5 Paragraph Essay Outline Template
In order for you to deliver an outstanding essay paper, it is always important that you begin by crafting a good 5 paragraph essay outline template. An outline serves as the blueprint of the essay and should always provide a clear plan on how the final paper will look. Having one will also assist you in remembering the points to highlight in the essay quickly during writing.
A 5 paragraph essay outline template is generally precise, although there are certain things that you have to note in order to create a good one. One is that the essay you are required to write should have five paragraphs, including the introduction, body and conclusion.
This implies you have to craft all your points in a way that they can be comprehensively covered in five paragraphs. However, all must be formatted as required for essay papers. The 5 paragraph essay outline template must indicate every point that will be discussed in the paper to meet the required purpose of the author.
Guidelines for writing a 5 paragraph essay outline Template
There are various approaches to writing a compelling essay outline but if your instructor has specified that you sum up the paper in five succinct paragraphs, follow the guidelines outlined below to easily create a 5 paragraph essay outline template.
Identify a topic
The topic is the subject of the essay and aimed at giving readers a general view of what is discussed. Choosing a topic can sometimes be quite challenging to most students, however it only requires proper general thought on the essay.
In some instances, you will be given a topic for the paper. In case you are not given one, simply try to formulate a short statement that sums up the claim of the paper. Besides, you can choose to skip this step and work on the other parts of the paper first. Maybe after writing the outline or even actual essay, you will be able to determine an outstanding topic.
Revisit the thesis statement
The thesis is always the main argument that you will be supporting in the paper. It is important that you clearly mark it out before writing the outline in order to generate good points for a compelling essay.
You have to be sure that the claim raised will help in meeting your goals for the essay. Remember that it is only with the thesis at hand that you can proceed to finding the right points for the paper.
It should be noted that the thesis statement may sometimes need further revision in the course of writing the outline or paper.
Organize your thoughts
At the point of writing the outline template, you already have a rough idea on what to discuss in the essay. The aim of the outline is to ensure that these ideas are put down in the right way that will enable you to present a good argument in the paper.
Organizing your thoughts involves determining how the various parts of the essay will be discussed. You should try to describe how the paper will be introduced and discussed to conclusion.
Based on the ideas that you intend to present in the opening statements, it is important that you create a hook to sum them up. This will make it much easier for you to write the introduction without thinking too much. In the case of this essay, the introduction should take only one paragraph of the essay.
The body of the essay should be made up of three paragraphs so that one is reserved for the conclusion. In the outline template, you will be required to list three main points that will be discussed in each of the paragraphs. These points should be pivotal in your argument in order to deliver a compelling essay.
The three points that you choose for the body paragraphs should not only be relevant to the thesis but also well defined in the outline for easy reference.
For every point that you have identified, it is important that you also find examples to support it. Examples can be in the form of additional information from experts, quotes or any other relevant idea that can effectively prove your point.
The number of examples to use in supporting a point may vary based on the particular idea or claim that you are addressing. However, it is always advisable that you have at least two for every point in order to convince the reader. All these should be clearly shown in the order that they will be discussed.
In the outline, you should also note down how you will want to end the discussion. It must be noted that a good essay conclusion should refer to the thesis and bring the conversation to a fine close. In consideration of this, you can write a statement describing the end of the essay. On the other hand, you can also simply put down the main points for the conclusion.
Steps on how to write a 5 paragraph essay outline template
The following procedures will show you the right order for writing a 5 paragraph essay outline template
Paragraph 1
In the opening paragraph, you should give an attractive introduction with a proper hook. In developing a hook, you can choose to use a question, anecdote or simply give an important fact about the subject. You can simply list the hooks or write a short statement to describe it.
The first paragraph should also contain the thesis statement, which is the main argument of the essay. In most cases, it is advisable that you write the entire thesis in the outline. You should also indicate some of the connectors that will be used in linking the introduction to the body paragraphs.
Paragraph 2, 3 and 4
These paragraphs will serve as the body of the essay. You will be required to clearly highlight the points that will be discussed in each of the paragraphs, including examples to support them.
In order to create a more comprehensive outline template for the essay, you should label each of the three main points in numerical, bullets or subheadings. Under each point, list the examples that will be used to support it. In the case of quotes or other data that is easy to forget, it would be advisable that you write them in the outline.
In between the paragraphs, you should also remember to include the linking phrases that will be used to create proper flow of the discussion.
Paragraph 5
This is the conclusion of the essay and should indicate a restatement of the thesis and a precise illustration of the broader context of your argument. On this part, you can also decide to write a short statement to sum up the two elements in the outline. However, you can also simply list down the points that will be covered on this paragraph.
Revise the outline
Although many believe that mistakes only occur in writing academic papers, it should be noted that it all depends on how the outline is crafted. If your 5 paragraph essay outline template has errors, there is no doubt that the final paper will be flawed, and you would not want this.
Take time to carefully go through the outline template just to make sure that every point highlighted therein is according to your requirements. While doing this, it is also important that you check the sources of your information. Only quotes from reliable sources will make a compelling argument, thus, always ensure that each is reputable.
Even if a point is too strong but does not have a reliable source, it is always advisable to find an alternative. This is because all ‘borrowed’ information used in the essay will need to be properly cited or referenced.
Examples of a 5 paragraph essay outline template
The following sample essay outline templates can also assist you in mastering the art of how to write a 5 paragraph essay outline template with ease.
Example 1
Outline Format for a Five-paragraph essay
Title of the Essay
- Introduction
- Background Information (interesting facts, statistics, rhetorical questions)
- …………………………………………………………………..
- …………………………………………………………………..
- Thesis statement (Write the text in full, including topic, main claim, 3 aspects)
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………
- ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
(Main aspect #1)
a)………………………………………………………………………………………..
(Supporting idea #1)
- ……………………………………………………..
(Example/ Detail)
Click on this link to read the whole sample outline template.
Example 2
A Simple outline template for a 5 paragraph essay
- Amazing Introduction
- Hook
- Thesis statement
- Argument A
- Support 1 A
- Support 2 A
- Support 2 A
- Argument B…
Retrieved from kibin.com.
Example 3
General 5 paragraph essay outline template
Introduction
- Attention grabber (anecdotes, facts, statistics, rhetorical questions, description)
- Background information (Narrow down central idea)
- Thesis statement (Claim/ assertion and a development plan for the three main points)
Body paragraph #1
- Topic sentence (major assertion or point)… owl.tulsacc.edu- pdf.
If you may need help on how to write a 5 paragraph essay outline template, get in touch with us for the best. Alternatively, you can also check out our homepage for more information about the custom writing services that we offer and how to acquire one.
References
https://www.kibin.com/essay-writing-blog/write-5-paragraph-essay-outline/
http://owl.tulsacc.edu/Handouts/5%20Paragraph%20Essay%20Outline.pdf
http://freeology.com/graphicorgs/five-paragraph-essay-outline/