5-paragraph Essay

Introductory paragraph

The introductory paragraph should also include the thesis statement, a kind of mini-outline
for the essay. This is where the writer grabs the reader's attention. It tells the reader what the
paper is about. The last sentence of this paragraph must also include a transitional "hook"
which moves the reader to the first paragraph of the body of the essay.

Body - First paragraph

The first paragraph of the body should include the strongest argument, most significant
example, cleverest illustration, or an obvious beginning point. The first sentence should
contain the "reverse hook" which ties in with the transitional hook at the end of the
introductory paragraph. The subject for this paragraph should be in the first or second
sentence. This subject should relate to the thesis statement in the introductory paragraph. The
last sentence in this paragraph should include a transitional hook to tie into the second
paragraph of the body.

Body - Second paragraph

The second paragraph of the body should include the second strongest argument, second most
significant example, second cleverest illustration, or an obvious follow up the first paragraph
in the body. The first sentence of this paragraph should contain the reverse hook, which ties
in with the transitional hook at the end of the first paragraph of the body. The topic for this
paragraph should be in the first or second sentence. This topic should relate to the thesis
statement in the introductory paragraph. The last sentence in this paragraph should include a
transitional hook to tie into the third paragraph of the body.

Body - Third paragraph

The third paragraph of the body should include the weakest argument, weakest example,
weakest illustration, or an obvious follow up to the second paragraph in the body. The first
sentence of this paragraph should contain the reverse hook, which ties in with the transitional
hook at the end of the second paragraph. The topic for this paragraph should be in the first or
second sentence. This topic should relate to the thesis statement in the introductory
paragraph. The last sentence in this paragraph should include a transitional concluding hook
that signals the reader that this is the final major point being made in this essay. This hook
also leads into the concluding paragraph.

Concluding paragraph

The fifth paragraph is the summary paragraph. It is important to restate the thesis and three
supporting ideas in an original and powerful way as this is the last chance the writer has to
convince the reader of the validity of the information presented.

This paragraph should include the following:

1. an allusion to the pattern used in the introductory paragraph,

 2. a restatement of the thesis statement, using some of the original language or language
that "echoes" the original language. (The restatement, however, must not be a
duplicate thesis statement.)
3. a summary of the three main points from the body of the essay.
4. a final statement that gives the reader signals that the discussion has come to an end.
(This final statement may be a "call to action" in a persuasive essay.)

Example
1
Stephen King, creator of such stories as Carrie and Pet Sematary, stated that the Edgar
Allan Poe stories he read as a child gave him the inspiration and instruction he needed to
become the writer that he is. 2Poe, as does Stephen King, fills the reader's imagination with
the images that he wishes the reader to see, hear, and feel. 3His use of vivid, concrete visual
imagery to present both static and dynamic settings and to describe people is part of his
technique. 4Poe's short story "The Tell-Tale Heart" is a story about a young man who kills an
old man who cares for him, dismembers the corpse, then goes mad when he thinks he hears
the old man's heart beating beneath the floor boards under his feet as he sits and discusses
the old man's absence with the police. 5In "The Tell-Tale Heart," a careful reader can
observe Poe's skilful manipulation of the senses.

The introductory paragraph includes a paraphrase of something said by a famous person in

order to get the reader's attention. The second sentence leads up to the thesis statement which
is the third sentence. The thesis statement (sentence 3) presents topic of the paper to the
reader and provides a mini- outline. The topic is Poe's use of visual imagery. The mini-
outline tells the reader that this paper will present Poe's use of imagery in three places in his
writing: (1) description of static setting; (2) description of dynamic setting; and (3)
description of a person. The last sentence of the paragraph uses the words "manipulation" and
"senses" as transitional hooks.
1
The sense of sight, the primary sense, is particularly susceptible to manipulation. 2In "The
Tell-Tale Heart," Poe uses the following image to describe a static scene: "His room was as
black as pitch with the thick darkness . . ." Poe used the words "black," "pitch," and "thick
darkness" not only to show the reader the condition of the old man's room, but also to make
the reader feel the darkness." 3"Thick" is a word that is not usually associated with color
(darkness), yet in using it, Poe stimulates the reader's sense of feeling as well as his sense of
sight.

In the first sentence of the second paragraph (first paragraph of the body) the words
"sense" and "manipulation" are used to hook into the end of the introductory paragraph. The
first part of the second sentence provides the topic for this paragraph--imagery in a static
scene. Then a quotation from "The Tell-Tale Heart" is presented and briefly discussed. The
last sentence of this paragraph uses the expressions "sense of feeling" and "sense of sight" as
hooks for leading into the third paragraph
1
Further on in the story, Poe uses a couple of words that cross not only the sense of sight but
also the sense of feeling to describe a dynamic scene. 2The youth in the story has been
standing in the open doorway of the old man's room for a long time, waiting for just the right
moment to reveal himself to the old man in order to frighten him. 3Poe writes: "So I opened it
[the lantern opening]--you cannot imagine how stealthily, stealthily--until, at length, a single
dim ray, like the thread of the spider, shot from out the crevice and fell full upon the vulture
eye." 4By using the metaphor of the thread of the spider (which we all know is a creepy
creature) and the word "shot," Poe almost makes the reader gasp, as surely did the old man
whose one blind eye the young man describes as "the vulture eye."

The first sentence of the third paragraph (second paragraph of the body) uses the words
"sense of sight" and "sense of feeling" to hook back into the previous paragraph. Note that in
the second paragraph "feeling" came first, and in this paragraph "sight" comes first. The first
sentence also includes the topic for this paragraph--imagery in a dynamic scene. Again, a
quotation is taken from the story, and it is briefly discussed. The last sentence uses the words
"one blind eye" which was in the quotation. This expression provides the transitional hook
for the last paragraph in the body of the paper.
1
The reader does not know much about what the old man in this story looks like except that
he has one blind eye. 2In the second paragraph of "The Tell-Tale Heart," Poe establishes the
young man's obsession with that blind eye when he writes: "He had the eye of the vulture--a
pale blue eye, with a film over it." 3This "vulture eye" is evoked over and over again in the
story until the reader becomes as obsessed with it as does the young man. 4His use of the
vivid, concrete word "vulture" establishes a specific image in the mind of the reader that is
inescapable.

In the first sentence of the fourth paragraph (third paragraph in the body), "one blind eye"
is used that hooks into the previous paragraph. This first sentence also lets the reader know
that this paragraph will deal with descriptions of people: ". . . what the old man looks
like . . .." Once again Poe is quoted and discussed. The last sentence uses the word "image"
which hooks into the last paragraph. (It is less important that this paragraph has a hook since
the last paragraph is going to include a summary of the body of the paper.)
1
"Thick darkness," "thread of the spider," and "vulture eye" are three images that Poe used in
"The Tell-Tale Heart" to stimulate a reader's senses. 2Poe wanted the reader to see and feel
real life. 3He used concrete imagery rather than vague abstract words to describe settings
and people. If Edgar Allan Poe was one of Stephen King's teachers, then readers of King owe
a debt of gratitude to that nineteenth-century creator of horror stories.

The first sentence of the concluding paragraph uses the principal words from the quotations
from each paragraph of the body of the paper. This summarizes those three paragraphs. The
second and third sentences provide observations which can also be considered a summary,
not only of the content of the paper, but also offers personal opinion which was logically
drawn as the result of this study. The last sentence returns to the Edgar Allan Poe-Stephen
King relationship that began this paper. This sentence also provides a "wrap-up" and gives
the paper a sense of finality.

5 paragraph essay topics are not limited to anything, as anything can be discussed in this type
of essay. You can choose the essay topic that you know the most about, for example:

 Economic Power of the US

 The Best City in The World
 My Grandfather
 My First Teacher
  What is the Green House Effect
 Teaching Techniques

40 Best Topics for Cause and Effect Essay

 Effects of Pollution
 The Changes in the Ocean
 The Civil Rights Movement and the Effects
 Causes and Effects of the Popularity of Fast Food Restaurants
 Internet Influence on kids
 Popularity of Sports in US
 Effects of professional sport on children
 Alcohol and nervous system
 Domestic violence
 Growing up with a single parent
 Effect of school bullying on children
 Putin politics against the neighboring countries
 Music effects on human body
 Dating at young age
 What causes some women to repeatedly get involved in destructive relationships
 Earthquakes and potential dangers they bring
 Social media effect on young people
 Growing up in poverty
 Stress impact on health
 Impact of drug use on human body
 The influence of my favorite movie/book on me
 How war in Syria effects US
 What impact smoking has on a pregnant woman
 Telling lies. The cause and effect
 The causes of divorces
 What is the impact of genetically engineered food
 What causes a tsunami
 What causes racism
  How globalization affects economy
 What was your cause of choosing your major/your college
 The effects of credit culture
 What are causes and effects of terrorism
 What makes a person to be a good teacher/mother/doctor/artist
 What are the effects of homeschooling
 What causes heart problems
 What caused the WWII
 Effects of online dating
 Uber influence on the taxi drivers
 How happy relationships affect a person
 How travelling the world affects life and personality

Make sure you choose the essay topic that is important for you. Choosing the correct essay
topic makes your cause and effect essay more successful. Speaking from your heart and mind
instead of listing some vague ideas brings your writing to the next level and makes a great
effect on your reader.
BEST ARGUMENTATIVE PAPER TOPICS
Argumentative essay topics for college

25. Production and sales of tobacco must be made illegal

26. Death sentence should be activated in every country of the world

27. Smoking in public places has to be banned

28. Alcohol usage should be controlled

29. They should not sell alcohol beverages after 11 P.M.

30. Energetic drinks should be banned and made illegal

31. Should court proceedings be documented for television?

32. The most suitable age to have a right to vote.

33. When can citizens start drinking and smoking (specific age)?

34. On the whole, is there justice for all?

35. Was the Industrial Revolution a Europe-wide phenomenon in the nineteenth century?

Classical argument topics

36. It should be forbidden to use species of animals for research purposes and cruel
experiments

37. Should rainforests destructions be punished?

38. To what extent are electric vehicles a solution to global pollution?

39. Pros and cons of globalisation.

40. Was Roosevelt right about building a Panama Canal?

41. Are you on the side of King-Kong or militaries who interrupted his world to study it
using violent measures?

42. The risks the United States may face in terms of rapidly changing climate conditions.

43. Earthquakes and their consequences.

 44. Tsunami: the death wave.

45. Beautiful forests of Amazonia.

46. Which species should be included in the Red Book (Liber Novus)?

47. How can students add up to the social movement for nature's safety?

Controversial argumentative essay topics

48. Third World War should be Prevented by Russian and US Governments

49. Existing public school policies must be changed

50. Is gun control an effective way to control the crime?

51. Government should forbid same-sex marriages

52. Society is turning over-regulated

53. The countries with the highest levels of corruption.

54. Are some political authorities engaged in illegal activities in the US?

55. Should people with physical disabilities be accepted by the government?

56. To be a politician: art or a born talent.

57. Can anyone be above the law?

58. Pros and cons of Monarchy.

59. Is CIS a better alternative for the USSR?

Argumentative essay on technology

60. Violent video games should be prohibited

61. Does technology make people feel alone?

62. YouTube Owners Should Check and Fix Comments That Involve Filthy Language

63. Are people becoming technological zombies?

64. Will humanity reach the time when there will be no more technological advancement?

65. Influences of mobile phones: pros and cons

66. Technology and education

Argumentative essay on social media

67. Is technology limiting creativity?

68. The role of communications in social networks for modern education.

69. Are contemporary people too much reliant on technology?

70. Are online friends more effective than imaginary?

71. Is censorship of Internet necessary?

Family

 Should homesexual partners be allowed to adopt children?

 It is ok for a parent to physically discipline his child?
 Should mothers stay at home and look after children, or should they work like their
husbands?
 Are children better off in two parent households?
 Should someone who has been convicted of a sex crime be allowed to visit his own
children?
 Should children be forcibly taken from their parents if the state feels that the parents
are incompetent?
 What are the advantages and benefits of reading to children?
 Do you believe that same-sex couples make better or worse parents?
 What positive and negative long-term effects can corporal punishment have on
children?
 Should families have a television in the house or not?

Society
  Should abortion be legal or illegal?
 Do you believe that a person who is terminally ill has a right to assisted suicide?
 Should private businesses be allowed to discriminate against their clients based on
race, gender, or sexual orientation?
 What should countries do to address the problem of illegal immigration?
 Should the Church play a more active role in government and society?
 Is the death penalty an effective deterrent to criminals?
 Should countries have a social safety net that protects the needy and the
disadvantaged?
 Do you think that those receiving welfare payments should be required to actively
seek work?
 What positive and negative effects does globalization have on societies?
 Does diversity in the workplace increase or decrease tension?

Law

 Should Federal bureaucracies be allowed to pass regulations that have the same
weight as laws passed by legislative bodies?
 Would Great Britain be better off if the House of Lords had veto power over the
House of Commons?
 Should judges make their rulings based on the wording of the law, or should they
make rulings that benefit society?
 Do you believe that states should be able to nullify Federal law and rulings made by
the Supreme Court if they believe such laws and rulings violate their rights as
sovereign republics in the Union?
 Does the Second Amendment allow for ordinary citizens to own firearms, or does it
only relegate these rights to militias?
 Does the Supreme Court of the United States have too much power over the other
branches of government?
 Should birth-right citizenship be abolished by Congress?
 Is it a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment for states to deny the franchise to
criminals?
 Is it a violation of the Fourth Amendment for the NSA to collect meta data?
 Should prosecuting a child as an adult be considered by the Supreme Court to be a
violation of the Eighth Amendment?

 
Ethics

 Do you believe that a priest or psychologist ought to be required by law to share the
contents of their conversations with parishioners and patients with the police?
 Is it ethical for a doctor to deny treatment to a patient who can not afford an
operation?
 Is it right for a college to have racial quotas that benefit minorities while denying
entrance to academically gifted white and asian students?
 Should someone be allowed to use a gun to defend his home from an intruder?
 Should the First Amendment protect speech that might be considered offensive by
some?
 Is it ethical to require sex offenders to have their names listed on registries visible to
the public?
 Is it morally acceptable to offer a white lie to someone when the truth might hurt their
feelings?
 Should prostitution be a legal career?
 Do you think that drug use should be legalized?
 Should hunting be considered cruelty to animals?

History

 Was colonialism beneficial to the Third World, or was it harmful?

 Was Adolf Hitler right to demand that territory formerly belonging to Germany be
returned to it?
 Should President Abraham Lincoln have allowed the Southern states to leave the
Union peacefully?
 Do you believe that the United States was justified in expelling the Native Americans
from regions inhabited by white settlers?
 Was the Soviet Union justified in occupying Eastern Europe at the end of the Second
World War?
 What were the causes of the U.S.-Mexican War and what effects does it have on the
world today?
 What were the primary causes of the Indo-Pak Wars following the dissolution of
British India?
 Was Reconstruction of the American South following the American Civil War a
success or a failure?
 Why was Prussia successful in unifying Germany into a single nation?
 What effect did the invention of the cotton gin have on American agriculture?
 

Health

 Do you believe that healthcare should be free for all?

 Should prisoners in the United States have the same access to healthcare as do free
persons?
 Is it ethical to perform medical experiments on animals?
 Should medical knowledge gained from experiments performed on people in Nazi
concentration camps be used today?
 Is it better to have a private or public healthcare system?
 How should the United States cope with an increasingly aging population?
 Should people with sexually transmitted diseases, such as HIV/AIDs, be forcibly
quarantined?
 Is drug and alcohol addiction a disease?
 Should military service members be allowed to sue military doctors for medical
malpractice?
 How are 21st Century social conditions affecting people’s health?

Education

 Should children with special needs be taught separately from normal children?
 Should standardized test scores be used to determine whether or not a student
graduates?
 Do you believe that common core will benefit the American education system?
 Should the curriculum in public schools be determined by local communities or by the
state?
 Which system is better: teacher centered or student centered education?
 Should schools include athletics as part of school life, or should school be solely for
academic purposes?
 What are the benefits and drawbacks of a classical education?
 Compare and contrast learning methodologies of the 19th and 20th centuries.
 How can parents facilitate learning in the classroom?
 Should teachers be friends with their students?

Foreign Policy
  Should the United States engage in rapprochement with Russia?
 Do you believe that the European Union is beneficial to Europe?
 Is it a good policy for the EU and NATO to expand in Eastern Europe?
 Should the United States guarantee the security of South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan
against China, Russia, and North Korea?
 Is Great Britain justified in leaving the European Union?
 What should Ukraine’s foreign policy be as a result of American and Russian
interference in her domestic affairs?
 Should South and North Korea unify or should they remain separate countries?
 What foreign policy objectives should the Trump administration pursue?
 How can Russia and the United States achieve a lasting peace in Syria that is
beneficial to both nations and Syria?
 How has terrorism affected the foreign policies of the United States and Russia?

Economics

 Should developed nations adopt socialism?

 Which economic system is better for society, capitalism or socialism?
 What are some of the reasons why communism failed in the Soviet Union?
 Is buying shares speculation or is it investing?
 What are the advantages and disadvantages of an economy oriented towards exporting
commodities?
 What were the causes of the recession of 2008, and how might such an economic
downturn be avoided in the future?
 Did President Roosevelt’s New Deal policies help to end the Great Depression, or did
they protract America’s economic woes?
 What economic policies should Third World countries adopt to improve their global
status?
 Should countries adopt protectionist or free-trade policies?
 What are the advantages and disadvantages to being in a customs union?

Military Science

 Can wars be won solely by strategic bombing, or are ground forces necessary to
achieve victory?
 Can mechanized units be used to take urban areas, or should light infantry supported
by artillery and aircraft better suited for this role?
 When waging a counter-insurgency in another country, should reprisals be taken
against civilians in order to deter them from aiding the opposition force?
 Is it morally acceptable to use chemical and biological munitions as area denial
weapons?
 What role did sea power play in the emergence of Great Britain as the premier
superpower of the 19th Century?
 Why, despite arguably having the best army in the world, did Germany still lose the
Second World War?
 In a total war, where the objective is to replace the enemy’s government and
completely occupy his country, do the means justify the ends?
 Are aircraft carriers still useful on the modern battlefield, or are have they been
rendered obsolete by recent developments in air and submarine warfare?
 Should the United States military seek to weaponize space?
 Can artificial intelligence and machines replace soldiers on the battlefield?