The Five-Paragraph Analysis

Does the five-paragraph essay constrict students within the parameters of only five paragraphs, or does the five-paragraph essay provide an organized format for writers to use regularly? The five-paragraph essay is taught to give students the ability to have a structured format at hand when they need it, but the format doesn’t prove to be useful. While many believe that the five-paragraph essay should continue to be taught in secondary education, this format restricts the writer from writing more than the allotted five paragraphs, distracts from more significant topics, and inhibits the natural flow of the work. Firstly, the five-paragraph essay causes the writer to feel as if they must stay within the five paragraph limit, simply because that is the structure of this form. According to John Warner, the author of “Kill the Five-Paragraph Essay,” writers feel as if they must “[follow] the ‘rules’” when it comes to this format, and rules tend to cause students to dislike the task at hand. Although the five-paragraph essay can be useful to …show more content…
How beneficial is the five-paragraph essay, if students cannot write with proper grammar? Kerri Smith, author of “In Defense of the Five-Paragraph Essay,” highlights the fact that it is imperative that students learn to “engage…, revise…, and develop” their work. While Smith presents this point, she also believes that the five-paragraph essay format is taught in order for students to “build” onto. If students haven’t learned the mechanics of the English language, though, it is extremely difficult for them to “build on [the] foundational form” (Smith). Moreover, the five-paragraph essay diverts students’ attention from the English lessons that they will need for the rest of their careers, and focuses them on a structure that simply is more harmful than