Title: Mr. Gonzalez, Carlos
1WRITING 5-PARAGRAPH ESSAYS
- By
- Mr. Gonzalez, Carlos
- ESOL and Language Arts Teacher
- DORAL MIDDLE SCHOOL
2What is an Essay?
- An essay is a composition that discusses,
describes or explains one topic. It can be
serious or funny. It can describe personal
feelings or state your opinion, or it can just
explain facts. -
3 TYPES OF ESSAYS
- An Expository Essay is one that explains,
analyzes, or shares information. - ? How-to essay
- ? Informative essay
- A Persuasive Essay is one where the writer
presents his or her opinion and tries to convince
the reader to agree. - ? Opinion essay
- ? Problem-solution essay
4 EXPOSITORY VS PERSUASIVE
Explains something, or Convinces the reader to accept Provides information, or a particular point of view, or Clarifies a process, or Convinces the reader to take a Defines a concept a particular action Usually begins with a Often about a controversial issue statement of purpose Usually begins by stating the Develops with facts, reasons, believe or the action the reader incidents, examples, or is to accept statistics (FRIES) Supports the argument with FRIES Enhances the readers States logical reasons to support understanding the writers point of view Objective, not dependent on Recognizes/refutes an opposing emotion argument Usually concludes with the strongest argument Often plays on the emotion of the reader
5The BASIC Structure of an Essay
- Paragraph 1 Introduction
- - General Statement (Attention Getter)
- - Thesis or topic sentence
- - 3 Reasons
- - Concluding sentence
- Paragraphs 2, 3, and 4 Body
- - Reason 1(topic sentence) at least 3
supporting details) - - Reason 2(topic sentence) at least 3
supporting details) - - Reason 3(topic sentence at least 3
supporting details) - Paragraph 5 Conclusion
- - Statement reflecting back on thesis
- - Restatement of key points
- - Concluding Statements
-
6MAKE YOUR ESSAY LIKE A HAMBURGER WITH LARGE FRIES
S T A T I S T I C S
E X A M P L E S
I N C I D E N T S
R E A S O N S
F A C T S
(The Top Bun)
Topic Sentence (meat), Detail 1 (lettuce),
Detail 2 (tomato), Detail 3 (cheese)
FRIES
Topic Sentence (meat), Detail 1 (lettuce), Detail
2 (tomato), Detail 3 (cheese)
Topic Sentence (meat), Detail 1 (lettuce), Detail
2 (tomato), Detail 3 (cheese)
(The Bottom Bun)
7The Introduction (The Top Bun)
- I. Introduction
- Introductory statement (Attention Getter)
- -Question, Quotation, Anecdote, Interesting Fact
- Thesis statement
- Three Reasons
- Concluding Sentence
8The Body
- First Reason Paragraph
- Transition
- topic sentence (MEAT)
- Three Supporting Details (Lettuce, tomato,
cheese) - Remember to add FRIES
- -Facts, Reasons, Incidents, Examples, and/or
Statistics - Second Reason Paragraph
- Transition
- topic sentence (MEAT)
- Three Supporting Details (Lettuce, tomato,
cheese) - Remember to add FRIES
- -Facts, Reasons, Incidents, Examples, Statistics
-
- Third Reason Paragraph
- Transition
- topic sentence (MEAT)
- Three Supporting Details (Lettuce, tomato,
cheese) - Remember to add FRIES
9The Conclusion (The Bottom Bun)
- III. Conclusion
- Transition
- Statement reflecting back on thesis
- Restatement of key points
- Concluding Statements
-
10Sample Essay The Hazards of Moviegoing
- Introduction
- I am a movie fanatic. When friends
want to know what picture won the Oscar in 1980
or who played the police chief in Jaws, they ask
me. My friends, though, have stopped asking me if
I want to go out to the movies. Going to the
movies has become a hazardous activity for me.
The problems in getting to the theater, the
theater itself, and the behavior of some patrons
are all reasons why I often wait for a movie to
show up on TV. I think it is better to stay home. - ? General Statements
- ? Thesis Statement
- ? Reasons
- ? Concluding Sentence
11Sample Essay The Hazards of MoviegoingCont.
- Body Supporting Paragraph 1
- First of all, just getting to the
theater presents difficulties. Leaving a home
equipped with a TV and a video recorder isn't an
attractive idea on a humid, cold, or rainy night.
Even if the weather cooperates, there is still a
thirty-minute drive to the theater down a
congested highway, followed by the hassle of
looking for a parking space. And then there are
the lines. After hooking yourself to the end of a
human chain, you worry about whether there will
be enough tickets, whether you will get seats
together, and whether many people will sneak into
the line ahead of you. - ? Transitional Words
- ? Topic Sentence (Reason 1)
- ? Supporting Detail 1
- ? Supporting Detail 2
- ? Supporting Detail 3
12Sample Essay The Hazards of MoviegoingCont.
- Body Supporting Paragraph 2
- Furthermore, once you have made it to
the box office and gotten your tickets, you are
confronted with the problems of the theater
itself. If you are in one of the run-down older
theaters, you must adjust to the musty smell of
seldom-cleaned carpets. Escaped springs lurk in
the faded plush or cracked leather seats, and
half the seats you sit in seem loose or tilted so
that you sit at a strange angle. Even, the newer
twin and quad theaters offer their own problems.
Sitting in an area only one-quarter the size of a
regular theater, moviegoers often have to put up
with the sound of the movie next door. This is
especially jarring when the other movie involves
racing cars or a karate war and you are trying to
enjoy a quiet love story. But, whether the
theater is old or new, it will have floors that
seem to be coated with rubber cement. By the end
of a movie, shoes almost have to be pried off the
floor because they have become sealed to a deadly
compound of spilled soda, hardening bubble gum,
and crushed Jujubes. - ? Transitions ?Topic Sentence ?Supporting
Detail 1 - ? Supporting Detail 2 ?Supporting Detail 3
13Sample Essay The Hazards of MoviegoingCont.
- Body Supporting Paragraph 3
- Finally, some of the patrons are
even more of a problem than the theater itself.
Little kids race up and down the aisles, usually
in giggling packs. Teenagers try to impress their
friends by talking back to the screen, whistling,
and making what they consider to be hilarious
noises. Adults act as if they were at home in
their own living rooms and comment loudly on the
ages of the stars or why movies aren't as good
anymore. And people of all ages crinkle candy
wrappers, stick gum on their seats, and drop
popcorn tubs or cups of crushed ice and soda on
the floor. Also, they cough and burp, squirm
endlessly in their seats, file out for repeated
trips to the rest rooms or concession stand, and
elbow you out of the armrest on either side of
your seat. - ?Transitions ?Topic Sentence ?Supporting
Detail 1 - ?Supporting Detail 2 ?Supporting Detail 3
14Sample Essay The Hazards of MoviegoingCont.
- Conclusion
-
- All in all, after arriving home from
the movies one night, I decided that I was not
going to be a moviegoer anymore. I was tired of
the problems involved in getting to the movies ,
dealing with the theater itself, and some of the
patrons. Because of that, I arranged to have
cable TV service installed in my home. I may now
see movies a bit later than other people, but
I'll be more relaxed watching box office hits in
the comfort of my own living room. - ?Transitions
- ?Statement reflecting back on thesis
- ?Restatement of key point 1
- ?Restatement of key point 2
- ?Restatement of key point 3
- ?Concluding statements
15ARE YOU READY TO WRITE YOUR OWN ESSAY?BEFORE
YOU WRITE YOUR ESSAY, YOU NEED TO READ AND
UNDERSTAND THE PROMPT YOU ARE GIVEN.
16THERE ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OFPROMPTS, BUT WE WILL
ONLY DISCUSS TWO OF THEM.
- EXPOSITORY PROMPTS
- AND
- PERSUASIVE PROMPTS
17A PROMPT HAS TWO PARTS
- The Writing Situation Introduces the topic
- The Directions For Writing Helps you to think of
a main idea for your essay and directs you to
write about it. -
18SAMPLE PROMPT
- Writing Situation
- The principal at your school wants to plan an
activity to welcome students back to school at
the beginning of next school year. - Directions For Writing
- Think about a welcoming activity that would
be fun for the students. - Now write to convince your principal to
choose your idea for a welcoming activity. - WHAT IS THE GENERAL TOPIC OF THE ESSAY?
- - A welcoming activity that would be
- fun for the students.
- WHAT TYPE OF ESSAY WILL YOU WRITE?
- - Persuasive
- REMEMBER
- IN A PERSUASIVE PROMPT, YOU WILL FIND THE
WORDS PERSUADE, CONVINCE OR TELL WHY SOMEONE
SHOULD DO SOMETHING.
19SAMPLE PROMPT
Writing Situation Everyone has something
valuable that he or she would like to put in a
trunk for the future.
Directions for Writing Think about something
valuable that you would like to put in a trunk
for the future. Now write to explain to your
readers why you would like to put that in a
trunk for the future.
WHAT IS THE GENERAL TOPIC OF THE ESSAY?
-Something valuable that you would like to put in
a trunk for the future.
WHAT TYPE OF ESSAY WILL YOU WRITE?
-Expository.
REMEMBER
IN AN EXPOSITORY PROMPT, YOU WILL FIND THE WORDS
EXPLAIN, TELL HOW, OR TELL WHY.
20 A GOOD ESSAY SHOULD HAVE
- FOCUS An essay is focused if the writer
maintains the main idea throughout the writing
piece. - HOW DO YOU ACHIEVE FOCUS?
- Write a topic sentence that is about the prompt.
- Repeat key words and phrases related to the topic
sentence. - Do not include information that does not belong.
- ORGANIZATION An essay is organized if it has the
appropriate structure-beginning, middle, and end. - HOW DO YOU ACHIEVE ORGANIZATION?
- Write an introduction (beginning), a body
(middle), and a - conclusion (end).
- Use transitional words to show a flow of ideas
between sentences - and paragraphs.
21A GOOD ESSAY SHOULD HAVECont.
- SUPPORT An essay has support if the writer uses
different - details to explain, expand, or develop the main
idea. - HOW CAN YOU ACHIEVE THIS?
- Use FRIES (Facts, Reasons, Incidents, Examples,
Statistics). - Use vivid verbs and adjectives.
- Use dialogue.
- Use comparisons.
- CONVENTIONS An essay that has good conventions
is one that - demonstrates correct use of grammar and spelling.
- Use varied sentences.
- Use standard Written English.
- Pay attention to your spelling.
- Pay attention to punctuation and capitalization.
- Pay attention to usage.
22SAMPLE EXPOSITORY ESSAY
-
- TITLE The 1950s
- If I were given the privilege to travel
through time, I would choose to go back to the
1950s. This was a relatively peaceful time in
American history. The quality of entertainment 43
years ago was immensely higher than it is now.
Living costs during the 1950s were considerably
lower than they currently are. America and the
rest of the world were much safer and better
places to live. It is for these reasons why I
would return to this point in history. - During the 1950s, many wonderful movies and
music were introduced to the public.
Entertainment back then was pure and fun, and did
not have the violence or vulgar language that
rules television, movies, and songs today. In the
1950s, I would have liked watching the I Love
Lucy show every week, and to see the emerging
popularity of rock and roll music. At the movie
theaters, I would have liked to see well made
movies like A Streetcar Named Desire, Ben
Hur, and There s No Business Like Show
Business. In the 1950s, every movie was good
enough for parents to take their children to see. - The cost of living in the 1950s was very
reasonable. A person could purchase a Buick for
under 7, 000 dollars. Large homes would only cost
30, 000 dollars, and a bottle of coca-cola was
only a dime. During that era, a family did not
have to be rich in order to give their children
the necessities of life. Good clothing cost a few
dollars, and healthy food, like vegetables was
under a dollar! - The most important reason why I would enjoy
returning to the 1950s is because the world was
not riddled with crime and violence like it is in
1998. I have to lock and bolt my doors every time
I leave the house, but if I lived 40 years ago
that would not be the case. Children that were
only six or seven years old could go to the woods
and build a tree house without fear of somebody
murdering or kidnapping them. If I lived during
the 1950s, I would be allowed to go into town by
myself, or sleepover at a friends house without
my mother asking a dozen questions. - In conclusion, I would greatly appreciate
having the opportunity to travel back to the
1950s. There, I could enjoy exciting, wholesome
entertainment from television, movies, and music.
Living costs would be low enough that I could
enjoy being in a country with less homeless and
starving people. The world would be a much safer
place and my life would not be endangered if I
walked my dog alone at night. The 1950s was a
special time in American history, and I would
have liked to be a part of it.
23 SAMPLE EXPOSITORY ESSAY
- Title Growing Up With rules.
- It is said that for every action, there is a
reaction. That saying is perfectly illustrated by
the way that my parents disciplined my brothers
and sisters and me. To me, it was an ordinary
family, but I later learned that having ten
children was anything but ordinary. It required a
certain number of rules, and my parents were not
shy about making those rules. The rules in our
house were strict and had both short-term and
long-term effects. My siblings and I were
responsible for keeping our rooms neat and clean,
doing well in school, and maintaining good
relationships to each other. These are some of
the rules we had to face at home. - First of all, from the time we were very young,
we were responsible for keeping our rooms neat
and clean. Our parents did a daily inspection
of our rooms that could occur at any time. If our
beds were not made, our clothes were not hung up,
or our toys were left out, we were immediately
taken to our rooms when we got home from school
and told to correct the situation. When we did
not keep our rooms clean, we had to help my mom
for the rest of the afternoon instead of going
out and playing with friends. Therefore, we kept
our rooms fairly tidy, and we got to like them
like that. As adults, I think we all can now
appreciate this discipline of tidying up before
leaving our rooms, apartments, or houses.
24 SAMPLE EXPOSITORY ESSAY-CONT.
- Title Growing Up With Rules
-
- In addition, doing as well as
possible in school was also very important in our
family. Homework time began right after dinner,
and each child was required to explain to one or
both parents what she or he was doing. Asking for
help was permitted, but being lazy was not. When
we were caught daydreaming instead of doing our
homework, the punishment was quick and certain
no TV for a week. Good grades were not
necessarily expected, but making a good effort
was. If one of our teachers contacted my parents
with a discipline problem or with a simple
comment that one of us was not working up to our
abilities, we all got a lecture from my parents
about what our responsibilities as children were.
Today, my parents can boast that all ten of their
children are college graduates and that among
them are two doctors and college professors. - Finally, our parents always made sure that we
understood how important our relationships to
each other were. We were taught to love and
respect our siblings because they were the only
people that we would always be able to count on.
From a very early age, we learned to share what
we had with each other. Later, we learned to
support each other through hard times at school
or around the neighborhood. We would stick
together like glue if one of us were in trouble
or threatened. In my family, the result of our
not caring for each other was the look of such
profound disappointment in my parents eyes that
would break our hearts. Our parents always
forgave us in the end nevertheless, it was a
terrible feeling. The long-term result of this is
that we are all very close today.
25SAMPLE EXPOSITORY ESSAY-CONT.
- Title Growing Up With Rules
- All in all, some people think that my
upbringing was rather strict and even cruel, but
I do not. As an adult now, I am aware of the
benefits all that discipline brought about.
Because of that, I live in an orderly home, am
very happy working in my chosen profession as a
college professor, and I have no better friends
than my brothers and sisters. I believe that I
owe my parents and their rules for the stability
and contentment I have in my life.