Throughout your college career, five-paragraph essays are an integral part of your academic routine. Taking into account the fact that any discipline can include a 5-paragraph essay writing assignment, you’ll want to be good at composing it.
The good news is that a five-paragraph paper is not tough to deal with if you’re aware of the existing rules to do research, plan, outline, write, and edit this type of academic work. In contrast to a term paper or dissertation, a five-paragraph essay is easy to cope with if you know the required format and have an adequate amount of time to write it. Check some quick tips and tricks to write an essay that contains five paragraphs.
Research and Plan
When you start your research and collect evidence to support your thesis, ensure to focus on the counterarguments that you come across. The point is that a quality five-paragraph essay doesn’t ignore opposing points of view. You have to know how to preempt counterarguments were necessary in order to strengthen the power of the ones that you use. That’s an integral part of in-depth research.
While previous research was about spending a lifetime in dusty libraries, today you can get quick access to a never-ending source of knowledge with a click. While the tech era has made research a less time-consuming process, undergrads have to keep in mind that it is crucial to look for trusted sources to back up their viewpoints. After all, we live in times of ‘fake news.’ That is why it is important to seek only authentic pieces of information.
As you collect the info and supporting evidence for your work, you will have to organize things effectively. Get a graphic organizer to cope with the task or use a printed version if it’s more comfortable for you.
It is recommended to sort all collected info in accordance with where you’re going to use it in the five-paragraph essay.
Finally, while it is important to do thorough research and plan your essay from A to Z, it is also crucial to remember that writing a five-paragraph essay is a sort of art. When it’s time to get the writing process started, make sure to maintain an open mind. Provide your opinions and thoughts with the room to develop over the process of writing a five-paragraph essay. As the writing progresses, you should leave the door open for new ideas and thoughts that you haven’t considered before.
Start with a Hook
The main aim of a hook is to capture your reader’s attention. That is why it is important to pick a creative way to present the chosen topic. A hook is usually a generalized statement about the topic that informs your target audience on the topic.
Anecdotes and quotes serve as great hooks for a five-paragraph essay:
- Don’t use the phrases like “I’m going to talk about,” “In my paper,” etc. The show, don’t tell.
- It is easier to choose a hook when you’re done with the whole paper. Then just get back to the beginning of the essay during the editing phase and come up with the best hook.
Include a Strong Thesis Statement
Your thesis statement should be placed at the end of the introductory section. Include your stance, all the strong supporting points to set the tone of the paper. You will later have to write each body paragraph so that it links back to the thesis statement. In other words, your thesis is your personal road map for writing a piece.
Arrange Your Body Paragraphs
Make sure to start each paragraph within the body segment with a topic sentence. The letter must contain your point and connect it back to your thesis statement. Thus, your target audience knows why your point supports each of the ideas given in the thesis. The topic sentence will set the tone to the whole body paragraph exactly the way the thesis statement controls the whole paper.
Here’s what each paragraph of the body should look like:
- First goes the topic sentence, to sum up your point.
- Second, you provide your argument, or why you believe that the topic sentence is accurate.
- Third, give strong evidence (stats, quotes, etc.) to back up your argument.
Now that you’re done with the body section, make sure to include smooth transitions between the paragraphs.
Include Examples and Evidence
Depending on the essay type that you compose, you will have to collect evidence from research that you performed on the topic. As an alternative, you may also include examples to support your points, especially if you’re working on your project in class. Ensure that each example that you provide includes 2-3 pieces of evidence or examples. If you did research based on the chosen topic, it is important to cite your sources in the required format that your professor prefers.
Write the Conclusion
Sum up your essay in the concluding section. As a rule, most undergrads find this paragraph the toughest to deal with. Restate your thesis statement and link it back to the body in a sentence that shows how every point supports the thesis statement. Clearly and concisely uphold your core idea and keep away from including any new information in this part of the essay. Approach a competent essay editor online with an “I need an editor to check my paper” request if you’re not sure about your writing skills. There are many trusted services out there available round-the-clock. In other words, you can find a trustworthy service even if the deadline is about to expire.
Don’t Plagiarize!
Finally, something really serious to talk about. On the internet, students find loads of materials that they copy and paste into their essays. If you’re about to do the same, we strongly recommend you resist the urge. Handing in a five-paragraph essay that contains plagiarized content is cheating. And in most institutions, undergrads face serious penalties for plagiarizing – something that is worse than a low grade on a paper.
Also Read: How Can Writing Boost Your Mental Health?
