Tips on How to construct a five paragraph essay

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Tips on How to construct a five paragraph essay

• by Miss Long
• (adapted from the Guide to Literary Analysis by
  The Poway Unified School District)

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Five paragraph essay The structure

• Introductory paragraph
• Body paragraph 1
• Body paragraph 2
• Body paragraph 3
• Concluding paragraph

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The Intro. paragraph
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The intro. paragraph should

• begin creatively in order to catch your readers
  interest.
• provide essential background about the literary
  work.
• prepare the reader for your thesis.

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Ways to hook em in!

• 1) A startling fact or bit of information
• Ex. Nineteen citizens were hanged, and another
  was pressed to death, during the Salem witch
  scare of 1692.
• 2) A meaningful quotation (from the work or
  another source)
• Ex. To be, or not to be, that is the question
  3.1.57. This familiar statement expresses the
  young princes moral dilemma in William
  Shakespeares tragedy Hamlet.
• 3) A universal idea.
• Ex.The terrifying scenes a soldier experiences on
  the front probably follow him throughout his
  lifeif he manages to survive the war.
• AVOID SWEEPING GENERALIZATIONS (i.e. Since the
  dawn of time, From the beginning of history,
  etc.)
• 4) An analogy or metaphor
• Ex. Life is like a box of chocolates a person
  never knows what he is going to get. This element
  of uncertainty plays a major role in many
  Shakespearean dramas.

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Start with one of these words if youre stuck.

• Imagine
• Consider
• Suppose

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The THESIS

• Its the subject and overall opinion of your
  essay.
• For a literary analysis your major thesis must
• (1) relate to the prompt.
• (2) suggest the organization of the paper.
• The thesis is usually the last sentence of your
  introductory paragraph.

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Go from BROAD to SPECIFIC

• Start your intro. paragraph with a broad
  statement.
• Connect it to the story.
• Build on that connection by hinting at your
  thesis with a key word or idea.
• Give your thesis at the end.

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Sample intro. paragraph

• Start your intro. paragraph with a broad
  statement.
• Consider what would happen if a person received a
  gift of a million dollars. How would that person
  change?
• Connect it to the story.
• This is essentially what happens to the character
  of Pip in Great Expectations. He does change
  for the worse.
• Build on that connection by hinting at your
  thesis with a key word or idea.
• He believes that the most important thing a
  person can offer is money and ignores who the
  person is on the inside.
• Give your thesis at the end.
• The minor character Joe serves an important role
  in the novel by helping Pip learn that a persons
  worth comes from their character rather than from
  wealth.

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The Body Paragraphs
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Body paragraphs The meat of the essay

• These paragraphs contain
• specific supporting examples .
• your analysis.
• All body paragraphs MUST support the thesis.
• Their function is to support the main argument of
  the essay.

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Body paragraphs The essentials

• 1. topic sentence that supports the thesis
• 2. lead-in to concrete detail
• 3. 1st specific, concrete detail or quotation
• 4. commentary/analysis of the concrete detail
• 5. transition and lead-in to next concrete detail
  / quotation
• 6. 2nd concrete detail /quotation
• 7. commentary/analysis
• 8. transition and lead-in to next concrete detail
  / quotation
• 9. 3rd concrete detail /quotation
• 10. commentary/analysis
• 11. concluding or clincher sentence

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Topic sentences

• are the first sentences of a body paragraph
• identify one aspect of the major thesis
• state a primary reason why the major thesis is
  true

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Getting to a topic sentence

• Go back to your thesis statement.
• Think about this how are you going to prove
  what youve stated in the thesis?
• Pre-write three ways your thesis is true.
• From a characters development?
• From conflict?
• From symbols?
• From setting?

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Getting to a topic sentence

• Go back to your thesis statement.
• The minor character Joe serves an important role
  in the novel by helping Pip to learn that a
  persons worth comes from their character rather
  than from wealth.
• Think about this how are you going to prove
  what youve stated in the thesis?
• In this case, how will you prove that Joe helps
  Pip learn that a persons worth comes from their
  character?
• Pre-write three ways your thesis is true (these
  will be your topic sentences).
• 1.) He shows Pip that its possible to be a good
  person even though he himself doesnt have a lot
  of money.
• 2.) He is a good role model for Pip as he is
  content with his humble life.
• 3.) Through the way Joe treats others, he shows
  Pip that money is ultimately unimportant.

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Quotation/detail integration Remember the Oreo

• Concrete details are specific examples from the
  work that provide evidence for your topic
  sentence.
• Concrete details can be a combination of
  paraphrase and direct quotation from the work.

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Quotation/detail integration Remember the Oreo

• Start with a LEAD-IN (the cookie)
• prepares the reader for the concrete detail
• introduces the speaker, setting, and/or
  situation.
• Topic sentence He shows Pip that its possible
  to be a good person even though he himself
  doesnt have a lot of money.
• Ex Joe does the best he can to provide for his
  family and make the most out of what he has.

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Quotation/detail integration Remember the Oreo

• Then, the quotation (the cream filling).
• Remember NEVER throw in a quotation.
• It should be connected to a sentence somehow.
• Topic sentence He shows Pip that its possible
  to be a good person even though he himself
  doesnt have a lot of money.
• Lead-in Joe does the best he can to provide for
  his family and make the most out of what he has.
• Quotation While eating their dinner of bread
  and butter, for example, Pip and Joe made a game
  out of it by taking a bite and by silently
  holding the meal up to each others admiration
  (Dickens 9).

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Quotation/detail integration Remember the Oreo

• Finish with your COMMENTARY (the other cookie)
• Explain the concrete detail.
• Tell the reader how YOU believe the concrete
  detail proves the topic sentence.
• Topic sentence He shows Pip that its possible
  to be a good person even though he himself
  doesnt have a lot of money.
• Lead-in Joe does the best he can to provide for
  his family and make the most out of what he has.
• Quotation While eating their dinner of bread
  and butter, for example, Pip and Joe made a game
  out of it by taking a bite and by silently
  holding the meal up to each others admiration
  (Dickens 9).
• COMMENTARY Pip enjoys this game because he
  appreciates the effort Joe is making to make
  the humble meal fun.

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Transitions Some ideas

• Additionfurthermore, in addition, likewise,
  moreover, similarly
• Consequenceaccordingly, as a result,
  consequently, therefore, thus
• Illustrationfor example, for instance, as an
  example, in this case
• Emphasisabove all, chiefly, especially,
  particularly, singularly
• Restatementin essence, in other words, namely
• Timeat first, first of all, to begin with, in
  time, later on, meanwhile, next, then, soon,
  later, while, earlier, simultaneously, afterward
•  

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Body paragraphs How to end one

• At the end, tie all of the concrete details and
  commentary back to the thesis.
• Ex Thus, by being a good person, Joe provides
  Pip with a perfect example of how being a good
  person is more important than having lots of
  money.

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Coming to the end the concluding paragraph
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Concluding paragraph

• The last paragraph in your essay.
• This paragraph should begin by echoing your major
  thesis without repeating the words verbatim.
• Thesis The minor character Joe serves an
  important role in the novel by helping Pip learn
  that a persons worth comes from their character
  rather than from wealth.
• Concluding sentence Through the way he lives his
  life and treats others, Joe helps Pip to see that
  peoples true worth comes from who they are and
  not from their income.

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Concluding paragraph

• Broaden from the thesis statement to answer the
  so what? question your reader may have after
  reading your essay.
• The conclusion should do one or more of the
  following
• 1.) Reflect on how the essay relates to the book
  as a whole.
• 2.) Evaluate the author of the books goal or
  message.
• 3.) Connect back to your creative opening.
• 4.) Give your opinion of the novels value or
  significance.

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Concluding paragraph sample

• Through the way he lives his life and treats
  others, Joe helps Pip to see that peoples true
  worth comes from who they are and not from their
  income.
• When Pip first obtains his large sum of money, he
  loses sight of this fact and links the worth of a
  person to the worth of that persons bank
  account.
• With Joes help, Pip eventually sees the error of
  his ways and makes a change.
• This is the true value of the novel Great
  Expectations.
• Through Joe, Dickens shows his readers that it is
  what is on the inside that counts, a lesson that
  rings true even today.