragraph essay makes sure that all
of the various writing components fit...show more content...
Once I have identified my main themes, I start to freewrite by linking them all together. My process
of freewriting is similar to the process suggested in the lecture. The concepts in the lecture included
the five–paragraph essay, as well as its inner–component: prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing.
Prewrtitng is basically all of the actions that are taken during the drafting process. This often
involves brainstorming and the collecting of relevant data. It is the first step that was mentioned
and is considered to be a gathering process. My freewriting process primarily consists of
prewriting, although I mostly rely on my own thought process versus using alternative sources. We
learned that drafting is when a person's ideas start forming actual sentences. It is the process of
connecting ideas. This is precisely what I do when I freewrite, but prewriting involves more
supporting of ideas. Although revision was mentioned in the lecture, I tend to incorporate it into
my freewriting without it being a separate process. Revision is basically making the sentences and
the structure more succinct. It involves making the writing as clear as possible for the reader.
Editing was also covered in the lecture. It involves making sure the correct grammar is being used
and that the spelling is correct. I also use this process in freewriting, although much of it comes
automatically as I start typing. As a result of completing this analysis, I realize

What I Learned In My English Class
Since I was I child, I have been told that I will always need to know how to read and write. Ever
since kindergarten, I have been taking English courses. Reading and writing has not been my
favorite subject, but it is something that is required of me to know how to do. This English
course will impact by future by preparing me to have organizational skills, expressing my ideas in
great detail, and learning how to write essays to qualify for scholarships. The first way this class
will help me in the future is by preparing me to develop great organizational skills. The five
paragraph format has not changed for writing an essay. This class has taught me the correct
format in writing an essay. An essay will always need an introduction, thesis statement, body
paragraphs, and a conclusion. I can use these skills that I have learned to help me keep any essays
that I will write in the future organized. These organizational skills will really help me when I take
English Compositon two. Not only has this class helped me develop organizational skills, but it has
also helped learned to express my ideas in great detail....show more content...
For instance, if I am trying to convince the mayor to change something in my city, I can provide
him with an essay with strong evidence and supporting details. I also have learned how to
introduce myself through narratives with vivid details. The discussion board that I completed
throughout this course was a great way for me to learn how to express myself and my opinions.
This class has also helped me qualify for other goals that I have in the

Paragraph Essay
Five Paragraph Essay Outline
Teachers can use these steps to teach students how to write a great five paragraph essay by using
outlines and properly organizing thoughts, topics, and details.
These directions are written for students to follow when choosing a topic, creating a basic outline,
and writing the essay.
Read more: http://www.brighthub.com/education/k–12/articles/2999.aspx#ixzz0lQaL6vBg
Step 1 – Choose a Good Topic
When writing an essay, it is important to choose a topic that is not too broad. For example, do not
write about football. Choose something more specific, like football drills, the greatest football team,
football equipment, football practice, etc.
It is important that you can think of three main ideas that...show more content...
Do not give any new information in this section.
It is important to write a rough draft to share with a friend or parent to edit. When editing, ask
someone to check that you stayed on topic and used proper writing conventions, such as good
spelling, usage, mechanics and grammar.
Last, you want to write a final copy. This should be error free. It can be written in pen or typed.
Most teachers like a typed copy; however, neatly written essays in pen are acceptable as well.
Teachers generally grade an essay on the following criteria: interesting content, organization and
writing conventions.
Writing a good five paragraph essay can take some time. Do not wait until the last minute and make
sure to have someone edit it before you turn in the final copy to your teacher.
Read more: http://www.brighthub.com/education/k–12/articles/2999.aspx#ixzz0lQaPl8km
How to Write an Argumentative Essay Step by Step
Argumentative essays intimidate lots of students because of the structure an instructor expects.
Instructors will expect well–written, tightly–argued essays, but that doesn't mean the paper needs to
be twenty pages long or should refer to a dozen or more sources. What it does mean, however, is
that a student takes a stand on an issue, presents his side of the argument while refuting his
opposition, and also integrates outside sources that help support his point of view.

My Strengths And Weaknesses Of College Essay
Reflecting on the writing process for my expository essay, I have discovered a few strengths and
weaknesses. My strengths are vocabulary, the 5–paragraph essay format, quality thesis statements,
and the flow of ideas. In future essays, I will use these strengths to write the outline and essay in the
same manner I completed the ones for this course. Weaknesses I have found include repetitive
sentence structure, incorrect use of in–text citations, and difficulty writing a quality hook. In order to
create variety in my sentence structure, I will utilize the Purdue OWL Writing Lab and the Guide
to Grammar and Writing that are listed as additional resources on the GCU Writing Center web
page. I will reread the GCU style guide to better understand

In Marie Foley's "Unteaching the Five Paragraph, Mary Kay Mulvaney's "Difference Between
College and High School Writing," and "Understanding Writing Assignments: Tips and Techniques"
by Dan Melzer, the authors all have a different opinion on various topics of writing. The topics
includes the five paragraph structure, how to understand a writing assignment and the difference
between the writing of college student and high school students. In my opinion everyone have their
own opinions. My opinions on the three articles differ in various ways; there are some things that I
agree with and few minor things that I disagree with. I have a strong belief that every writer thinks
critically. In Marie's "unteaching the five paragraphs she argues that the five–paragraph formula
does not allow students to think in a critical way, and it prevents them from discovering new
information. When I was scanning the document I had...show more content...
Yes writing is a form of self–expression. In the social academic world students must know their
purpose in writing. In Melzer's "Understanding writing assignments: Tips and Techniques" the author
discuss the ways students can understand what they are writing about it. If I do not understand what
the assignment is I will ask questions so that I can have clarity on the assignment. Once a person
understands the assignment they must brainstorm their ideas and go through the rhetoric process. I
agree with all the tips/steps to be successful on an assignment. But what I have learned from this
article is that if we are able to select a topic of our own always choose something that's original. It is
not a bad thing to pick a topic that numerous amounts of people have written about but a student will
not be able to expand their horizon on things to learn; but also choose something that interests us. If
we have no interest in writing about it then what is the point in writing about

In Paul Roberts essay "How to Say Nothing in 500 Words", he reveals a number of suggestions that
writers can use to improve their own writing. The format for the essay makes it very easy to read,
and helps the reader to clearly understand his/her interests.
This essay is really beneficial and significant notwithstanding the year it was written. Some of the
points made about distinctive writing mistakes often made by many college students did remind me
of some things I frequently do. I found that I do use 'pat expressions' in some of my assignments,
particularly when there is a word limit (by addition of lengthier phrases in demand to make one
point). As Robert says: "they are no creation of yours but pieces of common thought floating in the

Preparing The 'Footstool' Method For Writing
The "Footstool" method for writing is the "five–paragraph theme" consisting of an introduction, body
and conclusion. The "Footstool" method for writing is the basic principle structure of writing.
Writing consists of many purposes and formats with different techniques used to create a "good"
essay. Hjortshoj takes a analytical view towards"Footstool" essays not stating whether they are
indefinitely bad or good rather they are abused building blocks towards a more substantial essay. The
limitations of a "Footstool" essay is uniformity, redundancy and inflexibility. The "Footstool" method
follows three major rules to good writing. The first rule, each paragraph must consist of three
sentences; which the "Footstool" method follows for every paragraph. The second rule, there should
be at least three paragraphs in the body, "Footstool" suggest that you must address subtopics or
points typically three in the body. Thus the "Footstool" essay format inherently follows some rules of
good writing....show more content...
The structure is a easier more comprehensible and universal building block for writing
fundamentals. The method consists of basic parts being an introduction, body and conclusion; an
easy idea to grasp when learning to write. The "Footstool" method is arguably a "good" writing
method especially following a specific set of instructions. Through my high school years we were
taught the rhetorical triangle as a way to further our writing. The purpose of learning rhetoric was to
rejecting the idea of a format rather focusing on persuasion of a thought and the our purpose of the
writing. The rhetorical triangle could be broken down to emotions, message, and ethics. The method
focused on an appeal to these parts of

5 Paragraph Essay Outline
Throughout all of high school, students are taught to write papers following the outline of a
five–paragraph essay. The five–paragraph essay is a format of essay having five paragraphs: one
introductory paragraph, three body paragraphs with support and development, and one concluding
paragraph. This basic structure has proven to be effective for many students however the format
itself has been accused of being "rigid and arbitrary" as well as being accused of valuing mechanical
organizational schemes rather than in depth thinking. (1) Is the five–paragraph essay as flawed as
some people make it out to be? A five paragraph essay breaks down like this: The first paragraph
contains a one sentence (or maybe a two sentence) thesis statement, which

Into In the article "Unteaching the Five Paragraph Essay", Marie Foley intere that the five paragraph
essay format is blameworthy of high school graduate unpreparedness for college coursework and the
need of remedial classes. Foley stated that "Many college freshman enter composition course
alienated from writing"(P.2) Foley also claim that "teaching the five paragraph formula this harms
student in some fundamental ways....i'll–preparing them for academic and real world writing"(P.3)
This paper is going to analyse Marie foley article by brake down the reason and problem behind the
Five paragraph essay. Summary: In the introduction of Marie Foley's article content that teachers use
the five paragraph essay formula because it has a sample and

Five–paragraph essay is a brief, non–fiction composition that describes, clarifies, argues, or analyzes
a subject.
1.Starting with a hook. In order to persuade readers to continue reading, an effective introduction
needs to grab their attention. To do this, an introduction can use one or more of several techniques–it
can start with an objective statement, make reference to a surprising scene or situation, start with
rhetorical question, start with a problem that needs a solution. The second sentence should tell the
reader more about the topic without providing background information, which leads to a thesis
statement. Usually, the introductory paragraph gives the main idea and the supporting arguments of
the essay, each of them will become

5 Paragraph Essay Format

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