The Five-Paragraph Essay

Suggestions for writing the five-paragraph essay:

- Remember this paper is being graded with an emphasis on format. Remember this is like building a chair in wood-working class. Your assignment is to build a functioning chair. There are many different types of chairs out there but at the end of the day it has to support my weight when I sit down or it ceases to be useful. The color, design, etc... are all secondary to this assignment.

A chair needs
- four legs
- a seat
- a back support.

A five paragraph essay needs:
- five paragraphs:
* an introductory paragraph
with a hook
a thesis
and a preview
* three body paragraphs
one paragraph for each of the three preview points mentioned in the intro
* a conclusion
restates introduction (in reverse order)
preview
thesis
hook

Example:
(title) Woofie: A Boy's Best Friend

(introduction)
Hook: I was five-years-old and trying to sleep when thoughts of monsters crept into my head. Then I heard the grrrrr and knew I was safe.

Thesis: My dog Woofie was my best friend as a kid.

Preview: Woofie was a great dog because he was fun, protective, and loyal to me.

(Body 1)
A paragraph on Woofie being a fun dog

(Body 2)
A paragraph on Woofie being a protective dog

(Body 3)
A paragraph on Woofie being a loyal dog

(Conclusion)
Same as the introduction only you reword it and reverse the points.