What you need to know about writing the 5-paragraph essay

Mrs. Dagen’s English III & IV

The Ancient Arrangement

The More Modern Look

Brainstorm first

Come up with your details – the meat of your thinking.Do it first – this will tell you whether you

have enough material to write the essay. It’s too hard to think of details when you’re

trying to think about making a good sentence.

Know your topic sentences BEFORE you begin writing the essay.

The Introduction

Begins with an attention-grabberAttention grabber can be more than one

sentence.Focuses attention from attention grabber

to thesis (a transition)Last sentence of introduction is thesis

The Attention Grabber

Ideas for attention grabbers:A startling statementA small story (anecdote)A quoteA factAn interesting observation

Make your attention grabber more than one sentence – it takes the pressure off

The Thesis

Thesis is the last sentence of the introductory paragraphThat means it’s the last sentence of the first

paragraphThesis defined: A one sentence

statement of what the essay is about

The Thesis cont’d

For a 5-paragraph essayBuild the thesis out of your topic sentences.Mention all three topic sentence ideas in

your thesis.Write it before you begin your essay.

You can rework it later to make it blend with the rest of your introduction.

Doing it before helps you focus your introduction.

Supporting Paragraphs

Each one begins with a topic sentence The topic sentences state the main ideas of the

paragraph – they mention all the ideas that are coming!

They also help make the transition from the paragraph before it.

Filled with details related to the topic sentence - that support/defend the claim

Finishes with a clincher statement, leaving reader with a reminder of the paragraph’s point

Concluding Paragraph

Always begins with the thesis statement Should be worded slightly differently than the first

time Go ahead – cut and paste it in the conclusion,

then adjust Reminds reader about the 3 main points

This is often a recasting of the clincher sentences Leaves reader with a thought to ponder

This is the final statement of the essay Works well if this relates to the attention grabber

at the beginning