5 paragraph essay breakdown

Five Paragraph Essay Outline

10 May, 2020

7 minutes read

Author:  Tomas White

The five paragraph essay exists as one of the most commonly assigned essays, especially for high school students. In fact, the five paragraph essay format is so popular, it is often used not only in the classroom but for exams and admission essays as well. If you’ve never written a five paragraph essay, or find that you simply need a good refresher, you’ve come to the right place! We have thrown out all the useless information and boiled it down to the essential info you need to both understand what a five paragraph essay is and how to write one to earn the grade you want.

What is a Five Paragraph Essay?

Unlike some misleading names, the five-paragraph essay is exactly what it sounds like: an essay that consists solely of five paragraphs. This type of essay is strictly about the structure. That’s what matters much more than the topic or questions to be discussed in the essay. The paragraphs in the essay paragraphs follow a very specific outline.

This kind of essay was separated from all other types with a sole purpose – teaching students about the concept of the essay by practicing it’s most basic structure variant. Even though any kind of essay can have five paragraph – from a  definition essay to story-based narrative essay ; five paragraph essay is never limited to the approach. It might look like any other essay, but the structure is the king here.

Meet the Five Paragraph Essay Outline

This type of essay contains three distinctly different kinds of paragraphs including (in order):

• Introduction paragraph
• Three body paragraphs
• Conclusion paragraph

While all three types of paragraphs follow traditional grammar and syntax conventions, what goes into each paragraph varies based on its purpose.

Let’s take a look at what makes each of these paragraphs unique:

Introduction

The introduction paragraph should have three key parts: an attention getter , background information , and a thesis statement . These elements should appear in this order; the thesis statement typically appears as the last sentence in the introduction because it acts as a transition to the body paragraphs which each work to support the argument outlined within the thesis. Let’s say that the topic of your five paragraph essay is the best type of pet to own. After doing some research, you decide to write about cats. The attention getter sentence should capture the audience’s attention and make them want to read more about cats. Attention getter sentences often fall into one of four categories:

• An interesting fact
• An engaging statistic
• A relevant quotation
• A personal anecdote

It’s important to note that a personal anecdote or story from your own life may not be appropriate for all types of essays — especially if an instructor has noted that no personal pronouns be used in the paper.

Related post: How to write an Essay introduction

After gaining the audience’s interest, the next few sentences, anywhere from 3 to 10 sentences, depending upon the essay, should be about background information. Such information may define specific vocabulary or generally provide background information relevant to the topic.

In a five-paragraph essay about cats, relevant background information could include when cats became domesticated, how many breeds of cats are available today, and where individuals can find cats as pets.

Finally, the last part of the introduction paragraph should be the thesis statement. A well-written thesis statement should include an argument and a roadmap on how to prove it.

In this case, a simple yet effective thesis statement could be: “Cats make the best pets because they are intelligent, friendly, and sociable.” The first part, “cats make the best pets” is the argument while the second part, “intelligent, friendly, and sociable” is the roadmap. This is called a roadmap because it outlines the ideas that will guide the paper in the body paragraphs.

According to this thesis statement, there will be a body paragraph that provides evidence that cats are intelligent, another proving that cats are friendly, and a third proving that cats are sociable.

Stuck on writing your outline? Our essay writer will help You!

Body Paragraphs

A typical body paragraph is anywhere from six to twenty sentences; the length of a body paragraph depends upon the amount of research, analysis, and discussion needed in each paragraph to support the argument set forth in the thesis statement. Typically, a body paragraph will follow an organization such as this:

• Topic sentence
• Background sentence(s)
• Explanation

There could be more sentences if you have more quotations from research to include. Additionally, some topics may require several background sentences while others only require one.

Remember: value your time and your teacher’s time; skip writing sentences to pad the length of your paper and ask yourself if each sentence contributes to proving the argument outlined within the thesis. If the sentence doesn’t, get rid of it!

The conclusion paragraph should be the final paragraph in the paper. It is often the shortest paragraph. Its purpose is to review the main points and prove to the audience that the writer has successfully argued his or her point. A conclusion paragraph should never introduce any new information. Most teachers prefer students to skip obvious phrases such as “In conclusion” or “Before ending” because these statements are understood by the reader.

Related post: Cause and Effect essay outline 

Following the conclusion paragraph, you will likely need to create a “Works Cited” and/or a “Bibliography” page if you included any type of research within the five paragraph essay outline. After each quotation or paraphrase in the essay should be a parenthetical citation, and each parenthetical citation should be referenced in the Works Cited and/or Bibliography page. Your teacher or professor should clearly communicate their preference; a Works Cited page exists as a reference for all the works quoted in the essay whereas the Bibliography page lists every source you consulted during the research process.

Tips and Tricks

If writing isn’t one of your favorite requirements of academic life, check out these 10 tips and tricks to navigate creating a five paragraph essay smoothly:

• Begin early
• Make an appointment with the teacher to discuss your ideas/progress and get feedback
• Take good notes, and cite the sources as you go
• Create a sentence outline before the draft
• Edit the essay twice: once for content, once for grammar
• Get at least one other person to provide constructive criticism
• Make an appointment at the Writing Center if your campus has one
• Hire a professional editing service to catch pesky grammar errors
• Review the final essay against any provided rubric item by item
• Check the paper’s formatting for spacing, margins, and headers/footers

Writing assignments are never sprints, but they don’t have to be marathons either — try to find a happy medium!

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5.1: 5¶E – What is the 5 Paragraph Essay?

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You may not know what I mean when I say 5 Paragraph Essay, but even if the name is unfamiliar, the concepts of it are probably something you recall doing often in your prior education.  In short, it is an essay where the following format was used:

• Intro Paragraph (with a thesis statement in the last sentence or two…sometimes underlined)
• Body #1 (the first point of the larger subject that you will address and likely mentioned in the thesis)
• Body #2 (the second point of the larger subject that you will address and likely mentioned in the thesis)
• Body #3 (the third point of the larger subject that you will address and likely mentioned in the thesis)
• Conclusion (reiterate what you have already written and restate the thesis)

Does this look familiar now?  Most of you probably used it extensively throughout high school (if that was your last educational experience) regardless of the subject/class you were in.  It was likely a catch-all and worked for any and all subject matters from history to social studies.  The question is whether this same format will work in college.  The following are notes to consider as to the merits and/or downfalls of this familiar essay format:

5¶E (Five Paragraph Essay)

Two missing, most important factors which are integral and necessary in all good writing:

To whom are you writing?

Why are you writing?

The Five Paragraph Essay is devoid of any consideration of AUDIENCE and PURPOSE since the audience is always the teacher and the purpose largely revolves around getting a good grade by pleasing the teacher.  The idea that you are writing to a teacher for a grade is not realistic in real world writing and will not likely work for all of your paper assignments in college.  That said, you need not abandon ship on it all together, but there is a real likelihood that it will not work in all instances, even in academic settings.  AUDIENCE and PURPOSE are key in all quality writing and the Five Paragraph Essay does not account for these.  If one considers these two factors, it can help shape how you approach writing and how the structure will unfold.  To demonstrate, consider the following:

1) You’re writing an email to a friend asking him/her to come visit this weekend.

2) You got pulled over recently and you’re writing a letter to the judge to ask for clemency.

What would both of these writing instances sound/look like?  Would the tone and structure be the same for each of these instances?  The Five Paragraph Essay assumes they would, and thus you should be able to switch out the writing in each situation.  Do you think you’d write a formal email to your friend or an informal letter to the judge?  This is why AUDIENCE and  PURPOSE are so important to succeeding in writing.

• 5u00b6E - What is the 5 Paragraph Essay?. Authored by : Jason Brown. Provided by : Herkimer College. Project : AtD OER Course. License : CC BY: Attribution

How to Write a 5 Paragraph Essay: Outline, Example

‍ Imagine this:

You have to write your first essay, but you’re not sure where to start. You have a hundred questions , and more are coming to you every minute, but you’re afraid to ask the teacher for help.

What’s the difference between an argumentative essay and an informative essay? How will I be graded? What must I include? The list goes on. Well, first, take a breath. Before you tackle different essay varieties, grading rubrics, and the bullet points of exactly what should go in your essay, you need to make sure you understand structure. The 5 paragraph essay format is a classic example of an essay, and once you know how to create a 5 paragraph essay outline, you can write any essay that’s assigned to you.

Perfecting the art of essay writing is not only essential for acing your assignments but also for securing financial support as you transition from high school to college. A well-structured essay, such as the 5-paragraph essay, showcases your writing prowess and your ability to articulate ideas in a coherent and compelling manner. As you master the formula of a 5-paragraph essay, consider leveraging these skills to apply for scholarships. Numerous scholarships are specifically geared towards high school seniors, offering a financial launching pad for your college adventure. The skills you hone while crafting precise and impactful essays will serve you well as you embark on the exciting journey of drafting scholarship essays, each a stepping stone toward your higher education and a bright future. If you need additional support or guidance, don't hesitate to explore the " pay for an essay " options.

The 5 Paragraph Essay Outline

Don’t know the 5 paragraph essay structure? It’s pretty simple. Here’s the basic outline you should follow:

Now let’s discuss what should go in each paragraph. The following 5 paragraph essay template by our service should tell you exactly what you need to do to complete your assignment.

Paragraph 1: Introduction

In the introduction, you should provide background information on your topic. Usually, this information should be factual, especially for a history paper, but you can be creative in how you present it. The key is that you want to intrigue the reader. You want to draw the reader into your topic by creating a natural curiosity about it.

Somewhere in the middle of your introduction, you need to present the 3 main points you will discuss in your 5 paragraph essay . These 3 points are crucial for the basic essay, as you need to ensure you have enough to talk about, and it’s best to introduce them in the first paragraph. However, keep in mind that as your essays get longer, you may need to use more than 3 main points. That’s not something you should worry about now, though.

In any essay, your introductory paragraph should end with a strong thesis statement that tells readers exactly what you aim to prove. If the essay is meant only to inform, the thesis statement should clarify to readers exactly what you’re going to inform them of.

Paragraph 2: First Main Point

The second paragraph is where you begin laying out the 3 main points that you promised in your introduction. In this paragraph, the first sentence should transition from the previous paragraph to the current one. It should also clearly introduce the topic, your first main point.

The sentences that follow should provide examples and support, or evidence, for your topic . Readers should see that every example and every piece of support you provide (e.g., quotes, graphs, paraphrased information) is connected to your topic. They should never be left wondering why you included something.

Paragraph 3: Second Main Point

The third paragraph of your 5 paragraph essay is where you lay out the second main point. As the previous paragraph, it should begin with a transition and a description of the topic you’re about to discuss. Any examples or support you provide should be related to the topic at hand.

Paragraph 4: Third Main Point

The fourth paragraph is where you lay out the third main point that you promised in your essay’s introduction. Like any paragraph, it should have a transition and a topic sentence, and any examples or support should be related and interesting.

Paragraph 5: Conclusion

The last paragraph of a 5 paragraph essay — or any length should be a conclusion . It should not present new information, but it should always wrap up your discussion. One way to conclude is to summarize your 3 main points and then leave the reader with some key takeaways or a final thought about your thesis that drives your essay home.

However, your essay should not end with a cliffhanger. Remember that idea of cohesion? When the reader finishes your essay, he or she should feel like the information or argument is complete and fascinating.

Creating the 5 Paragraph Essay Graphic Organizer

Now that you understand the 5 paragraph essay format, it’s time to begin planning and writing your essay. To do that, custom writing professionals suggest using a graphic organizer. It can be a simple outline in bullet points, or it can be more visual in nature.

For example, you can create a mind map with your thesis idea — or even the whole thesis sentence — in the middle. Circle your thesis. From there, you can draw lines from the thesis outward and create new bubbles for your mind map, perhaps showing the main points you intend to discuss. Your mind map can include any information that’s helpful, and you may find that you want to expand on each main point with new bubbles.

PRODUCTION: Create a simple drawing of a mind map. Put the word “Thesis” in the middle (circled), and then put the words “Point 1,” “Point 2,” and “Point 3” around it. Draw circles around those words, and connect them to “Thesis” using lines. See example below.

Don’t spend too much time creating a graphic organizer, though. At some point, you need to start writing your 5 paragraph essay! Then the real fun begins.

The 5 Paragraph Essay Rubric

If you’re wondering how your essay will be graded, you’re not alone. While the exact rubric your teacher uses will vary, here’s a basic one that may help you see what’s expected in your essay.

Grade A: Excellent

• Both introduction and thesis are strong.
• Details and examples are strong and well organized.
• The conclusion is strong enough.
• Grammar is correct.

Grade B: Good

• Has some spelling and grammar errors.

Grade C: Fair

• The introduction is good, but the thesis is weak.
• Examples used are weak.
• The conclusion is weak.
• Has major spelling and grammar errors.

Grade D: Poor

• Introduction and thesis are weak.
• Details and examples are weak and somewhat unorganized.
• Details or examples are few.
• Does not have a conclusion.
• Has serious spelling and grammar errors.

Grade F: Unsatisfactory

• Does not contain a thesis, and introduction is weak.
• Details and examples are weak and have no clear organization, or there are none at all.

In some cases, your teacher may give you a rubric before you start your essay. If so, make sure you read it carefully and don’t be afraid to ask questions if you don’t understand something. The rubric should tell you exactly what the teacher is looking for, whether it’s a 5 paragraph essay or something much longer. To succeed with your task, please find some essay writing tips .

5 Paragraph Essay Sample

Below you can find free 5 Paragraph essay sample called " The Impact of Technology on Education ".

"In today's rapidly advancing world, technology has become an integral part of our daily lives, revolutionizing various sectors, including education. Its influence on the way we learn, teach, and interact with educational materials is undeniable. This essay examines the significant impact of technology on education, highlighting its benefits and exploring real-life examples that illustrate its transformative power.

One of the primary benefits of technology in education is the enhanced accessibility to information. The internet has brought a wealth of knowledge right to our fingertips. Students can now access a vast array of educational resources, such as e-books, online articles, and interactive learning platforms. For instance, platforms like Khan Academy provide video tutorials and practice exercises on various subjects, enabling students to learn at their own pace and revisit concepts as needed. Furthermore, online forums and discussion boards foster collaborative learning, connecting students and educators from around the globe to share ideas and insights.

Another key advantage of technology in education is its ability to promote active and personalized learning. With the advent of educational software and applications, students can engage in interactive activities that cater to their individual needs and learning styles. For example, adaptive learning platforms like Duolingo tailor language lessons based on the learner's proficiency level and progress. This personalized approach helps students stay motivated and enhances their comprehension and retention of the material. Additionally, digital simulations and virtual reality tools provide immersive learning experiences, allowing students to explore complex concepts in a hands-on and engaging manner.

Furthermore, technology has revolutionized the way educators deliver instruction and assess students' progress. Online learning management systems, such as Moodle and Canvas, enable teachers to create and share course materials, assign tasks, and provide timely feedback. These platforms streamline administrative tasks, giving educators more time to focus on designing innovative lessons and individualized support for students. Moreover, digital assessment tools offer immediate feedback, enabling students to track their progress and identify areas for improvement. Platforms like Kahoot! and Quizlet make learning enjoyable by incorporating gamification elements, making the assessment process interactive and engaging.

In conclusion, technology has had a profound impact on education, transforming the way we learn and teach. The accessibility to vast amounts of information, the promotion of active and personalized learning, and the innovative methods of instruction and assessment are just a few examples of the positive effects of technology in education. However, it is important to ensure that technology is used as a tool to enhance learning rather than replace traditional teaching methods. As we continue to embrace technological advancements, it is crucial to strike a balance between leveraging its benefits and maintaining the human element in education. By doing so, we can harness the full potential of technology to create a future where education is accessible, engaging, and empowering for all learners."

Final Thoughts on the 5 Paragraph Essay

Once you’ve mastered the format of the 5 paragraph essay, you can write a paper at any length imaginable. Remember that it’s helpful to create an outline or graphic organizer to organize your ideas before you start writing , especially for a longer essay. If you have a rubric ahead of time, you’ll know exactly what you need to watch out for as you edit and polish your paper.

With the above information at your disposal and a rubric in-hand, you should have no excuses for a poor grade. Just be mindful of how much time you have to work, and break the writing into small chunks if you need to. Always start early to get the best grade possible.

Still not sure how to write a good 5 paragraph essay? You can order a high-quality custom essay from us or just take advantage of our top-notch paper editing and rewriting services. So in other words, we’ll write your essay from scratch, write a new draft, or just clean up the draft you’ve already written. Whatever you need to finish your writing and get an excellent grade, you can buy it right here. Check out our reviews if you want to see what some happy customers have said.

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What Is a 5-Paragraph Essay?

Welcome to The Knowledge Nest, your go-to resource for academic guidance and writing support. In this article, we will delve into the topic of 5-paragraph essays, exploring their structure, purpose, and how to write an outstanding one. Whether you are a student seeking writing tips or an educator looking to enhance your students' understanding of essay composition, this comprehensive guide will equip you with the necessary tools to succeed.

The Structure of a 5-Paragraph Essay

A 5-paragraph essay is a concise piece of writing that follows a specific structure to present a clear and organized argument or analysis. It consists of five paragraphs, each serving a distinct purpose:

Introduction

The introductory paragraph sets the stage for the essay by introducing the topic and grabbing the reader's attention. It typically includes a hook, background information, and a thesis statement that presents the main argument of the essay.

Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs, which usually comprise three paragraphs, provide supporting evidence and arguments to fortify the thesis statement. Each paragraph focuses on a single point and presents relevant examples, evidence, or analysis to support it. Transition words and phrases are utilized to ensure a smooth flow between paragraphs.

The conclusion paragraph summarizes the main points discussed in the essay and reinforces the thesis statement. It restates the argument in a concise manner and leaves the reader with a lasting impression of the writer's position.

Mastering the Art of Writing a 5-Paragraph Essay

Writing a compelling 5-paragraph essay requires practice, attention to detail, and a solid understanding of the essay's structure. Here are some essential tips to help you excel in your essay writing endeavors:

1. Develop a Strong Thesis Statement

A powerful thesis statement serves as the backbone of your essay. It should clearly state your main argument and guide the reader throughout the essay.

2. Create an Outline

An outline acts as a roadmap for your essay, ensuring that each section flows logically and cohesively. It helps you stay organized and focused while writing.

3. Provide Supporting Evidence

Support your arguments with credible evidence, such as facts, statistics, expert opinions, or real-life examples. This will strengthen your essay and add credibility to your claims.

4. Use Transition Words

Transition words and phrases, such as "however," "in addition," or "on the contrary," improve the flow and coherence of your essay. They help connect ideas and guide the reader through different sections.

5. Revise and Edit

Take the time to review and refine your essay. Check for grammar and spelling errors, ensure proper punctuation and sentence structure, and evaluate the clarity and effectiveness of your arguments. A well-polished essay leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

Why Choose The Knowledge Nest?

At The Knowledge Nest, we understand the importance of mastering essay writing skills. Our expert tutors and academic advisors are here to assist you every step of the way. Whether you're a student seeking guidance or an educator looking for comprehensive resources, we offer personalized support to help you achieve your goals.

With our extensive experience in the field of academic writing, we are dedicated to delivering the highest quality content to our readers. Our commitment to excellence has been recognized by countless students and educators worldwide.

A 5-paragraph essay is a structured and concise form of writing that allows writers to present their ideas clearly and effectively. By understanding its components and following best practices, you can elevate your essay writing skills to new heights.

Visit The Knowledge Nest today to unlock a world of educational resources and expert guidance. Our team is ready to support you on your academic journey and help you become a proficient essay writer.

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