How to Write a Five-Paragraph Essay

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Step 1

Choose a thesis statement to organize your paper around. This statement should be one sentence & should be clear & simple.

Ex: The media contributed to America's involvement in the Spanish-American war.
Step 2

Decide what three points you will make in your essay. Each point should relate directly back to your thesis statement.

Ex1: Newspapers swayed American opinion by printing stories about Spain's torture of Cubans.
Ex2: America grew convinced that they needed to be involved in the war because of media reports of the crashing sugar industry in Cuba.
Ex3: When the USS Maine mysteriously exploded in Havana Harbor, unconfirmed reports in the newspaper pointed to Spain's involvement.
Step 3

Write your introductory paragraph (paragraph 1).
Refer to the three points (from Step 2) you plan to make in the essay.
End your introduction with your thesis statement (from Step 1).
Step 4

Write your concluding paragraph (paragraph 5).
This paragraph is a re-write of paragraph 1. The goal is not to repeat verbatim what you've already said, but find a new way to say it again.

>Tip< Never introduce anything new in the conclusion.
Step 5

Write your body paragraphs (2, 3, & 4).
Begin each of your body paragraphs with the 3 points you wrote in Step 2.
Use three to four details to support each point.
Step 6

Put your paragraphs in order.
Print out & hand in to your teacher!

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