THE FIVE-PARAGRAPH

ESSAY

Select from the follow ing

A classic format for compositions is the five-paragraph essay. It is not

the only format for writing an essay, of course, but it is a useful model for
you to keep in mind, especially as you begin to develop your
composition skills. The following material is adapted from a handout
prepared by Harry Livermore for his high school English classes at Cook
High School in Adel, Georgia. It is used here with his permission.

Introduction:
Introductory Paragraph
See,first,WritingIntroductoryParagraphsfordifferentwaysofgettingyourreader
involvedinyouressay.Theintroductoryparagraphshouldalsoincludethethesisstatement,a
kindofminioutlineforthepaper:ittellsthereaderwhattheessayisabout.Thelastsentenceof
thisparagraphmustalsocontainatransitional"hook"whichmovesthereadertothefirst
paragraphofthebodyofthepaper.

Body:
Body First paragraph:
Thefirstparagraphofthebodyshouldcontainthestrongestargument,mostsignificant
example,cleverestillustration,oranobviousbeginningpoint.Thefirstsentenceofthis
paragraphshouldincludethe"reversehook"whichtiesinwiththetransitionalhookattheendof
theintroductoryparagraph.Thetopicforthisparagraphshouldbeinthefirstorsecondsentence.
Thistopicshouldrelatetothethesisstatementintheintroductoryparagraph.Thelastsentencein
thisparagraphshouldincludeatransitionalhooktotieintothesecondparagraphofthebody.

Body Second paragraph:

Thesecondparagraphofthebodyshouldcontainthesecondstrongestargument,second
mostsignificantexample,secondcleverestillustration,oranobviousfollowupthefirst
paragraphinthebody.Thefirstsentenceofthisparagraphshouldincludethereversehook
whichtiesinwiththetransitionalhookattheendofthefirstparagraphofthebody.Thetopicfor
thisparagraphshouldbeinthefirstorsecondsentence.Thistopicshouldrelatetothethesis
statementintheintroductoryparagraph.Thelastsentenceinthisparagraphshouldincludea
transitionalhooktotieintothethirdparagraphofthebody.

Body Third paragraph:

Thethirdparagraphofthebodyshouldcontaintheweakestargument,weakestexample,
weakestillustration,oranobviousfollowuptothesecondparagraphinthebody.Thefirst
sentenceofthisparagraphshouldincludethereversehookwhichtiesinwiththetransitional
hookattheendofthesecondparagraph.Thetopicforthisparagraphshouldbeinthefirstor
secondsentence.Thistopicshouldrelatetothethesisstatementintheintroductoryparagraph.
Thelastsentenceinthisparagraphshouldincludeatransitionalconcludinghookthatsignalsthe
readerthatthisisthefinalmajorpointbeingmadeinthispaper.Thishookalsoleadsintothe
last,orconcluding,paragraph.

Conclusion:
Concluding paragraph:
Thisparagraphshouldincludethefollowing:
1. anallusiontothepatternusedintheintroductoryparagraph,
2. arestatementofthethesisstatement,usingsomeoftheoriginallanguageor
languagethat"echoes"theoriginallanguage.(Therestatement,however,mustnot
beaduplicatethesisstatement.)
3. asummaryofthethreemainpointsfromthebodyofthepaper.
4. afinalstatementthatgivesthereadersignalsthatthediscussionhascometoan
end.(Thisfinalstatementmaybea"calltoaction"inanpersuasivepaper.)