Of all the different essay types students must learn to compose, the five-paragraph essay is perhaps the easiest. It's taught in middle school, high school, and college, but sometimes students don't understand the purpose or have forgotten the steps involved in this type of essay.
Students shouldn't let themselves be intimidated by this essay! Here are the main parts of a five-paragraph essay. Really, once a student chooses his topic and creates an outline, writing the essay shouldn't be too difficult.
Begin With an Outline That Covers the Scope of the Essay
Obviously, a student needs to choose a topic, and if research isn't required for the assignment, he should choose a topic he knows something about. He might spend some time writing out all his basic ideas about his topic.
Finally, he must decide the thesis for his paper. He should ask himself, "What is the main idea I want to get across to my reader?" Once he's decided the point of his paper, he will want to come up with three ideas to support his thesis. Then he'll create an outline.
For example, a student named Sally decides she wants to write her paper about one of her favorite pastimes, shopping. She spends some time thinking about what she wants to say and finally decides her thesis: "Shopping for women's fashion is more enjoyable when one goes to thrift stores."
Sally must then write her essay map, which (in this case) is nothing more than three ideas that support her thesis. In Sally's case, her main points are these:
- Thrift stores have a wider variety of clothes than several new clothing stores combined.
- Thrift stores' prices are usually less expensive than stores with new merchandise.
- Thrift stores aren't as crowded, so shoppers can take their time browsing.
She will write an outline with five main sections: The introduction, three body paragraphs, and the conclusion.
Writing the Body Paragraphs
The body paragraphs have already been started by the student. The student's essay map - the three main supporting points for the thesis - becomes three topic sentences for the student's paper.
For example, in Sally's case, her first body paragraph following her introduction will begin with the topic sentence that states thrift stores have a wide variety of clothes. She will use that topic sentence to drive the rest of the paragraph. She will explain why she feels the way she does and provide examples for her audience. After writing the first body paragraph, she will use the same technique to compose her second and third body paragraphs. She already has her topic sentences; she simply needs to support those ideas in her paragraphs.
Every Essay Should Have a Strong Conclusion
After writing the introduction and three body paragraphs, only the fifth paragraph - the conclusion - remains. The student simply needs to summarize what he said in his essay, reiterating his main points and also saying something final about the topic, something that lets his readers know why his topic and thesis were important.
For example, Sally's conclusion might include a statement like this: "Some people might think shopping is a waste of time, but clothing is one of life's basic necessities, and many women enjoy fashion. By spending time and money at thrift stores, clothes get a second chance, women have fun, and they save money while doing it. Who can argue with that?" She ends her essay with a little "food for thought" for her reader.
The Five-Paragraph Essay is Classic Because It Works
Students shouldn't be intimidated by writing this type of essay. It is simple and straightforward while providing the writer a solid framework with which to present his ideas. There are, obviously, looser (and sometimes more complicated) ways of writing a paper, but the five-paragraph essay continues to be taught and used because it works. The format is easy to understand for the writer and yet it is able to present ideas in a logical, step-by-step manner. A student would do well to use this type of format for his essay, and students will find themselves using this basic technique for years to come.
Cynthia Jones-Shoeman - Cynthia (“Cindy”) Jones-Shoeman earned her MA in English from Colorado State University in 2007; her thesis was "Toni ...
