Five paragraph essay

The first paragraph of an essay is called the introduction. It should be at least three sentences in length, and it should include an effective strategy that pulls in the reader's interest. The introduction should end with a three-point thesis statement that is parallel in structure. The body of an essay requires parallel structure, clear organization, and well developed body paragraphs.

The three points of the thesis statement will benefit from the use of parallel structure. This means that the writer should use the same grammatical structure with all three points of the thesis. For example, if one thesis point is phrased using the -ing suffix, then all three points should be phrased using the -ing suffix. Parallel structure also requires that the three paragraphs correlate with the three main points in the thesis statement; moreover, the body paragraphs should be organized in the same order as the ideas are listed in the thesis statement. Parallel structure is a powerful tool that gives strength and clarity to an essay.

The body of an essay should demonstrate clear and effective organization. Each body paragraph should always begin with a topic sentence, and it should be at least five sentences in length. The three points of the thesis (and the body paragraphs correlating with them) should be organized either by chronological order, spatial order, deductive order, or inductive order. Good essays demonstrate a clear and controlling organizational method.

Three well developed body paragraphs serve as the core of a five-paragraph essay. Each body paragraph should begin with a topic sentence, and each should include several specific examples and details to support that topic. All examples and details should support this one topic, and no information should be included that is off the topic. The writer should use transitional words in between different examples and details. These ideas are called unity and coherence; they will ensure valuable content, and will therefore result in body paragraphs that clear, strong, and well developed.

The fifth paragraph of a five-paragraph theme is called the conclusion. Writers should conclude their essays without introducing a new idea in the final paragraph. A conclusion should contain at least three sentences in length, and it should use an effective strategy to bring the essay to a logical end.