what is a 2 paragraph essay

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Can an Essay be 2-Paragraphs? And how to write it

Even though writing essays can be challenging, writing a two-paragraph essay becomes even more complicated. It is always a challenging form of academic writing assessment that gives students stress.

Many wonder how do they do it? Does it even count as an essay? And what if you have too many points to fit in just two paragraphs for an essay?

Unlike the three-paragraph essay or the 5-paragraph essay , where one has many words to spare, the lack of words to waste makes a two-paragraph essay a mainstay for brevity, conciseness, and specificity. It is an essay that you write to address a topic with only 250 to 300 words, nothing more, nothing less.

To write an essay with two paragraphs, your organization and presentation skills must be top-notch. You will be recruiting and using the skills you use to write the longer essays, only that you must condense the content.

In this comprehensive short essay guide, you will learn what a two-paragraph essay looks like, the steps to take when writing one, the length and time it takes to write, and some of the best tips to use. By the time you are done, you will have a knack for writing a 2-paragraph essay.

Let us dig right into it!

What is a two-paragraph essay?

An essay can be two paragraphs. A two-paragraph essay is a brief or short written piece explaining one or two ideas in a few sentences and two paragraphs. It is a typical writing assessment for short-answer essay-based questions during examinations.

It is a condensed version of a traditional essay, but it needs you to explain the details or compress the content to fit within two paragraphs. A two-paragraph essay is about 8-16 sentences long. Its word count is between 250 words and 300 words. Therefore, it must be straightforward, brief, and concise. Like a one-paragraph essay, you must be highly mean or economical with words but spend your words writing about your topic.

When assigned to write a two-paragraph essay, knowing how to write an essay with one paragraph can come in handy.

A two-paragraph essay can have anything between 10-28 sentences, depending on how long such sentences are. The premise is based on the fact that a one-paragraph essay can be as long as 10-14 sentences long.

Outline for a two-paragraph essay

Writing and maintaining a suitable structure with only two paragraphs for content and other parts of an essay might be challenging, but not when you have an outline . On the other hand, it is advisable to stick to an outline when writing short essays. In this case, the outline limits and restricts the scope of your essay, ensuring that you wholly and briefly address the main point (s).

Paragraph 1

• Opening sentence/statement. Should introduce the first main point.
• First main point
• Supporting information to the first main point
• Concluding sentence that includes transition

Paragraph 2

• Topic sentence. Transitions from the first main point to the second one. Introduces the second main point. You can use transition words such as in addition, on the other hand, likewise, etc.
• Second main point. A sentence that details the second point of your essay. It should relate to your topic and thesis statement.
• Supporting information for the second main point. These sentences introduce evidence to illustrate, explain, expound on, and provide examples that support the main point. You should also have a sentence that comments on the evidence or the commentary to present the evidence in your own words. Again, you should use transition words to ensure the flow of ideas.
• Concluding sentence for the second main point . This sentence summarizes the entire work, offers closure to the whole essay, and wraps up the paper.

Structure of a Two Paragraph Essay

Since your essay consists of two paragraphs, it must have a thesis statement, topic sentences, supporting sentences, and concluding sentences. Then, assuming you have already settled on a topic, you must research. And after the research and outlining are done, here is how to organize or plan your essay to discuss ideas in the two paragraphs.

Note that when writing such an essay, you must select two strong points that stand a high chance of directly answering the question or prompt. So, what does a two-paragraph essay look like?

Just like a standard academic essay, ensure that you have a title page. The title page bears the title of your essay, name of your institution, name of your professor/instructor, course code and name, date of submission, etc. The title pages vary depending on your chosen formatting style, i.e., MLA, APA, Harvard, or Chicago. Remember, never underline the headline of your essay. And if you have to bold the title, only do it if the formatting style allows you to do so.

Topic statement

The topic sentence is the mini-thesis of your paragraphs. When writing a two-paragraph essay, the topic sentence captures the content of the sentences within a paragraph. It answers the main title and is a logical explanation of the claims presented within the header. Ensure that your topic sentences are brief, cogent, and relatable.

Supportive points

After the topic sentences (two in this case) comes a series of supporting sentences that contain details about the points raised in your opening sentence. This is the series of sentences in the paragraphs where you integrate evidence, use factual data, provide examples, and illustrate the ideas to prove the validity of the topic sentence. In a two-paragraph essay, you could have up to five or four supporting sentences to back up the thesis of your essay.

Concluding statement

Just like you opened the paragraph, you must close it. Having a closing sentence in the body of your essay does the trick. It winds or wraps up the paragraph and transitions it to the next. The closing sentence affirms to your readers the reason the topic statement was valid, given the facts presented in the supporting sentences.

You can only use the transition sentence in the closing sentence of the first paragraph for a 2-paragraph essay. The second closing sentence winds up the entire essay and offers closure so that the writer is in a complete loop of information. It is a conclusive statement for the whole of the essay.

To avoid plagiarism, you must integrate evidence from scholarly sources into an essay . The only best way is to have in-text citations and a list of references (works cited, bibliography, or references page). Then, ensure that the work is referenced appropriately, following your professor's formatting and citation style.

Related: How to structure paragraphs effectively.

How do you write an Essay in 2 Paragraphs? The Steps

You are being tested for your comprehension, critical thinking, creativity, analytical, and organization skills; that’s the purpose of assigning you to write a two-paragraph essay. In addition, a two-paragraph essay must show that you can be specific in deciding the best material and evidence to put forth when handling a topic and discarding unwanted or irrelevant information.

Like the one-paragraph essay, you will take the skills that a longer essay needs and condense the ideas and steps to achieve the same objective. Here is how you can write a perfect essay in just two paragraphs.

Step 1: Choose a topic

It is a cliché in most of our articles and an essential step. However, choosing a good topic for an essay delineates a successful and a failing student. When writing an essay, your first step is to select a topic before brainstorming for ideas. Then, if you have a specific question or topic provided, you can jump to the next step. Otherwise, select a topic that is relatable, interesting, easy to find information about, and one you enjoy writing about.

Step 2: Brainstorm for Ideas

With the topic knowledge, research widely, take notes, and brainstorm the ideas you wish to include in your essay. As you research and brainstorm, organize the relevant and valid sources for later use. Sometimes, you do not need sources if it is part of an exam. Then, all you need to do is develop related ideas and write a short two-paragraph essay answer.

Step 3: Narrow down your thesis

Like other short essays, a two-page essay is a condensed version of the longer ones. Because you understand what is required of you, come up with a brief, declarative, and informative statement describing your essay's gist. This is your thesis statement , which is presented in the first sentence of the first paragraph of the two-paragraph essay.

Step 4: Outline your ideas

Quickly write an essay outline where you define what goes where and in what sequence. The outline should be the backbone of your essay when it comes to the writing stage. You can do this faster to ensure that no time is wasted or that you do not derail when writing. Next, outline the paragraphs to determine the tone of the topic sentences and the supporting and closing sentences.

Step 5: Write the essay

To write the essay, which can take 20-30 minutes, start by writing the first topic sentence. The first topic sentence bears a condensed version of the thesis and serves as an attention grabber for your readers. It should be outstanding, short, and sweet. Next, present the examples, illustrations, facts, and elaborations as your supporting sentences. Cite as you write to ensure that you correctly cite the information. Finally, conclude the first paragraph by wrapping up the paragraph and transitioning to the second paragraph.

Repeat the steps you did in the first and second paragraphs, only that the last sentence wraps up the entire essay. Lastly, sum up the two paragraphs and close the essay.

Step 6: Proofread, edit, and submit

As a final step, which takes approximately 5-10 minutes, address all your essay's errors, mistakes, and omissions. Ensure that you proofread your essay well before submitting it for assessment. Also, ensure that your essay is submitted within the recommended deadline and in the correct format (PDF or Word document).

The above techniques, approaches, or steps can save time writing a two-paragraph essay. The two-paragraph essay rule applies to short college essays, personal statements, leadership, nursing philosophy, and brief narrative essays. Sometimes, there is no need for sources. Nevertheless, maintain the structure we have discussed above.

Tips to Make an excellent two-paragraph essay

Let’s assume that you are sitting for an exam and would like to write a two-paragraph essay that answers the short essay-based questions. You can use these tips to spice up your writing, conclusively answer the question, and win the heart of the markers, professor, or instructor.

1. Be brief

Being economical with words will save you the trouble of truncating ideas when done. It also helps save time. Instead, use loaded sentences that capture the main ideas you want to communicate. Besides, avoid using too many words to explain something when you can use a word or two. When explaining concepts, be thorough, composed, and brief to avoid confusing the readers.

2. Keep it romped up

Your essay must grab the attention of the readers. Remember, your first or first opening sentence is your thesis statement. Therefore, you can begin with a hook as a thesis statement for this short essay. Just like in the one-paragraph essay . Besides, ensure that every body paragraph focuses on the idea mentioned in the topic sentence. Keep your relevance, validity, and authenticity by citing any information borrowed. Your choice of words should also be top-notch.

3. Maintain a good organization

Ensure that your two-paragraph essay is well-organized. For example, have the two body paragraphs with distinguishable topic sentences, supporting sentences, and closing sentences. As well, plan your essay well before writing. A good organization will help you avoid wasting words and reduce the chances of unnecessary repetition.

4. Use transitions

Use linking words, signals, and sentences to ensure a smooth flow of ideas in your essay. Making good use of transitions always carries the day. Ensure that you do not overuse the transitions or that you don’t use the wrong transitions for the sake of it.

6. Proofread and edit well

There are high chances of your professor being keen on your essay, given that it is short. Therefore, you have to limit the chances of them awarding a poor grade just because of a few errors and mistakes. Therefore, follow our self-editing checklist and edit, proofread, and polish the 2-paragraphs of your essay. Remember to assess and correct the grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes. Also, check whether your essay has a good choice of words; replace the complex vocabulary if you can. The simpler your essay is to read and understand, the higher the chances of a good grade.

Related Reading: How to write an analytical essay .

Wrapping Up

An essay can have two paragraphs if you are requested to fulfill writing a given number of words on a given topic in two paragraphs. Majorly, a two-paragraph essay is between 250 and 300 words.

It contains two well-balanced paragraphs that expound on a narrowed-down thesis. Two-paragraph essays have a slightly different structure from conventional essays.

And now, with the steps, tips, and explanations, we have the best writers if you want to hire someone to write your 2-paragraph essay. Our essay service has some of the finest writers you will ever meet.

You can use the model of two-paragraph essays to revise, learn how to write, and understand how to organize short essays.

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How You Can Format 2 Paragraph Essays

Table of Contents

Two paragraphs may not seem like much when writing an essay, but it can be with the proper planning and format.

In this article, we’ll discuss how you can write a  2 paragraph essay format  that will discuss all your main points. We’ll also guide you through some pre-writing tips and a format example to help make the writing process much more manageable.

Essays are commonly composed of at least three paragraphs. The first paragraph is an introductory section, followed by the second paragraph that provides support for the thesis with evidence. And it concludes with a final paragraph wrapping up everything that was discussed.

You can still incorporate all the main elements of an essay in just two paragraphs. Read on to learn how.

Pre-Writing Tips for an Effective Essay

Preparation is key to writing an effective essay . Before you start the writing process, here are some pre-writing tips that can help you out.

Understand your assignment: It’s essential to understand the writing task you’ve been given before writing about it. What’s the goal of this essay? What will you be writing about? And are there specific essay requirements you need to follow? You may risk significantly lowering your grade if you don’t follow the proper instructions.

Define a topic:  If you can choose your topic, try to pick something you already know a bit about. And something that will grab your readers’ interest.

Do your research:  Take notes and read primary and secondary sources to determine your position and angle on the topic. These will serve as evidence to support your points.

Come up with a thesis:  A thesis statement is the main point or argument you want to make in your essay. An effective thesis is essential to a focused essay; remember to refer back to it as you write.

Create an outline:

Draw out your essay’s rough structure in an outline. This will help you speed up your writing process and keep track of what to write. If you have a clear idea of what you’ll discuss, in what order, and what evidence you’ll use, you are ready to start writing!

How to Format a 2 Paragraph Essay

Skip the introduction and go straight to the point — or keep your introduction brief..

You only have two paragraphs for all your thoughts, so writing a long introduction is unnecessary. You may dedicate only one short sentence for your intro to ensure a smooth flow of your work or leave it out altogether.

Each paragraph should contain at least 3-5 sentences.

An ideal paragraph length shouldn’t contain more than five sentences. If you have a lot of things to discuss the topic, make use of all five sentences. At the very least, you should write a few words on the subject in general if you’re limited to only two paragraphs. Include all of the necessary ideas in your writing briefly.

Don’t forget about the paragraph structure.

Each essay should have paragraphs with a clear structure. Use a topic sentence, a supporting idea, and a concluding sentence for each point you address.

Be sure to use transitions.

You should make sure that your essay is easy to read and follow, even if it’s just two paragraphs long. It helps to insert a transitional sentence at the end of the first paragraph or make the concluding sentence also transitional.

Don’t overload your paper with information.

You should avoid any empty constructions, additional points, or examples that are not particularly useful for your ideas. Reserve your limited writing space for points that are actually important and specific to your point.

2 Paragraph Essay Format Sample

First paragraph

•  Introductory sentence (optional).
•  Main point
•  Supporting information for the main point
•  Concluding sentence for the main point
•  Transitional sentence (may also be included in the concluding sentence).

Second paragraph

• Secondary Main Point
• Supporting information for the second main point
• Concluding sentence for the second main point
• Summarizing sentence or conclusion

Final Words

It’s not easy to fit all your ideas into just two paragraphs. But with the help of a 2 paragraph essay format , you can make the most of your work.

Be sure to use transitions to make sure your reader stays interested in the conversation. Keep your introduction short and your argument clear.

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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What this handout is about

This handout will help you understand how paragraphs are formed, how to develop stronger paragraphs, and how to completely and clearly express your ideas.

What is a paragraph?

Paragraphs are the building blocks of papers. Many students define paragraphs in terms of length: a paragraph is a group of at least five sentences, a paragraph is half a page long, etc. In reality, though, the unity and coherence of ideas among sentences is what constitutes a paragraph. A paragraph is defined as “a group of sentences or a single sentence that forms a unit” (Lunsford and Connors 116). Length and appearance do not determine whether a section in a paper is a paragraph. For instance, in some styles of writing, particularly journalistic styles, a paragraph can be just one sentence long. Ultimately, a paragraph is a sentence or group of sentences that support one main idea. In this handout, we will refer to this as the “controlling idea,” because it controls what happens in the rest of the paragraph.

How do I decide what to put in a paragraph?

Before you can begin to determine what the composition of a particular paragraph will be, you must first decide on an argument and a working thesis statement for your paper. What is the most important idea that you are trying to convey to your reader? The information in each paragraph must be related to that idea. In other words, your paragraphs should remind your reader that there is a recurrent relationship between your thesis and the information in each paragraph. A working thesis functions like a seed from which your paper, and your ideas, will grow. The whole process is an organic one—a natural progression from a seed to a full-blown paper where there are direct, familial relationships between all of the ideas in the paper.

The decision about what to put into your paragraphs begins with the germination of a seed of ideas; this “germination process” is better known as brainstorming . There are many techniques for brainstorming; whichever one you choose, this stage of paragraph development cannot be skipped. Building paragraphs can be like building a skyscraper: there must be a well-planned foundation that supports what you are building. Any cracks, inconsistencies, or other corruptions of the foundation can cause your whole paper to crumble.

So, let’s suppose that you have done some brainstorming to develop your thesis. What else should you keep in mind as you begin to create paragraphs? Every paragraph in a paper should be :

• Unified : All of the sentences in a single paragraph should be related to a single controlling idea (often expressed in the topic sentence of the paragraph).
• Clearly related to the thesis : The sentences should all refer to the central idea, or thesis, of the paper (Rosen and Behrens 119).
• Coherent : The sentences should be arranged in a logical manner and should follow a definite plan for development (Rosen and Behrens 119).
• Well-developed : Every idea discussed in the paragraph should be adequately explained and supported through evidence and details that work together to explain the paragraph’s controlling idea (Rosen and Behrens 119).

How do I organize a paragraph?

There are many different ways to organize a paragraph. The organization you choose will depend on the controlling idea of the paragraph. Below are a few possibilities for organization, with links to brief examples:

• Narration : Tell a story. Go chronologically, from start to finish. ( See an example. )
• Description : Provide specific details about what something looks, smells, tastes, sounds, or feels like. Organize spatially, in order of appearance, or by topic. ( See an example. )
• Process : Explain how something works, step by step. Perhaps follow a sequence—first, second, third. ( See an example. )
• Classification : Separate into groups or explain the various parts of a topic. ( See an example. )
• Illustration : Give examples and explain how those examples support your point. (See an example in the 5-step process below.)

Illustration paragraph: a 5-step example

From the list above, let’s choose “illustration” as our rhetorical purpose. We’ll walk through a 5-step process for building a paragraph that illustrates a point in an argument. For each step there is an explanation and example. Our example paragraph will be about human misconceptions of piranhas.

Step 1. Decide on a controlling idea and create a topic sentence

Paragraph development begins with the formulation of the controlling idea. This idea directs the paragraph’s development. Often, the controlling idea of a paragraph will appear in the form of a topic sentence. In some cases, you may need more than one sentence to express a paragraph’s controlling idea.

Controlling idea and topic sentence — Despite the fact that piranhas are relatively harmless, many people continue to believe the pervasive myth that piranhas are dangerous to humans.

Step 2. Elaborate on the controlling idea

Paragraph development continues with an elaboration on the controlling idea, perhaps with an explanation, implication, or statement about significance. Our example offers a possible explanation for the pervasiveness of the myth.

Elaboration — This impression of piranhas is exacerbated by their mischaracterization in popular media.

Step 3. Give an example (or multiple examples)

Paragraph development progresses with an example (or more) that illustrates the claims made in the previous sentences.

Example — For example, the promotional poster for the 1978 horror film Piranha features an oversized piranha poised to bite the leg of an unsuspecting woman.

Step 4. Explain the example(s)

The next movement in paragraph development is an explanation of each example and its relevance to the topic sentence. The explanation should demonstrate the value of the example as evidence to support the major claim, or focus, in your paragraph.

Continue the pattern of giving examples and explaining them until all points/examples that the writer deems necessary have been made and explained. NONE of your examples should be left unexplained. You might be able to explain the relationship between the example and the topic sentence in the same sentence which introduced the example. More often, however, you will need to explain that relationship in a separate sentence.

Explanation for example — Such a terrifying representation easily captures the imagination and promotes unnecessary fear.

Notice that the example and explanation steps of this 5-step process (steps 3 and 4) can be repeated as needed. The idea is that you continue to use this pattern until you have completely developed the main idea of the paragraph.

Step 5. Complete the paragraph’s idea or transition into the next paragraph

The final movement in paragraph development involves tying up the loose ends of the paragraph. At this point, you can remind your reader about the relevance of the information to the larger paper, or you can make a concluding point for this example. You might, however, simply transition to the next paragraph.

Sentences for completing a paragraph — While the trope of the man-eating piranhas lends excitement to the adventure stories, it bears little resemblance to the real-life piranha. By paying more attention to fact than fiction, humans may finally be able to let go of this inaccurate belief.

Finished paragraph

Despite the fact that piranhas are relatively harmless, many people continue to believe the pervasive myth that piranhas are dangerous to humans. This impression of piranhas is exacerbated by their mischaracterization in popular media. For example, the promotional poster for the 1978 horror film Piranha features an oversized piranha poised to bite the leg of an unsuspecting woman. Such a terrifying representation easily captures the imagination and promotes unnecessary fear. While the trope of the man-eating piranhas lends excitement to the adventure stories, it bears little resemblance to the real-life piranha. By paying more attention to fact than fiction, humans may finally be able to let go of this inaccurate belief.

Troubleshooting paragraphs

Problem: the paragraph has no topic sentence.

Imagine each paragraph as a sandwich. The real content of the sandwich—the meat or other filling—is in the middle. It includes all the evidence you need to make the point. But it gets kind of messy to eat a sandwich without any bread. Your readers don’t know what to do with all the evidence you’ve given them. So, the top slice of bread (the first sentence of the paragraph) explains the topic (or controlling idea) of the paragraph. And, the bottom slice (the last sentence of the paragraph) tells the reader how the paragraph relates to the broader argument. In the original and revised paragraphs below, notice how a topic sentence expressing the controlling idea tells the reader the point of all the evidence.

Original paragraph

Piranhas rarely feed on large animals; they eat smaller fish and aquatic plants. When confronted with humans, piranhas’ first instinct is to flee, not attack. Their fear of humans makes sense. Far more piranhas are eaten by people than people are eaten by piranhas. If the fish are well-fed, they won’t bite humans.

Revised paragraph

Although most people consider piranhas to be quite dangerous, they are, for the most part, entirely harmless. Piranhas rarely feed on large animals; they eat smaller fish and aquatic plants. When confronted with humans, piranhas’ first instinct is to flee, not attack. Their fear of humans makes sense. Far more piranhas are eaten by people than people are eaten by piranhas. If the fish are well-fed, they won’t bite humans.

Once you have mastered the use of topic sentences, you may decide that the topic sentence for a particular paragraph really shouldn’t be the first sentence of the paragraph. This is fine—the topic sentence can actually go at the beginning, middle, or end of a paragraph; what’s important is that it is in there somewhere so that readers know what the main idea of the paragraph is and how it relates back to the thesis of your paper. Suppose that we wanted to start the piranha paragraph with a transition sentence—something that reminds the reader of what happened in the previous paragraph—rather than with the topic sentence. Let’s suppose that the previous paragraph was about all kinds of animals that people are afraid of, like sharks, snakes, and spiders. Our paragraph might look like this (the topic sentence is bold):

Like sharks, snakes, and spiders, piranhas are widely feared. Although most people consider piranhas to be quite dangerous, they are, for the most part, entirely harmless . Piranhas rarely feed on large animals; they eat smaller fish and aquatic plants. When confronted with humans, piranhas’ first instinct is to flee, not attack. Their fear of humans makes sense. Far more piranhas are eaten by people than people are eaten by piranhas. If the fish are well-fed, they won’t bite humans.

Problem: the paragraph has more than one controlling idea

If a paragraph has more than one main idea, consider eliminating sentences that relate to the second idea, or split the paragraph into two or more paragraphs, each with only one main idea. Watch our short video on reverse outlining to learn a quick way to test whether your paragraphs are unified. In the following paragraph, the final two sentences branch off into a different topic; so, the revised paragraph eliminates them and concludes with a sentence that reminds the reader of the paragraph’s main idea.

Although most people consider piranhas to be quite dangerous, they are, for the most part, entirely harmless. Piranhas rarely feed on large animals; they eat smaller fish and aquatic plants. When confronted with humans, piranhas’ first instinct is to flee, not attack. Their fear of humans makes sense. Far more piranhas are eaten by people than people are eaten by piranhas. A number of South American groups eat piranhas. They fry or grill the fish and then serve them with coconut milk or tucupi, a sauce made from fermented manioc juices.

Problem: transitions are needed within the paragraph

You are probably familiar with the idea that transitions may be needed between paragraphs or sections in a paper (see our handout on transitions ). Sometimes they are also helpful within the body of a single paragraph. Within a paragraph, transitions are often single words or short phrases that help to establish relationships between ideas and to create a logical progression of those ideas in a paragraph. This is especially likely to be true within paragraphs that discuss multiple examples. Let’s take a look at a version of our piranha paragraph that uses transitions to orient the reader:

Although most people consider piranhas to be quite dangerous, they are, except in two main situations, entirely harmless. Piranhas rarely feed on large animals; they eat smaller fish and aquatic plants. When confronted with humans, piranhas’ instinct is to flee, not attack. But there are two situations in which a piranha bite is likely. The first is when a frightened piranha is lifted out of the water—for example, if it has been caught in a fishing net. The second is when the water level in pools where piranhas are living falls too low. A large number of fish may be trapped in a single pool, and if they are hungry, they may attack anything that enters the water.

In this example, you can see how the phrases “the first” and “the second” help the reader follow the organization of the ideas in the paragraph.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Lunsford, Andrea. 2008. The St. Martin’s Handbook: Annotated Instructor’s Edition , 6th ed. New York: St. Martin’s.

Rosen, Leonard J., and Laurence Behrens. 2003. The Allyn & Bacon Handbook , 5th ed. New York: Longman.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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11 Rules for Essay Paragraph Structure (with Examples)

How do you structure a paragraph in an essay?

If you’re like the majority of my students, you might be getting your basic essay paragraph structure wrong and getting lower grades than you could!

In this article, I outline the 11 key steps to writing a perfect paragraph. But, this isn’t your normal ‘how to write an essay’ article. Rather, I’ll try to give you some insight into exactly what teachers look out for when they’re grading essays and figuring out what grade to give them.

You can navigate each issue below, or scroll down to read them all:

1. Paragraphs must be at least four sentences long 2. But, at most seven sentences long 3. Your paragraph must be Left-Aligned 4. You need a topic sentence 5 . Next, you need an explanation sentence 6. You need to include an example 7. You need to include citations 8. All paragraphs need to be relevant to the marking criteria 9. Only include one key idea per paragraph 10. Keep sentences short 11. Keep quotes short

Paragraph structure is one of the most important elements of getting essay writing right .

As I cover in my Ultimate Guide to Writing an Essay Plan , paragraphs are the heart and soul of your essay.

However, I find most of my students have either:

• forgotten how to write paragraphs properly,
• gotten lazy, or
• never learned it in the first place!

Paragraphs in essay writing are different from paragraphs in other written genres .

In fact, the paragraphs that you are reading now would not help your grades in an essay.

That’s because I’m writing in journalistic style, where paragraph conventions are vastly different.

For those of you coming from journalism or creative writing, you might find you need to re-learn paragraph writing if you want to write well-structured essay paragraphs to get top grades.

Below are eleven reasons your paragraphs are losing marks, and what to do about it!

Essay Paragraph Structure Rules

1. your paragraphs must be at least 4 sentences long.

In journalism and blog writing, a one-sentence paragraph is great. It’s short, to-the-point, and helps guide your reader. For essay paragraph structure, one-sentence paragraphs suck.

A one-sentence essay paragraph sends an instant signal to your teacher that you don’t have much to say on an issue.

A short paragraph signifies that you know something – but not much about it. A one-sentence paragraph lacks detail, depth and insight.

Many students come to me and ask, “what does ‘add depth’ mean?” It’s one of the most common pieces of feedback you’ll see written on the margins of your essay.

Personally, I think ‘add depth’ is bad feedback because it’s a short and vague comment. But, here’s what it means: You’ve not explained your point enough!

If you’re writing one-, two- or three-sentence essay paragraphs, you’re costing yourself marks.

Always aim for at least four sentences per paragraph in your essays.

This doesn’t mean that you should add ‘fluff’ or ‘padding’ sentences.

Make sure you don’t:

a) repeat what you said in different words, or b) write something just because you need another sentence in there.

But, you need to do some research and find something insightful to add to that two-sentence paragraph if you want to ace your essay.

Check out Points 5 and 6 for some advice on what to add to that short paragraph to add ‘depth’ to your paragraph and start moving to the top of the class.

• How to Make an Essay Longer
• How to Make an Essay Shorter

2. Your Paragraphs must not be more than 7 Sentences Long

Okay, so I just told you to aim for at least four sentences per paragraph. So, what’s the longest your paragraph should be?

Seven sentences. That’s a maximum.

So, here’s the rule:

Between four and seven sentences is the sweet spot that you need to aim for in every single paragraph.

Here’s why your paragraphs shouldn’t be longer than seven sentences:

1. It shows you can organize your thoughts. You need to show your teacher that you’ve broken up your key ideas into manageable segments of text (see point 10)

2. It makes your work easier to read.   You need your writing to be easily readable to make it easy for your teacher to give you good grades. Make your essay easy to read and you’ll get higher marks every time.

One of the most important ways you can make your work easier to read is by writing paragraphs that are less than six sentences long.

3. It prevents teacher frustration. Teachers are just like you. When they see a big block of text their eyes glaze over. They get frustrated, lost, their mind wanders … and you lose marks.

To prevent teacher frustration, you need to ensure there’s plenty of white space in your essay. It’s about showing them that the piece is clearly structured into one key idea per ‘chunk’ of text.

Often, you might find that your writing contains tautologies and other turns of phrase that can be shortened for clarity.

3. Your Paragraph must be Left-Aligned

Turn off ‘Justified’ text and: Never. Turn. It. On. Again.

Justified text is where the words are stretched out to make the paragraph look like a square. It turns the writing into a block. Don’t do it. You will lose marks, I promise you! Win the psychological game with your teacher: left-align your text.

A good essay paragraph is never ‘justified’.

I’m going to repeat this, because it’s important: to prevent your essay from looking like a big block of muddy, hard-to-read text align your text to the left margin only.

You want white space on your page – and lots of it. White space helps your reader scan through your work. It also prevents it from looking like big blocks of text.

You want your reader reading vertically as much as possible: scanning, browsing, and quickly looking through for evidence you’ve engaged with the big ideas.

The justified text doesn’t help you do that. Justified text makes your writing look like a big, lumpy block of text that your reader doesn’t want to read.

What’s wrong with Center-Aligned Text?

While I’m at it, never, ever, center-align your text either. Center-aligned text is impossible to skim-read. Your teacher wants to be able to quickly scan down the left margin to get the headline information in your paragraph.

Not many people center-align text, but it’s worth repeating: never, ever center-align your essays.

Don’t annoy your reader. Left align your text.

4. Your paragraphs must have a Topic Sentence

The first sentence of an essay paragraph is called the topic sentence. This is one of the most important sentences in the correct essay paragraph structure style.

The topic sentence should convey exactly what key idea you’re going to cover in your paragraph.

Too often, students don’t let their reader know what the key idea of the paragraph is until several sentences in.

You must show what the paragraph is about in the first sentence.

You never, ever want to keep your reader in suspense. Essays are not like creative writing. Tell them straight away what the paragraph is about. In fact, if you can, do it in the first half of the first sentence .

I’ll remind you again: make it easy to grade your work. Your teacher is reading through your work trying to determine what grade to give you. They’re probably going to mark 20 assignments in one sitting. They have no interest in storytelling or creativity. They just want to know how much you know! State what the paragraph is about immediately and move on.

Suggested: Best Words to Start a Paragraph

Ideal Essay Paragraph Structure Example: Writing a Topic Sentence If your paragraph is about how climate change is endangering polar bears, say it immediately : “Climate change is endangering polar bears.” should be your first sentence in your paragraph. Take a look at first sentence of each of the four paragraphs above this one. You can see from the first sentence of each paragraph that the paragraphs discuss:

When editing your work, read each paragraph and try to distil what the one key idea is in your paragraph. Ensure that this key idea is mentioned in the first sentence .

(Note: if there’s more than one key idea in the paragraph, you may have a problem. See Point 9 below .)

The topic sentence is the most important sentence for getting your essay paragraph structure right. So, get your topic sentences right and you’re on the right track to a good essay paragraph.

5. You need an Explanation Sentence

All topic sentences need a follow-up explanation. The very first point on this page was that too often students write paragraphs that are too short. To add what is called ‘depth’ to a paragraph, you can come up with two types of follow-up sentences: explanations and examples.

Let’s take explanation sentences first.

Explanation sentences give additional detail. They often provide one of the following services:

Let’s go back to our example of a paragraph on Climate change endangering polar bears. If your topic sentence is “Climate change is endangering polar bears.”, then your follow-up explanation sentence is likely to explain how, why, where, or when. You could say:

Ideal Essay Paragraph Structure Example: Writing Explanation Sentences 1. How: “The warming atmosphere is melting the polar ice caps.” 2. Why: “The polar bears’ habitats are shrinking every single year.” 3. Where: “This is happening in the Antarctic ice caps near Greenland.” 4. When: “Scientists first noticed the ice caps were shrinking in 1978.”

You don’t have to provide all four of these options each time.

But, if you’re struggling to think of what to add to your paragraph to add depth, consider one of these four options for a good quality explanation sentence.

>>>RELATED ARTICLE: SHOULD YOU USE RHETORICAL QUESTIONS IN ESSAYS ?

6. Your need to Include an Example

Examples matter! They add detail. They also help to show that you genuinely understand the issue. They show that you don’t just understand a concept in the abstract; you also understand how things work in real life.

Example sentences have the added benefit of personalising an issue. For example, after saying “Polar bears’ habitats are shrinking”, you could note specific habitats, facts and figures, or even a specific story about a bear who was impacted.

Ideal Essay Paragraph Structure Example: Writing an ‘Example’ Sentence “For example, 770,000 square miles of Arctic Sea Ice has melted in the past four decades, leading Polar Bear populations to dwindle ( National Geographic, 2018 )

In fact, one of the most effective politicians of our times – Barrack Obama – was an expert at this technique. He would often provide examples of people who got sick because they didn’t have healthcare to sell Obamacare.

What effect did this have? It showed the real-world impact of his ideas. It humanised him, and got him elected president – twice!

Be like Obama. Provide examples. Often.

7. All Paragraphs need Citations

Provide a reference to an academic source in every single body paragraph in the essay. The only two paragraphs where you don’t need a reference is the introduction and conclusion .

Let me repeat: Paragraphs need at least one reference to a quality scholarly source .

Let me go even further:

Students who get the best marks provide two references to two different academic sources in every paragraph.

Two references in a paragraph show you’ve read widely, cross-checked your sources, and given the paragraph real thought.

It’s really important that these references link to academic sources, not random websites, blogs or YouTube videos. Check out our Seven Best types of Sources to Cite in Essays post to get advice on what sources to cite. Number 6 w ill surprise you!

Ideal Essay Paragraph Structure Example: In-Text Referencing in Paragraphs Usually, in-text referencing takes the format: (Author, YEAR), but check your school’s referencing formatting requirements carefully. The ‘Author’ section is the author’s last name only. Not their initials. Not their first name. Just their last name . My name is Chris Drew. First name Chris, last name Drew. If you were going to reference an academic article I wrote in 2019, you would reference it like this: (Drew, 2019).

Where do you place those two references?

Place the first reference at the end of the first half of the paragraph. Place the second reference at the end of the second half of the paragraph.

This spreads the references out and makes it look like all the points throughout the paragraph are backed up by your sources. The goal is to make it look like you’ve reference regularly when your teacher scans through your work.

Remember, teachers can look out for signposts that indicate you’ve followed academic conventions and mentioned the right key ideas.

Spreading your referencing through the paragraph helps to make it look like you’ve followed the academic convention of referencing sources regularly.

Here are some examples of how to reference twice in a paragraph:

• If your paragraph was six sentences long, you would place your first reference at the end of the third sentence and your second reference at the end of the sixth sentence.
• If your paragraph was five sentences long, I would recommend placing one at the end of the second sentence and one at the end of the fifth sentence.

You’ve just read one of the key secrets to winning top marks.

8. Every Paragraph must be relevant to the Marking Criteria

Every paragraph must win you marks. When you’re editing your work, check through the piece to see if every paragraph is relevant to the marking criteria.

For the British: In the British university system (I’m including Australia and New Zealand here – I’ve taught at universities in all three countries), you’ll usually have a ‘marking criteria’. It’s usually a list of between two and six key learning outcomes your teacher needs to use to come up with your score. Sometimes it’s called a:

• Marking criteria
• Marking rubric
• (Key) learning outcome
• Indicative content

Check your assignment guidance to see if this is present. If so, use this list of learning outcomes to guide what you write. If your paragraphs are irrelevant to these key points, delete the paragraph .

Paragraphs that don’t link to the marking criteria are pointless. They won’t win you marks.

For the Americans: If you don’t have a marking criteria / rubric / outcomes list, you’ll need to stick closely to the essay question or topic. This goes out to those of you in the North American system. North America (including USA and Canada here) is often less structured and the professor might just give you a topic to base your essay on.

If all you’ve got is the essay question / topic, go through each paragraph and make sure each paragraph is relevant to the topic.

For example, if your essay question / topic is on “The Effects of Climate Change on Polar Bears”,

• Don’t talk about anything that doesn’t have some connection to climate change and polar bears;
• Don’t talk about the environmental impact of oil spills in the Gulf of Carpentaria;
• Don’t talk about black bear habitats in British Columbia.
• Do talk about the effects of climate change on polar bears (and relevant related topics) in every single paragraph .

You may think ‘stay relevant’ is obvious advice, but at least 20% of all essays I mark go off on tangents and waste words.

Stay on topic in Every. Single. Paragraph. If you want to learn more about how to stay on topic, check out our essay planning guide .

9. Only have one Key Idea per Paragraph

One key idea for each paragraph. One key idea for each paragraph. One key idea for each paragraph.

Don’t forget!

Too often, a student starts a paragraph talking about one thing and ends it talking about something totally different. Don’t be that student.

To ensure you’re focussing on one key idea in your paragraph, make sure you know what that key idea is. It should be mentioned in your topic sentence (see Point 3 ). Every other sentence in the paragraph adds depth to that one key idea.

If you’ve got sentences in your paragraph that are not relevant to the key idea in the paragraph, they don’t fit. They belong in another paragraph.

Go through all your paragraphs when editing your work and check to see if you’ve veered away from your paragraph’s key idea. If so, you might have two or even three key ideas in the one paragraph.

You’re going to have to get those additional key ideas, rip them out, and give them paragraphs of their own.

If you have more than one key idea in a paragraph you will lose marks. I promise you that.

The paragraphs will be too hard to read, your reader will get bogged down reading rather than scanning, and you’ll have lost grades.

10. Keep Sentences Short

If a sentence is too long it gets confusing. When the sentence is confusing, your reader will stop reading your work. They will stop reading the paragraph and move to the next one. They’ll have given up on your paragraph.

Short, snappy sentences are best.

Shorter sentences are easier to read and they make more sense. Too often, students think they have to use big, long, academic words to get the best marks. Wrong. Aim for clarity in every sentence in the paragraph. Your teacher will thank you for it.

The students who get the best marks write clear, short sentences.

When editing your draft, go through your essay and see if you can shorten your longest five sentences.

(To learn more about how to write the best quality sentences, see our page on Seven ways to Write Amazing Sentences .)

11. Keep Quotes Short

Eighty percent of university teachers hate quotes. That’s not an official figure. It’s my guestimate based on my many interactions in faculty lounges. Twenty percent don’t mind them, but chances are your teacher is one of the eight out of ten who hate quotes.

Teachers tend to be turned off by quotes because it makes it look like you don’t know how to say something on your own words.

Now that I’ve warned you, here’s how to use quotes properly:

Ideal Essay Paragraph Structure Example: How To Use Quotes in University-Level Essay Paragraphs 1. Your quote should be less than one sentence long. 2. Your quote should be less than one sentence long. 3. You should never start a sentence with a quote. 4. You should never end a paragraph with a quote. 5 . You should never use more than five quotes per essay. 6. Your quote should never be longer than one line in a paragraph.

The minute your teacher sees that your quote takes up a large chunk of your paragraph, you’ll have lost marks.

Your teacher will circle the quote, write a snarky comment in the margin, and not even bother to give you points for the key idea in the paragraph.

Avoid quotes, but if you really want to use them, follow those five rules above.

I’ve also provided additional pages outlining Seven tips on how to use Quotes if you want to delve deeper into how, when and where to use quotes in essays. Be warned: quoting in essays is harder than you thought.

Follow the advice above and you’ll be well on your way to getting top marks at university.

Writing essay paragraphs that are well structured takes time and practice. Don’t be too hard on yourself and keep on trying!

Below is a summary of our 11 key mistakes for structuring essay paragraphs and tips on how to avoid them.

I’ve also provided an easy-to-share infographic below that you can share on your favorite social networking site. Please share it if this article has helped you out!

11 Biggest Essay Paragraph Structure Mistakes you’re probably Making

1.  Your paragraphs are too short 2.  Your paragraphs are too long 3.  Your paragraph alignment is ‘Justified’ 4.  Your paragraphs are missing a topic sentence 5 .  Your paragraphs are missing an explanation sentence 6.  Your paragraphs are missing an example 7.  Your paragraphs are missing references 8.  Your paragraphs are not relevant to the marking criteria 9.  You’re trying to fit too many ideas into the one paragraph 10.  Your sentences are too long 11.  Your quotes are too long

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 15 Animism Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 10 Magical Thinking Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ Social-Emotional Learning (Definition, Examples, Pros & Cons)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ What is Educational Psychology?

4 thoughts on “11 Rules for Essay Paragraph Structure (with Examples)”

Hello there. I noticed that throughout this article on Essay Writing, you keep on saying that the teacher won’t have time to go through the entire essay. Don’t you think this is a bit discouraging that with all the hard work and time put into your writing, to know that the teacher will not read through the entire paper?

Hi Clarence,

Thanks so much for your comment! I love to hear from readers on their thoughts.

Yes, I agree that it’s incredibly disheartening.

But, I also think students would appreciate hearing the truth.

Behind closed doors many / most university teachers are very open about the fact they ‘only have time to skim-read papers’. They regularly bring this up during heated faculty meetings about contract negotiations! I.e. in one university I worked at, we were allocated 45 minutes per 10,000 words – that’s just over 4 minutes per 1,000 word essay, and that’d include writing the feedback, too!

If students know the truth, they can better write their essays in a way that will get across the key points even from a ‘skim-read’.

I hope to write candidly on this website – i.e. some of this info will never be written on university blogs because universities want to hide these unfortunate truths from students.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Regards, Chris

This is wonderful and helpful, all I say is thank you very much. Because I learned a lot from this site, own by chris thank you Sir.

Thank you. This helped a lot.

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2 Paragraph Essay Examples: Possible Solutions to Global Warming

Published by gudwriter on September 10, 2017 September 10, 2017

2 Paragraph Essay Examples

Before showing you some examples of a 2 paragraph essay (I have three, scroll down to find them), I would like to quickly point out a few things:

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• Two paragraph essay literally contains two body paragraphs with each paragraph containing 4 – 5 sentences. Too many or few can make your paragraph too vague or overwhelming.
• Be economical with words. You don’t want to put unnecessary information that is not relevant to the essay. Be precise and to the point.
• The best structure is to have one main point per paragraph whereby the first sentence introduces the point and the subsequent sentences support the point.
• Having any difficulties, admission essay writers will assist you with any form of essay you may need.

2 Paragraph Essay Outline

Paragraph 1:

• Opening statement (introduce the first main point)
• Supporting facts (support the first main point)

Paragraph 2:

• Opening statement (introduce the second main point. Include transitional words for smooth transition between paragraphs. Some words include also, likewise, additionally. E.g.  Additionally, increasing the adoption of renewable energy could reduce global warming . )
• Supporting facts (support the second main point).
• Concluding statement (summarize your work in one sentence e.g. In conclusion, boosting energy efficiency and adopting renewable energy would reduce global warming.)

Here are two paragraph essay examples on possible solutions to global warming. The 3 essays are double spaced and have been formatted according to APA formatting guidelines .

Possible Solutions to Global Warming -Example 1

Boosting and encouraging use of energy efficiency technologies would lead to reduced energy needs for powering, heating, and cooling of homes, businesses, and industries. This would be effective in reducing global warming as the problem is largely contributed to by the energy used for cooling, heating, and power services in industries, businesses, and homes. In the transportation sector for instance, switching to fuels that are low in carbon, and improving fuel efficiency in terms of miles per gallon would reduce the amount of heat-trapping emissions released into the atmosphere.

Additionally, revving up renewable energy could reduce global warming. The vast majority of energy needs worldwide can be potentially met by such renewable sources of energy as bioenergy, geothermal, wind, and solar energy that apart from reducing pollution, would also create jobs. According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2012 report, coal-fired power plants produce approximately 25 percent of total U.S. global warming emissions while natural gas-fired power plants produce 6 percent of total emissions. In contrast, most renewable energy sources produce little to no global warming emissions. Conclusively, boosting energy efficiency and adopting renewable energy would reduce global warming.

Dincer, I., Coplan, C. O. & Kadiouglu, F. (2013). Causes, impacts and solutions to global warming. Springer Science & Business Media.

Langholz, J.  & Turner, K. (2008). You can prevent global warming (and save money!): 51 easy ways. Andrews McMeel Publishing.

Lomborg, B. (2010). Smart solutions to climate change: comparing costs and benefits. Cambridge University Press.

Possible Solutions to Global Warming -Example 2

New kinds of geopolitical consensus would ensure that various countries strive to reduce carbon dioxide emissions within their borders. For instance, in 2014, an agreement to combat climate change was signed between the U.S. and China, the two most polluting countries in the world. China agreed to get 20% of its electric power from the sun, wind, fission, and dams. The U.S. promised to enhance its pollution reduction efforts so that the rate of pollution declines by 2% per year (Hawken, 2017).

Additionally, global warming could be reduced through control of methane leaks. Methane is a greenhouse gas that has more global warming effects than even carbon dioxide. Currently, 9% of US greenhouse gas pollution is accounted for by methane (Pittock, 2013). Therefore, within days after their discovery, leaks in methane storage tanks and pipeline as well as other infrastructure should be fixed. Conclusively, global warming would be addressed through new kinds of geopolitical consensus and control of methane leaks.

Hawken, P. (2017). Drawdown: the most comprehensive plan ever proposed to reverse global warming . London, UK: Penguin Publishing Group.

Pittock, A. B. (2013). Climate change: the science, impacts and solutions . New York, NY: Routledge.

Possible Solutions to Global Warming -Example 3

Passing tougher emissions and efficiency standards for cars and power plants would ensure less production of heat-trapping carbon dioxide and smog-forming nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere. This may be possible through better hybrid systems of energy production and efficient internal combustion engines. Such electric cars as Tesla Model S, Nissan LEAF, and Chevy Volt can also help here as long as fossil fuels are not the source of electricity that powers them. The US is already implementing strict high emissions reduction standards for power plants, reducing pollution by 10% since 2005 (Dincer, Colpan & Kadioglu, 2013).

Additionally, global warming could be reduced through greener farming. Farmers could reduce greenhouse emissions through precision agriculture whereby crops are grown efficiently. Farms could also provide energy crops for producing biofules. The amount of carbon dioxide already in the atmosphere could be drawn down by such fuels from plants (Pittock, 2013). In conclusion, tougher emissions and efficiency standards and greener farming would possibly solve global warming.

Dincer, I., Colpan, C. O., & Kadioglu, F. (2013). Causes, impacts and solutions to global warming . Berlin: Springer Science & Business Media.

How to Write a two Paragraph Essay

A two-paragraph essay is a brief piece of writing that explains ideas in a few words. The article is popular among junior scholars or during examinations. While some questions require detailed, lengthy answers, this essay needs you to explain your details in less than two paragraphs.

A large number of students find this challenging. Condensing ideas to make one small, brief and straightforward piece requires proper planning, organization, and economization of language. So, how can you write a compelling 2-paragraph essay? Well, below, I have come up with the perfect guide on how to get all your ideas in two simple parts.

The Structure

The essay contains 2 paragraphs only, and; they must bear the intended meaning. If you want to come up with the perfect article you must, therefore, know the topic well. You could research prior to writing down the piece.

Then, you require laying out a plan on how to fit your ideas into the two paragraphs. This means that you may have to choose two strong points that supersede the rest. Each section should contain a well-explained idea. So, below is the paragraph structure.

As is the case with all essays, you must have a title at the beginning of your work. This helps the readers to understand what the content is about. Be sure to make the headline bold, explicit and concise. Then, use the paragraphs to explain the title.

Topic Statement

What idea are you planning to write about? This should be an opening statement that captures the content of the sentences in the paragraph. It should also provide an answer to the main title. In most cases, it is a logical explanation of the claims presented in the title.

Supportive Points

The supportive sentences should follow the topic statement. They should offer details about the point raised in the first sentence. Thus, this is the excellent place for you to use your factual data to prove why the topic statement is valid. You can have four or five supportive sentences to back up your idea.

Concluding Statement

You will need to conclude your paragraph by affirming to the audience why the topic statement is valid as per the facts you have provided. If it is the first paragraph, you should also use the last sentence as a transition to the next paragraph. But, if it is the second, then you must use a conclusive statement to sign off the article.

Acknowledgements

After you finish writing the essay, remember to acknowledge the sources of the information provided in your work. Reference your work appropriately, as this makes it credible.

Additional Tips on How to Make a 2 Paragraph Essay

Organization.

Be sure to present an organized essay. To do this, you should have a plan on how to write. For instance, you can write a rough outline of the ideas and supportive statements. This helps reduce unwanted repetition.

Entertaining

The rule of the thumb of writing anything is to grab the reader’s attention. If your work is well organized, it will have a smooth flow. Relevance and style keeps the audience yearning for more.

Use transitions

To attain a smooth flow, you need to make good use of transitions. For instance, you can use ‘first, secondly or then’ to show that you are introducing another point. This ensures you don’t get the reader confused.

Be economical with words, and well loaded with information. To do this, you need to have the audience in mind. Don’t go overboard trying to overwhelm the readers with unnecessary info. Also, explain your ideas thoroughly to avoid leaving the audience guessing.

Expert Support

If you run into a dead-end while writing your two paragraph essay, feel free to browse our homework help online services and find the right tutor to show you the right way.

A two paragraph essay is popular in elementary and mid-schools. But, many professors also test it at advanced levels when they want students to provide a brief explanation of concepts. Brevity and sticking to the topic are the golden rules of writing a good 2 paragraph essay. Remember to incorporate a good style and editing skills, too.

Would you like to read more?

• How to write an abstract for research paper
• How to write an analytical essay
• Four-step process to writing an excellent persuasive essay
• How to write a good scholarship essay that will be accepted
• Four paragraph essay sample

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Paragraphs & topic sentences.

A paragraph is a series of sentences that are organized and coherent, and are all related to a single topic. Almost every piece of writing you do that is longer than a few sentences should be organized into paragraphs. This is because paragraphs show a reader where the subdivisions of an essay begin and end, and thus help the reader see the organization of the essay and grasp its main points.

Paragraphs can contain many different kinds of information. A paragraph could contain a series of brief examples or a single long illustration of a general point. It might describe a place, character, or process; narrate a series of events; compare or contrast two or more things; classify items into categories; or describe causes and effects. Regardless of the kind of information they contain, all paragraphs share certain characteristics. One of the most important of these is a topic sentence.

TOPIC SENTENCES

A well-organized paragraph supports or develops a single controlling idea, which is expressed in a sentence called the topic sentence. A topic sentence has several important functions: it substantiates or supports an essay’s thesis statement; it unifies the content of a paragraph and directs the order of the sentences; and it advises the reader of the subject to be discussed and how the paragraph will discuss it. Readers generally look to the first few sentences in a paragraph to determine the subject and perspective of the paragraph. That’s why it’s often best to put the topic sentence at the very beginning of the paragraph. In some cases, however, it’s more effective to place another sentence before the topic sentence—for example, a sentence linking the current paragraph to the previous one, or one providing background information.

Although most paragraphs should have a topic sentence, there are a few situations when a paragraph might not need a topic sentence. For example, you might be able to omit a topic sentence in a paragraph that narrates a series of events, if a paragraph continues developing an idea that you introduced (with a topic sentence) in the previous paragraph, or if all the sentences and details in a paragraph clearly refer—perhaps indirectly—to a main point. The vast majority of your paragraphs, however, should have a topic sentence.

PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE

Most paragraphs in an essay have a three-part structure—introduction, body, and conclusion. You can see this structure in paragraphs whether they are narrating, describing, comparing, contrasting, or analyzing information. Each part of the paragraph plays an important role in communicating your meaning to your reader.

Introduction : the first section of a paragraph; should include the topic sentence and any other sentences at the beginning of the paragraph that give background information or provide a transition.

Body : follows the introduction; discusses the controlling idea, using facts, arguments, analysis, examples, and other information.

Conclusion : the final section; summarizes the connections between the information discussed in the body of the paragraph and the paragraph’s controlling idea.

The following paragraph illustrates this pattern of organization. In this paragraph the topic sentence and concluding sentence (CAPITALIZED) both help the reader keep the paragraph’s main point in mind.

SCIENTISTS HAVE LEARNED TO SUPPLEMENT THE SENSE OF SIGHT IN NUMEROUS WAYS. In front of the tiny pupil of the eye they put , on Mount Palomar, a great monocle 200 inches in diameter, and with it see 2000 times farther into the depths of space. Or they look through a small pair of lenses arranged as a microscope into a drop of water or blood, and magnify by as much as 2000 diameters the living creatures there, many of which are among man’s most dangerous enemies. Or , if we want to see distant happenings on earth, they use some of the previously wasted electromagnetic waves to carry television images which they re-create as light by whipping tiny crystals on a screen with electrons in a vacuum. Or they can bring happenings of long ago and far away as colored motion pictures, by arranging silver atoms and color-absorbing molecules to force light waves into the patterns of original reality. Or if we want to see into the center of a steel casting or the chest of an injured child, they send the information on a beam of penetrating short-wave X rays, and then convert it back into images we can see on a screen or photograph. THUS ALMOST EVERY TYPE OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION YET DISCOVERED HAS BEEN USED TO EXTEND OUR SENSE OF SIGHT IN SOME WAY. George Harrison, “Faith and the Scientist”

In a coherent paragraph, each sentence relates clearly to the topic sentence or controlling idea, but there is more to coherence than this. If a paragraph is coherent, each sentence flows smoothly into the next without obvious shifts or jumps. A coherent paragraph also highlights the ties between old information and new information to make the structure of ideas or arguments clear to the reader.

Along with the smooth flow of sentences, a paragraph’s coherence may also be related to its length. If you have written a very long paragraph, one that fills a double-spaced typed page, for example, you should check it carefully to see if it should start a new paragraph where the original paragraph wanders from its controlling idea. On the other hand, if a paragraph is very short (only one or two sentences, perhaps), you may need to develop its controlling idea more thoroughly, or combine it with another paragraph.

A number of other techniques that you can use to establish coherence in paragraphs are described below.

Repeat key words or phrases. Particularly in paragraphs in which you define or identify an important idea or theory, be consistent in how you refer to it. This consistency and repetition will bind the paragraph together and help your reader understand your definition or description.

Create parallel structures. Parallel structures are created by constructing two or more phrases or sentences that have the same grammatical structure and use the same parts of speech. By creating parallel structures you make your sentences clearer and easier to read. In addition, repeating a pattern in a series of consecutive sentences helps your reader see the connections between ideas. In the paragraph above about scientists and the sense of sight, several sentences in the body of the paragraph have been constructed in a parallel way. The parallel structures (which have been emphasized ) help the reader see that the paragraph is organized as a set of examples of a general statement.

Be consistent in point of view, verb tense, and number. Consistency in point of view, verb tense, and number is a subtle but important aspect of coherence. If you shift from the more personal "you" to the impersonal “one,” from past to present tense, or from “a man” to “they,” for example, you make your paragraph less coherent. Such inconsistencies can also confuse your reader and make your argument more difficult to follow.

Use transition words or phrases between sentences and between paragraphs. Transitional expressions emphasize the relationships between ideas, so they help readers follow your train of thought or see connections that they might otherwise miss or misunderstand. The following paragraph shows how carefully chosen transitions (CAPITALIZED) lead the reader smoothly from the introduction to the conclusion of the paragraph.

I don’t wish to deny that the flattened, minuscule head of the large-bodied "stegosaurus" houses little brain from our subjective, top-heavy perspective, BUT I do wish to assert that we should not expect more of the beast. FIRST OF ALL, large animals have relatively smaller brains than related, small animals. The correlation of brain size with body size among kindred animals (all reptiles, all mammals, FOR EXAMPLE) is remarkably regular. AS we move from small to large animals, from mice to elephants or small lizards to Komodo dragons, brain size increases, BUT not so fast as body size. IN OTHER WORDS, bodies grow faster than brains, AND large animals have low ratios of brain weight to body weight. IN FACT, brains grow only about two-thirds as fast as bodies. SINCE we have no reason to believe that large animals are consistently stupider than their smaller relatives, we must conclude that large animals require relatively less brain to do as well as smaller animals. IF we do not recognize this relationship, we are likely to underestimate the mental power of very large animals, dinosaurs in particular. Stephen Jay Gould, “Were Dinosaurs Dumb?”

SOME USEFUL TRANSITIONS

(modified from Diana Hacker, A Writer’s Reference )

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College admissions

Course: college admissions   >   unit 4.

• Writing a strong college admissions essay
• Avoiding common admissions essay mistakes
• Brainstorming tips for your college essay
• How formal should the tone of your college essay be?
• Taking your college essay to the next level
• Sample essay 1 with admissions feedback

Sample essay 2 with admissions feedback

• Student story: Admissions essay about a formative experience
• Student story: Admissions essay about personal identity
• Student story: Admissions essay about community impact
• Student story: Admissions essay about a past mistake
• Student story: Admissions essay about a meaningful poem
• Writing tips and techniques for your college essay

Introduction

Sample essay 2, feedback from admissions.

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Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Paragraphing (Length Consistency)

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Paragraphs are units of thought with one adequately developed idea. Listed here are some rules of thumb to use when paragraphing. As your writing improves, you'll be able to break these "rules" to meet your own needs. Until then, these suggestions can be helpful.

• Put only one main idea per paragraph.
• Aim for three to five or more sentences per paragraph.
• Include on each page about two handwritten or three typed paragraphs.
• Make your paragraphs proportional to your paper. Since paragraphs do less work in short papers, have short paragraphs for short papers and longer paragraphs for longer papers.
• If you have a few very short paragraphs, think about whether they are really parts of a larger paragraph—and can be combined—or whether you can add details to support each point and thus make each into a more fully developed paragraph.

You can check on whether your paragraphs are balanced by looking at your paper.

Some balanced pages:

Paragraph Balance

Unbalanced pages with ideas not equally developed:

Unbalanced Paragraphs

Use the following graphics as a tool to organize your paper with one main idea in each box. Use as many pages and boxes as needed.

Graphics to Help with Balance and Organization

Guide on How to Write a 5 Paragraph Essay Effortlessly

Defining What Is a 5 Paragraph Essay

Have you ever been assigned a five-paragraph essay and wondered what exactly it means? Don't worry; we all have been there. A five-paragraph essay is a standard academic writing format consisting of an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

In the introduction, you present your thesis statement, which is the main idea or argument you will discuss in your essay. The three body paragraphs present a separate supporting argument, while the conclusion summarizes the main points and restates the thesis differently.

While the five-paragraph essay is a tried and true format for many academic assignments, it's important to note that it's not the only way to write an essay. In fact, some educators argue that strict adherence to this format can stifle creativity and limit the development of more complex ideas.

However, mastering the five-paragraph essay is a valuable skill for any student, as it teaches the importance of structure and organization in writing. Also, it enables you to communicate your thoughts clearly and eloquently, which is crucial for effective communication in any area. So the next time you're faced with a five-paragraph essay assignment, embrace the challenge and use it as an opportunity to hone your writing skills.

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How to Write a 5 Paragraph Essay: General Tips

If you are struggling with how to write a 5 paragraph essay, don't worry! It's a common format that many students learn in their academic careers. Here are some tips from our admission essay writing service to help you write a successful five paragraph essay example:

• Start with a strong thesis statement : Among the 5 parts of essay, the thesis statement can be the most important. It presents the major topic you will debate throughout your essay while being explicit and simple.
• Use topic sentences to introduce each paragraph : The major idea you will address in each of the three body paragraphs should be established in a concise subject sentence.
• Use evidence to support your arguments : The evidence you present in your body paragraphs should back up your thesis. This can include facts, statistics, or examples from your research or personal experience.
• Include transitions: Use transitional words and phrases to make the flow of your essay easier. Words like 'although,' 'in addition,' and 'on the other hand' are examples of these.
• Write a strong conclusion: In addition to restating your thesis statement in a new way, your conclusion should highlight the key ideas of your essay. You might also leave the reader with a closing idea or query to reflect on.
• Edit and proofread: When you've completed writing your essay, thoroughly revise and proofread it. Make sure your thoughts are brief and clear and proofread your writing for grammatical and spelling mistakes.

By following these tips, you can write strong and effective five paragraph essays examples that will impress your teacher or professor.

5 Paragraph Essay Format

Let's readdress the five-paragraph essay format and explain it in more detail. So, as already mentioned, it is a widely-used writing structure taught in many schools and universities. A five-paragraph essay comprises an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion, each playing a significant role in creating a well-structured and coherent essay.

The introduction serves as the opening paragraph of the essay and sets the tone for the entire piece. It should captivate the reader's attention, provide relevant background information, and include a clear and concise thesis statement that presents the primary argument of the essay. For example, if the essay topic is about the benefits of exercise, the introduction may look something like this:

'Regular exercise provides numerous health benefits, including increased energy levels, improved mental health, and reduced risk of chronic diseases.'

The body paragraphs are the meat of the essay and should provide evidence and examples to support the thesis statement. Each body paragraph should begin with a subject sentence that states the major idea of the paragraph. Then, the writer should provide evidence to support the topic sentence. This evidence can be in the form of statistics, facts, or examples. For instance, if the essay is discussing the health benefits of exercise, a body paragraph might look like this:

'One of the key benefits of exercise is improved mental health. Regular exercise has been demonstrated in studies to lessen depressive and anxious symptoms and enhance mood.'

The essay's final paragraph, the conclusion, should repeat the thesis statement and summarize the essay's important ideas. A concluding idea or query might be included to give the reader something to ponder. For example, a conclusion for an essay on the benefits of exercise might look like this:

'In conclusion, exercise provides numerous health benefits, from increased energy levels to reduced risk of chronic diseases. We may enhance both our physical and emotional health and enjoy happier, more satisfying lives by including exercise into our daily routines.'

Overall, the 5 paragraph essay format is useful for organizing thoughts and ideas clearly and concisely. By following this format, writers can present their arguments logically and effectively, which is easy for the reader to follow.

Types of 5 Paragraph Essay 

There are several types of five-paragraph essays, each with a slightly different focus or purpose. Here are some of the most common types of five-paragraph essays:

• Narrative essay : A narrative essay tells a story or recounts a personal experience. It typically includes a clear introductory paragraph, body sections that provide details about the story, and a conclusion that wraps up the narrative.
• Descriptive essay: A descriptive essay uses sensory language to describe a person, place, or thing. It often includes a clear thesis statement that identifies the subject of the description and body paragraphs that provide specific details to support the thesis.
• Expository essay: An expository essay offers details or clarifies a subject. It usually starts with a concise introduction that introduces the subject, is followed by body paragraphs that provide evidence and examples to back up the thesis, and ends with a summary of the key points.
• Persuasive essay: A persuasive essay argues for a particular viewpoint or position. It has a thesis statement that is clear, body paragraphs that give evidence and arguments in favor of it, and a conclusion that summarizes the important ideas and restates the thesis.
• Compare and contrast essay: An essay that compares and contrasts two or more subjects and looks at their similarities and differences. It usually starts out simply by introducing the topics being contrasted or compared, followed by body paragraphs that go into more depth on the similarities and differences, and a concluding paragraph that restates the important points.

Each type of five-paragraph essay has its own unique characteristics and requirements. When unsure how to write five paragraph essay, writers can choose the most appropriate structure for their topic by understanding the differences between these types.

5 Paragraph Essay Example Topics

Here are some potential topics for a 5 paragraph essay example. These essay topics are just a starting point and can be expanded upon to fit a wide range of writing essays and prompts.

• The Impact of Social Media on Teenage Communication Skills.
• How Daily Exercise Benefits Mental and Physical Health.
• The Importance of Learning a Second Language.
• The Effects of Global Warming on Marine Life.
• The Role of Technology in Modern Education.
• The Influence of Music on Youth Culture.
• The Pros and Cons of Uniform Policies in Schools.
• The Significance of Historical Monuments in Cultural Identity.
• The Growing Importance of Cybersecurity.
• The Evolution of the American Dream.
• The Impact of Diet on Cognitive Functioning.
• The Role of Art in Society.
• The Future of Renewable Energy Sources.
• The Effects of Urbanization on Wildlife.
• The Importance of Financial Literacy for Young Adults.
• The Influence of Advertising on Consumer Choices.
• The Role of Books in the Digital Age.\
• The Benefits and Challenges of Space Exploration.
• The Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture.
• The Ethical Implications of Genetic Modification.

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General Grading Rubric for a 5 Paragraph Essay

The following is a general grading rubric that can be used to evaluate a five-paragraph essay:

Content (40%)

• A thesis statement is clear and specific
• The main points are well-developed and supported by evidence
• Ideas are organized logically and coherently
• Evidence and examples are relevant and support the main points
• The essay demonstrates a strong understanding of the topic

Organization (20%)

• The introduction effectively introduces the topic and thesis statement
• Body paragraphs are well-structured and have clear topic sentences
• Transitions between paragraphs are smooth and effective
• The concluding sentence effectively summarizes the main points and restates the thesis statement

Language and Style (20%)

• Writing is clear, concise, and easy to understand
• Language is appropriate for the audience and purpose
• Vocabulary is varied and appropriate
• Grammar, spelling, and punctuation are correct

Critical Thinking (20%)

• Student demonstrate an understanding of the topic beyond surface-level knowledge
• Student present a unique perspective or argument
• Student show evidence of critical thinking and analysis
• Students write well-supported conclusions

Considering the above, the paper should demonstrate a thorough understanding of the topic, clear organization, strong essay writing skills, and critical thinking. By using this grading rubric, the teacher can evaluate the essay holistically and provide detailed feedback to the student on areas of strength and areas for improvement.

Five Paragraph Essay Examples

Wrapping up: things to remember.

In conclusion, writing a five paragraph essay example can seem daunting at first, but it doesn't have to be a difficult task. Following these simple steps and tips, you can break down the process into manageable parts and create a clear, concise, and well-organized essay.

Remember to start with a strong thesis statement, use topic sentences to guide your paragraphs, and provide evidence and analysis to support your ideas. Don't forget to revise and proofread your work to make sure it is error-free and coherent. With time and practice, you'll be able to write a 5 paragraph essay with ease and assurance. Whether you're writing for school, work, or personal projects, these skills will serve you well and help you to communicate your ideas effectively.

Meanwhile, you can save time and reduce the stress associated with academic assignments by trusting our research paper writing services to handle the writing for you. So go ahead, buy an essay , and see how easy it can be to meet all of your professors' complex requirements!

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is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

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