1 The Five Paragraph Essay Preparing, Writing, and Revising a Well-Developed, Fully Supported Essay

2 Goals Learn to ____________ one’s writing into a cohesive essay Understand the functions of the basic parts of an essay: __________, ______, and _____________ Learn the function of a ______________ in an essay or research paper Learn to choose __________________ that best support the thesis statement Learn to write good _________ sentences

3 Learn to use details, examples, anecdotes, quotes, statistics, etc. to help write ________________ body paragraphs Understand the importance of maintaining ___________ in a piece of writing Learn to use ______________ to move smoothly from one point to the next in an essay

4 Format The essays we will write in this class will usually be ____________ paragraphs and consist of an ________________, a _________, and a _________________ The essay should follow (be consistent with) the outline in terms of __________ and _________ of main points

5 Types of Essay Expository – an essay that explains, defines, describes, lists, or provides information Persuasive – an essay that takes a _________ of an issue and presents _____________ that try to convince the reader to agree with that particular stance Narrative – an essay that tells of a __________ ______________ that happened to the writer/narrator. This essay should be written in ______________ fashion and have a recognizable beginning, middle, and end

6 Terms A ___________________ is any statement, comment, or question that gives the writer the topic upon which to write Thesis statement – a declarative sentence that clearly states the _____________ of the paper, and if it’s a persuasive paper, also gives the __________ the writer is presenting

7 Transition – a word or group of words that gives the reader some “directional signals.” Transitions help an essay _____ properly, help readers make _________ between points, and help prevent an essay from being ________ and ____________ (see handout for list of transitions) Topic sentence – the __________ sentence of a body paragraph. A good topic sentence clearly states the main point that will be elaborated upon in that paragraph. A good topic sentence will include a _______________ that connects the paragraph to the previous one

8 Before beginning, writers should always consider their _____________ Audience Audience in writing refers to the _____________ or ________. When thinking of the intended audience, consider the following: will it interest the reader? ________ is it appropriate? ________ formal? informal? casual? ____________ how intricate? __________________ what are the reader’s expectations? _______________

9 Thesis Statement The entire essay_____________________________. ___________________ (Writer asks: can I support this thesis statement with three main points?) The TS is a _________________ that clearly states the topic of the essay (the general topic, not going into specific main points). DO NOT use _________________ such as: “The purpose of this essay is…” “This essay will…” “In this essay I will…” DO NOT mention your _________________ in the thesis statement. DO NOT use the words _________________ in the thesis statement (no 1 st person writing).

10 The thesis statement can be __________ __________________ as long as the final sentence is the focal point. The thesis statement will always be placed as the ___________________ of the introduction. If the essay is________________, state topic and position (for or against). Often the thesis statement can be created by _____________ the writing prompt.

11 Sample Outline Thesis Statement: (write actual thesis statement here) Introduction I. A. B. II. A. B. III. A. B. Conclusion

12 Outline Guidelines Do not use________________! Outline entries should be 2-3 words, max (can be 1 or 2 words). Outline entries should be written in ________ ____________ style (more on this later). An outline writer may not have _______ of something (roman numeral, letter, etc.). Keep your outline ___________ (all MP should be equally supported) Take care on your outline; it is the blueprint for your essay.

13 Introduction Paragraph Sets the ________ for the essay * offers a _____________ for the reader First sentence (or sentences) is the __________________ Can be a:short story (anecdote) appropriate quote rhetorical question (writer may use you ) appropriate fact or statistic joke or humor After the attention getter, introduce or mention your three main points or arguments. Vary your sentence style. End the introduction with your ____________________

14 Sample Introduction When was the last time you took a good, hard look at your lifestyle? Is it a healthy one, or are there ways to make it healthier? This should be a question many Americans are asking themselves with some regularity. Getting enough exercise is a very important component of a healthy lifestyle. Eating the right foods, in the right quantities, is another part of living right. Finally, many people do not consider the fact that relaxation plays a huge role in overall health and wellness. Three specific components all work together to help people achieve a healthy lifestyle.

15 Body of Essay Use ___________ in your topic sentences and between supporting details Each body paragraph should be 8-12 __________ Start each body paragraph with a _____ _________, which clearly states the main point as it relates to the thesis statement

16 Body (Continued) Make sure each body paragraph is well developed. ____________ on your points until you feel they do a good job of supporting the _________________. Use details, examples, steps, or anything you feel will strengthen, prove, or explain your thesis statement Develop each paragraph __________ ~ it’s poor writing to have one body paragraph of 12 sentences and another of 4 sentences.

17 Conclusion Paragraph Used to remind readers of main topic and points used to support the thesis 1 st – restate ___________________, wording it differently from introduction. Use a __________________ in this sentence 2 nd – cover or mention for the final time your three ___________________________ Last – end the essay with some sort of appropriate concluding statement – sort of a reverse attention getter (called a ___________)

18 Sample Conclusion To sum up, more and more people these days are realizing that personal health and fitness are very important. People understand that exercise is crucial to a healthy lifestyle. Nutritional labels and public awareness are helping more people to eat a healthier diet. Finally, the public is learning that it is crucial to take time to relax and unwind from everyday stresses. The American public is certainly becoming an older population. Hopefully, with education and awareness, it can also become a healthier one.

19 General Reminders Do not use slang/informal/IM/text language Except in the attention getter or clincher of the essay, do not use the word “you” in the essay (expository/persuasive) Except in narrative essays, it’s improper to use first person language (I, me, we, our) Use lots of transitions to help your essay move smoothly from point to point The most common way students lose points on an essay is by not developing their body paragraphs sufficiently When editing, look for ways to improve word choice In an essay this short it is very easy to become redundant. When editing, take special care to guard against this problem