What is the purpose of a body paragraph apex

Anneliese A. answered • 01/10/13

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A five paragraph essay will typically have the following:

Introduction paragraph (¶1): state your thesis (your main point) and briefly outline each of your supporting points.

Supporting paragraphs (¶2-4): each will have a topic sentence that states the main theme of the paragraph, followed by evidence supporting that idea. Of the three supporting paragraphs, each should have its own distinct idea and evidence which supports your overall thesis.

Conclusion paragraph (¶5): restate/summarize the evidence that you have presented, leading up to a final statement of your thesis.

Sheldon J. answered • 05/18/13

Sheldon J. Tutoring Profile

5 Paragraph Essays

1st Paragraph (Introduction.  Must include a topic sentence and let the reader know what you will be discussing.  It should also include a grabber-the first sentence that should catch the readers attention.  This can be accomplished in a variety of ways including a question, a startling statistic, or various other methods)

2-4th Paragraphs (Supporting details.  This should be three details that support your argument made in the first paragraph.  I always train my students to show don't tell.  This means add enough detail to your essay so that your reader can make mental images about what is going on.  This keeps your writer from guessing.  We want to answer all of the questions in the readers' minds.)

5th Paragraph (Conclusion: This is a summary paragraph.  We do not introduce any new information, we summarize what we've already talked about.  We leave the reader with a one time whim or something to think about.)

I train my students using the hamburger model.  The buns (top and bottom) hold everything together.  They support the entire essay.  The meat and cheese go in the middle, and remember no one likes a plain burger so be sure to add all of the juicy details in the middle.

Laura E. answered • 01/27/13

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Great explanations! I would also like to add that while the 5 paragraph essay is helpful when learning to write essays, one should not become attached to the format. In college, professors often want students to avoid this form because it is too restrictive and does not allow room for analysis.

Jess A. answered • 01/11/13

Tutoring for Bright Students, Struggling with Reading and Spelling

A Five Paragraph Essay is comprised of:

1st PARAGRAPH Introduction: briefly tell the reader what you will be talking about.  At least one sentence mentioning the information that will be included in the body of your story. 

2nd-4th PARAGRAPH: Body of your paper: Give detailed information about your topic.  Each of the 3 paragraphs should be distinctly different.  For example:

• Paragraph 2: Discuss where bats sleep 
• Paragraph 3: Discuss what bats eat
• Paragraph 4: Discuss bone structure of bats

PARAGRAPH 5: Conclusion. Basically reword your introduction.

*The average paragraph should have between 4-6 sentences.

Carson G. answered • 01/18/21

Honors Graduate Committed to Academic Excellence

The five-paragraph essay consists of a structure that is easy to learn and easy to follow. Because it serves as the basis for essay structure in academia, many people default to it when panning out their ideas. The structure is as follows:

Introduction: This paragraph tells the reader what the essay will be about, and usually ends with a one-sentence thesis statement. The thesis statement usually takes this form: "[X] is true because [Reason I], [Reason II] and [Reason III].

Body Paragraphs I, II and III: Each of these paragraphs introduces and explains one argument that supports the thesis statement. The topic of each paragraph should correspond with the reasons given in the thesis statement, preferably in order.

Conclusion: This paragraph briefly recapitulates the the main points of the essay (as explained in the body paragraphs), and ends the essay by putting everything in a greater context. In other words, it doesn't just explain why the thesis is true, but why it matters.

Anna D. answered • 05/24/14

Elementary/ Middle School Whiz

A 5 paragraph essay is the standard for most writing assignments in middle school and high school. At the core it consists of the following: 

Paragraph 1: Introduction to the topic of the essay. The first sentence or two starts with an antidote, fact, or question  Be sure to tell your reader your topic, argument, claim and provide a preview for the "body" or support of the essay, paragraphs 2-4.

Paragraphs 2-4: This is the body of your essay. Here you will develop the support you have stated for your topic in paragraph 1. Use facts and examples from credible sources to support your reasons. 

Paragraph 5: Conclusion In this paragraph, you will wrap up your essay restating in a new way what you have written about in paragraphs 1-4. This paragraph is the hardest to write for most young writers. 

Donna B. answered • 03/05/13

Let Me Be Your Tutor

I like essays because they address ideas,thoughts and opinions more liberally than technical papers. Every essay has 3 parts: Beginning. Middle and End. Be sure you understand where you are when you are writing. You don't want to write the ending in paragraph 3 and be stuck for what else to say.  Your beginning is the engaging introduction to your topic, the invitation to read your essay, or the reason you are writing it.

The Middle is the body of the essay and needs to focus on the main points of your essay. A lead sentence followed by qualifiers or modifiers is an excellent and traditional strategy. With each of your three internal paragraphs you are strengthening your case for the opening paragraph.

The End is your conclusion where you weave it all together and restate the obvious conclusions that you drew from the beginning to the end. 

The simple outline is to State what you are going to write about. Tell them about it. Conclude by telling the reader what you told them about. 

Francis Bacon's essay on Friendship was my guide for essay writing throughout my high school years. Though, I confess, I do not recall how many paragraphs he used.  Have fun. Write it early and then leave it alone for a day or so. Then go back and read it to see if it does what you intended it to do.

Rex L. answered • 02/14/13

Most subjects, grade 6-12 - 15 years experience

The only thing I would add that is a fairly standard practice in 5 paragraph essays is that the first paragraph is typically an inverted pyramid and the last paragraph is typically a pyramid. In the intro, start out with a broad idea and narrow it down over the course of the paragraph to your thesis, which is the last sentence of that paragraph. In the conclusion, start out by restating your thesis. Reword it in a way that will emphasize what you have established in pps. 2-4, then expand it in a way that provides a broader perspective. These two pps. have the two functions of providing a master theme for the entire work and wrapping the entire work into a cohesive bundle.

Kimberly W. answered • 01/30/13

Certified Tutor Specializing in History and English/Literature

The Scientific Method in Five Steps:

Paragraph 1) Chose and introduce your topic (Introductory/Opening Statement)

Paragraph 2) Pose a question on the topic and form an educated guess. (Thesis Statement)

.....Do reseach to form your arguments supporting your thesis statement.

Paragraph 3) Argument #1

Paragraph 4) Argument #2

Paragraph 5) Form a conclusion (Summary/Closing Statement-Restate thesis, summarize arguments and state your conclusion)

Publish/Print it and turn it in.