5 Paragraph Essay guidelines

instructions:  Based upon the final draft of your five-paragraph outline, you will write a five-paragraph essay following your outline, 10 to 15 mature, well-developed sentences per paragraph, not short, choppy sentences. 

You will need to re-read the story to internalize the details of the plot and to thoroughly understand the conflict between the characters. 

Specific guidelines apply and must be followed precisely: (Ten points (10) or more will be deducted for any inconsistencies reflected in your paper.  Therefore, you must check your work against the guidelines.)

1.  Your outline must be completed in the proper format and the content of the outline must be accurate, reflecting the correct broad subject, specific topic, supporting points (initially provided by instructor), supporting statements, concluding statement, story title, and mode of development.  Print a paper copy of the outline so that you will be able to follow it as you develop your essay.

2.  MANUSCRIPT FORMAT:  (Additional points will be deducted for any inconsistencies in manuscript format.)

      Head your essay properly (double space), along with the header (last name, space, page number) and the story    title.  (No heading on pages other than the first; headers on all pages that follow in right margins.) 

      Leave one-inch margins, top, sides, and bottom.

      Double space entire essay, from the heading to the end of the essay.

      Leave two spaces after each period. 

      Use Times New Roman, 12 font, to type your paper; do not mix font styles (The header, for example, should be in Times New Roman, just as the rest of the paper; do not underline or bold any part of the essay or outline. 

      Indent all five paragraphs (more paragraphs are unacceptable).

3.  DEVELOPMENT: Your essay must follow your outline:

      Thesis Statement (first sentence of introductory paragraph, along with background details)

      Supporting Statements:

      1.  (first sentence of second paragraph, along with paragraph details)

      2.  (first sentence of third paragraph, along with paragraph details)

      3.  (first sentence of fourth paragraph, along with paragraph details)

      Concluding Statement (first sentence of fifth paragraph, along with paragraph details) 

      Do not cite any quotes in this draft of your essay.

4.  LENGTH:  Your essay must be two and one half to three typed pages in length.  Each paragraph must contain 10 to 15 sentences or more per paragraph.  No more than three and one-half typed pages will be acceptable.

5.  GRAMMAR/LANGUAGE USAGE: Maintain consistency in verb tense (present tense/present perfect tense required)

      Avoid contractions (don’t, doesn’t, isn’t, etc.) and words such as author, character, story, reader, etc. (Write your essay as if you were discussing or describing a real people.)

      Avoid personal reference pronouns (I, we, you, yours, etc.).

      Make no personal, judgmental statements in this essay.

6.  PROOFREAD YOUR ESSAY BEFORE SUBMITTING (grammar, punctuation, mechanics, sentence structure, diction, spelling, organization, unity and coherence)!  

7.  All essays must reflect your own writing voice.  Plagiarism in any form will result in a failing grade.

(Your work must reflect your own ideas in your own writing voice, not the ideas of your classmates or other authors and sources found on the internet or in print.  To submit the same essay as other classmates in any form will result in a failing grade and to submit an essay with ideas copied from sources, in partial or in full form, will also result in a failing grade.  Take your time and write your essay to the best of your ability!)

NOTE:  You are not expected to retell or to summarize the story; an essay of this type would require that you use the plot summary mode of development.  You, on the other hand, are required to write a character analysis, one that focuses on and describes the life of the main character, Dee (Wangero) Johnson, in the context of the story.