Writing a 5-Paragraph Essay
What do you need in a 5-paragraph essay?
Many teachers use the burger analogy when explaining the structure of the 5-paragraph essay. The top bun is the introduction, and the last conclusion paragraph is the bottom bun. The meat and the vegetables in the middle are the body paragraphs that essentially create the “flavor” of the essay.
With this in mind, let’s dive a bit deeper.
- Introduction paragraph
- Body paragraphs
- Conclusion paragraph
Depending on the prompt, objective, and genre of the essay, the structure and requirements vary.
However, the basic 5-paragraph requires the following:
- Introduction (Hook, brief background context, clear thesis statement)
- Body paragraph 1 (Topic sentence, evidence/examples, explanation and commentary, closing sentence)
- Body paragraph 2 (Topic sentence, evidence/examples, explanation and commentary, closing sentence)
- Body paragraph 3 (Topic sentence, evidence/examples, explanation and commentary, closing sentence)
- Conclusion (Summarize main points, restate the thesis statement, closing thought)
Free downloadable resources for educational purposes only: 5-Paragraph Essay
Use the worksheet below to help students organize their 5-paragraph essay instead of writing without a plan.
The worksheet below is an essay outline template created by Alex Zvargulis R.
Click on the link to visit the San Jose State University Writing Center for more resources: www.sjsu.edu/writingcenter
Visit the Santa Barbara City College, CLRC Writing Center for more resources.
This is an intricate breakdown of a 5-paragraph essay created by Dr. Murry and Anna C. Rockowitz. Refer to the last part of the worksheet that shows a sample essay using the 5-paragraph essay model.