THE ARGUMENTATIVE RESEARCH ESSAY

THE FIVE PARAGRAPH ESSAY A Five Paragraph Essay is used for two main reasons: To teach students the BASIC format of an essay. To provide GENERAL guidelines for a short piece of writing. In REALITY, an essay will be as many paragraphs as necessary to state your opinion with supporting evidence.

THE INTRODUCTION Similarly, the introduction to an essay is not always a single paragraph. Regardless of how many paragraphs are used, three components MUST BE PRESENT: 1) Attention Grabber (otherwise known as a “hook”) 2) Outline (your essay plan) 3) Thesis Statement (what you will argue)

DISCLAIMER In a Five Paragraph Essay, these three components of an introduction are weaved into a single paragraph. A single paragraph introduction is adequate for a Five Paragraph Essay.

THE ATTENTION GRABBER (“THE HOOK”) Goal: to get the attention of the reader. There are several options: Startling or staggering information Anecdote Analogy Quotation (from an expert) Important Information

STARTLING OR STAGGERING INFORMATION Shocks and peaks the interest of the reader. Ex. Four out of five children are obese in American schools. What would the topic of this essay be?

ANECDOTE Anecdote: An interesting but brief story, relevant to the topic, that simplifies the main argument to engage the reader. Ex. The girl was circled by several bigger girls. They were teasing and calling her names. The girl quickly ran to her mother's car with tears running down her cheeks. What would the topic of this essay be?

ANALOGY Analogy: A simple comparison of the topic to something that the reader would find more interesting. Ex. Cars are like a cancer, feeding off the healthy tissue of our natural resources and spewing their poisons into the global bloodstream until the body of the world is sick and weak. Surgery is needed. Let us cut out cars. What would the topic of this essay be?

QUOTATION (from an expert) Quote Use a quote related to your topic to interest your reader. “By the middle of the twentieth century the literature on Napoleon already numbered more than 1,000,000 volumes” (Durant, foreword). What would the topic of this essay be?

IMPORTANT INFORMATION The SIMPLEST WAY for an intelligent but inexperienced writer to proceed is… Important Information Begin with a thorough explanation of relevant background. Use plain language. Ex. Napoleon is a dominant figure in world history and his legacy in both the military and civil spheres is immense. What will be the topic of this essay?

THE OUTLINE (“THE PLAN”) The outline is essential in an essay. It should outline for the reader, in the same order that it appears in the essay, the main points you will argue in your essay. This will allow the reader to get a sense of how you will prove your point.

THE OUTLINE Typically an outline will have three points One point for each body paragraph. An outline can be one sentence, but it can also be multiple sentences joined together.

THE THESIS STATEMENT The thesis is a precise statement of what will be proven in the essay. This statement should be the FINAL SENTENCE of your introductory paragraph. It is HIGHLY SPECIFIC. It should pass the “So What?” test. Meaning, why is this important?

EXAMPLE S OF BAD THESIS STATEMENTS This essay will examine the system of alliances that led to the outbreak of the First World War. This is called purpose statement. It contains a purpose, but not a thesis. The system of alliances that brought about the First World War was foolish. This is an opinion, but it does not pass the “so what” test.

EXAMPLE OF A BETTER THESIS STATEMENT The system of alliances that brought about the First World War was foolish because it ensured that each country would enter the war. Does it pass the “so what” test? The new and untested technologies created confusion amongst Allied forces at the Somme and ultimately led to the disastrous outcome of the battle.  

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER Remember, an introduction must always have three parts: 1) The attention getter 2) The outline 3) The thesis Look on your handout and read through the example introductions and identify the parts.

THE CONCLUSION An effective concluding paragraph wraps up all your big ideas. It restates your thesis in a refreshing and thought provoking way. Your conclusion should be 5-8 sentences in length.

THE CONCLUSION A good conclusion should read like an inverted introduction (i.e. an upside down introduction). The first sentence will be a rewording of your thesis statement. The next sentences will be a review of your main arguments. The final sentences will be a general conclusion on the topic. What points or questions can be made when comparing the topic to the findings in your essay?

THE CONCLUSION If possible, connect back to the creative opening strategy – reverse hook

SAMPLE CONCLUSION (1) Thesis Restatement (2) Outline of Argument—what three points were used to make the argument? (3) Topic Discussion Examine your handout and identify the parts of the conclusion.