Beyond formulaic writing.

As high school students preparing for standardized tests, we are advised to employ formulaic writing using various writing templates such as the five-paragraph formula where the first paragraph is the introduction, the next three paragraphs are the body and the last paragraph is the conclusion. Although such templates provide a starting point and structure to the writing process, I feel that they inhibit the development of critical writing skills of students by limiting the thought process, instead of allowing writers to rhetorically develop their thoughts. I think that using the formula leads to essays that lack the essence of the writer's style. In high school, I found the five-paragraph formula to be a useful framework to help me organize my thoughts cohesively. However, using the formula did not allow me to write creatively. I find it challenging to go beyond such templates now since I have been used to formulaic writing for so long.

The five-paragraph formula

On the contrary, certain writing tools assist the writers to develop their critical writing skills. One such tool is the 'Paraburger'. The paraburger helps writers to analytical develop their arguments and provide structure to the essays. It differs from the five-paragraph formula because it allows writers some creative freedom while providing guidelines for a persuasive argument.

The Paraburger

College-level courses require students to write long essays based on research and analysis. Such writing requires several paragraphs to develop the claims and cannot be limited to five paragraphs. Therefore, students should go beyond the practices of formulaic writing as the five-paragraph formula is no longer a rhetorically effective choice for writing an academic essay for college-level courses.