The Five-Paragraph Essay

Ms. Shaffer Literacy

The Five Paragraph Structure

• First: Thesis statement and introduction

• Second: First point to support thesis and supporting information

• Third: Second point to support thesis and supporting information

• Fourth: Third point to support thesis and supporting information

• Fifth: Summary and concluding (WOW) statement

The Five-Paragraph Essay

• Subjective

• Focuses on a personal experience and offers support

• Is author-driven; author appears as “I”

• Must show personal voice

The Thesis Statement

• Every 5-paragraph essay has a thesis statement which is to be supported with vivid details

• The thesis statement is found in the first paragraph and restated in a new way in the concluding paragraph

Thesis Statement

• The thesis statement must be written clearly; do not make the reader guess about the point of the essay.

• The statement contains three pieces of support for your paper

• My family and I had a wonderful trip to Destin, Florida, which included deep sea fishing, exciting walks on the beach, and a trip to the famous Aquatic Museum.

Supporting Paragraphs

• The second, third and fourth paragraphs are usually arranged in order of ascending strength. (The strongest point comes near the end of the essay.)

• Each paragraph has a topic sentence and support information, plus transitions, and lead-in sentences

• Each paragraph is written in complete sentences and a variety of forms

Concluding a Five-Paragraph Essay

• The final paragraph may contain a brief summary of the supporting information. Be sure to restate the thesis in a new way and end with BANG that leaves the reader satisfied.

Presenting Your Essay

• Add a title page AFTER the essay is written (let the title emerge from the content, not the other way around)

• Type it in a word document and do spelling and grammar checks

• Double-check that every requirement has been met

• 12 font, double-spaced, Arial or Times New Roman

• Read it out loud to someone else and make sure the essay flows

• Make changes if needed

• Create a title page for the final draft that reflects the essay. Be creative!