Escape the Five-Paragraph Essay: Alternative Essay Formats to Make Your Essay Stand Out
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Transcript of Escape the Five-Paragraph Essay: Alternative Essay Formats to Make Your Essay Stand Out
ESCAPE THE FIVE-PARAGRAPH ESSAYAlternative Essay Formats to Make Your Essay Stand Out
A Presentation by Scribendi.com
While the five-paragraph essay may have been
useful when you were first learning how to
organize a written analysis (probably for that
response paper you wrote on Shakespeare's
Romeo and Juliet), it does not encourage deeper
analysis or the development of thought; nor does
it allow for your conclusions to be presented in any
kind of interesting way. The five-paragraph essay
is like training wheels: if you're still using it
coming into university, you're basically the 14-
year-old still pedaling behind all the big kids on
their two-wheeled mountain bikes.
What's the Problem?
But what other options are there? For those
studying the arts and humanities, there
really is no established structure your papers
must follow. This can be incredibly daunting
to new writers at this level. Rather than
hiding behind a strict and overly simplified
essay form, embrace the freedom you now
have to use the format of your essay to help
convey your message.
Here are some possibilities to get you
started.
What Are My Options?
1. The Stand-Up Comedian
This perfect analogy was penned by David Finkle. To
quote his Twitter profile, Finkle is a "middle school
teacher, author, cartoonist, blogger, and public
speaker." He likens an essay ordered by importance
to a comedy act: open with your second strongest
joke (argument), and end with your strongest one.
This is a fairly straightforward approach for those not
confident enough to tackle a truly unique essay
form, but it still guarantees that your paper catches
its readers' attention and ends with a punch.
2. The Classic Compare and Contrast
Whether it's for 18th-Century English Literature, Film Studies 101, or the History of
Conflict in East Asia, you'll be writing a comparative essay at some point. Think about
whether you can best articulate your points by discussing each item (book, film, war)
separately, organizing your information by similarities and differences, dissecting themes,
etc.
3. The Problem Solver
This format works well for history,
philosophy, or psychology papers.
Present a problem, discuss
existing work on the subject, and
then develop and defend a logical
solution. Just make sure you don't
trip on the pitfall of devoting more
time and paper to the problem
than to the solution.
4. The Blueprint
This works well for topics that involve a physical
space, geographic location, or different groups of
affected parties. Your paper will move through the
discussion of each individual space or group
logically and seamlessly.
5. The Imitation Game
This bold style is most applicable in English literature courses when
you discuss period works or distinct writing forms. This is an
alternative essay in which you write your analysis in the same form
as the piece you are critiquing.
You've got to have a solid grounding in what you're doing here, and
the chosen structure has to support and enhance your critical
content, not distract from it. Should you have the confidence, writing
skills, and appropriate context, however, this kind of paper is one that
makes an impact.
While organization and structure are critical to the success of your
academic work, you shouldn't limit yourself to a boring, cookie-cutter
format. The ability to use even the structure of your paper to enhance
your thesis is a powerful one, so embrace it!
Want to learn more?
Want to learn more about essay writing? Visit the editing experts at www.scribendi.com, the leading online editing and proofreading company, today!
If you want to become an English language expert yourself, check out GrammarCamp.com and ProofreadingCamp.com. These online courses will help you master the English language and become a better writer.
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