A Beginner's Guide to Writing a5-Paragraph Essay Like a Pro

Last Updated: 27 July 2023
Table of Content

We are confident that most of you have been tasked with academic writing assignments in your life in high school or college. Although it is not a common aspect of our life, writing 5-paragraph essays is something that is scholarly natural. Five paragraph essays are used by instructors and are a standard academic paper among college students.

It is common with those taking IELTS or TOEFL tests. Its mastery is sweet, and that is why our article on how to write a 5 paragraph essay might be a savior to you.  Ordinarily, the 5-paragraph essays help in responding to a topic.

Mostly, it is the standard format for most college essays. It is used when writing classification essays, speeches, reflective essays, term papers, admission essays, personal statements, and cause and effect essays.

This article takes you through the entire process of writing this type of essay.

5 Paragraph Essay Structure

Undeniably, from its name, it is clear that this essay type has five paragraphs. The paragraphs include an introductory paragraph, three body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph.

Essay Introduction

If you are an ardent reader of our posts, by now you should know how much we stress on having a catchy introduction. The introduction should have a hook sentence that lures and keeps your readers.

The introduction paragraph should highlight the broad scope of your topic and narrow down to the specifics through your thesis statement. In the thesis statement, explore the theme of the paper and the particulars to be covered.

Notably, the introduction should be short, clear, and catchy. Also, when proofreading, tweak the thesis to suit the body of the essay.

Three Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs of a 5-paragraph essay feature the ideas, facts, and thoughts that support the stated thesis. It is wise to include relevant examples to illustrate the points.

Ideas from credible scholarly sources such as books, peer-reviewed journals, personal experiences, and primary sources can be used.

It is also prudent to give an account of the thoughts through illustrative examples to convince the audience.

The first paragraph of the body should have a compelling description of the foundation idea. The second should cover the weakest idea. The third should have an exposition of the strong arguments of the essay.

Some of the transitions to use in the body of an essay include on the other hand, for example, as an illustration, more importantly, on the contrary, etc.

The conclusion of the Essay

Characteristically, the last paragraph is your conclusion. It should restate the thesis and the hook of your essay. It should be a paraphrased version of the essay and should expose the main arguments and ideas in the essay.

Since it is the reverse of the introduction, it should use some transitions to mark the conclusion. Such transition words include in sum, in summary, in conclusion, as already discussed, as can be seen from the above discussion, etc. Avoid using conclusion generators. Instead, use human editors and real writers.

Conclusions are never cited. Therefore, avoid incorporating in-text citations in your conclusion.

How to Write an Excellent Five-Paragraph Essay

While writing a 5 paragraph essay might sound easy, it is never that easy. Our tips can help ease your work.

  1. The conclusion can have a paragraph hook. It is allowed as it signals the end of the paper. Surprise your reader by giving them an unknown fact related yet unique about the topic.
  2. Use thesaurus and dictionaries to get the highest level of vocabulary. Excellent vocabulary lures and keeps the reader.
  3. Use creativity, innovation, and critical thinking when developing ideas and concepts.
  4. Plan your five-paragraph essay using a 5 paragraph essay template or just a pen and paper.
  5. Think about how you can strengthen the arguments.
  6. Support arguments using information from credible scholarly sources.
  7. Proofread your essay for syntax, grammar, vocabulary, and coherence errors.
  8. Stick to your central theme and the general essay writing rules.
  9. Always have an essay outline prepared before. It should include potential ideas for each paragraph of your essay.

Why not get Help from our Professional Academic Writers?

Congratulations on visiting our blog. You just won a free ticket to being the best essay writer.

Our article on how to write a 5-paragraph essay will help you scale the academic heights. However, if you need academic writing help, our professional essay writers are always on standby to help.

Our essay writing service handles all essays, including persuasive essays, compare and contrast essays, classification essays, and analytical essays.