Use an established process to write a successful five-paragraph essay.
An essay is a short composition on a specific theme or subject. An essay of five paragraphs or more will normally present a thesis statement, contain facts and arguments that support the thesis, and will contain a summary or conclusion based upon the facts and arguments made in the essay. Essays can employ several different methods of presenting an argument, such as through comparison and contrast, providing a process, or even just a simple presentation of facts and statistics.
Create a Thesis Statement
A thesis statement is an idea or observation that you present at the beginning of the essay. Normally, a thesis statement is a part of the introduction, and it gives a one-sentence summary of the topic. Since the thesis is the main point of the essay, you should writer a thesis that is concise and adequately sets the tone for the rest of the essay. One type of thesis statement -- the "predictive" thesis statement -- allows you to create a basic outline for the arguments to follow, and it also gives the reader a preview of the topics you plan to discuss or the arguments you will make.
Pay Attention to the Introduction
A good introduction should attract the reader's attention and serve as an enticement to read the essay through to the end, a "hook." An introduction will often contain some setup information, such as why the thesis statement was made or how the thesis pertains to the reader. An introduction will also set up the rest of the essay, thus making it easier for the reader to understand the information.
Present Your Case Well
Each paragraph between the introduction and the conclusion must contain major details that support your argument. Supplementary details that support the major details are called minor details; you use these to expand upon the points made by the major details. For example, a major detail you can use for the thesis statement, "Product A is better than Product B" is that, "Product A is available for purchase in more countries than Product B." For your minor secondary support, you can provide concrete, specific examples of the products and the countries in which Product B is available.
Conclusion
The conclusion of an essay is more than a simple exit; it presents an opportunity to provide a logical deduction based upon the arguments presented. You may present the conclusion in a number of ways; one of the more common presentations is a summary of the facts followed by the logical deduction based upon the facts presented. Other ways to conclude an essay may include the deduction followed by a memorable thought or a call to action. In all conclusions, you should also restate the original thesis statement that you made in the introduction.
Tags: thesis statement, based upon, major details, that support, based upon facts