Five Paragraph Essay – How to Write One

What is a five paragraph essay? The first question to arise naturally in the reader’s mind on seeing the topic. A five paragraph essay is the type that you write everyday, every term for your various assignments. You may write a personal essay, a critical essay, a discussion essay or a comparison essay, but the basic format for all in most cases will be the five paragraph format. As for example if you get to write an essay, on say, the best moment in your life. A five paragraph essay format would look like this:

Introductory Paragraph

subtopic 1 : why was it the best moment

subtopic 2 : what exactly happened

subtopic 3 : how you felt at that time

transition to the main body

Main Body

First paragraph: give the subtopic 1 and expand on it by giving various details and supporting evidences

transition

Second paragraph : give subtopic 2 and expand on it. Give details backed with evidences

transition

Third paragraph : expand subtopic 3 by presenting supporting details and evidences.

transition

Concluding paragraph will summarize the entire body part. It will rephrase the main topic and the subsequent subtopics. it will end with a concluding statement, strong enough to influence the reader.

Once you start writing the essay, be sure to write in a simple and correct manner. The introductory para is the most important part, since it is here that the writer introduces the topic to the reader. This para must be interesting and appealing to the reader and should encourage him to read further. A sure shot way of losing a reader is to write a bad introductory paragraph. An introduction sets a tone for the entire write up. While writing the body one must be careful of maintaining a continuity in the whole essay. The transition from one paragraph to the next one must be smooth and written in such a manner that one paragraph flows into the other. Preferably write using more of active voice, instead of passive voice and keep on varying the sentence structure to avoid repetition and boredom. Use a simple structure for each sentence construction. Try to avoid starting sentences repetitively in a same manner. Simple, easy and smooth flowing language is far more appealing to the reader than a cumbersome and jumbled up writing style. The concluding paragraph must summarize the entire essay aptly and briefly. The main theme or argument must be restated though in different words. The concluding statement in this para must be strong enough to the influence the reader, and also clear enough to make the reader sure about the writer’s standpoint in the essay. Last but not the least, in no way, should the writer forget to proof read and edit the essay.

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