ESCAPE THE FIVE-PARAGRAPH ESSAYAlternative Essay Formats to Make Your Essay Stand Out

A Presentation by Scribendi.com

While the five-paragraph essay may have been

useful when you were first learning how to

organize a written analysis (probably for that

response paper you wrote on Shakespeare's

Romeo and Juliet), it does not encourage deeper

analysis or the development of thought; nor does

it allow for your conclusions to be presented in any

kind of interesting way. The five-paragraph essay

is like training wheels: if you're still using it

coming into university, you're basically the 14-

year-old still pedaling behind all the big kids on

their two-wheeled mountain bikes.

What's the Problem?

But what other options are there? For those

studying the arts and humanities, there

really is no established structure your papers

must follow. This can be incredibly daunting

to new writers at this level. Rather than

hiding behind a strict and overly simplified

essay form, embrace the freedom you now

have to use the format of your essay to help

convey your message.

Here are some possibilities to get you

started.

What Are My Options?

1. The Stand-Up Comedian

This perfect analogy was penned by David Finkle. To

quote his Twitter profile, Finkle is a "middle school

teacher, author, cartoonist, blogger, and public

speaker." He likens an essay ordered by importance

to a comedy act: open with your second strongest

joke (argument), and end with your strongest one.

This is a fairly straightforward approach for those not

confident enough to tackle a truly unique essay

form, but it still guarantees that your paper catches

its readers' attention and ends with a punch.

2. The Classic Compare and Contrast

Whether it's for 18th-Century English Literature, Film Studies 101, or the History of

Conflict in East Asia, you'll be writing a comparative essay at some point. Think about

whether you can best articulate your points by discussing each item (book, film, war)

separately, organizing your information by similarities and differences, dissecting themes,

etc.

3. The Problem Solver

This format works well for history,

philosophy, or psychology papers.

Present a problem, discuss

existing work on the subject, and

then develop and defend a logical

solution. Just make sure you don't

trip on the pitfall of devoting more

time and paper to the problem

than to the solution.

4. The Blueprint

This works well for topics that involve a physical

space, geographic location, or different groups of

affected parties. Your paper will move through the

discussion of each individual space or group

logically and seamlessly.

5. The Imitation Game

This bold style is most applicable in English literature courses when

you discuss period works or distinct writing forms. This is an

alternative essay in which you write your analysis in the same form

as the piece you are critiquing.

You've got to have a solid grounding in what you're doing here, and

the chosen structure has to support and enhance your critical

content, not distract from it. Should you have the confidence, writing

skills, and appropriate context, however, this kind of paper is one that

makes an impact.

While organization and structure are critical to the success of your

academic work, you shouldn't limit yourself to a boring, cookie-cutter

format. The ability to use even the structure of your paper to enhance

your thesis is a powerful one, so embrace it!

Want to learn more?

Want to learn more about essay writing? Visit the editing experts at www.scribendi.com, the leading online editing and proofreading company, today!

If you want to become an English language expert yourself, check out GrammarCamp.com and ProofreadingCamp.com. These online courses will help you master the English language and become a better writer.

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