The Amazing Versatility of the 5-paragraph Essay

By Susan Voorhees
There are things that one needs to know that contribute to excellence in writing. They are
not hard to learn. Once you know them, they do take practice to gain proficiency. That
practice makes all the difference in the world.

Think of the five paragraph essay as having five separate parts. Learn to master each of
the parts one at a time. As you become proficient with one part, work on proficiency in
the next. Writing the introduction and the conclusion are strongly linked. Working on
them in sequence will make the job easier. Then tackle the body paragraphs, one at a
time. With the inclusion of transitions, you will get the feel and flow of the essay. Put
them all together, and you will have the first draft of your essay.

The five paragraph essay follows a defined format. The first paragraph introduces us to
the thesis of the essay and directs us to the three main supporting subtopics. The second
through fourth paragraphs are all similar in format. They individually restate the
subtopics, and are developed by giving supporting information. The fifth and last
paragraph restates the main thesis idea reminds the reader of the three main supporting
ideas that were developed. All of these paragraphs are important.

The introductory paragraph is the place in which the writer introduces the reader to the
topic. It is important to make this a clear and limited statement. This is where the writer
grabs the reader's attention. Because of its purpose, it is often the first sentence of the
paragraph. It is followed by three subtopics that develop the thesis. Between this
paragraph and all paragraphs of the essay, there needs to be some kind of a transition
word, phrase, or sentence.

Next, the body of the essay contains paragraphs two through four. They are all similarly
constructed. Their topic sentences are restatements, often in original form, of the three
supporting ideas presented in the first paragraph. The subtopic of each of the body
paragraphs is again supported by three or more supporting sentences. These cement, in
the reader's mind, the relevancy and relationship of each of the subtopics to the thesis
statement.

Finally, the fifth paragraph is the summary paragraph. It is important to restate the thesis
and three supporting ideas in an original and powerful manner as this is the last chance
the writer has to convince the reader of the validity of the information presented. Because
the purposes of the first and fifth paragraph are so similar that some writers construct
them at the same time. They will edit them, as necessary, as they do with each and every
part of the essay.
 Don’t just write the 5-paragraph essay,
“touch it; feel it; know it.”

Objective: To aid student learning of the 5-paragraph essay by kinesthetically building it.
Equipment: Manipulatives: A packet of colored sticks that represent the process of
construction of a 5-paragraph essay for each student.
Process: Below is a representation of the colored sticks. I used colored Popsicle sticks.
They can be purchased at most craft stores or painted.
 In the 1st paragraph are the white sticks which represent an attention-grabbing
introduction followed by a short red, yellow, and blue stick, which represent the
three main points of the essay.
 The 2nd paragraph is red sticks, which represent the support paragraph for the first
main point. Following the red sticks is an oranges stick, which represents the
transition statement. Notice it is orange because it is a little red (1st main point)
and a little yellow (2nd main point), thus forming a transition between the first two
main points.
 The 3rd paragraph is the yellow sticks, which represents the support paragraph for
the second main point. Following the yellow sticks is a green stick, which
represents the transition statement. Notice it is green because it is a little yellow
(2nd main point) and a little blue (3rd main point), thus forming a transition
between the second and third points.
 The 4th paragraph is blue sticks, which represents the support paragraph for the
third main point.
 The 5th paragraph is black the black sticks which symbolizes the coming together
of all colors, thus the conclusion. And finally the three main points are stated
again in order (red, yellow, and blue).
The Amazing Versatility of the 5-Paragraph Essay
 Narrative Writing Extension
Organization

Getting organized is a vital part of the writing process which requires critical thinking
and lots of practice. It is important to first analyze the information that you have to
understand what is being asked in the assignment. Next, you need to think about the
information that you know about the subject and decide what is relevant to the topic.
Then you must decide which information you will use and where it will be most
effective. These are the very basic steps.

The first step is to analyze the assignment and determine what is being required. If it is
written, you are lucky. You can use a highlighter to note the important words that help
define the topic and aid in setting up the organizational plan. For example, let's assume
that you have been given this writing prompt:

Everyone has been given a present that was really memorable. It could have been for an
important occasion or just for no reason at all. Think about one that you received. Tell us
about a present you were given and why it was memorable. Be sure to include the reason
it was given, a description of it, and how you felt when you got it.

This tells us you are to write a narrative essay because you are "telling us about a present
you were given," the subject is a memorable present, and the three main subtopics
required are:

 The reason it was given

 A description of it
 How you felt when you received it

If the directions were given orally, it does pay to stop and jot down the important words
on your planner so that you do not skip any important points.
Once you know and understand the scope of the assignment, you need to plan well and
quickly. The better the planning; the better the essay.

Informational Writing Extension

Organization

Informational essays require that the writer give information, explain the topic or define
something. To accomplish that, they are best developed by the use of facts and statistical
information, cause and effect relationships, or examples. Since they are factual, they are
written without emotion and usually written in the third person. That means that the use
of the pronoun "I" is not usually found within the essay.

Expository essays also have a distinct format:

The thesis statement must be defined and narrow enough to be supported within the
essay. Each supporting paragraph must have a distinct controlling topic and all other
sentences must factually relate directly to it. The transition words or phrases are
important as they help the reader follow along and reinforce the logic.
Finally, the conclusion paragraph should originally restate the thesis and the main
supporting ideas. Finnish with a statement that reinforces your position in a meaningful
and memorable way. Never introduce new material in the conclusion.

Prompt: Important Invention

Invention and technology have always been an important part of changing the way one
lives. Things that did not exist when your parents or grandparents were young now have
changed the way most people in this country live. Some of those inventions are large and
others are small. No mater what their size, they have altered the lives of the average
person today. Think about one such invention that came about in the last hundred years or
so.

You are to write an essay on how that invention changed the lives of the people. Explain
how life was then, how it is different today, and whether the result is positive or negative.
Assume that this essay will be part of a history text.

Write down the name of the invention you have chosen. Note in this prompt, you have
been given the required subtopics. You do not have a choice. Think about things
that you could say about each.

How was life different without this invention? What did they do without it? List other
things that you could include. How has this invention affected the lives of the people
today?

Give examples of the use of this invention. Perhaps noting emotions would be
appropriate. List the things that you want to include.

Has this invention had a primarily positive or negative benefit? Make a choice. Explain
and give examples to support your side. The prompt does not give you a choice to explain
both sides of the issue even though there may well be several ways to look at it.

Be sure to include transitions. Even though the thoughts may be quite different,
transitions are needed.

Be sure that you vary the sentence structure by thinking about each sentence and the one
that you wrote before it. Be sure that the sentences flow to create unity in the paragraph.

Summarize, in an original manner, the opening paragraph and refocus the reader on your
important points.

Go back and reread. Correct any mistakes that take away from the strength of the essay.
Be sure that there are not errors in spelling capitalization, or pronoun reference. Double
check to see that there are no sentence fragments or run-on sentences. Be sure that the
subject and verbs agree.
 Functional Writing Extension
Organization

Functional writing is writing that is meant to fulfill real life purposes, such as: making a
request or giving advice, inviting someone for a visit or to a function, applying for
something.  That is, the writing activities carried out resemble those done in real life for
practical purposes.  The letter will begin with getting your readers attention while stating
your main concern (the reason you are writing), followed by three supports, and ending
with a reworded restatement of your concern.

Informal letters 

These are letters one writes to friends or relatives.  Their purpose can be:
1. To invite someone something.
2. To accept or refuse an invitation.
3. To apologize for something done wrong.
4. To thank someone for something.
5. To explain something.
6. To express one's feelings about something.
7. To plan for something.

Formal letters   

These are also called official or business letters. They fulfill official functions:

1. Applying for a job

2. Apologizing to an employer

3. Asking for permission to be away

4. Applying for a position