Name: __________________
Class: ___________________
The Five-Paragraph Essay
An important writing tool!
5-Paragraph Essay
• WRITING A GOOD 5-PARAGRAPH
ESSAY REQUIRES SOME THINKING
AND CREATIVITY!
• BUT THERE ARE STEPS YOU CAN
FOLLOW TO WRITE A GOOD ONE!
• APPLY THE FOLLOWING PROCESS TO
ALL THE ESSAYS THAT YOUR WRITE!
• YOU’LL BE VERY SUCCESSFUL!
5-Paragraph Essay
HOW TO SET UP YOUR ESSAY
PROPER HEADING
Jane Doe
Title, period 1
English 10, 5.0
20 September 2008
5-Paragraph Essay
• TYPE YOUR FINAL DRAFT
• 1” MARGINS ALL AROUND
• CENTER YOUR TITLE BELOW THE
HEADING
• DOUBLE-SPACE YOUR ENTIRE ESSAY
• DO NOT INSERT EXTRA SPACING
BETWEEN PARAGRAPHS
• INDENT PARAGRAPHS ONE TAB
5-Paragraph Essay
THE IDEA & PROVING IT!
Come up with an original idea
(or one that completes the requirement
from your teacher) such as:
Idea: I think the samurai in “Green
Willow” doesn’t give up the traits of
being a samurai even though he gives up
his lord’s quest
5-Paragraph Essay
AFTER READING THE STORY, THINK
OF SOME TRAITS THAT PROVE
YOUR IDEA! (IF YOU CAN’T FIND
ANY – REFINE YOUR IDEA!)
• Traits the show he is still a samurai at
heart: Brave – Romantic -- Loyal
5-Paragraph Essay
THE OUTLINE
Thesis Statement: See next slide!!
Trait #1: Brave
Details & Quotes Quest, random house, drops quest/marriage – lord
could kill him, protecting her from lord
Trait #2: Romantic
Details & Quotes recites poetry, protect from lord, sitting beside shrine
for “50” years
Trait #3: Loyal
Details & Quotes
monk, never remarries, shrine
5-Paragraph Essay
A good THESIS STATEMENT is a
roadmap for your essay or paper:
Having decided that young man in “Green Willow”
is true to the code of the samurai because he is
brave, romantic, and loyal, your THESIS
STATEMENT might read:
The samurai in the story “Green Willow” proves that he
is a true samurai even though he abandons his lord’s
quest, because he demonstrates bravery in protecting
his love, behaves in romantic ways to her, and is loyal
to his love even into his old age.
5-Paragraph Essay
DETAILS IN THE THESIS STATEMENT
• Look at the detail that has been given to the
traits brave, romantic, and loyal in the thesis
statement.
• Giving more detail should entice the reader’s
interest to keep reading and defines exactly
what the writer means by those words!
5-Paragraph Essay
Good TOPIC SENTENCES give structure
to each body paragraph and support
your THESIS STATEMENT
POINT #1: because he demonstrates bravery in
protecting his love,
#1: From the first paragraph of the story, we see the
young samurai striving to finish his lord’s quest, even
braving a snow storm. It is only when he can go no
farther that he accepts shelter. Meeting Green
Willow, changes his goal, but does not change his
brave behavior. He is willing to incur his lord’s
wrath to remain with his love. Under the samurai
code that could mean death . . .
5-Paragraph Essay
POINT #2: behaves in romantic ways to her
#2: While samurai are expected to be brave, they are
also trained in the arts such as painting and poetry.
And while our image of fierce samurai warriors
usually doesn’t include romance, nothing could be
more romantic than the manner in which the
young samurai first tells Green Willow of his love
and continues to express it throughout their lives
together and apart.
The first sentence is a transition from #1 to #2
leading into the TOPIC SENTENCE for #2
5-Paragraph Essay
POINT #3: and is loyal to his love even into his old
age.
#3: Romance can be very exciting and pleasing, but it
can be fleeting: one poem does not necessarily lead to
a life-long relationship. But the young samurai
proves he has more substance than a few romantic
gestures by living in harmony with his love,
memorializing her at her death, and tending her
“grave” for many years. His loyalty to his love . . .
The first sentence is a transition from #2 to #3
leading into the TOPIC SENTENCE for #3
5-Paragraph Essay
Transitions between paragraphs
Go back and look at the topic sentence screens for
“Green Willow.”
1. What do you see in how transitions are made
between paragraphs in the examples?
2. Jot down some ideas you could use for your
Gilgamesh essay:
5-Paragraph Essay
Transitions between sentences
It’s not enough to give “lists” in your paragraph.
Read this paragraph and ask yourself if it is
interesting or satisfying to read:
The young samurai shows bravery because
he isn’t afraid to give up his lord’s quest. He
tries to continue going through a snow storm.
He falls in love with Green Willow. He is
brave because he decides to stay with her. He
also doesn’t go home to protect her from his
lord. Giving up your life for a love is a brave
gesture.
5-Paragraph Essay
Now read the version on the next screen and
compare and contrast it to the previous screen.
Do both paragraphs make the same points?
What is the same?
What is different?
5-Paragraph Essay
From the first paragraph of the story, we see the young
samurai striving to finish his lord’s quest, even braving a snow
storm. It is only when he can go no farther that he accepts
shelter. Meeting Green Willow, changes his goal, but does not
change his brave behavior. He realizes he is willing to incur
his lord’s wrath to remain with his love. Under the samurai
code that could mean death if his lord discovers him. He does
consider returning home with Green Willow and asking his
lord to accept her and grant permission for their marriage.
But, while there is no suggestion that the lord would not grant
permission, another concern occurs to the young man: his lord
has the right to be with his bride first. Not wishing to share his
love or submit the lovely Green Willow to this indignity, he
decides to turn his back on his world and live in the safety of
the woods. Giving up the life you have known for your love is
a brave act.
5-Paragraph Essay
PROOFING REMINDERS!!!!
How to write titles of complete works
• Underline: The Epic of Gilgamesh
• Italicize:
The Epic of Gilgamesh
How to write titles of shorter works or parts
of longer works:
• Use quotations: “The Raven,” “Green
Willow,” or “The Story of the Flood”
5-Paragraph Essay
Write out numbers under 30 in formal
writing:
• 2/3 = two-thirds
• 10 = ten
• 30 can be 30 and on up!
Don’t begin a sentence with a number:
• NOT!: 30 soldiers stood at the gate.
• YES!: Thirty soldiers stood at the gate.
5-Paragraph Essay
Try not to end a sentence with a
preposition:
• NOT!: That was the librarian I gave the
book to.
• YES!: That was the librarian to whom I
gave the book.
• NOT!: That was the librarian I gave the
book to.
• YES!: That was the librarian to whom I
gave the book.
5-Paragraph Essay
WATCH FOR RUN-ON SENTENCES
Sentences like the Energizer Bunny
that just keep on going!
From the first paragraph of the story, we see the
young samurai striving to finish his lord’s quest, even
braving a snow storm, until he can go no farther and
accepts shelter which is how he meets Green Willow
which changes his goal, but does not change his brave
behavior as he realizes he is willing to incur his lord’s
wrath to remain with his love.
Whew! You can get tired just reading it!!!
5-Paragraph Essay
ON THE OTHER HAND, USING LOT’S OF
CONTRACTIONS ISN’T A GOOD IDEA
IN PROPER WRITING!
For example:
• “It’s” should be “it is”
• Or “On the other hand, using many
contractions is not a good idea in proper
writing!”
5-Paragraph Essay
WE WANT RELEVANT QUOTES!
Let’s pick a few for “Green Willow” that we might use to
support the Thesis Statement & Body Paragraphs!
1.
_________________________________________
2.
_________________________________________
3.
_________________________________________
5-Paragraph Essay
AND REMEMBER TO GIVE YOUR
QUOTES PROPER PARENTHETICAL
CITATIONS!
I’m writing my words, “Quote” (author page #).
I am writing my words, “Quote!” (author page #).
I am writing my words, “Quote?” (author page #).
Or you can write:
As author says in title of the work, “Quote” (page #).
5-Paragraph Essay
IT IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA TO
PRACTICE THE FOLLOWING SKILLS!
• WRITE UP NOTECARDS FOR YOUR
QUOTES AND/OR PARAPHRASES!
• ALWAYS ATTACH A WORK CITED LIST!