6 Paragraph Essay Outline
An essay is a piece of writing that presents and supports a thesis. It is a formal piece of writing that deals with a specific subject. Writing an essay requires you to make a case for the validity of a specific point of view, interpretation, analysis or a set of facts.
6 Paragraph Essay Outline
The following is a 6 paragraph essay outline:
Paragraph 1: Introduction
You should include the following in your introduction paragraph:
- Hook. Include an interesting phrase, fact or short story to grab your reader’s attention.
- Background information. It is necessary that you provide enough information about your essay’s topic to enable your reader to have a better understanding of your topic.
- Thesis statement. Your thesis statement should state your essay’s topic, make your essay’s purpose clear and provide an overview of the main supporting points in your essay. Your thesis statement should be your last sentence in your introduction paragraph.
- When writing in response to a text, your introduction should include the title, author and genre of the piece.
Paragraph 2: First Body Paragraph
The first body paragraph should:
- Start with a topic sentence that identifies one main idea that you will discuss as support for the thesis statement.
- Have supporting sentences. Use specific details, proved by giving closely related examples to explain the main ides. The paragraph should have at least five to eight sentences.
- Include paragraph unity. All ideas in this paragraph should be closely related to the topic sentence in order to further develop that topic sentence. All sentences in a single paragraph must be closely tied around a central point.
Paragraph 3: Second Body Paragraph.
This paragraph and any subsequent body paragraph should begin with a topic sentence that indicates that you are introducing a new idea. Ensure that there is a connection between the paragraph and your ideas. This paragraph should include:
- Transition words at the beginning of your body paragraph to move from one idea to the next within your essay.
- Clear connections among the paragraphs.
Paragraph 4: Third Body Paragraph.
This paragraph like the second body paragraph should begin with a topic sentence that indicates that you are introducing a new idea. Ensure that there is a connection between the paragraph and your ideas. This paragraph should include:
- Transition words at the beginning of your body paragraph to move from one idea to the next within your essay.
- Clear connections among the paragraphs
Paragraph 5: Fourth Body Paragraph
- You should start off this paragraph with the final topic sentence that relates back to the remaining point mentioned in the thesis statement.
- Provide proof for this main idea by giving specific examples, details, and relevant support.
- Ensure that you maintain paragraph unity. Each sentence must relate to your topic sentence.
Paragraph 6: Conclusion
Your conclusion should restate the overall purpose for writing and prove to your readers why your ideas are important. Make sure not to introduce new, unrelated ideas in the conclusion. The conclusion should:
- Restate your thesis statement. Ensure that you do not repeat the same words in your introduction or body paragraphs.
- Summarize your major points.
- Give the reader a final thought to think about.