How to Write a Five Paragraph Essay
I. Introduction- The introduction captures the reader’s attention, sets the stage for the content of the essay, and introduces your main points.
A. Hook- Grab the readers with something shocking or thought provoking. Use their assumed experience or knowledge as a base and surprise them so that they will keep reading and want to know more.
B. Cover the overall content of your essay. (This is the thesis statement.) Refrain from using, “This essay will...
C. Introduce your three main points. What three specific things will your essay be covering? Introduce the key fact or interpretation for each point very briefly. These three points should flow together well.
(Do not use “This essay will discuss…. These three points will be covered….. First, I will be discussing….)
II. First Body Paragraph- Explain your first key point
A. An effective topic sentence is one that all of your examples and sub-points fit under clearly .
1. Example or interpretation which clearly fits under the topic sentence
2. Example or interpretation which clearly fits under the topic sentence
3. Example or interpretation which clearly fits under the topic sentence
B. Create a topical or thematic bridge which will link the first paragraph with the second paragraph. This will allow your essay to flow and be unified.
III. Second Body Paragraph- Explain your second key point
A. An effective topic sentence is one that all of your examples and sub-points fit under clearly .
1. Example or interpretation which clearly fits under the topic sentence
2. Example or interpretation which clearly fits under the topic sentence
3. Example or interpretation which clearly fits under the topic sentence
B. Create a topical or thematic bridge which will link the second paragraph with the third paragraph. This will allow your essay to flow and be unified.
IV. Third Body Paragraph- Explain your third key point
A. An effective topic sentence is one that all of your examples and sub-points fit under clearly .
1. Example or interpretation which clearly fits under the topic sentence
2. Example or interpretation which clearly fits under the topic sentence
3. Example or interpretation which clearly fits under the topic sentence
B. (It is difficult to create a bridge to your conclusion. If you can find a way to do it, this helps with flow.)
V. Conclusion- Your conclusion wraps up your essay and provides a chance for you to share your final analysis.
A. Restate your main points. Include the key fact or interpretation for each point very briefly. Do not say “In this essay”….. “The three main points covered were”….” This essay discussed”. Also please try to steer away from “In summary” and “In conclusion”.
B. What is the reader supposed to remember from your essay? What is your overall analysis or interpretation? State this very clearly. (This is the thesis statement.)
C. Seed- Leave the reader with a final thought or idea that will cause them to think long and hard about your essay. The seed may relate to the reader’s experience, or draw a parallel to another related field to the content of your essay.
This is a grading rubric taken from the National Assessment of Educational Progress Writing Assessment (http://nces.ed.gov/). This reflects how I evaluate essays.
Excellent Response
Takes a clear position and develops it consistently with well-chosen reasons and/or examples across the response.
Is well organized with strong transitions.
Sustains variety in sentence structure and exhibits good word choice
Errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation are few and do not interfere with understanding.
Skillful Response
Takes a clear position and develops it with reasons and/or examples in parts of the response.
Is clearly organized, but may lack some transitions and/or have occasional lapses in continuity.
Exhibits some variety in sentence structure and some good word choices.
Errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation do not interfere with understanding
Sufficient Response
Takes a clear position and supports it with some reasons and/or examples.
Is organized with ideas that are generally related, but there are few or no transitions.
Exhibits control over sentence boundaries and sentence structure, but sentences and word choice may be simple and unvaried.
Errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation do not interfere with understanding.
Uneven Response
(may be characterized by one or more of the following:)
Takes a position and offers support, but may be unclear, repetitive, list-like, or undeveloped.
Is unevenly organized; the response may be disjointed.
Exhibits uneven control over sentence boundaries and sentence structure; may have some inaccurate word choices.
Errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation sometimes interfere with understanding.
Insufficient Response
(may be characterized by one or more of the following:)
Takes a position, but may be very unclear, very undeveloped, or very repetitive.
Is very disorganized; thoughts are tenuously connected OR the response is too brief to detect organization.
Minimal control over sentence boundaries and sentence structure; word choice may often be inaccurate.
Errors in grammar or usage (such as missing words or incorrect word use or word order), spelling, and punctuation interfere with understanding in much of the response.
Unsatisfactory Response
Attempts to take a position (addresses topic) but response is incoherent OR takes a position but provides no support; may only paraphrase the prompt.
Has no apparent organization OR consists of a single statement.
Minimal or no control over sentence boundaries and sentence structure; word choice may be inaccurate in much or all of the response.
A multiplicity of errors in grammar or usage (such as missing words or incorrect word use or word order), spelling, and punctuation severely impedes understanding across the response.