The five-paragraph essay has a very rigid structure A thesis statement that presents a argument with three reasons why the reader should consider agreeing with the contention. The thesis statement usually appears at the end of the introductory paragraph. Each body paragraph deals with one of those three reasons. Each body paragraph has a topic sentence. Each topic sentence is like a mini-thesis statement for the paragraph, but it also relates back to the thesis statement.

What the rigid five-paragraph essay structure gives us Unity. Because the thesis statement and the essay talk about the same thing, the essay gets its point across and never changes topics. Clarity. Because the topic sentences summarize a section of the paper and connect that section back to the thesis, the readers are constantly being reminded how the details fit into the general idea of the paper. Organization. Both the writer and the reader know how each part of the paper falls into the paper’s overall structure. The five-paragraph essay is brief and concise.

Go beyond the five-paragraph essay structure The five-paragraph essay exists so that students can practice it, and eventually transcend it. Writers are not supposed to ignore the rules of the five-paragraph essay for their entire writing career, but they should not always be governed by its simplistic principles. Especially as one moves into papers that are more complex, the rules of the five-paragraph essay will have to be bent a little bit ...

The first rules to go ... The one about the number of paragraphs For instance, you can spend two paragraphs on one main point, or the introduction might consist of two short paragraphs. The one about three main points Just two reasons to support the thesis are not usually enough, but four or more reasons are often useful. The one saying the thesis statement occurs at the end of your introduction It could occur in the middle or even at the beginning; it could even be in a different paragraph--just as long as it is still clear which is the thesis statement.

Break the letter of the law; obey the spirit ... In leaving behind the rigidity of the five-paragraph essay structure, one should still follow its general rules.

Break the Letter of the Law; Obey the Spirit ... The thesis statement still introduces the main points of the paper. In some longer papers the “thesis statement” may take up one or two whole paragraphs and may or may not appear at the end of the introductory section of your paper. The thesis will still introduce the main points of the paper and give the reader a feel for what comes next. Another rule writers should keep is a modified version of the rule about topic sentences. Instead of having a sentence at the beginning of each main point, simply make an effort to always explicitly connect each main point of your paper back to your thesis statement.