Five-paragraph essay

The five-paragraph essay is a form of written argument. It is a common requisite in assignments in American schools. The format requires an essay to have five paragraphs: one introductory paragraph, three body paragraphs with support and development, and one concluding paragraph. Because of this structure, it is also known as a hamburger essay, one three one or a three tier essay. MYBUTTMYBUTT

The introduction serves to inform the reader of the basic premises, and then to state your thesis, or central idea. When a thesis essay is applied to this format, the first paragraph typically consists of a narrative hook, followed by a sentence that introduces the general theme, then another sentence narrowing the focus of the one previous. (If the author is using this format for a text-based thesis, then a sentence quoting the text, supporting the essay-writer's claim, would typically go here, along with the name of the text and the name of the author. Example: "In the book Night, Elie Wiesel says..."). After this, the author narrows the discussion of the topic by stating or identifying a problem. Often, an organizational sentence is used here to describe the layout of the paper. Finally, the last sentence of the first paragraph of such an essay would state the thesis the author is trying to prove. The thesis is often linked to a "road map" for the essay, which is basically an embedded outline stating precisely what the three body paragraphs will address and giving the items in the order of the presentation. Not to be confused with an organizational sentence, a thesis merely states "The book Night follows Elie Wiesel's journey from innocence to experience," while an organizational sentence directly states the structure and order of the essay.

Critique of the form

According to Thomas E. Nunnally and Kimberley Wesley , most teachers and professors consider the five-paragraph form ultimately restricting for fully developing an idea. Wesley argues that the form is never appropriate. Nunnally states that the form can be good for developing analytical skills that should then be expanded.

Five-part Essay

The five-part essay is a step up from the five-paragraph essay. Often called the "persuasive" or "argumentative" essay, the five-part essay is more complex and accomplished, and its roots are in classical rhetoric. The main difference is the refinement of the "body" of the simpler five-paragraph essay. The five parts, whose names vary from source to source, are typically represented as:

1. Introduction: a thematic overview of the topic, and introduction of the thesis;
2. Narration: a review of the background literature to orient the reader to the topic; also,a structural overview of the essay;
3. Affirmation': the evidence and arguments in favor of the thesis;
4. Negation: the evidence and arguments against the thesis; these also require either "refutation" or "concession";
5. Conclusion: summary of the argument, and association of the thesis and argument with larger, connected issues.

In the five-paragraph essay, the "body" is all "affirmation"; the "narration" and "negation" (and its "refutation" or "concession") make the five-part essay less "thesis-driven" and more balanced and fair. Rhetorically, the transition from affirmation to negation (and refutation or concession) is typically indicated by contrastive terms such as "but", "however", and "on the other hand".

The five parts are purely formal and can be created and repeated at any length, from a sentence (though it would be a highly complex one), to the standard paragraphs of a regular essay, to the chapters of a book, and even to separate books themselves (though each book would, of necessity, include the other parts while emphasizing the particular part).

Another popular form of the 5 part essay consists of

1. Introduction Introducing a topic. An important part of this is the three pronged thesis.
2. Body Paragraph 1 Explaining the first part of the three pronged thesis
3. Body Paragraph 2 Explaining the second part of the three pronged thesis
4. Body Paragraph 3 Explaining the third part of the three pronged thesis
5. Conclusion Summing up points and restating thesis

In essence, the above method can be seen as following the colloquialism "Tell 'em what you're gonna tell 'em, tell 'em, tell 'em what you told 'em" with the first part referring to the introduction, the second part referring to the body, and the third part referring to the conclusion.

The main point of the five-part essay is to demonstrate the opposition and give-and-take of true argument. Dialectic, with its formula of "thesis + antithesis = synthesis", is the foundation of the five-part essay.

See also

• Cicero, De Inventione
• Eight-legged essay
• Rhetorica ad Herennium (ca 90 BC)
• Schaffer paragraph

References

• Corbett, Edward P.J. Classical Rhetoric for the Modern Student. 4th ed. Oxford UP, 1999.
• Hodges, John C. et al. Harbrace Handbook. 14th ed.

External links

• Structure of the five paragraph essay
• The 5 Paragraph Essay Format
• The Age of the Essay and A Version 1.0, by Paul Graham, discuss the history and use of essays in education.
• The Five-Paragraph Essay - Cal Poly Pomona