1. The Write Stuff

2. Why Should I Care About
Writing?

3. Why Should I Care About
Writing?
• Writing is an essential job skill

4. Why Should I Care About
Writing?
• Writing is an essential job skill
• Builds your ability to explain complex
positions

5. Why Should I Care About
Writing?
• Writing is an essential job skill
• Builds your ability to explain complex
positions
• Develops communication and thinking
skills

6. Why Should I Care About
Writing?
• Writing is an essential job skill
• Builds your ability to explain complex
positions
• Develops communication and thinking
skills
• Helps give others feedback and helps
others give feedback to you.

7. Why Should I Care About
Writing?
• Writing is an essential job skill
• Builds your ability to explain complex
positions
• Develops communication and thinking
skills
• Helps give others feedback and helps
others give feedback to you.
• Writing expresses who you are as a
person

8. 5 Paragraph Essay Blueprint

9. 5 Paragraph Essay Blueprint
• Introduction
– Hook
– Background
– Thesis Statement

10. 5 Paragraph Essay Blueprint
• Introduction
– Hook
– Background
– Thesis Statement
• Body Paragraph
– Topic Sentence
– Supports
– Concluding Sentence

11. 5 Paragraph Essay Blueprint
• Introduction
– Hook
– Background
– Thesis Statement
• Body Paragraph
– Topic Sentence
– Supports
– Concluding Sentence
• Conclusion
– Restate Thesis
– Summarize
– Lasting Impression

12. Introduction Paragraph
“You never get a second chance to make a first
impression”

13. Parts of the
Introduction

14. Parts of the
Introduction
• Hook
• Background
Information
• Thesis

15. First Things First
• "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive,
were proud to say that they were perfectly normal,
thank you very much. They were the last people
you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or
mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such
nonsense.“

16. First Things First
• "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive,
were proud to say that they were perfectly normal,
thank you very much. They were the last people
you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or
mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such
nonsense.“

17. The Hook
• It should grab your reader’s attention.
• Quote
• Vivid description
• Anecdote
• Definition
• Question
•Must transition into the paper’s topic

18. Hook: Quote

19. Hook: Quote
• A quote is a
memorable line from a
famous figure in
history.

20. Hook: Quote
• A quote is a
memorable line from a
famous figure in
history.
• Make sure to include
author/speaker.

21. Hook: Quote
• A quote is a
memorable line from a
famous figure in
history.
• Make sure to include
author/speaker.
• Ex) Mahatma Gandhi
once said, “Be the
change you wish to see
in the world.”

22. Hook: Quote
• A quote is a
memorable line from a
famous figure in
history.
• Make sure to include
author/speaker.
• Ex) Mahatma Gandhi
once said, “Be the
change you wish to see
in the world.”

23. Hook: Vivid Description
• A vivid description
is like a photo- a
single snapshot.
Unlike an
anecdote, it has no
plot or action.
• Ex) The sweet
smell of cotton
candy floats in the
air. Bumper cars
collide in the
distance. There is
nothing like the
county fair.

24. Hook: Vivid Description
• A vivid description
is like a photo- a
single snapshot.
Unlike an
anecdote, it has no
plot or action.
• Ex) The sweet
smell of cotton
candy floats in the
air. Bumper cars
collide in the
distance. There is
nothing like the
county fair.

25. Hook: Anecdote
• An anecdote is a
short story that
leads the reader
into your topic.
• Ex) Imagine a
small child crying
at the county fair
because they
cannot ride the
rides the big kids
do. Despite their
wailing, the parent
does not budge. In
a similar fashion…

26. Hook: Anecdote
• An anecdote is a
short story that
leads the reader
into your topic.
• Ex) Imagine a
small child crying
at the county fair
because they
cannot ride the
rides the big kids
do. Despite their
wailing, the parent
does not budge. In
a similar fashion…

27. Hook: Definition
• Define a term that
is closely related to
your topic. Provide
a definition that
your audience may
not know.
• Ex) Webster’s
dictionary defines
sarcasm as, “a witty
remark used to
convey insult.”

28. Hook: Question
• Ask a question to
draw your reader
into your paper.
• Ex) Is it true that
sometimes love is
not enough to
overcome difficult
circumstances? In
Shakespeare’s
Romeo and Juliet…

29. Background Information
• Assume that your reader has never
read the question
• What does your audience need to
know?
– Names
– Dates
– Quotes
– Arguments
• If it is a text, then include the author,
title and a brief synopsis of the story

30. Background Info- Examine
the Prompt
• Superintendent Doug Hammond
believes that school violence has
escalated. Due to this he is asking
Howard County schools to enforce
random locker checks each quarter.
Students believe this is an invasion of
privacy. Write a five paragraph essay
stating your position on the issue.
What does your audience need
to know? Look for details…

31. The Thesis Statement

32. The Roadmap for Your Essay
• Main argument of your paper
• It introduces the reader to the rest of
your paper
• No thesis statement?

33. So What’s the Formula?

34. Recipe for a Good Thesis
_______________ because ________________ ,
________________ , and ________________ .

35. Recipe for a Good Thesis
Arguable Point Reason
_______________ because ________________ ,
#1
________________ , and ________________ .
Reason #2 Reason
#3

36. Give Me an Example
Smoking should be illegal because
it can kill you, can harm those
around you, and it is addictive and
difficult to stop once started.

37. Now it’s Your Turn!!!

38. Body Paragraphs (3)
• Topic Sentence
• Support (Quotes)
• Concluding
Sentence

39. Topic Sentence
• A topic sentence • Ex.) One reason
tells the reader why schools
what the paragraph should not enforce
is going to be random locker
about. checks is because
• Use it to help it is an invasion of
remind the reader student privacy.
what your paper is
trying to prove
(thesis)
• It should have a
subject, a verb, and
a controlling idea.

40. Supporting Sentences
• This is where you give more
information about your topic.
• Ask yourself: How can I prove this is
true? What examples can I give?
• Three supports per paragraph

41. If you use quotes as
support
Don’t forget…

42. Adding Quotes- Lead-In
• According to movie analyst Kevin Jones in
his novel Summer Blockbusters, “The Dark
Knight sold more tickets in its opening
weekend than any other movie in
history” (Jones 252).
• Always introduce quotes
• with a lead-in
• Quotes can’t stand alone.

43. Adding Quotes- State Quote
• According to movie analyst Kevin Jones in
his novel Summer Blockbusters, “The
Dark Knight sold more tickets in its
opening weekend than any other movie in
history” (Jones 252).
• State quote exactly as you see it.
• Use quotation marks to show it is
borrowed words.

44. Adding Quotes-
Parenthetical Citations
• According to movie analyst Kevin Jones in
his novel Summer Blockbusters, “The Dark
Knight sold more tickets in its opening
weekend than any other movie in
history” (Jones 252).
• A parenthetical citation shows where
the information is from.
• Give author and page number.
• No comma. Punctuation follows
citation.

45. Adding Quotes-Explain
Quote
• According to movie analyst Kevin Jones in
his novel Summer Blockbusters, “The Dark
Knight sold more tickets in its opening
weekend than any other movie in
history” (Jones 252). This quote illustrates
that The Dark Knight is the ultimate super
hero movie because of the mass appeal it
brought to the super hero film genre.

46. Concluding Sentences
• A concluding sentence explains what
your paragraph is about.
• Use as a bridge between paragraphs
• Not only
________________________________ but
__________________________________

47. Concluding Sentences
• A concluding sentence explains what
your paragraph is about.
• Use as a bridge between paragraphs
• Not only
________________________________ but
does recycling help the environment
__________________________________

48. Concluding Sentences
• A concluding sentence explains what
your paragraph is about.
• Use as a bridge between paragraphs
• Not only
________________________________ but
does recycling help the environment
__________________________________
it is also a quick way to make extra money.

49. Conclusion Paragraph
• Restate thesis. Use new words (points
in same order)
• Summarize main points of essay.
Remind reader what you said.
• End with a lasting impression. Give
reader something to think about after
finishing essay.

50. And That is How you Write
an Essay!
…Now go off
and “Ace” that
paper!