So you have a long paper due on the horizon?
You can still
use the basics behind the 5-paragraph writing technique. You start with the instructions in the previous post about short essays. You still write an
opinion statement and come up with two or three pieces of evidence to support
your opinion. But instead of briefly giving an overview of each piece of
evidence in one paragraph, you need to add more details and analysis of each
piece of evidence. The detail comes from quoting and citing other resources.
Let’s take paragraph about how dogs are better than lizards
from the previous post. The original sentences are highlighted in bold, and the newly added detail is added as plain text in the rewrite below:
Dogs are easier to take care of than lizards. Lizards need to have special lamps to help them regulate their body temperatures. Lizards are cold-blooded. This means that their body needs to absorb heat from their environment to stay warm. For lizards in the wild, the sun is a good source of heat. For lizards in your home, you need to get a heating lamp. There are literally hundreds of different kinds of lamps and heat rocks that range from 60 to 250 watts (source). Choosing which heating lamp is right for you is a matter of knowing your lizard species and understanding how humidity where you live affects the heat from the lamp. If you choose a heat source that gets too hot, you can burn your pet. If you choose one that isn’t hot enough, the poor guy could freeze (source).
Dogs on the other hand, are comfortable at the same temperatures as people. Comfortable temperatures for people range from 55 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit (source). Even if you live in a place that gets much colder in the winter or much warmer in the summer, you probably keep the air conditioning or the heat in your house set to this range. The good news is that most dogs also prefer this temperature range (source). So by heating and cooling your home for your comfort, you’re also making your dog comfortable. You don’t need any special lamps!
By adding more detail, and
including sources for factual information, this paragraph became four times
longer!
“Wait one more minute!” you say. “Isn’t this just b-s-ing??”
The difference between b-s-ing and writing a good term paper
is the quality of the writing and the strength of the details you add. If you
are making good arguments and using details to lead the reader through your
arguments, you’re writing a good term paper. If you start with a good argument
and just add in details to boost your page count, then you’re b-s-ing.
The key is to really have a strong opinion that you’re
trying to prove in your paper. Then thinking very carefully about what evidence
you need to present to convince your reader that your opinion is right. Present
that evidence with a convincing amount of relevant detail, and you’re not
b-s-ing. You’re writing well using the 5-paragraph writing technique.
More to come…
Over the next few days, I’ll be posting examples of how to
apply the 5-paragraph writing technique to many different types of
communication products including:
Subscribe to this blog’s RSS feed to make sure that you stay
informed when these posts go live, and if you have any questions while you’re
waiting for the examples, don’t hesitate to leave a comment!
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