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Do you have a paper due soon but you’ve put off writing it until the last minute? Don’t panic!
There’s a way to write essays and papers that teachers don’t always tell you about – in fact, it’s actually the best way to write the papers in a way that gets a good grade. Maybe your teachers have shown you this magic formula before – but have they told you how to make it work for you?
The best essays have a five-paragraph structure and move quickly and cleanly towards their goal of making their case – and that case is whatever you decide. You can write an essay faster by breaking down each paragraph and looking at it as parts of this larger whole.
The first paragraph is an announcement of your purpose.
The first paragraph is the introduction, and describes what you hope to accomplish with the next three paragraphs. It makes a case: that is to say, it suggests an idea about your subject you will explain in paragraphs two, three, and four. Written as a sentence, this idea is called your thesis or your thesis statement.
Let’s say you’re writing an essay about the Quinceañera tradition, and you want to argue that it’s more important now than ever before. Your thesis statement might read: “Because of changes in society, the Quinceañera makes a great way for girls to stay in touch with their heritage.”
The second, third, and fourth paragraphs give details that support your thesis.
Once you’ve made your point with a thesis, it’s time to back that idea up with some details. The second paragraph should include your most important reason, your third paragraph your second biggest reason, and your fourth paragraph your third most important reason for believing as you do.
In the second paragraph, the most compelling reason will be the one you think is the most likely to persuade your reader to agree with you. For our sample thesis, the reason might be, “Celebrating the Quinceañera helps Latina girls remember their history.” You would go onto to explain how the Quinceanera remembers Latino history and celebrates Hispanic culture and tradition.
The third paragraph is much like the second, except you give a reason that’s maybe not quite as compelling as the argument in the second paragraph, yet still has a lot of potential to affect your reader. A sample reason might be, “Remembering history is important now because so many young Latina girls are adopting American ways of life and American fashions.”
The fourth paragraph is just like the third, and it gives a good reason to believe as you do. For example, a good fourth paragraph reason might be, “Keeping the Quinceañera reminds us of our culture helps us remain special and distinct from other groups of people.”
The fifth paragraph sums everything up and restates your thesis.
If you’ve ever watched legal dramas on television, the fifth paragraph is pretty much your “closing arguments.” They’re a way to repeat your argument quickly and end the paper.
In the fifth paragraph, you sum up your reasons for feeling as you do and repeat the thesis statement. You shouldn’t repeat the thesis exactly as it appears in the first paragraph, but you should rewrite it in a way that’s familiar.
As you wrap everything up, remember to bring everything back to your thesis. One easy way to do this involves repeating the thesis in the essay’s last sentence. As an example, remember that if you follow the steps outlines above, you can write your term paper, essay, or book report quickly and with confidence of success.
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