How to Write a Five Paragraph Essay

By spak1439

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Term papers need not be terrifying, yet this simple essay structure will help you write a star paper.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Paper,
Pen, or
Computer

Step1

Paragraph 1, The Introduction. First, state your thesis in a clear, concise manner. Your thesis is the answer to a question or an issue you want to address. For example, "Large dogs make poor pets for apartment dwellers." Second, provide three examples of why dogs make poor pets, for example: "First, large dogs are too big for apartments, second, dogs bark loudly and irritate neighbors, and third, dogs need large back yards to run in." Third, restate your thesis, using a transition: "Therefore, large dogs are poor pets for apartment dwellers."

Step2

Paragraph 2: Restate the thesis and your first example: "First, large dogs make poor pets for apartment dwellers because they are too big to live comfortably in small apartments." Expand and develop your statement by providing specific examples that back it. Use citations from primary and secondary sources, as well as anecdotal evidence.

Step3

Paragraph 3: Restate the thesis and your second example: Second, large dogs are poor choices for apartment dwellers because they bark loudly and irritate neighbors. Expand and develop as you did in Step 2.

Step4

Paragraph 4: Restate the thesis and your third example: Third, large dogs make poor pets for apartment dwellers because they need large open spaces and backyards to exercise in. Once again, expand and develop this statement by providing evidence and back up as you did in Step 2.

Step5

Paragraph 5, Conclusion: Restate your thesis once again, as well as your three pieces of evidence and provide a conclusion, for example: "As such, large dogs make poor pets for apartment dwellers because they are too large for small apartments, they bark and irritate neighbors, and they need large yards to exercise in. Therefore, a cat or a bird may be a better choice."

Tips & Warnings

Use the active, rather than passive voice, which means the subject should come before the verb. For example, "the large dog barked" instead of "the bark was loud."
Do not begin an introduction with unnecessary background, for example, "Since the beginning of time, man has yearned to keep animals as pets in his home." Start right in with a clear concise statement of your thesis.