How to Write a 5 Paragraph Paper [Comprehensive Sample]

As a student, you should know by now that there’s a lot more to writing a college essay than meets the eye. It’s amazing how the rules of writing essay papers keep changing and becoming harder as you advance to higher education levels. Take, for instance, in college, how to write a 5 paragraph paper is more of a dream come true since most essays require the use of 10 to 15 paragraphs.

Still, somehow, you find that the rules you applied in how to write a 5 paragraph paper also apply when writing college papers. As a result, it’s vital that you know and understands the building blocks of what makes an exemplary paper.

There are a few guidelines and essay writing formats that will help strengthen your paper if used properly. This is a crucial skill that not all college students possess. Furthermore, it requires a lot of practice, time, and patience to master.

That said, here’s everything you need to know to master how to write a 5 paragraph paper:

The Format and Outline of a 5-Paragraph Paper

The key to writing a successful 5-paragraph essay outline is keeping its proper structure and sticking to other writing requirements. Otherwise, your professor might not appreciate the effort you put into your writing even if your content is on-point.

There’s a very specific essay writing structure that you should stick to if you want to write an effective essay. Remember, the goal here is to state and explain to the reader your reason for writing the paper. You should be able to convince the reader to consider your side of the story based on the evidence that you provide and how you express it in your essay.

Your 5-paragraph essay format should be something like this:

• 1st paragraph – the introduction
• 2nd paragraph – the first main point
• 3rd paragraph – the second main point
• 4th paragraph – the third main point
• 5th paragraph – the conclusion

It’s always important that you stick to this paragraph outline no matter how many paragraphs your essay has. The following 5-paragraph essay outline should help you get a more in-depth perspective on how to write a 5-paragraph paper.

1st Paragraph – The Introduction

This is the first paragraph and one of the most important sections too. Here’s where you introduce your reader to your essay. You can do this by providing background information on the topic you intend to write about.

Every information that you present in this section must be factual, especially when writing a history paper. However, there’s always room for a little creativity in how you present this information. The goal here is to try and intrigue the reader to want to read the rest of your paper. And you want to do this without compromising on the reason why you’re writing the paper in the first place.

Somewhere within your introductory paragraph, you should try and present the three points you plan to discuss in the essay. These points are crucial when writing your paper. It’s also important to note that as your essays get longer, you might need to include even more points in your introduction. That’s not something that you should worry about right now, though.

The last sentence of your introductory paragraph should also end with a strong thesis statement. This tells the reader what you aim to prove by writing the paper. Therefore, it’s important to clarify to your readers what you aim to inform them of. Another important note is always ending your introductory paragraph with a transition sentence that introduces your first main body paragraph.

2nd Paragraph – First Main Point

The second paragraph is where you now start laying out the main points that you promised your reader in the introduction. Here’s where you’ll introduce your first main point and follow it up with your best-supporting points. However, before you start introducing your main points, the first sentence of your second paragraph should be in transition with the lase sentence of your introductory paragraph.

In this paragraph, you should clearly introduce your first main point as the topic of the paragraph. It’s always important that every sentence that follows supports your main topic. As such, ensure that you have sufficient evidence and examples for every piece that you write. Therefore, ensure that you use quotes, graphs, and paraphrased information that connects to your topic. You must never leave your readers wondering why you included something or why it’s important to your paper.

The last sentence of your second paragraph should also transition to your third paragraph. It should ease the reader into the next paragraph.

3rd Paragraph – Second Main Point

This is the third paragraph of your 5-paragraph paper. Here’s where you lay out and explain your second main point. The first sentence of your third paragraph should also be a transition from the previous paragraph. It must describe the topic that you intend to explain or argue in this section as well. Ensure that any supporting evidence or examples that you use here relate to the topic in this as well.

The last sentence in this paragraph should also transition to your next paragraph. Your reader should know that this paragraph has come to an end, and another is about to start.

4th Paragraph – Third Main Point

As with all the other paragraphs in this paper, the first sentence in this paragraph should be a transition from the previous paragraph. Here’s where you lay out and explain to the reader the third main point of your paper. It should also include supporting arguments and evidence that are interested and relate to the topic.

5th Paragraph – Conclusion

This is the last section of your 5-paragraph paper, and it’s just as important, if not more. You must never introduce any new information in this paragraph. The reader already knows that your paper is coming to an end. Therefore, adding new information at this point may end up confusing the reader, which something you don’t want at this point.

The conclusion section is where you wrap up your discussion as you conclude it. And the best way to conclude your paper is to summarize the main points. Ensure, also, that you leave the reader with key takeaways and final thought about your thesis. You must drive your point home in this section of your paper.

As for length, it’s always best to make your introduction and conclusion paragraphs shorter than the other paragraphs of your paper. It’s also important to try and make all your body paragraphs around the same length.

While this type of paper is generally called a 5-paragraph paper, it can always be longer than five paragraphs. There are instances where your essay may have more than five paragraphs.

The idea that your essay has an introduction, three supporting body paragraphs, and a conclusion is what makes it a 5-paragraph paper. Therefore, if any section of your paper needs more than one paragraph, it’s still okay.

Read Also: How to Write a Discussion Post in APA Format

Example How to Write a 5 Paragraph Paper (Sample Paper)

Everywhere you turn, magazines, infomercials, and websites, there’s always some advice on how you can improve your health. But you find that most of these pieces of advice are always commercially motivated by people eager to sell diet gimmicks and questionable supplements. However, some of it is always really helpful, especially those advocating for regular exercise programs. Committing to such a program for at least 30 minutes three times a week can be very helpful health-wise. Regular exercise releases tension, increase stamina, and improve muscle tone. Here’s more on that:

One of exercise’s immediate benefits is how it releases tension. Tension can build up in the body when there’s an over-accumulation of adrenaline in the body. This is often produced by stress, fear, or anxiety. Most doctors also agree that exercising for at least 30 minutes, three times a week, releases tension. When tension is released, you realize that petty irritations and frustrations become less troubling. Therefore, planned physical exercise can reduce or control stress in the least.

Improves muscle tone is another noticeable benefit of regular physical exercise. And although it might not be as immediate as the best disposition, you will eventually see improvements in your muscle tone. In about month into regular physical exercise, you will start seeing an overall increase in muscle strength in your muscles and in your posture. Continued physical exercise will promote even more increased strength. In fact, an increase in muscle tone as a result of regular exercise can become an overall cumulative benefit.

Besides lowering stress and an overall increase in muscle strength, regular exercise also improves stamina. You find that people with younger, less stressed bodies are always more capable of withstanding fatigue compared to people with tense, weak bodies. For instance, an office worker who exercises should be better-placed to complete a 40-hour week and still have the energy for other non-work activities. The same is also true for students who exercise regularly. They are often in much better shape, both literally and figuratively, for managing even the busiest times of the semester. This makes improved endurance one of the most vital benefits of regular physical exercise.

Evidently, from what you’ve read so far, it’s evident that there are easy solutions to fitness goals that saturate the media. To that regard, it might be best to acquire as many benefits of regular exercise as you can. And, though not as easy as it looks, with dedication and consistency, you should be better placed to find and stick to an established exercise program that suits your workouts. Regular physical activity can also make you feel stronger, more relaxed, and have greater stamina. Regular exercise helps! Don’t let anyone tell you any different.