“The used key is always bright.” Benjamin Franklin ESSAY OVERVIEW This presentation gives you an idea of the form of all the essays which you will be writing for this class. “The used key is always bright.” Benjamin Franklin

ESSAY FORMAT 50 words, 3 to 5 sentences Introduction Body one Body two 100 words, 7 to 10 sentences 100 words, 7 to 10 sentences This is an important slide and you should spend more than a couple of minutes viewing it. If you will notice, the five rectangles represent the five paragraphs of the essay. All your essays will have five paragraphs. Also, you will notice that the body paragraphs are longer than the introductory paragraph or the body paragraph. This is because this is where you actually explain the content of your essay. Body three 50 words, 3 to 5 sentences Conclusion

Introductory paragraph

To write a good introduction, you need to . . . 1.Briefly introduce the topic 2.Clearly and unequivocally state your position 3.Provide three reasons To write a good paragraph you must include the above mentioned parts to your paragraph. Many students want to begin explaining their reasons in the first paragraph, but this is a mistake. What you want to do is give the reader an idea your position and your reasons. You will explain your reasons in the body paragraphs. Slow down. Don’t get ahead of yourself in this paragraph.

Introductory paragraph Topic sentence Transition sentences Thesis sentence 50 words minimum, 3 to 5 sentences Today smoking is an issue which is on everybody’s mind. The whole country is divided on this issue. Some people believe that smoking should be banned while others are not so harsh. However, I believe that tobacco should be outlawed because it endangers everyone’s health, it pollutes the environment; and it drains us of valuable energy.( 57) Here is an example of an introductory paragraph. The sentence in blue is the lead-in sentence. If you will notice, this sentence simply brings up the topic of smoking. You do not state your position in the first sentence. The sentences in black are transition sentences that will lead you to the sentence in red, the thesis sentence. The thesis sentence is the most important sentence of your essay. It provides a map for your essay. This sentence has two parts: position and reasons. If you do not have a solid thesis sentence, chances are you will not pass this part of the test. The thesis sentence is the first thing that the reader will look for in your essay so make it a good one.

Body paragraph

Body paragraph Topic sentence Example or statistics Restate Topic sentence 100 words, 8 to 10 sentences The body paragraphs are the most difficult to write because you have to actually come up with your own examples and illustrations. The best thing is to think before you write. If you begin writing before actually thinking, you will either tend to repeat yourself or go off topic which will only get you in trouble. So take some time and think, brainstorm or outline you body paragraphs.

Example of body paragraph In the first place, smoking is not only dangerous for smokers, but also for those who inhale second hand smoke. In fact, several scientific investigations have proven that young people who consistently inhale second hand smoke are more likely to develop heart problems later in life. Moreover, second hand smoke is especially bad for expectant mothers. If a pregnant woman inhales second hand smoke, there is no doubt that the unborn child will experience serious side effects. Another study concluded that people that are exposed to second hand smoke are also more likely to be depressed and suffer from emotional problems. So, in the end, second hand smoke effects you negatively both physically and emotionally. Notice that the first and last sentence of the paragraph basically say the same thing. In the middle sentences you give more information on your topic sentence. Some students like to tell short stories, and if you can think of a story to illustrate your point this could be a good idea. But there is one danger in using stories to get your point across: your story may take more words to tell than you anticipated which could be a problem. So if you do tell a story, keep it short.

Remember that when you are writing your body paragraphs, you should use transitions words at the beginning of each paragraph. These are three transition words which are easy to remember. The three F’s. First Furthermore Finally These transition phrases are easy to remember because they all begin with the letter F. When you walk into the testing center, the less you have to remember the better off you are.

Concluding paragraph

Final plea for position Conclusion Restate thesis Restate reasons Final plea for position 50 words, 4 sentences

Example of concluding paragraph In conclusion, smoking must be banned without delay. The country is paying a high price both physically and emotionally because of smokers. Moreover, smokers pollute the environment unnecessarily, and also most smokers are less productive on the job than non-smokers. Let us not let our country continue on a destructive path; outlaw smoking!

Assignment: Write a short essay of three paragraphs, (150 words) explaining your reasons for coming to college.