How to Write a Five-Paragraph Essay

An essay is a literary composition that expresses a certain idea, claim, or concept and backs it up with supporting statements. It will follow a logical pattern, to include an introductory paragraph (make the claim), a body (support), and a conclusion (summary of statements and support). You can learn to craft a great essay if you can follow the standard pattern and write in a clear and organized manner. 1. Introduction: The introduction paragraph.

The introduction is the first paragraph in your essay, and it should capture the reader's interest. It's a good idea to start your essay with a really interesting statement to lure in the reader with an interesting, thought-provoking remark or anecdote.

a. The opener. You can choose one of the following five ways to start the essay:
Question (Ex. Have you ever wondered how baked ziti is made?) General Statement (Ex. Wearing a seatbelt can help protect your life.) Quotation (Ex. A wise man once said, "If it aint broke, dont fix it.) Opposite Statement (Ex. Many people believe that all healthy foods are healthy.) Story (Ex. The manager left his store to take a quick lunch break. He was sure all of his employees were trustworthy. He was gone for one hour, and when he returned, all of the cash was missing from his register.) b. The lead-in. The lead-in is represented in sentences 2-4. more specific ideas. c. The thesis statement. The thesis statement should always come at the end of the introduction paragraph. It should always contain your opinion on the topic and your plan for the essay. For example, a well-constructed thesis statement might be as follows: These sentences narrow down your

ideas to the thesis statement. They are like a funnel that starts with a general idea and ends up with

Rocking Horse Grill is the best restaurant in town because of its food, atmosphere, and friendly staff. Opinion: Plan: Rocking Horse Grill is the best restaurant in town because of its food, atmosphere, and friendly staff.

Thus, the first body paragraph of this essay would be about Rocking Horse Grills food, the second body paragraph would be about its atmosphere, and the third would be about its friendly staff.

2. The three body paragraphs Remember that the thesis statement sets the plan for the content of each body paragraph. For this reason, each body paragraph should include details, examples, statistics, quotations, and any other specific information. The old adage "Show, dont tell" certainly applies here. It is important to describe information in detail, with concrete backup from credible sources, rather than just "telling" about it. Remember that if any information is taken from other sources, it must be credited as an outside source.

3. The Conclusion Paragraph

Follow the following tips to write the conclusion paragraph. a. Restate the thesis statement. Remind the reader of your opinion on the topic and restate the three supporting points. For example, for our Rocking Horse Grill essay, start your conclusion paragraph with the following: "Because of its delicious Mexican cuisine, convivial ambiance, and energetic staff, Rocking Horse Grill is one of the best restaurants in Chicago." b. Lead-out. The next 2-4 sentences should lead the reader to your final, conclusive remark. Reiterate some points about each of the body paragraphs. These sentences should, of course, contain words that are different from those used in the actual body paragraphs. c. Concluding Remark.

This remark should be conclusive, strong, and perhaps profound. It should leave the reader thinking. For example, a concluding remark for our Rocking Horse Grill essay might be: "The next time you are in town, do not bother with any other restaurants since Rocking Horse Grill has it all."

Some pieces of advice when writing your essay

1.Try not to directly state your opinion. Avoid phrase like: "In this essay, I will talk about "I think that smoking is bad for you because"(rather, simply state "Smoking is bad for you because") "In conclusion, my essay proves" 2. Remember to use transition words when transitioning between paragraphs and between points within paragraphs. For example, at the start of your first body paragraph, you might write, "The first reason why Rocking Horse Grill is the best restaurant in town is because it offers delicious Mexican cuisine." Between points within that paragraph, you might write, "Next, the burritos at Rocking Horse are some of the best I have ever had. They are warm, thick, and are filled with fresh ingredients. Furthermore, there is a wide variety to choose from." The words in italics are some transition words you might use. 3. Perhaps the most important advice you should follow is to always use three steps when writing: brainstorm, write, and self-check. Use the following guidelines when doing so: Brainstorm. Use a visual diagram, a word processor, or even a hand-written list to plan your essay. Make sure you write out your opener, your thesis statement, your three points for your body paragraph, and some details, quotes, statistics, or other specific information that you might include in each body paragraph before writing. This step sets the stage for the organization and flow of your essay. Write. Use the above-mentioned guidelines for specific information on how to write the essay itself. Self-check. This step is critical; one that many students neglect! When self-checking your work, do not rely solely on the spell check or grammar check on your word processor. Many mistakes are missed by using just these tools! Instead, self-check your work using the following checklist: Capitalization: re-read your essay and make sure that all letters that should be capitalized are, and those that should not be capitalized are not. Tense: re-read your essay and make sure that all tense is consistent. That means that you should not mix past and present tense together. Rather, you should choose one of the two and stick with it throughout the essay.

Organization: re-read your essay and ask yourself the following questions: Does my essay have a strong opener? Is that opener followed by a lead-in, and then by a well-constructed thesis statement? Have I clearly stated my points in each body paragraph? Have I restated my thesis statement in my conclusion paragraph and ended my essay with a thought-provoking remark? If so, then check off this box. Punctuation: again, re-read your essay and make sure all of your punctuation is correct.

Spelling: re-read the essay and make sure all spelling is correct. Note that the key theme here is re-read. You should re-read your essay five times, each time checking for a different element. This information is certainly a lot to absorb but it will make a real difference in your writing! Remember that it is a challenge to organize your writing into a well-written, wellstructured, and logically flowing essay. Use these strategies to make the five paragraph essay writing process step-by-step, fun and easy for you. So get to work!