how to write a five paragraph opinion essay

8/11/2019 How to Write a Five Paragraph Opinion Essay

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H O W T O A N S W E R I T A N D P A S S

The GED Essay Question1


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What You Need to Know2

1. Know how the essay is scored

2. Know mistakes to avoid

3. Know the parts of the essay

4. Know the steps to write the essay5. Know how to start the essay

6. Know how to make an outline

7. Know how to write the first paragraph

8. Know how to write the middle three paragraphs9. Know how to write the fifth paragraph

10.Know how to write other essays


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Learn How to Write A Complete Essay Like This

What kind of animal do you think makes a good pet? Give examples. Use your experience,

observation, and knowledge in your answer.

There are many animals that make good pets. I think dogs make good pets. First, dogsare good companions. Second, dogs are easy to train. Third, dogs are good protection.These are the reasons why dogs make good pets.

Dogs are good companions. Dogs like to be with people. Dogs make people feel

relaxed and happy. Dogs can help people feel less lonely or less stressed. For example, Ifeel less stressed when I play or even just sit with my dog. Sometimes, the best part of myday is the time I spend with my dog.

Dogs are easy to train. Dogs can learn lots of tricks. Dogs also learn very quickly. Forexample, I taught my dog to sit in only a few days. I also taught my dog to stay and tofetch. He seems to learn faster each time I teach him something.

Dogs are good protection. Dogs help protect people and property. Dogs also bark

and give warnings when strangers are near. Dogs can also attack to protect owners. I feelsafer in my home because I know my dog will bark if anything is wrong. These are someexamples of why dogs are good protection.

In summary, dogs make good pets. Dogs are good companions for many people.Dogs are easy and quick to train. Dogs are good protection for people and property.These are the reasons why dogs make good pets.

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Know Mistakes to Avoid

Can my essay have mistakes?

Avoid making mistakes that may cause you to fail.The biggest GED essay mistakes that might cause

you to fail are: Not answering the question

Not having an organized answer

Not writing enough sentences/paragraphs

Making many spelling mistakes, sentence fragments, etc.

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Look for tips in this presentation to help you avoid common mistakes.


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Know the Parts of the Essay

Each paragraph of the essay has a purpose. Know them all:

The first paragraph of the essay is supposed to giveour opinion and give three reasons for the opinion. Ittells the reader what we will be talking about in the next

three paragraphs. The second, third, and fourth paragraphs each

discuss one reason that supports our opinion.

The fifth paragraph restates what we said in the first

paragraph. It may also include a little information fromour second, third, and fourth paragraphs. The purpose ofthis paragraph is to summarize our essayto tell thereader that we are finished.

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Know the Steps to Write the Essay

Just like good cooks follow a recipe, good essay writersfollow the steps for essay writing.

Read the essay question more than once to

understand it. Make an outline of how you will answer the

question using the following:1. Decide on how you will answer the question.

2. Choose at least three reasons to explain your answer.3. Write four or more sentences to explain each of your three

reasons.Some people write an outline of their essay. Other people do it in theirheads because they understand how to write essays. Ask your teacher

for an essay outline chart if you are new to writing essays.

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How to Start the Essay

The GED question is an opinion question.

Choose an answerbased on your opinion.

Explain whyyou chose that answer.

Give examples.Following is an example of an opinion essay question.Read the question and think of how it can be easilyanswered.

Avoid using you in your essay question. I am using you in theseinstructions because these are instructions, not an essay. Use we, I,they, us, people, a person, someone, anyone. Choose one of these

words and then continue to use it throughout your essay.

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What kind of animal do you think makes a good pet?

Give examples. Use your experience, observation,

and knowledge in your answer.

Before you begin to write your answer, choose theanimal that you will write about. Choose an animal youare comfortable discussing.

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What kind of animal do you think makes a good pet? Give

examples. Use your experience, observation, and knowledge in

your answer.

Cats, dogs, birds, and fish are all good choices. There are lots of

things you can say about why each of these would make a good pet.Choose one animal. Think of the things that make it a good pet.

Fish:Easy to take care of, Clean, Dont

smell, Dont make noise,

Dont cost a lot of money

Dog:Smart, Fun to play with, Good

company, Good protection,Learn tricks easily

Dont waste time trying to pick the best thing to write about.There are many correct ways to answer the essay question. Some

students fail the essay question because they get stuck wondering what

to write about.

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What kind of animal do you think makes a good pet?

Give examples. Use your experience, observation,

and knowledge in your answer.

Suppose you choose a dog for this essay. Before youbegin writing, you must choose three reasons why youthink a dog makes a good pet. Think of why people lovetheir dogs. Think of movies, stories, or friends that have

shown why dogs are good pets.My dog is fun, My brothers dog is a

quick learner, Companion dogs on TVhelp sick people, Dogs bark at strangers,Dogs help people with stress, Dogs can

learn tricks like sitting and fetch

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Choose three of the reasons why people love their dogs. These shouldbe reasons that you are comfortable explaining.

1. good companions2. easy to train3. good protection

There are many more reasons why people think dogs make good pets.You only need three reasons for the essay.

You can write the first paragraph now that we have the three ideas.

Some people get stuck starting the essay because they cannot think ofthe right words to begin.

Use the following outline to start almost any opinion essay:

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Use this paragraph outline to start almost any opinionessay:

There are many ________________ . First, _____

_______________. Second, ________________________________. Third, ________________

____________________ . These are the reasons why______________________.

Keep reading to see how this will work.

Notice that the middle sentences start with First, Second, and Third. Thistells the reader what you will be explaining in the essay. It gives the order

that these things will be explained in the essay. Use a comma after each.

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Here are the three reasons for our essay about why dogs make good pets.

We will write each of these reasons as a complete sentence, like this:

We repeated the word dogs at the beginning of each sentence. That isokay. Each sentence needs a subject. The subject of each sentence is dogsbecause that is what we are talking about.

Each of these sentences will be part of our first paragraph. Each of these

sentences will also be a main sentence for the three middle paragraphs ofour essay.

1. good companions 2. easy to train 3. good protection

1. Dogs are goodcompanions.

Dogs are easy to train. Dogs are goodprotection.

In each sentence, I am speaking about dogs a plural word that is myessay subject. All of my sentences in the essay (except where I talk abouta specific dog) will use the plural word dogs. If I switch and begin using

a dog, my essay may have serious grammar errors.

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How to Write the Middle Three Paragraphs

Next, write four or more ideas that support each of the above three ideasentences. Asking questions with who/what/when/where/how/why can help,like this: Who are dogs good companions for? What do dogs do that make them

good companions? What examples have I seen? How are dogs easy to train?Dogs are good companions.1. Dogs like to be with

people.2. Dogs make people feel

relaxed and happy.

3. Dogs can help peoplefeel less lonely or lessstressed.

4. For example, I feel lessstressed when I play or even

just sit with my dog.5. Sometimes, the best part

of my day is the time I spendwith my dog.

Dogs are easy to train.1. Dogs can learn lots of

tricks.2. Dogs learn very quickly.

3. For example, I taught my

dog to sit in only a few days.4. I also taught my dog tostay and to fetch.5

5. He seems to learn fastereach time I teach him

something.

Dogs are good protection.1. Dogs help protect people

and property.2. Dogs bark and give

warnings when strangers are

near.3. Dogs can also attack toprotect owners.

4. I feel safer in my homebecause I know my dog will

bark if anything is wrong.5. These are some examples

of why dogs are goodprotection.

Dogs are goodcompanions.

Dogs are easy to train. Dogs are goodprotection.

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What kind of animal do you think makes a good pet? Give examples. Use

your experience, observation, and knowledge in your answer.

The first paragraph is already written. The information below will be usedto write the next three paragraphs. The fifth paragraph will look much likethe first paragraph.

Dogs are good companions.1. Dogs like to be with

people.2. Dogs make people feel

relaxed and happy.

3. Dogs can help people

feel less lonely or lessstressed.4. I feel less stressed when I

play or even just sit with mydog.

5. Sometimes, the best partof my day is the time I spend

with my dog.

Dogs are easy to train.1. Dogs can learn lots of

tricks.2. Dogs learn very quickly.

3. Owners can teach their

own dogs at home or at a

dog school.4. I taught my dog to sit inonly a few days.

5. I also taught my dog tostay and to fetch.

6. He seems to learn fastereach time I teach him

something.

Dogs are good protection.1. Dogs help protect people

and property.2. Dogs bark and give

warnings when strangers are

near.

3. Dogs can also attack toprotect owners.4. I feel safer in my home

because I know my dog willbark if anything is wrong.

5. These are some examplesof why dogs are good

protection.

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Here are the first and the second paragraphs:

There are many animals that make good pets. I think dogs makegood pets. First, dogs are good companions. Second, dogs areeasy to train. Third, dogs are good protection. These are thereasons why dogs make good pets.

Dogs are good companions. Dogs like to be with people. Dogsmake people feel relaxed and happy. Dogs can help people feelless lonely or less stressed. For example, I feel less stressed when Iplay or even just sit with my dog. Sometimes, the best part of myday is the time I spend with my dog.

When giving an example, start your sentence with the words, Forexample. Dont forget to put a comma after the word example.

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Here are the third and fourth paragraphs:

Dogs are easy to train. Dogs can learn lots of tricks. Dogs also

learn very quickly. For example, I taught my dog to sit in only a fewdays. I also taught my dog to stay and to fetch. He seems to learnfaster each time I teach him something.

Dogs are good protection. Dogs help protect people andproperty. Dogs also bark and give warnings when strangers arenear. Dogs can also attack to protect owners. I feel safer in myhome because I know my dog will bark if anything is wrong. Theseare some examples of why dogs are good protection.

Use the word also inside sentences to help make thesentences flow better.

Do not use a comma in front of because.

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How to Write the Fifth Paragraph

What kind of animal do you think makes a good pet? Give examples. Useyour experience, observation, and knowledge in your answer.

Here is the first paragraph again:

There are many animals that make good pets. I think dogs makegood pets. First, dogs are good companions. Second, dogs are easy to

train. Third, dogs are good protection. These are the reasons why dogsmake good pets.

Use the structure of first paragraph to write the fifth paragraph,like this.

In summary, dogs make good pets. Dogs are good companions for

many people. Dogs are easy and quick to train. Dogs are goodprotection for people and property. These are the reasons why dogsmake good pets.

The fifth paragraph sounds like the first paragraph.It contains a little extra information that comes from

paragraphs two, three, and four.

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The Finished Essay

What kind of animal do you think makes a good pet? Give examples. Use your experience,observation, and knowledge in your answer.

Here is the finished essay:

There are many animals that make good pets. I think dogs make good pets. First, dogsare good companions. Second, dogs are easy to train. Third, dogs are good protection.These are the reasons why dogs make good pets.

Dogs are good companions. Dogs like to be with people. Dogs make people feelrelaxed and happy. Dogs can help people feel less lonely or less stressed. For example, Ifeel less stressed when I play or even just sit with my dog. Sometimes, the best part of myday is the time I spend with my dog.

Dogs are easy to train. Dogs can learn lots of tricks. Dogs also learn very quickly. Forexample, I taught my dog to sit in only a few days. I also taught my dog to stay and tofetch. He seems to learn faster each time I teach him something.

Dogs are good protection. Dogs help protect people and property. Dogs also barkand give warnings when strangers are near. Dogs can also attack to protect owners. I feelsafer in my home because I know my dog will bark if anything is wrong. These are someexamples of why dogs are good protection.

In summary, dogs make good pets. Dogs are good companions for many people.Dogs are easy and quick to train. Dogs are good protection for people and property.These are the reasons why dogs make good pets.

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Try Another Essay Question

What are the most important things to you whenchoosing a job?

Do you think it is it better to live in a big city or in a

small town? What are the qualities that make someone a good

boss?

What are the important lessons you would want your

children to know to succeed in life? What are your goals after the GED?

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how to write a five paragraph opinion essay

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