When you are taught to write essays, the five-paragraph essay is put on a pedestal as the prime example of a great essay.
And it looks a little like this, for those who don’t remember…
Intro
Body Paragraph 1
Body Paragraph 2
Body Paragraph 3
Conclusion
The intro has a hook and spells out what the three body paragraphs are going to be. Each body paragraph has a topic sentence at the beginning and supporting evidence afterwards. The conclusion summarizes and might ask a broader question about the subject.
“The Fiver” to Teach
It teaches young writers good habits like using a hook or having sentences which relate to each other in a paragraph or using the conclusion to gesture to outside questions.
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But why don’t teachers tell us that it is a tool to teach us good habits? You gradually learn that breaking the five-paragraph format is a better rule to abide by than following the five-paragraph essay format.
You keep the intentions that the format is taught with, but apply them differently. For example the “having sentences which relate to each other in the same paragraph” translates into a writing style with a logical flow of ideas and readability. Similarly, the gesturing the outside questions in your conclusion becomes a part of establishing the exigence of your piece.
The Negatives of “The Fiver”
What sticking to an exact format does not help with is establishing any sort of voice, or style within your piece. That’s why we end up breaking it all the time. So not everything looks and sounds similar. Everyone can convey there ideas freely, in a way that suites their audience, voice, and subject precisely.
Let’s Get Scientific
In contrast, the scientific community uses a report format that forces you to color within the lines a bit more. This is not necessarily a bad thing though. The point of their similarity in style is to be able to convey information accurately and efficiently. Scientific reports are constructed in a way that allows the scientific community to determine the validity and results of a study quickly. They like to cut off the fat.
So, no I am not saying “a rigid format is a negative influence on writing”. In fact, in some disciplines it is certainly beneficial. I intend, rather, to remind myself, and any fellow students, that though we bash the five-paragraph essay now, it has it’s uses.