Writing Strong 5-Paragraph Essays

Writing Strong 5-Paragraph Essays December 10, 2011

5 Parts of an Essay Paragraph 1: Introduction Paragraph 2: 1st Cause Paragraph 3: 2nd Cause Paragraph 4: 3rd Cause Paragraph 5: Conclusion

Introductions Read the two paragraphs on the next slides. They are both introductions to an essay about the effects of love.

Essay #1 Introduction Love is when two people feel very strong affection for one another. It is a very powerful emotion. In fact, it is one of the most powerful emotions in the world and it is an emotion that almost everyone feels at some point in their lives, if they are lucky. The dictionary defines love as a “strong or warm personal attachment.” This can only partly explain love. Love also has countless effects on the way that we live our lives, whether we are very young or very old. It has effects that are extremely positive and it also has other effects which are extremely negative. The dictionary cannot even begin to explain these effects. In this essay, I also cannot explain all the effects of love, but I can discuss the three most important effects. Those effects include that love can effect our mood by making us happy, love can effect our personality by making us courageous, and love can effect our social life by making us popular.

Essay #2 Introduction “Hey, did you hear what happened between Ka’Juan and his girl this weekend?” Two girls were chattering in the corner of the classroom. I could only guess that they were talking about love and romance. Practically every single day, you can hear students at Southeast Halifax High School exchanging gossip about some new love related event, and teenagers are not the only ones obsessed with and affected by love. Love is an incredibly powerful and common emotion that affects people of all ages in many ways. From a teenager perspective, some of the most important effects of love are that it causes gossip, it affects people’s popularity, and it affects people’s sense of who they are.

Based on these two different introductions, which essay would you be more likely to want to read all the way to the end?

Introduction #2 makes me far more likely to want to read the rest of the essay for a number of reasons. The second introduction begins with a tiny story (an anecdote) that catches my attention. I want to know what happened to Ka’Juan, and I want to know more about the writers experiences as a high school student thinking about love. The second introduction also does a better job making the topic of love’s effects seem like something that might be important to my life as a high school student and also by explaining just how powerful it is.

Have you ever picked up a book, read the first page, and thrown it back down because it seemed boring? As you can see from the introductions that you just read, people will do the same thing to your essays, unless you grab your reader’s attention with something that makes them want to keep reading past the first sentence. Just like if you were talking to someone in person, you have to make a strong and interesting first impression.

HOW TO WRITE AN INTRODUCTION: • Grab the reader’s attention (2) Tell why it’s important– why should your reader want to KEEP reading? (3) Have a Strong Thesis Statement

Ways to Grab Attention • very short anecdote (2) quote (3) interesting fact or statistic

Read the following slides for example introductory paragraphs on the effects of love. Watch for how they grab the reader’s attention, tell why it’s important, and create a strong thesis statement.

“Honey, I just don’t think we belong together anymore…” I held the phone against my ear, disbelieving the words I had just heard. I was waiting for Marcus to say, “Just kidding! April Fools!” but there was only silence. Suddenly, my hand began to shake and the phone dropped to the floor. I had never felt such pain as that evening or the many months that followed.] I wish someone had told me sooner how much love can hurt. Like me, most teens have no idea what they are getting into when they start a relationship. Before I ever fell in love, I only thought of the wonderful effects of love, like butterflies in your stomach and having someone to praise you. My relationship with Marcus showed me that many of the effects of love are actually negative. Some of the common negative effects of love, which teens should be prepared to face are the pain of heartbreak, loss of individuality, and isolation from friends.

Lao Tzu once said, “Being loved by someone deeply gives youcourage." So often, in books or movies, we see love transform ordinary people into courageous heroes, just as Lao Tzu suggests.] It happens throughout the world and throughout history, and it is only one of love’s many effects. Strangely most of us never stop to consider the fact that love has such incredible effects. If we did, perhaps more of us would strive to find love and fight to keep it. In fact, love is one of the most powerful forces in the universe, and it has many positive effects including bringing people happiness, making people selfless, and giving people courage.

Married men are half as likely to commit suicide as women and have a much lower likelihood of dying early than single men. Few people realize this shocking advantage of marriage and of love.] We rarely stop to consider that it is such a strong emotion that it could actually save our lives, despite the fact that every song on the radio and every movie in cinemas seems to be about love! In fact, love has many effects that people often overlook, some of which are positive and some of which are negative. The most important effects of love include its incredible ability to help people become themselves, to motivate people to work hard for success, and to make people act kindly towards others.

Which was your favorite introduction? Why?

Now read over your introduction and see what you can add to make it stronger!

Okay.. now that you have your introduction all set, it’s time to move on to… BODY PARAGRAPHS!

In a 5–Paragraph essay, most of your information and evidence comes in the body paragraphs. The body paragraphs are the three middle paragraphs in the essay. They come after the introduction and before the conclusion.

It is important that (like your thesis) each body paragraph is focused and talks about just one idea. This is easy to do because each body paragraph matches up with one of the three reasons or points in your thesis. A body paragraph picks one of the points from the thesis and explains it and provides evidence to prove it.

For example, look at this thesis: “Although many believe marijuana to be a harmless herb, marijuana is a dangerous drug because it contains toxins that can poison the body, it damages your judgment, and it can lead to using more harmful drugs.”

In an essay that has this as a thesis: The FIRST body paragraph would be about the toxins in marijuana that can hurt a person’s body. The SECOND body paragraph would be about how marijuana can damage your judgment and make you do stupid things. The THIRD body paragraph would be about how marijuana is a “gateway” drug that leads to using harder drugs. Notice that the order of the body paragraphs follows the order of the three reasons in the thesis statement.

Body paragraphs are often filled with quotes, evidence, and strong statements. It is here that you get your chance to prove what you said in your thesis is the truth. You are trying to make it so no one could possibly argue against what you are saying! It is your chance to TEST the strength of your thesis.

Remember T.E.S.T. T opic Sentence – The topic sentence is the first sentence of a body paragraph. It begins with a “start-off” (such as “first”, “second of all”, or “finally”) and then repeats one of the points of the thesis. It is the main idea of the paragraph. E vidence – You must provide evidence to prove what you are saying. You can quote something, provide textual evidence, or list facts and research. Show that you have evidence to back up whatever you say. S upport – After you give a piece of “evidence” support it by explaining to the reader why it is important or why it proves you are correct. T ransition – The transition is the last sentence of the body paragraph. It gives the reader a taste of what you are about to talk about in the next paragraph. It makes the paper read smoothly.

Remember: A Topic Sentence = [Start Off], [One Reason From Thesis] For example: “First of all, marijuana contains harmful toxins that poison the body.”

Examples of “Start-Offs”: First, Second, Third, Firstly, Secondly, Thirdly, First of all, Second of all, Third of all, To begin, Next, Lastly, Finally…

A transition always leads to your next point in an obvious way. If the next paragraph is the conclusion you might write, “This all leads to my conclusion.”

Then, you need evidence. LOTS and LOTS of evidence!

Now read over your 3 body paragraphs and see what you can add to make them stronger!

Once you’ve written 3 strong body paragraphs, it’s time to wrap it all up! On to your conclusion!

Conclusion In a 5–Paragraph essay, the final push for your essay comes in the conclusion paragraph. The conclusion paragraph is the final paragraph of your essay and it comes after the three body paragraphs.

It is important that your conclusion paragraph is similar to your introduction. Did you ask a question for your hook? Answer that question in your conclusion. Did you tell a story or anecdote for your hook? Give an ending (happy or sad) to that story or anecdote. Did you give an amazing fact, statistic or statement? Revisit it and shock your reader again. It is important that your introductory paragraph and conclusion paragraph are similar and connected.

You want to start off your conclusion with a sum-up sentence. A sum-up sentence is very easy to make. You use a “start-off” (just like in topic sentences) that is appropriate for a conclusion paragraph (such as “in conclusion”) and then you re-write your “argument” from the thesis.

Follow this model: [Start-Off], [Argument from Thesis]

A possible sum-up sentence might be “In conclusion, marijuana is a dangerous drug.” The next sentence is you revisiting your thesis. Write that you know you are correct because of the three reasons you gave in your thesis. For example, “This is correct because marijuana contains toxins that can poison the body, it damages your judgment, and it can lead to using more harmful drugs.” The next section is your outreach: it is you reaching out to your readers and explaining why what you said or wrote is important to their lives. Wrap it up with a POW! sentence: something big and strong to end with that keeps the reader thinking. Make their eyes open wide and know you are smart.

Remember S.T.O.P S um-up Sentence – The sum-up sentence is the first sentence of a conclusion paragraph. It begins with a “start-off” (such as “in sum”) and then repeats the stand you took (where you “took a stand” in your thesis). T hesis Revisit – You must stay why you are correct by re-listing your three reasons from your thesis. “This is true because [point 1], [point 2], [point 3].” Outreach – Make everything you wrote apply to your readers’ life. Reach out to them and force them to think what you wrote is very important! P OW! Sentence – The final sentence is the POW! Sentence. You want the reader to end with a really strong, beautifully written sentence.

Remember: A Sum Up Sentence = [Start Off], [Stand From Thesis]. For example: “In conclusion, marijuana is a dangerous drug.” Examples of “Start-Offs” for a conclusion: “In essence”, “In sum”, “Therefore”

Now read over your conclusion and see what you can add to make it stronger!

Writing Strong 5-Paragraph Essays