Educational Support Services Basic Five Paragraph Essay Copy & Design: Verna Fisher

Here are some basic tips when writing a five paragraph essay. Think of your essay as a math formula or steps that need to be taken to get to the finish line. Think of your essay as a math formula or steps that need to be taken to get to the finish line. These steps can be written in any order as long as the essay flows when it is finished. It should sound as though it follows an order rather than just jumbled thoughts. These steps can be written in any order as long as the essay flows when it is finished. It should sound as though it follows an order rather than just jumbled thoughts. All five paragraph essays have the following: All five paragraph essays have the following:

An introduction1 Three body paragraphs +3 A conclusion _ 1__ Total paragraphs5

The introduction The introduction should be the place to start presenting your topic. The introduction should be the place to start presenting your topic. Typically, the last sentence will also include a thesis statement. Typically, the last sentence will also include a thesis statement. A thesis statement is one sentence that clearly tells the reader what your paper will be about, and it often has a point to prove. A thesis statement is one sentence that clearly tells the reader what your paper will be about, and it often has a point to prove.

Sample Introduction There are many great books on the market today, books that grab a reader’s attention and make them want to read more. There are many books I would suggest for teens looking for a great reading experience; the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer is not among them. The Twilight series is a terrible choice because it promotes violence, encourages unhealthy self-esteem in teenage girls, and sends harmful gender messages.

Body paragraphs Think of three items dealing with your topic that you’d like to discuss. The first item will be your first body paragraph. Now, come up with two or three examples that have to do with the item. Use details to make the examples clear. Continue this pattern for the second and third body paragraphs.

Sample Body Paragraph #1 Our society knows that violence is not the way to solve problems, and yet the Twilight series uses it again and again as the only way to move forward. The vampires in the series don’t solve their problems by talking them out; they solve them by fighting, and the strongest vampire wins. When James kidnaps Bella, the only way to resolve the conflict is for Edward to rip his head off. In addition, when the Cullen family is threatened at the end, peaceful interventions don’t work and they end up in a gory, bloody battle. In a society like ours, that is already so violent, the last thing we need is more bloodshed.

Sample Body Paragraph #2 In addition to promoting violence, this book encourages unhealthy self-esteem by using a main character who suffers from it and reacts to it in unhealthy ways. Bella Swan is clumsy, always “tripping over her own feet” (Meyer 48) and saying or doing the wrong thing. When she falls in love with Edward, she decides that she is not good enough for him on her own and she must change who she is just to make him happy. The idea that a woman should completely change herself to make a man happy is dangerous for teenage girls who should be taught to accept themselves as they are. Lack of self-acceptance is not a message that a teenage girl needs.

Sample Body Paragraph #3 The last harmful element of the Twilight series is the way that the different sexes are portrayed. As a woman, Bella constantly needs Edward or Jacob to save her from some life-threatening situation: drowning, being devoured by some hungry vampire or werewolf, or getting hit by a runaway truck. On page 91, when Edward tells Bella, “I could make a fulltime job out of saving your life,” he isn’t kidding. However, women aren’t weaklings and men aren’t supermen who need to come to their rescue. By writing her female characters as weak (Bella), silly (Jessica) and scatterbrained (Renee), and portraying her male characters as strong and wise, Meyer sets up an inequality that can warp a teenage reader’s sense of self-worth.

Conclusion The conclusion is the place to sum up your essay and re-state your thesis statement in different words. New information does not belong in the conclusion.

Sample Conclusion By promoting violence, unhealthy self-esteem, and sexist role models, Stephenie Meyer turns Twilight into something not only unhelpful for teenage readers, but downright dangerous. The Twilight series poses a much more serious risk than simply a bite on the neck; it is a series that can mis-shape the way teenage readers view themselves and the world around them. That damage is real, and permanent, and lasts long after the book is put back on the shelf.

Look at your first draft: Do you have five paragraphs? Do you have an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion? Does your introduction have a thesis statement? Do you have three reasons that support that thesis? Does each body paragraph begin with a topic sentence? And does the rest of each paragraph prove that topic sentence? Do you have a conclusion that restates your thesis statement using different words?

And now… Please mark your first draft where you need to develop it. Make notes to yourself in the margin about specific examples you can use, improving your structure, and developing your ideas. Gather quotes and page numbers that will help support your topic sentences. Once you have finished this part, please begin a new draft of your 5-paragraph essay. You must have a working draft for tomorrow’s class.