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The Essay Plan
Drafting

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What is “Essay”
A group of paragraphs with a
beginning (introduction),
middle (body) and end
(conclusion) presenting a
cohesive, coherent, and well
developed examination or
analysis of a topic.

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Introductory paragraph
Body (supporting)
paragraphs
Concluding paragraph
Traditional Essay Structure

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Steps for Essay
1. Write Intro
2. Write Body
3. Write Conclusion
4. Title
5. Combine

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Another Way
1. Working Thesis
2. Body Paragraphs
3. Introduction
4. Conclusion
5. Put Together

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Best Way?
There is NO BEST way.
Whatever works for YOU is
YOUR process.
Every essay is different.

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Two Steps
Organize your supporting
ideas: choose an appropriate
method of organization.
Write an essay plan: place
your main and supporting
ideas in an essay plan.

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Organization Basics
Chronological
–Time
Emphatic
–Importance
Space
–Top Bottom/ Left Right /
Front Back

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Time Order…
Details are arranged in sequence
which occurred.
Can be effective for the following:
– Narrating a story
– Explaining how to do something
– Describing an event

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Time Transitions…
after that first
last eventually
in the beginning meanwhile
suddenly finally
later next
after then

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Emphatic Order …
Arranges the details in a logical
sequence.
Some examples
–Least to most important
–General to specific
–Least appealing to most
appealing

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Emphatic Transitions…
above all first
in particular principally
Clearly the most important
especially last
of course most importantly
moreover the least important

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Spatial Order
Provides Visualization for Specific
Space.
Some examples
– Top to bottom
– Bottom to top
– Left to right
– Right to left
– From far to near
– From near to far

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Spatial Transitions…
above beneath
nearly on top
behind closer in
toward on the bottom
below under
on the left farther out

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Mixed Organization
Essays often use more than
one
Within a time order essay
about a journey, a paragraph
devoted to a particular place
might use spatial order.

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The Essay Plan
Think Topic Sentence
Outline!!

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Why a Plan?
Can help you organize Thesis
Statement and Supporting
Ideas (TS) before writing.
Saves time
REQUIRED for each essay!!

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Key Steps
1.Writing a thesis statement
2.Developing the supporting
ideas in body paragraphs
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Ask Yourself
Does my thesis statement
express the main idea of the
essay?
Does each body paragraph
topic sentence support the
thesis statement?
Are my ideas well organized?

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Thesis Should …
1. Be a Complete Sentence.
Many students who love
Halloween for lots of reasons.

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1. Be a Complete Sentence
Thesis: There are many
students who love Halloween for
lots of reasons.

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Thesis Should …
2. Have a controlling idea
This essay will be about my
country.

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2. Have a controlling idea
Thesis: People want to live in
America for the many
freedoms it offers.

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Thesis Should …
3. Be Supportable
Too Broad: There are millions
of reasons to be interested
in the environment.
Too Narrow: People litter.

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3. Be Supportable
Thesis: Three things can help
improve the environment.

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Thesis Should …
4. Make Valid Interesting
Points
Vague: Modern social
networking can be dangerous.

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Obvious: The Internet has
made communication easier.

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Invalid: The Internet is
destroying the world.

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4. Make Valid Interesting
Points
Thesis: The internet has
become a powerful presence
in modern life affecting
relationships and economics.

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Thesis Should …
5. Be Readily Identifiable –
Usually last sentence of
Introduction
For OUR class, this is where
thesis goes!!!!!

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6. Not Have GRAMMAR
Errors.
Most important sentence in
essay shouldn’t have errors!!!
Thesis Should …

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Revising Thesis
1.Ask yourself if you can
support your thesis with at
least 3 ideas.
2.To bring life to a thesis
statement, make sure your
thesis can answer the why,
what, and how questions.

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Supporting Ideas
Topic Sentences
Paragraphs

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Thesis Support
Thesis Statement Must Be
Supported the Body
Paragraphs.
Body Paragraphs Must Develop
and Prove the Thesis
Statement.

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Topic Sentence …
Is the Main Idea of
Paragraph.
Has a Controlling Idea.
Has Supporting Details and
Examples
Supports Thesis Statement

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Types of Topic Sentences
Topic Sentence
First
Usually
Topic Sentence
Near Beginning
Sometimes
Topic Sentence
Last
Occasionally
Topic Sentence
Implied
Rarely

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For More Information
Email Mrs. C
ccoleman@clmn.net
Visit Coleman’s Classroom
www.clmn.net