The_Five-Paragraph_Monstrosity

The Five-Paragraph Monstrosity Although the five-paragraph essay is widely taught in secondary schools across North America, it is important to be aware of some of the reasons it should be avoided. Firstly, the five-paragraph format is entirely artificial, as it is hardly seen outside the classroom. Secondly, this method depends entirely upon a categorical scheme of organization that simply divides any topic into three stiff sections. Lastly, the format constrains the writing process into a tight configuration and encourages poor writing habits. The five-paragraph essay is almost never seen in newspapers, journals, books, or any form of scholarly articles, largely because it is the rhetorical equivalent of training wheels on a bicycle. Like training wheels, the five-paragraph essay may help you get started, but it will very soon begin to hinder any further progress and it virtually ensures that you will never win any races. In the context of writing college essays, it can be very limiting, and easily fails to engage the reader. Another setback associated with the five-paragraph essay is its inflexibility and the lack of range to address more complex writing assignments. Since the structure of the essay is determined before the fact, it essay, five-paragraph, writing, writer, format, structure, points, form, whole, wheels, very, training, three, thesis, simply, should, seen, outside, organization, never, need, largely, imagination, entirely, easily, creativity, constrains, because, worst, wise, win, widely, weaken, virtually