Outlining, Writing, And MLA Formatting A Five Paragraph Essay

Updated on September 5, 2014 Maegan Bandmann moreContact Author So you got an essay, eh? Your teacher just surprised you and your class with an assignment to write an essay. It’s simple. You use the five paragraph format. The five paragraph format is easy to use and quick to make work. It doesn’t even have to be five paragraphs really. It can be as long or as short as you like but still provides the basics for any essay you have to write. First, you start with your topic sentence or thesis statement. The reason you start with the topic sentence is simple: it’s easier to write when you know what you’re writing about. The thesis sums up your entire essay in one go. It has to have your topic and three supporting arguments. Something important to remember when coming up with this is that you want to keep it short, sweet, and simple.

Example: Shakespeare’s writings have endured the ages because of his draw upon human emotions, psychology, and social relations. Now the reader knows that your essay topic is Shakespeare and how his writings have continued to be popular. They also know that your essay will include the supporting arguments of the reasons why his writing has persevered. In this case those are how he connects to people in those three different ways. Next you’ll work on your arguments and sub-arguments. You can have as many of these as you want but generally, to make sure you’ve got a well-rounded argument, you’ll have at least three arguments and three sub-arguments for every one of those. You’ll take your arguments from the thesis statement and make each into its own sentence. Think, “How am I going to prove that this is a valid claim? ” Example: Every human experiences emotions; therefore, when Shakespeare has his characters experience a myriad of passions it makes them more relatable to readers regardless of what century it is. This draws upon what is stated in the thesis but expounds upon it a little more.

The sub-arguments are going to elaborate upon each argument even more. Try to flesh out every argument point fully using at least one example either directly, text stated from a source other than yourself, or indirectly, by summarizing another source. DON’T use only direct or only indirect examples. Make sure to switch it up and explain how every example supports your argument. A good strong ending to the essay would be your second thesis statement. This will serve to bring it all together and finish with the last thing the reader sees being what the point of it all was. It’s kind of like ending the essay with a solid bang. Done. This is what I have to say. Last in the outline, comes the second thesis. This is basically reminding the reader what the essay was all about and tying everything up with a pretty, literary, bow. The second thesis should include the topic and the three supporting arguments, just like the first, but must be stated in a different way. Example: Because of how he connects to readers on emotional, psychological, and social levels, Shakespeare continues to be beloved by many readers today.

Now that you have the outline completed you can put the finishing touches on your creation and really flesh it out. The way to do this is by making sure that it flows. You never want to give your reader a jarring jump when going from one paragraph to the other. It throws them off kilter and makes the experience (and your grade as a result) less pleasant. Smooth transitions happen all the time in daily life while you’re talking to another person. All you have to do here is find a way to make it happen on paper. Example: Shakespeare also shows how a change in a person’s psychological state may affect their social standing. Social ranking is still an important factor in everyday life and movement in these rankings is something readers of all eras will understand. These two sentences blend both the psychological and social ranking arguments together and allows for a soft flow from one paragraph into the next all the while lightly touching again on the topic.