How to Write a 5 paragraph essay

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By robinvalente
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From the moment you start Junior High until you finish your academic career you will be asked to write five paragraph essays. Follow these simple steps and you can guarantee your essays will be well developed, clear, concise, and most importantly FINISHED!!!!!!!!!!

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Paper and Pen or
Computer

Step 1

First things first you will need a topic. Many times your teacher will give you a broad subject area, such as Your Favorite Holiday Tradition. In this case it is your job to determine what area you will focus on.
Step 2

Your five paragraphs should include:

-Introduction paragraph

-Body paragraphs (x3)

-Conclusion

To kick off you essay make sure you start your intro. paragraph with an "Attention Getter", really draw in your reader. Common "Attention Getters" include a famous quote, interesting statistic or fact, or a shocking/interesting statement.
From there you must briefly go over what your paper will include, don't get too specific the details belong in the body of your paper.
Finally your thesis statement needs to be somewhere within the introduction paragraph. A thesis statement is ONE sentence that gives an overall summary of your paper's content.(ex. My favorite family tradition has to be Thanksgiving dinner.)
End your introduction paragraph with a transition sentence. A transition sentence will be a sneak preview into the next paragraph, the first body paragraph. (ex. One of the greatest parts of Thanksgiving dinner is seeing all of your family.)
Step 3

Body Paragraphs
This is the meat of your paper. Continuing with the previous example of Thanksgiving dinner,your body paragraphs could cover the food, seeing family, and watching the football game after.
Each body paragraph should start with a topic sentence, a sentence that tells the topic of that specific paragraph.
From there you fill your paragraphs with any supporting evidence or/and facts. Again you will end each body paragraph with a transition sentence, a sentence that will lead your reader into the next main topic.
Step 4

You have now accomplished all the heavy lifting from here on in it's smooth sailing.
Your conclusion paragraph should:
A. Restate your thesis statement in new words
B. Mention all main topic points without sounding repetitive and without bringing up new information
C. Leave your audience with a sense of closure; they should know the essay is complete.
Finally breathe easy. All that is left is proofreading and final edits, CONGRATULATIONS!!

Comments

tracyteach3 said

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on 5/4/2009 Good stuff. Thank you.

justinkari said

on 5/3/2009 Very useful and enjoyable

stanleyross said

on 4/27/2009 A delightful read indeed. I am a Junior High English teacher myself, and I will definitely pass this on. I enjoy your light hearted approach.