Download
1 / 24
240 likes | 242 Views
The five paragraph essay format is a common and simple method used for essay writing. This format includes an introduction, three body paragraphs with supporting reasons, and a concluding paragraph. It is a helpful guideline for structuring your essay effectively.
E N D
The Five Paragraph Essay • Common format for essay writing, but not the only model. • This is the simplest essay format. You should build upon this format as your writing gets better. This method is functional, but is a general guideline. • Think of a sandwich or a burger. The bread/bun is the introduction and conclusion, and you have the “meat” and “toppings” in the middle. • Begin with a main idea (thesis statement), give reasons to support your main idea, then restate your thesis in the conclusion. Each item will be a separate paragraph.
Beware! • This is just one method of composition writing, and it is the simplest method. Try to not restrict yourself to just five paragraphs. • Three is a “magic” number (people just like things in threes), but you might have more support, a background paragraph, or even an anticipated rebuttal (where you contradict the opposing viewpoint before they have a chance to challenge you) to include.
Introduction • In the introduction paragraph, you’ll state your main point of your essay. • Include your thesis statement and a blueprint, or mini-outline of the essay. • It’s good to start with a “hook” to draw the reader in. • Say something provocative or that asks a question so the audience will continue reading your essay.
Things you should not do… • Use unnecessary words and phrases, like “I think”, “I believe”, “In my opinion”, etc. • This is your essay, so we know this is what you think and feel. You do not need to state it, nor should you rely on first person point of view in most cases. • State that you’re stating • “In this essay I will”, “The purpose of this essay”, etc. are also not necessary. Your tone and purpose should come across without you having to state it explicitly. • Use trite, overdone hooks • Definitions and questions are done far too often. Think outside the box.
Sample introduction • In ten years, it will be illegal to smoke. At least, that’s what the author of dystopian novel The Bar Code Tattoo, would like you to believe. Suzanne Weyn set her novel in 2025, and tobacco-related deaths had become so prevalent that not only was purchasing tobacco illegal, virtually nobody smoked anymore. Weyn may be on to something, considering how deadly smoking is. Tobacco is the most preventative cause of death in the United States, and you don’t have to be a smoker to die from it. To prevent smoking-related deaths, better cessation programs, better prevention education programs, and better sales laws should be utilized.
Sample introduction • In ten years, it will be illegal to smoke. At least, that’s what the author of dystopian novel The Bar Code Tattoo, would like you to believe. Suzanne Weyn set her novel in 2025, and tobacco-related deaths had become so prevalent that not only was purchasing tobacco illegal, virtually nobody smoked anymore. Weyn may be on to something, considering how deadly smoking is. Tobacco is the most preventative cause of death in the United States, and you don’t have to be a smoker to die from it. To prevent smoking-related deaths, better cessation programs, better prevention education programs, and better sales laws should be utilized. This is your “hook”. It’s provocative and draws your reader in. He or she will want to know why it’s going to be illegal to smoke.
Sample introduction Here are the thesis and blueprint. Notice how there is a main point, tobacco being deadly but preventative. This is the “claim”, or the stance on the issue. The blueprint is an outline of the arguments used to defend the claim. There are three here, and each should be in a separate paragraph in the body. • In ten years, it will be illegal to smoke. At least, that’s what the author of dystopian novel The Bar Code Tattoo, would like you to believe. Suzanne Weyn set her novel in 2025, and tobacco-related deaths had become so prevalent that not only was purchasing tobacco illegal, virtually nobody smoked anymore. Weyn may be on to something, considering how deadly smoking is. Tobacco is the most preventative cause of death in the United States, and you don’t have to be a smoker to die from it. To prevent smoking-related deaths, better cessation programs, better prevention education programs, and better sales laws should be utilized.
Body Paragraphs • As mentioned, you could begin your body paragraphs with a background paragraph. • Explain, using statistics, just how deadly smoking can be. • Offer preventative methods in place now, and even how they may not be working. • Your reasons (each in separate paragraphs) should go in a logical order…
First Reason/Argument • Your first argument in support of your claim should be the best and strongest point, and should correspond to the first argument used in the blueprint. • Think about transitions, and how to connect this argument with the introduction, perhaps using the hook. • You want smooth transitions between paragraphs to have a fluent essay. Avoid “first, second, third”, “one example, another example”, etc.; it’s trite.
Example • Though Weyn sees a nation where very few people smoke, and prevention is the key, what about the millions of Americans who currently smoke? How do we get them to stop? Stronger smoking cessation programs are needed to help those who already smoke and need help quitting.
Example • Though Weyn sees a nation where very few people smoke, and prevention is the key, what about the millions of Americans who currently smoke? How do we get them to stop. Stronger smoking cessation programs are needed to help those who already smoke and need help quitting. Here is a great transition. It links back to the hook in the introduction, and uses the most important reason supporting the claim—cessation. Remember, we ended the blueprint with prevention, and the background paragraph may have mentioned prevention programs that need to be stronger, so this transition uses the hook to bring the reader back to cessation from prevention.
Example • Though Weyn sees a nation where very few people smoke, and prevention is the key, what about the millions of Americans who currently smoke? How do we get them to stop. Stronger smoking cessation programs are needed to help those who already smoke and need help quitting. This is the main point of this body paragraph. There will then be details and ideas to support this claim. Remember to use reliable and credible sources for your evidence.
Second Reason/Argument • This will be the next strongest reason to support your claim. • This reason should correspond to the second reason in the blueprint. • Remember to use transitions between the first reason and the second, and between the second reason and the third.
Third Reason/Argument • The third (or fourth/fifth/final) reason the supports your claim will be the least strong, and corresponds to the third reason in the blueprint. • Remember, again, to use transitions between paragraphs.
Closing • Your closing paragraph will wrap up your main point/thesis from the introduction. • You should restate your thesis and blueprint, but with different wording. • Great essays will keep drawing back to the hook and introduction to keep continuity! • Have a final statement that gets the reader to think, but signals that your argument has come to an end. • In a persuasive paper, this will be a “call to action”.
Example • Better tobacco sales laws and stricter punishments can help restrict tobacco sales, and improved product education will begin to increase prevention. Public programs to help people quit smoking will further aid in a widespread non-smoking society, like Weyn wrote about in The Bar Code Tattoo. Having a non-smoking society would prevent hundreds of thousands of premature deaths in America every year. Don’t pick up that first cigarette, and help somebody you know to put their cigarette out.
Example • Better tobacco sales laws and stricter punishments can help restrict tobacco sales, and improved product education will begin to increase prevention. Public programs to help people quit smoking will further aid in a widespread non-smoking society, like Weyn wrote about in The Bar Code Tattoo. Having a non-smoking society would prevent hundreds of thousands of premature deaths in America every year. Don’t pick up that first cigarette, and help somebody you know to put their cigarette out. This restates the blueprint, in backwards order, in different words, but with similar verbiage. It “echoes” the wording already used.
Example • Better tobacco sales laws and stricter punishments can help restrict tobacco sales, and improved product education will begin to increase prevention. Public programs to help people quit smoking will further aid in a widespread non-smoking society, like Weyn wrote about in The Bar Code Tattoo. Having a non-smoking society would prevent hundreds of thousands of premature deaths in America every year. Don’t pick up that first cigarette, and help somebody you know to put their cigarette out. This links back to the hook, allowing for continuity.
Example • Better tobacco sales laws and stricter punishments can help restrict tobacco sales, and improved product education will begin to increase prevention. Public programs to help people quit smoking will further aid in a widespread non-smoking society, like Weyn wrote about in The Bar Code Tattoo. Having a non-smoking society would prevent hundreds of thousands of premature deaths in America every year. Don’t pick up that first cigarette, and help somebody you know to put their cigarette out. This restates the thesis, and is the claim. This is what the essay’s main point was.
Example • Better tobacco sales laws and stricter punishments can help restrict tobacco sales, and improved product education will begin to increase prevention. Public programs to help people quit smoking will further aid in a widespread non-smoking society, like Weyn wrote about in The Bar Code Tattoo. Having a non-smoking society would prevent hundreds of thousands of premature deaths in America every year. Don’t pick up that first cigarette, and help somebody you know to put their cigarette out. This is the final “call to action”, and also signifies that the argument and essay is over. It asks the reader to do something, which causes them to continue thinking about the topic.
Good luck! • Good luck with your essay writing. Remember to use transitions and have a clearly stated thesis and blueprint. • Remember the burger! • Introduction • Body paragraphs • Conclusion
For more information… • See Keystone’s Writing Guide! • http://curriculum.kcdistancelearning.com/courses/ORIENTs-HS-K12/s/docs/writing_guide.pdf
