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How to Write a Five Paragraph Essay
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:
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. 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.
Main Body Paragraphs (3)
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.
Conclusion
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
Transitions connect your paragraphs to one another, especially the main body ones. It's not effective to simply
jump from one idea to the next; you need to use the end of one paragraph and/or the beginning of the next to
show the relationship between the two ideas.
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.
Does the first paragraph tell us a pro and the second a con? ("on the other hand . . .")
Does the second paragraph tell us something of greater significance? ("more importantly . . .")
An earlier historical example? ("even before [topic of paragraph 1], [topic of paragraph 2]")
A different kind of consideration? (money versus time).
Think about your paragraph topics and brainstorm until you find the most relevant links between them.
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.
Read more: Homework Center: How to Write a Five Paragraph
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The five parargaph essay (2)
This document provides guidance on writing a five paragraph essay. It explains that a five paragraph essay consists of an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The introduction should include a general discussion of the topic and a clear thesis statement. Each body paragraph should focus on supporting the thesis with a topic sentence, details, and examples. Transitions are needed to connect the paragraphs. The conclusion should restate the thesis and emphasize the importance or significance of the topic.
The five parargaph essay (2)
- 1. 2 Topics for the Essay Choose a topic from the list below and construct a simple five paragraph essay. Family Life Your Favorites Who makes up your family Favorite book What is like being a brother/sister/only child Favorite poem Your family vacation Favorite band Your pets Favorite recipe Chores you are responsible for Favorite drink Suburban or city life Favorite cartoon Family traditions Favorite color Favorite quote Intimate Talk Favorite animal Your dreams Favorite comedian What scares you Favorite vacation spot What makes you laugh Your hopes for the future TV/Movies Causes close to your heart Pokemon Tell each other about your spirituality (respect the Dragonball Z differences) Buffy The Vampire Slayer How you feel about being young Angel What you would do with a million dollars Reality TV Your dream boy/girl friend The worst movie/TV show you ever saw Boy/Girl friend troubles The best movie/TV show you ever saw Something that is bothering you Best actor/actress What it is like to live in your country Favorite talk show Where you would like to travel to in your lifetime Write a sitcom about your countries coming together Personal Interests Recent awards show Crazy Bones Research Star Trek trivia Hobbies A Sport you participate in Current Issues Sport news The Olympics Auto Racing News stories Crafts The environment Your driver’s test Pollution Game tips and tricks Government change Playstation vs. Nintendo War What's in style Your job The rich and famous Your adventure in trying to get a job Astronomy Challenge each other to a game of acronyms Summer Talk Create a club Kite flying Artwork Your favorite summer sport/activity Beauty secrets Email a copy of your summer camp diary Exercise tips Summer time parties Your collections (stamps, cars, baseball cards) Boating adventures Fishing trips Talk About School Swim meets Your favorite teacher Your vacation Your Favorite subject Least favorite subject Holiday Talk How you take tests Share a scary story School dances Christmas stories Homework help Legends, folklore and magic Graduation Share celebration ideas High School Life Local holiday/celebration traditions College admissions Talk about traditional costumes What do you want to be Holiday/celebration foods/drinks Exchange calendars with local Internet holiday/celebration dates Your favorite website Share your Internet talents (HTML and graphics) Future of the Internet The funniest site you have seen The worst site you have seen
- 2. 1 How to Write a Five Paragraph Essay 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: 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. 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. Main Body Paragraphs (3) 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. Conclusion 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 Transitions connect your paragraphs to one another, especially the main body ones. It's not effective to simply jump from one idea to the next; you need to use the end of one paragraph and/or the beginning of the next to show the relationship between the two ideas. 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. Does the first paragraph tell us a pro and the second a con? ("on the other hand . . .") Does the second paragraph tell us something of greater significance? ("more importantly . . .") An earlier historical example? ("even before [topic of paragraph 1], [topic of paragraph 2]") A different kind of consideration? (money versus time). Think about your paragraph topics and brainstorm until you find the most relevant links between them. 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. Read more: Homework Center: How to Write a Five Paragraph Essay http://www.infoplease.com/homework/wsfivepara.html#ixzz1x9cBvC6m http://www.infoplease.com/homework/wsfivepara.html