S.P.E.S. The secret to writing anything with purpose and authority. Miss Romeo English II

S.P.E.S. The way to construct a successful paragraph (or larger piece of writing) that is full of meaning, thought, fact-based evidence, and fluidity. S.P.E.S. should be your go-to formula when constructing responses to prompts, writing essays (expository/persuasive/argumentative), etc.

STATEMENT An original claim you are making about a topic/text. Basically, this is a thesis statement. Each paragraph has one—as well as your main thesis statement, which is in your introductory paragraph. Example: Taylor Swift’s newest hit, Blank Space, is her response to the claims that she dates many people, and often writes about the experiences in her songs.

PROOF Textual evidence that supports your statement. Usually a quote, paraphrase, statistic, etc. Example: The lyrics of Blank Space clearly indicate Taylor’s awareness of the subject: “Look at that face/ you look like my next mistake/Love's a game, wanna play?”

EXPLANATION Analysis that pulls apart the quote, explaining its significance and meaning. Example: In this excerpt, Taylor is not only acknowledging the fact that she has made mistakes in the past, but is also inviting the same experience again. This reveals her acceptance of this facet of her personality.

SYNTHESIS A summary of how your explanation, proof, and statement are all linked. Your writing should be fluid and easy for your reader to follow. Example: Blank Space written by Taylor Swift is her casual response to the many dating rumors that circulate about her. Rather than negating these claims, she chooses to embrace this idea.

Exercise Write a SPES paragraph arguing why we should have or should not have had school today.