The worst of those training wheels is the five-paragraph essay. If you do not know the form, ask the closest school-aged child or, indeed, anyone who has been through school in the past twenty or so years: 1. Paragraph of introduction ending in a thesis statement that previews the body paragraphs. 2–4. Body paragraphs of evidence supporting the thesis. 5. Conclusion that restates the thesis, almost always starting with, “In conclusion.”
