How to Write a Five Paragraph Essay
Set the tone and hook your audience in., After your hook you must introduce your topic!, State your thesis., Transition into your paper.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Set the tone and hook your audience in.
The opening line of your introduction must immediately engage your audience.
This opening line could be a generalization about life that pertains to your topic, a quotation, or a little anecdote.
You want to lure in the reader to continue reading the rest of your essay, making it captivating and intriguing, yet accessible.
Whatever you do, don't announce your intentions.
Saying, "In this paper, I am going to..." will automatically put your audience to sleep.
The same goes for, "The Oxford New Dictionary defines...." Just avoid it. , Say something about your topic in a few sentences.
Define terms or give an example of your topic. , Alright, so you've grabbed your audience and they're hanging on your every word.
Now you have to tell them what you're here for, what they're here for
-- what the meat of your argument is.
This is where your thesis comes in.
It should be one sentence (at the very most two) that summarizes your argument and briefly states what the main text has in store.
Let's say you are writing an essay about the importance of seat belts.
The introduction might start with some statistics about car accidents, plane crashes, and survival rates.
It might also have an emotional appeal about someone who survived a terrible accident because they were wearing a seat belt.
The thesis would succinctly advocate your position regarding the usage of seat belts, and each reason would be discussed, with evidence, in the main body of your essay., The last sentence of this paragraph (the introduction) must also contain a transition that moves the reader to the first paragraph of the body of your paper.
The easiest way to do this is to make a confident assertion
-- for example, after summing up the reasons to use seat belts, you'd include, "Wearing seat belts needs to be mandatory in all vehicles for all passengers
-- and it needs to be made mandatory now." Always stay in the active voice; it is much more powerful.
A creative paper may have time for the passive voice, but this paper is most likely more academic and therefore should remain active. -
Step 2: After your hook you must introduce your topic!
-
Step 3: State your thesis.
-
Step 4: Transition into your paper.
Detailed Guide
The opening line of your introduction must immediately engage your audience.
This opening line could be a generalization about life that pertains to your topic, a quotation, or a little anecdote.
You want to lure in the reader to continue reading the rest of your essay, making it captivating and intriguing, yet accessible.
Whatever you do, don't announce your intentions.
Saying, "In this paper, I am going to..." will automatically put your audience to sleep.
The same goes for, "The Oxford New Dictionary defines...." Just avoid it. , Say something about your topic in a few sentences.
Define terms or give an example of your topic. , Alright, so you've grabbed your audience and they're hanging on your every word.
Now you have to tell them what you're here for, what they're here for
-- what the meat of your argument is.
This is where your thesis comes in.
It should be one sentence (at the very most two) that summarizes your argument and briefly states what the main text has in store.
Let's say you are writing an essay about the importance of seat belts.
The introduction might start with some statistics about car accidents, plane crashes, and survival rates.
It might also have an emotional appeal about someone who survived a terrible accident because they were wearing a seat belt.
The thesis would succinctly advocate your position regarding the usage of seat belts, and each reason would be discussed, with evidence, in the main body of your essay., The last sentence of this paragraph (the introduction) must also contain a transition that moves the reader to the first paragraph of the body of your paper.
The easiest way to do this is to make a confident assertion
-- for example, after summing up the reasons to use seat belts, you'd include, "Wearing seat belts needs to be mandatory in all vehicles for all passengers
-- and it needs to be made mandatory now." Always stay in the active voice; it is much more powerful.
A creative paper may have time for the passive voice, but this paper is most likely more academic and therefore should remain active.
About the Author
Timothy Price
Brings years of experience writing about pet care and related subjects.
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