STEPS IN WRITING THE PERFECT 5-PARAGRAPH ESSAY
Mrs. Mosca
1. Find out – what type of essay question do I have to answer?
a. PERSUASIVE – choose 1 side of an argument, prove your point
b. INFORMATIVE – neutral, simply offer knowledge, write matter-of-factly
2. Prewrite – what will I write about?
a. THESIS – One sentence that answers the question “What is the point?”
i. Placement: Always the last sentence of the introductory paragraph
b. OUTLINE – Main idea for each body paragraph
i. What 3 reasons will I use to apply my thesis?
3. Write – what do I write in each paragraph? (a paragraph is no less that 6 sentences!)
a. INTRODUCTION – think of a funnel; start off broad, narrow down to the essay topic,
then finish with thesis
i. History essays allow for the EASIEST intros!
ii. set the scene, give a preview of the time period or topic
b. 1ST BODY – discuss 1st main idea
i. TOPIC SENTENCE – establish the 1st reason
ii. DETAIL – “meat” of the essay, explain the reason using information
iii. CLINCHER – most important sentence in the body paragraph!
1. Link your reason to your thesis
2. Try this: “This reason proves the thesis because…”
c. 2ND BODY – same as 1st, using 2nd main idea
d. 3RD BODY – same as 1st and 2nd, using 3rd main idea
e. CONCLUSION – rephrase thesis and 3 clinchers
i. History essays allow for the EASIEST conclusions!
ii. Don’t just copy and paste these sentences ~ paraphrase!
iii. End with something catchy – foreshadowing, what ifs, etc.
4. Self-evaluate – how can I make this essay even better?
a. Review all of the above – did I follow all of the guidelines?
b. Spell-check AND proofread – remember, there’s a difference!
Hints and reminders:
 Never EVER write in the first person! Don’t use I, me, my, us, our, or we
 Always double space if typed, skip a line if hand-written
 Always have a title – be creative! Use a play on words!
 Give mad props – if you borrow an idea or a sentence, it’s ok – just have a citation!
o Do this at the end of that sentence: (Last name or title, page number)
 Go green – no cover pages! HW heading at top of page; don’t leave extra space between
paragraphs
 Have someone else (parent, sibling, teacher) proofread essay
 Plan ahead, work hard, be proud - your name AND reputation is attached to what you hand in!