Basic Five-Paragraph Essay
By Kristen Weddle
Edited by UWC staff
(© DBU University Writing Center)
A five-paragraph essay should have the following
basic format:
I. Introduction
A. Background info
B. Thesis sentence (including 3 specific points)
II. Topic sentence for 1st body paragraph
A. Point one
B. Point two (at least 2 points, but more points are fine)
III. Topic sentence for 2nd body paragraph
A. Point one
B. Point two
IV. Topic sentence for 3rd body paragraph
A. Point one
B. Point two
V. Conclusion
Sound confusing? Don’t worry! I’ll explain.
What is the purpose of this
workshop?
 This workshop is for the purpose of review for
students who have been away from school for a
while. These ideas on writing will hopefully
remind you of the basics. The five-paragraph
essay is the general pre-college writing style.
 Eventually, you’ll take a course where your
professor wants you to move beyond the basics.
For these projects, the five-paragraph essay is a
good paradigm to keep in the back of your head
and modify as appropriate for that assignment.
 So let’s begin...
What is an introduction?
An introduction gives background information on your subject. It
introduces the reader to your topic.
So, what should you include? Well, try to pick things that you would
want to know about your topic if someone were telling you about it.
Some other good information to include:
 information about the author (if you are critiquing a book or doing a
book review--was the author’s background important to the piece?)
 background concerning the piece you are writing about (when was it
written, who wrote it, why)
 background of the issue you are writing about (as for an argumentative
essay)
What is a thesis?
A thesis is your paper boiled down into one, specific
sentence.
It should have 3 (for a five-paragraph paper) points specifically laid out in
the order you want to discuss them:
Dogs are great pets because they help owners get exercise and are loyal and
friendly.
If using this as a thesis, the paper should follow the format it lays out. The
first body paragraph should be about dogs helping owners get exercise,
paragraph 2 about dogs being loyal, and paragraph 3 about dogs being friendly.
You should be able to transition smoothly between paragraphs, so order
your points in a manner that flows well logically.
Each paragraph should begin with a topic sentence that relates directly back
to your thesis.
What is a topic sentence?
A topic sentence is sort of like a thesis, but on a smaller level. It is
your paragraph boiled down into 1 sentence. It summarizes one thesis
point and should correspond clearly to your thesis.
If we use the example thesis from the previous slide, a good topic
sentence for the first paragraph could be something like this:
Because dogs need to be taken for walks, they provide a fun, safe way
for owners to get exercise.
Okay, so we have a thesis and our first topic sentence; what next?
What about the points?
The two (at least) points you use in each of your body paragraphs
should support the topic sentence of your paragraph, and thus your thesis
as well.
For example, if you wanted to give two supporting points about dogs
being loyal, you could talk about how dogs can protect their owners and
about how dogs will love owners no matter what. (Okay, so these are
lame points, but hey, I grew up with 2 dogs…)
When you pick your points, make sure they really support your topic
sentence and thesis: they should be relevant.
What is a conclusion like?
A conclusion should do just what it says: conclude. It can get a little
tricky, though. You should not introduce new information into your
conclusion. If you have not talked about it before your conclusion, then
don’t use it.
Also, don’t copy and paste parts from your paper. Wrap up your ideas,
but say them in a new way. Readers don’t want to read the same
sentences over. They want you to remind them of what you’ve been
saying and what your point is, but in new words. Don’t just wrap up with
“Dogs make great pets because…” Say something like “People ought to
consider getting dogs. Not only are dogs loving, caring, and loyal, but
they are good with people and provide a healthy pastime for their
owners.”
Obviously, this would need to be a little longer to be a good
conclusion, but hopefully it will give you the idea of what your conclusion
should be like.
Need more help?
If you are still looking for a little more
information, our website www.dbu.edu/uwc
has our handouts on writing specific kinds of
papers and much more. Look under the Quick
Reference Flyers section.