When it comes to writing papers in college, one of the simplest types of papers to write is a shorter essay. The basic five paragraph essay is a great tool to learn how to write introductory essays, solid thesis statements, as well as how to put together a solid paper from start to finish.
In order to be effective in writing a five paragraph essay one needs to understand the different sections to a five paragraph essay as well as what is expected in each of these different sections. Once a student understands these basic ideas, they will be better able to write an essay that delivers all of the information that is required for the assignment.
Let us start with defining the different sections in a five paragraph essay. Although the essay is made up of five paragraphs, these paragraphs are divided up into three different sections. The three sections are the introduction, the body, which consists of three paragraphs, and the conclusion.
Introduction
To have an effective five paragraph essay you have to start with a solid introductory paragraph. The introductory paragraph serves multiple purposes: in the introduction writer must grab the reader’s attention, outline the basic concepts that will be covered throughout the body of the essay, as well as including the thesis statement. The thesis needs to be a clear statement of the main point of your entire essay.
Body
The body of your essay is the section that will give detailed information related to the thesis statement from the introductory paragraph. In each of the three paragraphs, you will be able to discuss one specific point, which helps support the thesis statement contained in the first paragraph. Include in each of these paragraphs a sentence that gives the focus of the paragraph should be included.
Conclusion
The conclusion of your five paragraph essay is exactly that. It is the final paragraph that is used to conclude your essay in a logical manner. In the conclusion, you will sum up all of the key points from the body of your essay as well as restating the thesis from the introductory paragraph. When restating your thesis in the conclusion you do not want to use the exact same words or phrases.
Paraphrasing the thesis and simplifying it is the ideal way to use it in the concluding paragraph. When writing your conclusion it is essential not to include new or irrelevant data that is not supported by the body of the essay. The conclusion is a summation of all of the information provided from the rest of the essay.
Transitions
When moving from one paragraph to the next, it is important that each of the paragraphs have something that ties them together. Words used to describe how to link these different paragraphs are transitions. Transitions are effective when applied in a couple of ways. One way to use transitions is to write a concluding sentence of the paragraph.
Another way to use transitions effectively is to incorporate the topic of the next paragraph into the final sentence of the current paragraph. It is also possible to write a transition that connects the two different options together, such as through the use of phrases or words that can compare and contrast the topics of the two paragraphs.
Outline
Before even starting to write your five paragraph essay, now you know what is required of each of the three sections create an outline. An outline will help you know exactly what points need to be addressed in each of the different paragraphs in the body of the essay. Having an outline in place will make the writing of your paper simpler.
Once you have learned the three basic sections of a five paragraph essay (the introduction, the body, and the conclusion), you have the foundations for a solid essay. Crafting a good introduction paragraph and a strong thesis is very important as it sets the mood and the tone of the whole essay.
Furthermore, keeping all of the paragraphs in the body of your essay on point, and not deviating from the purpose of your paper, or the thesis, will help the reader understand the message you are trying to make throughout the essay. Finishing your paper with the appropriate conclusion that puts everything together (from the introduction through all of the points made in the body of your essay) will help make a well-written and effective five paragraph essay.