The document discusses the key components of an essay, including an introduction with a hook, thesis, and background information; a body with topic sentences, evidence, and analysis to support the thesis; and a conclusion that restates the thesis and main arguments. It provides examples and explanations of how to effectively structure paragraphs and incorporate quotes from other sources using the ICE method of introducing, citing, and explaining their relevance.

1. Essay Structure
Essay structure refers to organization; it refers to how you
organize and support the ideas expressed
within your essay.
What are the three essential parts of an essay?
1. Introduction: one – few paragraphs at the beginning of the
essay (the length should be in
proportion to the essay as a whole)
2. Body: one – several paragraphs in the middle of the essay
3. Conclusion: one – few paragraphs at the end of the essay
(like the introduction, the appropriate
length depends on the length of the essay)
Introduction
• Hook: An opening statement that attempts to grab the attention
of your readers. This
attention-grabber can take the form of a question to the reader,
anecdote (story), interesting
quotation that relates to your topic, surprising statement,
revealing statistic regarding your
topic, statement of opposition, statement of opinion, etc.
o Example of an anecdote hook: I was born on a surprisingly
sunny and warm January day
in 1975. [A hook like this would be appropriate for a narrative
essay]

2. • Background information: Any information that is critical to
understanding the remainder of your
essay and that you will not cover in the body of the paper
• Thesis: Usually one sentence that summarizes the main point
you’ll make throughout the body
of the essay
o Example 1: Students whose high school teachers provide more
specialized attention are
more likely to be successful in college.
o Example 2: Parents should enroll their pre-school aged
children in daycare programs,
because there are many advantages that students gain in the
daycare environment.
o Example 3: The first day of college was significant to me
because it is the day that I
dedicated myself to my education and I set a plan in place for
achieving my goals.
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Body
• Body paragraphs: Each body paragraph should clearly connect
to the thesis statement by
helping prove the point made in the thesis. Each paragraph is
organized to build upon the other
and should include a specific claim that supports the thesis

3. statement and evidence that
supports that claim.
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Topic Sentence – Sets up the basic topic
[violent video game sale restrictions] and the
basic stance [anti-restrictions of violent video
game sales]
Restatement Sentence –
Clarifies the basic stance of the
Topic Sentence [anti-restrictions
because they would be a First
Amendment violation]
Illustration/Example
Sentence – In this case,
provides a quotation that
supports the claim made
in the Topic and
Restatement Sentences
Analysis Sentence –
Explains how the reader is
to interpret the
example/quotation
provided in the
Illustration/Example
Sentence

4. Conclusion Sentence – This sentence brings us back to the claim
made in
the Topic Sentence [violent video game sales should not
restricted], but it
also adds the why that has been argued through the
Illustration/Example
and Analysis Sentences [because it would be unconstitutional to
do so].
This sentence also foreshadows the topic of the next body
paragraph
[enforcement of the unrestricted sale of violent video games]
Example Body Paragraph
Sales of violent video games should not be restricted. While
some believe that
violent video games should not be sold to minors without
parental consent, to
implement such restrictions is a violation of the First
Amendment. As Andrew
Cohen of The Atlantic states (2011), “Crudely violent video
games, tawdry TV
shows, and cheap novels and magazines are no less forms of
speech than The
Divine Comedy.” Cohen’s point here is that violent video
games,
among other questionable forms of entertainment are protected
by the
freedom of speech clause of the First Amendment as they are a
form of
art – even if that be low art. Within the context of the First
Amendment,
the restriction of violent video game sales and distribution

5. would be
unconstitutional, and their unrestricted distribution of these
games must
be enforced.
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Conclusion
• Restated thesis: A rephrased version of the thesis from your
introduction.
• Summary of argument: Recap the main point of each of the
body paragraphs.
• Final statement: Call to action, vivid image, warning,
quotation, question, etc.
o Example of a warning ending: If no definitive action is taken
to educate Americans while
they are young, the nation will soon find itself unable to
function with few to no eligible
candidates to fill the various sectors of the job market.
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6. Good Paragraph Development: As Easy as P.I.E.
A paragraph is a group of related sentences detailing one clear
point related to your thesis. A
good paragraph is thoughtful, unified, coherent, and well-
developed. If you are having trouble
developing or explaining your key points within your
paragraphs, check to see if your paragraphs
have these three essential structural parts: a point, information,
and an explanation.
One way to understand and remember paragraph structure is to
think of the word P.I.E.
P = Point
I = Information
E = Explanation
Point
Often, the point is the TOPIC SENTENCE.
• What is the point of this paragraph?
• What claim is being made?
• What will this paragraph prove or discuss?
Information

7. The information is the EVIDENCE used to support/develop the
point.
• How is the point supported with specific data, experiences, or
other
factual material?
• What examples can you use to support your point?
Ideas for What Kind of INFORMATION You Should Include:
• Facts, details, reasons, examples
• Information from the readings or class discussions
• Paraphrases or short quotations
• Statistics, polls, percentages, data from research
studies
• Personal experience, stories, anecdotes, examples from your
life
Explanation The explanation is the writer’s ANALYSIS,
elaboration, evaluation, or interpretation of the point and
information given, connecting the
information with the point (topic sentence) and the thesis.
• What does the provided information mean?
• How does it relate to your overall argument?

8. • Why is this information important/significant/meaningful?
Short Example of P.I.E at work (your paragraphs, of course,
will be longer and more detailed):
Ironically, rock climbing accidents can also be caused by user
error. Of the many
dangers that rock climbers face, many can be prevented. Each
year nearly one out of every
three accidents is preventable (Climbing 35). According to
certified guide Jessie Guthrie, “many
people—even advanced climbers—get hurt every year because
of careless errors” (304).
Careless errors typically involve failure to check partner’s
equipment and lack of basic rescue
skills. Because of user error and other avoidable mistakes, rock
climbing can be harmful.
Point Information Explanation
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GUIDELINES FOR INCORPORATING QUOTES

9. Incorporating Outside Sources
Quoting from outside sources is an important part of academic
writing because it puts you into the
scholarly conversation and makes your own ideas and your
paper more credible. Using quotes is a great
way for readers to “hear” the expert voices talking about your
writing topic.
When quoting, focus on (a) introducing the quote, (b)
explaining its relevance, and (c) citing the
sources—both in your writing and in formal citations. This form
is known as the ICE method.
The ICE Method
When including outside sources in your writing, follow the ICE
method:
I: Introduce
C: Cite
E: Explain
Use this method when inserting direct quotations as well as
when you’re paraphrasing or summarizing
the ideas of another.
Introduce the Source
Introduce the source by giving your reader any information that
would be useful to know: Who said it?

10. Where did this idea come from? When was it said? Here are
some examples of how to introduce a
source:
In her essay, “The Crummy First Draft,” Lekkerkerk (2014)
argues that…
Michandra Claire Jones (2015), celebrated poet and author,
wrote that…
In the textbook, Information Literacy, Mossler (2015) states ….
After introducing the quote, be sure that you use a signal verb
to indicate that the source’s words are
next. In the third example above, you can see that "states" has
been used to signal the source’s
words. Other signal verbs include:
acknowledges
advises
agrees
argues
analyzes
answers
asserts
assumes
believes
charges
claims
considers
criticizes
declares

11. describes
disagrees
discusses
explains
emphasizes
expresses
holds
implies
interprets
leaves us with
lists
objects
observes
offers
opposes
points to
presents
proposes
recognizes
regards
remarks
replies
reports
responds
reveals
says
states
suggests
supports
tells us
thinks
wants to
wishes
wonders

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Cite the Source
When citing outside sources, you are required to include: the
author(s)' last name(s); the date of
publication; and, for direct quotations, the page number on
which the quoted passage appears. If
there is no page number, use the paragraph number to indicate
the location of the quotation.
Precisely how do you insert this required information into your
writing? You have two options. The
first is to include the full or last name(s) of the author(s)
directly in a sentence, and the year of
publication in parentheses just following the name(s). If
directly quoting, include at the end of your
sentence the page number where the quotation can be found.
Here are some examples:
Johansson (2009) says he believes that scholars...
OR
Norman Johansson (2009) says, "Scholars should pursue PhDs"
(p. 167).

13. Your second option is to include all of the required information
in parenthesis at the end of the
sentence. Here are some examples:
Research suggests that graphic warnings on cigarette packages
promote smoking cessation
(Smith, 2015).
OR
According to one research study, “In the year following the
introduction of graphic warnings…”
(Smith, 2015, p. 16).
OR
Marcus explains that smoking can be deterred by “carefully
placed warnings with disturbing
imagery included” (Tomlinson, 2008, p. 16).
Notice in the above examples that quotation marks always have
a beginning and end, occurring
immediately before the first word of the quotation and
immediately after the last word. Periods are
always placed after the end-of-sentence parentheses, as in (p.
132).
Explain the Relevance
After introducing and citing the passage, you will need to

14. explain the significance: How might this
author’s idea relate to my thesis? How does this data add to
what I am trying to prove in this
paragraph? Why am I putting this quotation in my paper? What
am I trying to show here? Never leave
any room for interpretation. It is your responsibility as the
writer to interpret the information for your
reader and identify its significance. Remember, a quote does not
speak for itself or prove anything on
its own. That is your job!
Here is an example of an explanation that would be appropriate
to accompany the Mack quotation
above: Judge Mack viewed juveniles as children first. He
envisioned a system that would protect and
give treatment to these young offenders so that they could
become productive adults, and saw no
place for criminal responsibility and punishment within this
system.
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Now, here is an example of the ICE method at work in a
paragraph:
In the beginning stages of the juvenile justice system, it
operated in accordance to a paternalistic

15. philosophy. This can be understood through the published words
of Judge Julian Mack, who had a
hand in the establishment of the juvenile justice system. In
1909, he stated that this system
should treat juveniles “as a wise and merciful father handles his
own child” (as cited in Scott &
Steinberg, 2008, p.16). Judge Mack viewed juveniles as children
first. He envisioned a system
that would protect and give treatment to these young offenders
so that they could become
productive adults, and saw no place for criminal responsibility
and punishment within this
system.
lain who this quote is coming from as well as his
relationship or authority on the topic.
Five Tips for Effective Quoting
While quoting from reliable sources is an important part of
writing a research-based paper, some students
can become too reliant on quotes to do the work for them, over-
running their papers with other peoples’
words. The purpose of quoting is to include an expert’s voice
that is unique and different from your own in
order to support your ideas.
Here are five key tips for effectively incorporating quotes into
your writing:
1. Make Quotes Count. You should quote sparingly, so make

16. sure the quotes you include are
impactful and approach the subject in a way that you might not.
Part of quoting is “capturing”
someone else’s voice and unique expression of an idea. If you
could summarize the information
and lose none of its meaning, then do that. But if you feel like
the expert says it best, then quote
the expert.
2. Copy Quotes Correctly. It is important to be accurate when
you are quoting – the whole point of
quoting is to exactly represent another person’s words. Be
careful to copy the quote correctly,
and if you need to change anything, do so by indicating that you
are changing something. If you
need to insert a word, for instance, use brackets, like this: “In
this quote [the author] states that
people always rise to the occasion.” If you need to delete a
word or phrase, use ellipses to
represent this deletion, like this: “In this quote…people always
rise to the occasion.”
3. Your Words First. Because you are writing the paper, your
words should begin and end it – this
goes for the paragraphs as well as the whole paper. Avoid
beginning paragraphs with a quote –
start with your idea and create a topic sentence. Additionally,
avoid ending paragraphs with a
quote – you may analyze a quote prior to the end of the
sentence, and conclude that its meaning
informs your point. Use your words first – quotes should be
working for you, not the other way
around.

17. 4. Keep Quotes Short. Quoting sources should not be a tactic to
fill space on the page. Not only
should your paper be written in your own words, but the amount
of space given to others’ words
should be brief. As a general rule of thumb, no more than 15%
of your entire paper should be
quoted material. Achieve this general goal by using only a few
quotes, and keeping those few
quotes as brief as 1–2 sentences.
5. “Block” Long Quotes. When your paper necessitates it, you
may use a longer quote. In this
case, “longer” quotes consist of four or more lines, or
approximately 40+ words. When you have a
quote of this length, you format it differently in your paper than
just incorporating it into the normal
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sentence structure. Long quotes must be made into “blocks” – a
visual indicator that this is a long
quote. In order to create this block, indent all the lines twice,
but keep the double-spacing.
Here’s an example of creating a block quotation:
Sometimes peoples’ viewpoints can be surprising. According to
Robert Coles in his 1989 book, The Call

18. of Stories,
On the way home Daddy became an amateur philosopher; he
said God chooses some
people to be rich, and that’s how it is, and you have to settle for
your luck, and ours isn’t
all that good, so that’s too bad, but if you just smile and keep
going, then you’ll be fine;
it’s when you eat your heart out that you can get in trouble. (41)
NOTE: When you create a block quotation, you do two things
differently than if you’re incorporating
shorter quotes into your sentence regularly.
1. First, you do not encase the quote in quotation marks – the
indentation replaces the quotation
marks.
2. Second, you punctuate the quoted material with a period
before the parenthetical citation – with
no ending punctuation after the parentheses.
How to use this template with examples:
To use this template, replace the instructions written in italic
font with your own discussion text. This template also contains
examples in Courier New font, which must be replaced with

19. your own writing and source material. Be sure to proofread your
work and check it for completeness and accuracy. Delete any
extra text/instructions/references that do not apply to your post.
Then, copy your work and paste it into the discussion window in
class.Week 2, Discussion 2: Initial Post
My body paraphraph:
As the paradigm of corporate learning is redefined, so will
the role of Chief Learning Officer (CLO) and the responsibility
to be the leader of the shift is of upmost importance. One of the
greatest ways to evolve is to embrace what Deiser (2009)
describes as “unstructured learning situations and
opportunities” (p. 59). It is a change in perspective from
training project management to learning moment seeker and
exploitation. Buchen (2003) identified many pitfalls in large
organization training; one of these is the disparity between
management and learning. The CLO needs to identify and
prevent those pitfalls before they impact the entire organization.
References
Buchen, I. H. (2003). Future-imbedded innovation
methodologies. Foresight : The Journal of Futures Studies,
Strategic Thinking and Policy, 5(3), 3-9. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/224187211?accountid=3936
4
Deiser, R. (2009). Designing the smart organization [Nook
version]. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Original Source Text (Buchen):
The next step in the metamorphosing of management was a
shift in focus from manager to worker. Managers were asked to
form, train, and direct worker teams. Although initially they
served as team leaders, empowerment-driven productivity
pushed teams further into becoming increasingly self-organizing
and self-managing. They selected their own leaders from among
their own ranks. In a few organizations, such team leaders were
not permanent but rotational. Leadership was assumed by a
member of the team that had the expertise best suited at that
particular time to the particular needs of the current challenge.

20. That is where matters now generally stand. Like the
parallel of the teacher being a member of a learning council or
team, the assumption was that the prevailing situation was the
last step. Things had gone as far as they could go. Again, mind-
sets ruled and made that judgment. In both cases the same mind-
set was operative: there always will be, or have to be, principals
and teachers, managers and employees, bosses and workers. (p.
5)
Original Source Text (Deiser):
However, this focus on HR driven programs overlooks the
infinite number of unstructured learning situations and
opportunities that exist throughout the organization and its
extended value chain that are currently not regarded and defined
as learning and therefore remain untouched. We know that
learning happens somehow, but we don’t know what type of
learning happens and how its results are utilized to improve
performance, effectiveness, or innovation… (p. 59-60)
My topic sentence is… “As the paradigm of corporate learning
is redefined, so will the role of Chief Learning Officer (CLO)
and the responsibility to be the leader of the shift is of upmost
importance.” (Then, go on to explain how this topic sentence
relates to your thesis statement.)
I used the direct quote from Deiser because… (Here, explain
why you directly quoted from this source rather than
paraphrasing the information in your own words. Explain how
this quote supports your topic sentence/claim. Share any
questions/concerns you have regarding direct quotes in an
academic paper.)
I paraphrased information from Buchen because… (Here,
explain why you paraphrased information from this source
rather than quoting it directly. Explain how you rephrased the
information in your own words and how it supports your topic

21. sentence/claim. Share any questions/concerns you have
regarding paraphrasing in an academic paper.)
After reading the course materials and drafting a well-structured
paragraph with source integration, I have questions about… (Be
sure to clearly state any questions or confusion you have
regarding paragraph development, in-text citation, paraphrasing,
quoting, or topic sentences. Your classmates can help you find
the answers throughout the week.)
References
(If you reference the tutorials, textbook, instructor guidance, or
handouts – which you should – be sure to cite them in-text and
add the references to the end of your post. Use the writing
center’s APA guides to help you craft them in accurate APA
style!)