A five – paragraph essay is a cornerstone of your future academic success. All your further writing assignments (term paper, research papers, and different types of essays) make a start from this elementary type of essay.

The five paragraph essay has a strict layout.

1st paragraph – Introduction: Thesis + 3 Subtopics.

2nd 3rd 4th - Body of the essay - each paragraph has: Topic sentence, supporting evidence, transition sentences.

5th paragraph – Conclusion: A Synthesis of the main points.

The opening section of your essay acquaints the reader with the thesis and introduces three subtopics.

• Introduction is your chance to seize the reader’s interest, make it with the first capturing sentence. Then you present the three subtopics of your essay which you are going to develop in the body. The last sentence in the intro is usually the thesis statement.
• Thesis is something like a preface to the book. It should inform us what the essay is devoted to. In fact, it comprises the main idea of your writing. Your thesis should also contain your opinion on the topic and it also zeros in the general topic to a more specific.
• Introduction should encourage your audience to go on reading, so make it outstanding.

Three supporting body paragraphs have the same structure. They start with a topic sentence, which is a paraphrase of the three supporting ideas introduced in the intro. You will provide evidence and examples to support the subtopics in your body paragraphs. They reinforce in the reader’s mind the pertinence and connection of each subtopic to the thesis.

Every paragraph ends with a transition sentence; it provides a logical link between the paragraphs. Moreover, transitions create a natural and cohesive structure of the essay. They make it easy for the reader to read and assimilate the information.

The fifth paragraph of your essay is devoted to stressing the main points of your essay. Leave the reader with an impressive conclusion written in a clear style.