Think back now to the writing work you learned about in Theme 2. You know that there are many different formats for writing with many different purposes.

In this activity, you are going to look at the essay format and use what you know about writing good paragraphs to develop an effective essay.

As with paragraphs, there are several common types of essays:

A very common kind of essay is one with five paragraphs.

It is very similar to that of the paragraph, where you began with a topic sentence, had three points supporting the topic sentence, and then had a concluding sentence that summarized the topic sentence.


Think one more time about how a paragraph was like a hamburger.

An essay is like a hamburger with three patties.

Each patty may represent the body paragraphs of an essay.

Here's an example of a five-paragraph essay written by Carlie. She has written a personal essay.


Of all the holidays celebrated by my family, I think birthday parties top them all. The great things about birthday parties are, of course, the food and the presents, but I especially like it when all of my family gets together and has a great time.



Who doesn't like enjoying great food? Everyone in my family loves to eat and there is always a ton of food made by my mom, grandma, and all my aunties. My grandma always makes tacos, my auntie June can always be counted on to make spaghetti and meatballs, and my mom makes the best cakes in the world. My favourite is the chocolate cake with caramel frosting that she made for my birthday last year. We always eat so much we can hardly move!




The next best part is the presents. One thing my family does well is keep secrets. I am always really surprised by what I get. And they are also good at remembering things I have pointed out that I might like. I love getting new clothes and of course, games that I can play and enjoy when the party is over.




Finally, I think having all my family together is the best part of all. I don't always get to see all my aunties and cousins, so it is so wonderful when they come. I have six cousins that are all about my age, so we really have a lot of fun together. And my mom has three sisters. When they all get together, there is so much laughter, talking, and even singing. It is such a good time.



 
So you can see why I love birthday parties so much. It’s not just the great food and the awesome presents, I also love spending time with my family. I will keep all those memories forever!

Watch this video that explains a little more about the five paragraph essay.