Handout Created By Mary Wood Justine White Richland College

Handout Created By Mary Wood Justine White Wwwrichlandcollegee

Handout created by Mary Wood & Justine White The English Corner at Richland College Breaking the Five-Paragraph Habit for College Writing In high school and while preparing for many standardized tests, students are often taught to follow a standard five-paragraph format. In college courses, however, the five-paragraph essay may result in a lower grade. In this handout, we will explain the limits of a five-paragraph essay and provide alternative modes of organizing your college essays.

What is a Five-Paragraph Essay? In a five-paragraph essay, the introduction begins with a general statement and then builds to a thesis statement at the end of the introduction paragraph. The thesis statement will often list the three main points that the writer intends to develop in the body. The writer will then discuss each point that he has listed in the thesis in an individual body paragraph. Each body paragraph contains a topic sentence that restates a main point. Finally, the conclusion often restates the thesis and summarizes what was written in the body paragraphs. To the right is a visual representation of what a five-paragraph essay often looks like.

Why Can’t I Write A Five-Paragraph Essay? The five-paragraph essay is a great way to learn how to write an essay; however, collegiate writing requires a much deeper and more critical consideration of a topic than a five-paragraph essay will allow. Professors want their students to explore, analyze, and develop their ideas to the next level of writing with sound arguments and evidence. The five-paragraph essay controls the content; when in truth, it should be the other way around. The structure of a five-paragraph essay limits students’ abilities to expand beyond three examples and a superficial overview.

Additionally, the structure of a five-paragraph essay often leads to repetition because you must repeat the main idea in the topic sentences and again in the conclusion, making the conclusion weak and pointless. How Can I Break the Five-Paragraph Habit? In college writing, your content should dictate how you structure your essay. When deciding how to organize your essay, you should consider the prompt carefully and organize according to what you have been asked to do in the assignment. For an argument essay, each body paragraph should be a reason that supports your thesis.

For a literary analysis, each body paragraph should be a different aspect of the poem or literature (symbolism, metaphor, character, setting, voice, tone) that proves the thesis. For a visual analysis, each body paragraph should be an aspect of the visual (color, background, foreground, framing, juxtaposition, superimposition) that proves your thesis. Consider the following example assignment: You will write a six-to-seven (6-7) page research paper that argues a point and tries to persuade the reader. Your job is to change the reader’s mind about a particular subject and persuade the reader into believing your argument. First, your essay must define important terms and introduce relevant background information.

In the body of your essay, in addition to proving your point with credible evidence, you must provide a counterargument followed by a refutation. Handout created by Mary Wood & Justine White Process of Completion: 1. First, determine what the prompt asks you to do. Say you choose fracking in Texas as your topic. For the prompt above, you will need to provide sufficient background information as well as present several reasons that support your stance on the topic.

You must also consider an opposing viewpoint(s) and refute it. 2. Brainstorm and create an outline. Your outline might look something like the following: I. Introduction a. Hook (attention getter): “According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the Dallas area has suffered almost 40 small earthquakes due to fracking” (qtd. in Lett and Morris). b. Brief overview of the topic: explain controversy surrounding fracking in TX c. Thesis: Fracking should be limited to unpopulated, rural areas in Texas. II. Definition of terms a. What is fracking? b. Types of fracking III. Background 1 a. Description of process and controversy IV. Counterargument/Opposing viewpoint (Financial benefits of fracking) a. Evidence b. Explanation of opposing view V. Refutation/Why the opposing view is wrong (Negatives outweigh benefits) a. Evidence b. Explanation VI. Reason 1 (Damage to the environment) a. Evidence b. Explanation VII. Reason 2 (Reduction in home values) a. Evidence b. Explanation VIII. Counterargument 2 (As an alternative to fossil fuels) a. Evidence b. Explanation of opposing view IX. Refutation (Safer alternatives) a. Evidence b. Explanation X. Strongest reason 3 (Community is against it) a. Evidence b. Explanation XI. Conclusion a. Why people should care? b. Call to action Notice how this outline allows you to fully develop the background information and expand your paper to include multiple perspectives and reasons. It results in a much more sophisticated and critical analysis of the topic.

3. Draft your essay following the outline you created. 4. After completing the rough draft, review the assignment prompt carefully to ensure that your essay meets all requirements outlined by your professor. Now that you know college writing requires more than a five-paragraph essay, you should note that there are a few times where it can still be helpful.

When you are taking a timed essay exam, using the five-paragraph essay structure can focus your thoughts and help you write clearly. Breaking the Five-Paragraph Habit for College Writing What is a Five-Paragraph Essay? Why Can’t I Write A Five-Paragraph Essay? How Can I Break the Five-Paragraph Habit? Handout created by Justine White The English Corner at Richland College Creating Outlines After you have a working thesis, create a rough outline. An outline will help you structure your research and organize your notes and materials. Use your rough outline to organize your thoughts.

I. Introduction A. Introduction i. Attention grabber (see handout over Interesting Introductions for more help). ii. Roadmap that introduces what you will be writing about (subject, opposing viewpoint, and reasons) iii. Working thesis (generally, the last sentence of the introduction) II. Body paragraphs A. Background information i. Tell: Main idea ii. Show: Supporting evidence one (quotes, examples, statistics, facts); include direct quotes here, paraphrase, or summarize information. iii. Share: Explanation statement B. Counterargument i. Tell: Counterargument/Opposing view (topic sentence; begins with a transition) ii. Show: What do “they say” against your argument? (quote, example, statistic, fact) iii. Share: Explain the evidence and end with a summary sentence that shares what the reader needs to know about the opposition C. Refutation i. Tell: Refutation (explains why the opposing view is wrong, incomplete, or problematic; begins with a transition and an acknowledgement of the opposition) ii. Show: Supporting evidence to prove the naysayer wrong (quotes, examples, statistics, facts) iii. Share: Answer the “So what? Who cares? Why does it matter?” questions and relate back to your thesis. D. Supporting paragraph i. Tell: Reason 1 (topic sentence) ii. Show: Supporting evidence one (quotes, examples, statistics, facts; include direct quotes here, paraphrase, or summarize information). iii. Share: Answer the “So what? Who cares? Why does it matter?” questions and then relate back to your thesis. E. Supporting paragraph i. Tell: Reason 2 (topic sentence) ii. Show: Supporting evidence two (quotes, examples, statistics, facts; include direct quotes here, paraphrase, or summarize information) iii. Share: Answer the “So what? Who cares? Why does it matter?” questions and then relate back to your thesis. F. Supporting paragraph (strongest evidence goes here) i. Tell: Reason 3 (topic sentence) ii. Show: Supporting evidence three (quotes, examples, statistics, facts; include direct quotes here, paraphrase, or summarize information) iii. Share: Answer the “So what? Who cares? Why does it matter?” questions and then relate back to your thesis. III. Conclusion A. Real world consequences, a call to action, a future issue, or a solution Your outline doesn’t have to be written in full sentences. It can be phrases or fragments that help you remember ideas. When including quotes in your outline, don’t forget to include the name of the article, the author, and the page number(s) where you found the quote. Remember, this is just an example. You might have more reasons or more naysayers/counterarguments. Do not feel constrained or limited by a specific number of paragraphs. Use as many paragraphs as necessary to fully prove your claim. Additionally, you might reorder your paragraphs differently from the example above. Begin the body of your paper with a strong reason and evidence. Place your weakest evidence in the middle. And finally, save your strongest argument for last. That way, you begin with a good argument but leave your reader with the most powerful piece of evidence. For example, if your naysayer isn’t your strongest argument, don’t place it last. Put it in the middle instead. Order your paragraphs according to the strength of their argument. Creating Outlines

Paper For Above instruction

The conventional five-paragraph essay structure is a staple of high school writing education, emphasizing a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. However, in college-level academic writing, this rigid format can hinder a student's ability to explore and develop complex ideas. The strict adherence to this structure often results in superficial analysis, repetition, and limited argumentation, which do not meet the expectations of higher academic standards. Therefore, students must learn to break free from the five-paragraph habit and adopt more flexible, content-driven organizational strategies to craft impactful and sophisticated essays.

At the core of the five-paragraph essay is an introduction that starts broadly and narrows down to a thesis statement, accompanied by three main supporting points. Each body paragraph then addresses one of these points, often beginning with a topic sentence that restates the main idea, supported by evidence and analysis. The conclusion typically rephrases the thesis and summarizes the main points. While this format can be useful for foundational writing skills, it constrains the writer’s ability to fully explore complex arguments or multiple perspectives, which are essential in college academic writing.

The limitations of the five-paragraph structure become evident when students attempt to engage in deeper analysis, incorporate multiple counterarguments, and provide nuanced discussions. The rigid format often leads to repetition, especially in reiterating the thesis or main points in the conclusion and topic sentences. Additionally, the structure's brevity restricts the number of supporting examples or ideas, resulting in superficial coverage rather than comprehensive exploration of a topic. Consequently, college professors expect students to organize essays based on content and logical progression rather than a predetermined template.

To transcend these limitations, students should focus on content first, determining the best way to organize their ideas based on the assignment prompt. For argument essays, this may mean dedicating separate sections or paragraphs to each reason supporting the thesis. For literary or visual analysis, each paragraph should explore a different aspect or element that contributes to the overall argument. Effective organization also involves incorporating counterarguments and refutations, which demonstrate critical thinking and the ability to engage with different perspectives.

Handouts and guidelines suggest that creating detailed outlines can help students structure their research and ideas effectively. A working outline begins with a clear introduction that contains an attention grabber, background information, and a thesis statement. The body of the outline is organized into paragraphs that present background, counterarguments, refutations, and supporting reasons with evidence. The strongest evidence should be placed toward the end of the essay to leave a lasting impression, following a logical sequence of argument strength. The outline should be flexible, allowing the writer to adapt and reorder paragraphs as needed to craft a nuanced and comprehensive argument.

Ultimately, students are encouraged to think beyond the five-paragraph structure when writing academic essays. They must develop critical analytical skills, employ flexible organizational strategies, and use evidence effectively to support complex arguments. While the five-paragraph essay may serve as an initial learning tool, advancing beyond it is essential for producing college-level writing that is articulate, engaging, and critically sophisticated.

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