Summary
Whether your essay is expository, descriptive, or persuasive, a five-paragraph formula can help you organize your ideas and make a strong, well-supported argument. The introduction paragraph sets up the essay. It starts with a hook and ends with a thesis statement, which states your claim and lays out how you’ll prove it with three reasons. Each body paragraph begins with a topic sentence, restating one of the reasons presented in the thesis statement. The rest of the paragraph provides evidence to support the topic sentence. The final paragraph is the conclusion. Its structure is the reverse of the intro: It paraphrases the thesis, then wraps up the essay and extends the argument with final insights. Although lots of essays don’t follow the five-paragraph structure, mastering this basic format is a key step to your development as a writer. Press “play” to learn more. Then write on!
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
A few questions to talk through after watching Five-Paragraph Essay:
- What is one new thing you learned about five-paragraph essay?
- Can you explain it to a partner in your own words?
- Where might you see this in the real world?
- What is one question you still have?
Quick work-a-long
Try it:
- Write one sentence explaining five-paragraph essay.
- Draw or give one example of your own.