The Traditional Five –

Paragraph Essay

The Three Main Parts:

Introduction, Body, and Conclusion
 OVERALL STRUCTURE OF THE FIVE-PARAGRAPH
ESSAY

Introduction: Tell them

what you’re going to
tell them.

Body: Tell them.

Conclusion: Tell them

what you’ve told them.
I. Introduction:The First Paragraph of the Essay
• The first paragraph of the five – paragraph is
called the introduction. In a non – persuasive
essay, it about three to five sentences long.

• These three to five sentences make up the three

main parts of the introduction.

• The three main parts of the introductory

paragraph are named as follows: the Lead-In, the
Transition, and the Thesis Statement/Essay Map.
They may be explained as follows:
A. The Lead-In: a very general sentence or
sentences that simply introduce(s) the subject
(topic) of the essay.
1. Example: I do not remember when and
why my father disappeared from our life, but I
do remember that we have never felt his
absence because my mother was always there
for us through good times and bad times.
B. Transition: A Slightly more specific
sentence or sentences that identify/ies the
particular aspect of the topic that will be
discussed in the essay. In other words, the
transition narrows the topic.

1. Example: My mother Enriqueta F. Garcia

has three children, all girls.Throughout the
years of raising us, she has been the source of
love and strength for us girls.

2. The particular aspect identified is that her

mother has been a source of love and strength
for her daughters.
C. Thesis Statement-Essay Map.
1. The Thesis Statement is the main idea of the entire
essay. In this case, the Thesis Statement is that the
author’s mother is an amazing woman.
2. The Essay Map is the list of the three main ideas that
will be developed in the Body Paragraphs: in this
essay, they are: performs the double role of a mother
and a father, holds a full-time job, and still manages to
tend to all her daughters’ needs.
3. Example: She is an amazing woman who performs
the double role of a mother and a father, holds a full-
time job, and still manages to tend to all our needs.
II. The Body Paragraph: Three Main
Components

A. Topic Sentence
1. The topic sentence is the sentence that
expresses the main idea of the body
paragraph, which is one of the three main
supporting ideas presented in the Essay
Map.
a. Example: First, my mother has
always been both a Mom and a Dad
to us since we were little.
B. Supporting Details
1. The supporting details are the specific pieces of
information that clarify, explain, illustrate and
develop the main idea expressed in the
Topic Sentence.
A. Example:
1. Like a father, she 1brings in the
money, 2pays the bills, 3sets
the rules, and 4disciplines us
whenever it is needed. But
even though she is 5rough
and tough,
she 6has a loving and tender
heart.
 Like all mothers, she 7bandages our
wounds, 8gives us kisses,9talks “girl
talk” to us, or 10 simply holds us when we
want to be held.
C. Concluding Sentence
1. The concluding sentence gives closure to the
paragraph by paraphrasing the Topic Sentence.
a. Example: In short, despite the
absence of my father, we
have never felt that
emotional void because my
mother has been doing an
outstanding job of filling both
a mother’s and a father’s
role.
III. The Concluding Paragraph: Four
Main Components
A. Paraphrase of the Lead-In
1. Example: In conclusion, as one can see,
thanks to our mother, our father’s absence
from our world was never a painful issue for
my sisters and me.

B. Paraphrase of the Transition

2. Example: My mother is a strong, loving
woman
C. Paraphrase of Thesis Statement

and Essay Map

1. Example: who, amazingly, has been both a Mom

and a Dad to us as well as being a
competent accountant and
compassionate caregiver.
D. Statement emphasizing and
expanding the importance of the
topic

1. Example: Her giving spirit and dedication to her

work and family have been an
inspiration to us, and we will try
our very best to be just like
her so that we can instill those
values in our own children.