How to Write the Classic 5 Paragraph Essay

Essays -- they are a fact of life in college, whether your major is Ballroom Dance or English Literature. This is something that can be quite intimidating to students without a lot of writing experience. However, there is a tool that provides a framework for all of that writing. The classic five paragraph essay is the foundation that everything from exam answers to Doctoral dissertations are built upon. This form can make your college career just a bit less stressful. The useful and versatile five paragraph essay format can be broken down into three easy pieces: introduction, body, and closing.

A great deal of life's events start with an introduction, and those that do not probably should have! An introduction is a clear and concise way of letting all concerned parties know a few things. What is going on? Why should they care? Who or what should they expect to be involved? Think of it as a much more boring version of standing on a stage and yelling, "HELLO CLEVELAND!" Much like concert-goers love to hear their hometown called out on-stage, readers love to see something that catches their eye and makes them want to read further. That introductory paragraph should have an attention-grabber close to the beginning (for instance, using "Ballroom Dance" in that first sentence.) After attracting the reader's attention, then explain very briefly what you will be writing about and/or why it is important enough to write about. Finally, there is the thesis statement. This is the last or next-to-last sentence of the introduction. It should describe in order the points to be hit throughout the next section, the body, of the essay.

The body makes up the biggest part of the essay, providing the details about your topic. After reading the introduction and learning exactly what the essay is to be about, the reader has decided he/she has interest in knowing what you have to say. As the writer, your next task is to get your points across in a clear and easily understandable manner. To do that, follow the framework indicated in your thesis statement. Each body paragraph should be devoted to one of the ideas listed, in the order that they were listed. For the purposes of this essay, there will be three paragraphs, each devoted to a single topic. The first sentence of each of those paragraphs should mention the subject matter of that paragraph. After that opening sentence, the devil is in the details of each body paragraph -- provide as many of those details as possible. This is especially true of exam essay questions; for them, there is really no such thing as too many pertinent details in each body paragraph. The body paragraphs are the places to use all of those names and dates and important sources of information before tying it all together in the closing.

Some people find closing paragraphs to be tricky. Often they are too short and reek of afterthought. However, a good closing paragraph is crucial to the success or failure of your essay. After all, it is the last thing your reader (i.e. professor) has to remember you by! Even more important, though, is learning to use this part of the form so that it can be interpreted and expanded for use in later, longer essays and papers. A well-written closing ties the argument or narrative together. It is the moment to step back and look at the big picture. Start off with a re-wording of your thesis statement. Should your thesis state that, "Cake is good because it is yummy, nutritious, and fun to eat," then your closing could open with something like "It is no wonder such a delicious, healthy and fun snack like cake has so many fans!" This can be followed by a few sentences mirroring what was stated in the introduction or using some main details from your body paragraphs.

There really is no simpler format that that of the classic five paragraph essay. The introduction, body, and closing can provide a format for essays of all types. Though this method uses exactly five paragraphs, each one can be expanded into sections for larger pieces of writing. Your professors will be very happy to see this format used for long essay questions! And you, in turn, will be happy with the grades that can result from this concise form. Just remember to follow that thesis statement and include plenty of details before bringing it all together to bring your point home. Even your Ballroom Dance professors will be impressed.