Writing is at the center of academic learning and teaching. In schools and colleges, teachers deliver lectures and assign tasks to students based on those lectures. The most common types of writing assignments come in the form of essays.
Essays are writing pieces that provide essential information about a specific topic through different types of discourses. These include exposition, narration, description, and argumentation, among many others.
The length and structure of essays vary, depending on the instructions and level of learning. Usually, essays are divided into five paragraphs with three distinct sections namely, the introduction, main body, and conclusion.
Let’s go through the process of writing a five-paragraph essay in an hour!
What Is A 5-Paragraph Essay?
A 5-paragraph essay is a standard type of essay that has distinct starting and ending points. The first paragraph starts with an opening that provides a hook and context surrounding the topic before reaching the thesis statement. The following three paragraphs are the fine points, arguments, or explanations of the main idea of the topic. In the end, the conclusion sums it all up by reiterating the main ideas before signing off.
It is a common type of essay in academic institutions as it helps students nurture their craft and get better with practice without devoting hours each day. A 5-paragraph essay is applicable in all subjects and disciplines and can be molded into all types of essays. These include narrative essays, expository essays, argumentative essays, and descriptive essays, among others.
Importance of Mastering The Skill
Students in schools and colleges need to master this skill to secure better grades. The mere art of telling stories and weaving narratives can help them shine through the competition. No matter which discipline they are pursuing, they can benefit a lot by understanding the nuances of essay writing.
That’s why students are urged by teachers and instructors to take great interest in the process and ensure that all bases are covered, as far as art and craft are concerned.
Later in their professional lives, they can take advantage of their writing skill, both in precis and in expansive form the writing to convey messages and meanings. There is no denying that the process of learning is a climb up a steep hill, but it is worth the hassle.
Planning & Preparation Is The Key
Since it is writing, there are two major camps in terms of the writing and planning process. One believes in raw creativity and spontaneity. It believes that true art is lost the moment you try to regulate and channel it through artificial means.
On the other side of the fence are those who believe in planning and preparation. They believe in mapping out all the steps to ensure that there are no bottlenecks or writer’s blocks down the road.
In our guide, we have a special place for planning and preparation so that all the steps are chalked out before the writer even thinks about treading on them.
Process of Writing A 5-Paragraph Essay In An Hour
We know that many readers are skeptical about the prospect of writing a full-length 5-paragraph essay in an hour, but we believe this is doable, off course with proper planning and execution.
In the following sections, we will shed ample light on each of the steps so that writers are never in the dark about what to do and how to do it. If you are planning to write a 5-paragraph essay that is due soon, this is the time to grab the pen and paper and start taking notes.
Getting Started
Before we move on to the writing part, it is necessary to cover some preliminary bases. In most cases, these set the writer in the right direction, saving time and hassle for later.
Picking The Right Topic
Every essay has a specific topic, no matter how random it is. So, the first order of business is to pick the right topic. Students can scour the internet and consult with teachers to land on a solid area of study. Once this step is covered, it is time to move on to research.
Collecting Relevant Information
Since you have established the premise of your essay, it is time to collect relevant information on that topic. Again, the internet is a rich place for both primary and secondary sources, so you can conduct the whole research without leaving your computer.
Mapping Out The Essay
Mapping out the whole essay will allow you to anticipate problems beforehand and find solutions for them. So, start outlining a rough draft the moment you start researching and collecting information. Once this is covered, it is time to start writing and filling spaces between the headings and subheadings.
Writing The 5-Paragraph Essay
Now that you have set the parameters for your 5-paragraph essay with headings, subheadings, and the scope, it is time to get with the most important step – writing the essay.
Opening Paragraph
This is one of the most important parts of the essay as it helps readers ease into the text. Many readers would be skeptical or not interested in what you have to say. So, you need to attract them to the essay with a fine-tuned hook.
Starting With A Hook
A hook is a literary device that is connected to the main topic of the essay. In essence, it is an interesting bit in the form of a question, a statistic, or a statement, that can make the readers invested in the essay.
Context Around The Main Topic
After the hook, it is necessary to provide some basic context surrounding the main topic or focus of the area. This also helps the readers to fill in the details for them so that they are well-prepared when the real show begins.
Thesis Statement
A thesis statement is the culmination of the whole essay. It is a bold and brief statement that summarizes the main idea or theme of the essay. The best place for a thesis statement is the closing lines of the introduction, right before the body paragraphs.
Body Paragraphs
Introduction can be considered as the mere beating around the bush or attracting the readers, especially when compared with the main body or body paragraphs. These are the meat and bones of the essay as it provides all the information and supporting evidence for the essay.
Making The Case
In these three paragraphs of a 5-paragraph essay, writers need to make the case about the topic and their stance on it. This requires superb writing skills and management of time because many get carried away by the section.
Providing Support & Evidence
Whether you are writing an expository essay or an argumentative one, you need to provide support and evidence for your points. These are replaced with rich details, sensory language, and more in descriptive and narrative essays.
Transitioning Through Paragraphs
Even though a 5-paragraph essay consists of different sections, they all should have a connection and adherence to one another. This will be achieved through transitioning among paragraphs and bridging.
Once all the areas are covered, these will give way to the conclusion.
Closing Paragraph
The conclusion, as the name implies, is about concluding the whole discussion. Many writers make different mistakes in this section. One of the most common is writing it without much thought. Like the introduction, a conclusion can add immense value to your essay because it will be the last thing your readers will ever read of your essay.
Rephrasing The Thesis
You can start the conclusion by rephrasing the thesis. This will connect the reader with the roots of the topic and cement the connection between all paragraphs of the essay.
Summarizing Important Points
Then, you need to summarize all the main points from the body paragraphs. There is no need to add anything to them because then it will derail the whole essay structure. All you need to do is strongly reiterate them.
Concluding Remarks
The concluding remarks should be valuable and appealing. Many seasoned writers resort to one-liners and other forms to hold the attention of the readers. You can employ such things but they should be connected deeply to the main topic.
Winning Against Time
Perhaps the most important aspect of writing a 5-paragraph essay in one hour is to win against time. Time is never on your side and you should understand that before getting started. Since we cannot break the clock, we can manage the minutes and seconds to gain big rewards.
- Assigning Time For Each Step
Instead of winging it, it is best to assign time to each step of the process and then stick to that plan. Otherwise, you are bound to run into issues that will cause problems and fail the whole idea.
- Writing The First Draft Quickly
Many writers take too long for writing the first draft. This is not ideal because they can lose the spark and creativity drive. No matter how many mistakes you are making in each paragraph or even a sentence, you need to go through it quickly and then proofread and edit it.
- Taking Breaks Periodically
This is an underestimated part of the quick sprints and dashes. You cannot hold your breath for long and need some breathing time. This comes in the form of minutes to stretch your arms and legs, think about the next step ahead, and move on.
Summing Up The Conversation
The idea of writing a 5-paragraph essay seems like a daunting task at first. But we have proved through the steps and the process itself that it can be achieved through proper planning and faithful execution. Students in schools and colleges who spend a lot of time dreading the idea because it would take a lot of time can take solace from this guide. They will find it to be all-encompassing and perfect around the edges.