As far as many students find it quite challenging to develop a five-paragraph essay, this article will discuss both the way a typical school or college paper should look like as well as how you should write a five-paragraph essay on the given subject as the part of standardized tests. We will also offer some stunning examples of the topics you may consider when having a right to choose your own theme for discussion.
A writing portion is, perhaps, the most important part of any standardized test. That is why teachers often assign homework writing assignments on different topics. This way they try to prepare you for future challenges. As a rule, each student receives a writing prompt. You should follow the instructions carefully to get the highest score. Usually, it’s all about answering the main question in five paragraphs.
Types of Academic Essays and Their Goals
It is important to know what type of essay you are dealing with before starting to work on the first paragraph (introduction). There are several main types of five-paragraph essay you may face during your educational process or on the test:
- Narrative
- Expository
- Argumentative
- Persuasive
- Comparative/Contrast
- Literary
- Cause and effect
- Reflection
The last one seems the simplest as you have to tell about your own feelings and thoughts towards the question.
Often, the specific type of academic essay predetermines your topic and thesis statement. For example, while a narrative or descriptive paper’s thesis has to state the main idea of the paper in an informative manner, an argumentative essay’s thesis sentence has to sound rather debatable: the author should include two opposing views to appeal to the reader. Similarly, a 5-paragraph reflection essay thesis will simply reflect your experience in one sentence.
On your test, you will either answer the specific question, discuss the research problem/question from all aspects, or analyze a given source in five paragraphs. Usually, students have to criticize some article or speech of a well-known person.
General 5-Paragarph Essay Writing Rules
Here are some tips before you start writing the first sentence.
- Make sure that your introduction, body, and conclusion paragraphs altogether are no longer than 500-800 words.
- Stick to the instructor’s limits.
- Play with the examples and facts from the sources to create a strong evidence for your supporting points (arguments). By the way, learn how to write Bibliography page.
- Avoid the first person.
- Do not state subjective opinions.
- Choose the topic depending on how much credible and up-to-date information you can access.
- Do not use words that you don’t know for sure.
- Come up with an outline. It will be a plan for all five paragraphs. Turn to your essay’s outline before starting each new paragraph to recall what you should discuss. You can get help with your outline online.
Developing Introduction Paragraph
Introduce the reader to your problem in the first paragraph. An introduction should contain a thesis statement and explain the further direction of the paper.
The teachers usually want to feel the writer’s voice from the first few lines. Grab the attention of your target audience with the eye-catching first sentence of the introduction paragraph.
In the introduction, a student must describe all main points in several sentences. Your five-paragraph essay outline and prompt will help you. Turn to the main question as well, but do not provide an answer from the very beginning. End up with writing a powerful thesis statement.
Body Paragraphs with 3 Supporting Points
A regular 5-paragraph paper should not include more than three arguments that support the main thesis statement. In these paragraphs, try to describe the issue in all details. The following features may help:
- Facts
- Statistics
- Quotes
- Examples
List at least three main ideas to discuss in the body paragraphs of your text. Every paragraph should begin with the argument. Each next paragraph should be logically related to the previous one. Use transmitting words like “moreover” or “nevertheless” to create a bridge between the first sentence of the following paragraph and the last part of the previous body paragraph.
Once you’re done with the evidence based on the relevant and recent sources, your body paragraphs are ready.
The Final Part: Conclusion Paragraph
The last paragraph is a concluding one. It is not sufficient to summarize all 3-5 main points (arguments). You have to dig deeper. Restate your thesis statement. Completely paraphrase thesis sentence. Rewrite all three arguments from your body paragraphs. It is important to show to your teachers how these supporting points relate to the thesis. The third and final part must be written in a clear and compelling manner. Do not add any new information, but try to impress your reader.
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