PLEASE TAKE NOTES DURING THIS PRESENTATION

Brick by Brick: Write Hard The One Paragraph Essay

In the beginning…

…there was the complete sentence …was the complete sentence

Elements of a Complete Sentence: Starts with a capital Subject Verb (complete predicate)

Subject and Verb Should Agree I’m the subject! And I’m the verb!

Elements of a Complete Sentence: Starts with a capital Subject Verb (complete predicate) Agree in number. (! ?)

Complete sentence = Complete thought

(Independent clause)

Kinds of Complete Sentences: Simple: I drive a bus. My wife is a lawyer. Compound: I drive a bus, but my wife is a lawyer. Compound sentences are thus made up of two linked thoughts or two linked independent clauses. This is done through the use of a comma and a coordinating conjunction (one of the FANBOYS). You can also use a semicolon: I drive a bus; my wife is a lawyer. Incomplete sentences are known as fragments.

Building Blocks: Complete sentence. Complete sentence. Complete sentence. Complete sentence. Complete sentence. Thus, you have a paragraph. A paragraph = A series of complete thoughts that add up to

One idea

The One Paragraph Essay First Element: I. Topic Sentence A topic sentence: a) Is what you are going to talk about b) Is specific c) Takes a supportable position d) Is NOT simply a statement of fact, it is something you have to explain. Turn to p. 32 in TPW Ex. A

One Paragraph Essay Second Element: II. The Subtopic Sentence A) Subtopic sentence: Is a specific supporting idea for your topic sentence. Usually answers a ‘W’ question: Who? What? Where? When? Why?

The Subtopic Sentence Topic sentence: If you visit Yellowstone National Park, you’ll almost certainly see some big wild animals. (Can it be explained? For instance?) Subtopic sentence: For example, Yellowstone is known for its bears, including the famous grizzly. (This answers: What?)

One Paragraph Essay Third Element: III. Specific Support A) Specific support: Relevant example or evidence that illustrates the subtopic sentence. It answers the question: How?

Specific Support Topic sentence: If you visit Yellowstone National Park, you’ll almost certainly see some big wild animals. (Can it be explained? For instance?) Subtopic sentence: For example, Yellowstone is known for its bears, including the famous grizzly. (This answers: What?) Specific Support: Though they don’t hang out alongside the road as they did 40 years ago, they’re common to spot in the valleys and by the lake. (This answers: How?)

One Paragraph Essay Fourth Element: IV. The Reworded Topic Sentence A) The reworded topic sentence: Is the conclusion of the discussion of your topic. It answers the question: Why? In other words: Why is what you wrote about the topic important? Why are we reading this?

Reworded Topic Sentence Topic sentence: If you visit Yellowstone National Park, you’ll almost certainly see some big wild animals. (Can it be explained? For instance?) Subtopic sentence: For example, Yellowstone is known for its bears, including the famous grizzly. (This answers: What?) Specific Support: Though they don’t hang out alongside the road as they did 40 years ago, they’re common to spot in the valleys and by the lake. (This answers: How?) Reworded Topic Sentence: So if you visit Yellowstone and keep your eyes open, you’ll get one of the great thrills of your life. (Why was this important?)

The One Paragraph Essay: Topic sentence. Subtopic sentence, specific support. Subtopic sentence, specific support. Subtopic sentence, specific support. Reworded topic sentence.

This lets us transition to

Your One Paragraph Essay Assignment: Using your notes, and the relevant chapters in TPW (1, 3, 7, 8) write a one paragraph essay on one of the essay topics (1, 3, 4, 5, 7 & 9) located on my website: see blogroll, “Writing Topics.” DO NOT use outside sources. It must be typed in MLA format. You should have a title (skip one space under you MLA header and then center). “Assignment” is not a title. IMPORTANT: Under the date on your header, write “Topic # X” (whatever essay number you’ve chosen). You need to have a topic sentence, 3 subtopic sentences, 3 items of specific support, and a reworded topic sentence Consult 1 para essay rubric under “1 Para Essay” on my website It should be around words (around 2/3 of a page but no more than one full page) Examples of 1 para essays are on pp. 405 – 412 of TPW Use the outline sheet provided – staple to back of 1 st draft PROOFREAD: Use spell check! Make sure your sentences are complete! DO NOT USE “YOU”!