The Five-Paragraph Essay
Essay
Writing Sample
Students are required to write an essay responding to one of two topics. You should express your thoughts
clearly and organize your ideas so that they will make sense to a reader. Your essay should be well
developed with many specific details. Correct grammar and sentence structure are important. Your score
will based on your ability to express, organize,and support your opinions and ideas, not the position you
take on the essay topic.
Introduction:
Introductory Paragraph
Begin the first paragraph of your essay with a topic sentence that expresses the main point of your
essay, the thesis statement, a kind of mini-outline for the essay; it tells the reader what the essay is about.
For the second sentence write a subordinate sentence about one of the main points supporting the topic
sentence of the essay. The third sentence write a second subordinate sentence about another main point
supporting the topic sentence of the essay. Finish the first paragraph with a concluding or summary
sentence. It must also contain a transitional “hook” which moves the reader to the first paragraph of the
body of the essay.
Body:
Body – First Paragraph:
The first paragraph of the body should contain the strongest argument, most significant example,
cleverest illustration, or an obvious beginning point. The first sentence of this paragraph should include
the “reverse hook” which ties in with the transitional hook at the end of the introductory paragraph. The
topic for this paragraph should be in the first or second sentence. This topic should relate to the thesis
statement in the introductory paragraph. The last sentence in this paragraph should include a transitional
hook to tie the second paragraph of the body.
Body – Second Paragraph:
The second paragraph of the body should contain the second strongest argument, second most
significant example, second cleverest illustration, or an obvious follow up the first paragraph in the body.
The first sentence of this paragraph should include the reverse hook which ties in with the transitional
hook at the end of the paragraph of the body. The topic for this paragraph should be in the first or second
sentence. This topic should relate to the thesis state in the introductory paragraph. The last sentence in this
paragraph should include a transitional hook to tie into the third paragraph of the body.
Body – Third Paragraph:
The third paragraph of the body should contain the weakest argument, weakest example, weakest
illustration, or an obvious follow up to the second paragraph in the body. The first sentence of this
paragraph should include the reverse hook which ties in with the transitional hook at the end of the second
paragraph. The topic for this paragraph should be in the first or second sentence. This topic should relate
to the thesis statement in the introductory paragraph. The last sentence in this paragraph should include a
transitional concluding hook that signals the reader that this is the final major point being made in the
essay. This hook also leads in to the last, or concluding, paragraph.
