The Classical Scheme of Arrangement

1. Intro: issue & thesis, background, 1-2 paragraphs

2. Confirmation: main supporting arguments; any number of paragraphs
        reasoning, logic, examples, evidence, testimony, etc.
        definition, narrative, cause-effect, comparison-contrast, etc.

4. Conclusion, 1-2 paragraphs

Explanation:  Think of your essay as having four parts rather than a specific number of paragraphs.  Grow beyond the 5-paragraph essay you learned to write in high school.

1. Intro:  Just like in the 5-paragraph essay you learned to write in high school, you have to start out by telling your reader what the essay is going to deal with.  Tell the reader what your position is.  Have a thesis sentence or a "claim."  See p.8 in our book.

2. Confirmation:  This part is just like the "Body" of the 5-paragraph essay (those three paragraphs that support your thesis). However, it is important to remember that you should NOT limit the number of supporting paragraphs to three. You probably need more in order to do a good job.  See p.9 and chapters 4 & 5.

3. Concession/Refutation:  This part is not in the good old 5-paragraph system. Here, you acknowledge an opposition argument and then refute it or argue against it in some specific way. Another way to think about it is if you anticipate that your readers will have certain questions, you must have answers. Sometimes, concession/refutation happens all in one paragraph; sometimes it happens in successive paragraphs. The thing to remember is that when you acknowledge the opposition, your counterargument should follow immediately after.  See pages 11-16 and chapters 4 & 5.

4. Of course, you need a conclusion. Try to do something more sophisticated than repeating your thesis statement.  See chapter 5.