1. Writing a 5 Paragraph Essay
Writing an Introduction
Writing a Thesis Statement
What Not to Do

2. What is an essay
An essay is an academic paper that explores a certain topic
Every essay has a beginning, a middle and an end
Beginning= introduction
Middle= body paragraphs (usually 3)
End= conclusion

3. 3 things When you’re writing an essay, remember three things:
1. Subject- main focus
2. Audience- Teacher
Adjust your language and explanations
3. Purpose- why you’re writing

4. Introduction The beginning 2 main purposes:
To draw the reader and make them want to read more
To prepare them for what you’re going to talk about later in the paper

5. Parts of an intro 1. The hook (dramatic opener, several sentences)
2. The transition sentence (connects the hook to the thesis
3. The thesis statement (your main argument)

6. Examples of Hooks Essay on friendship
Question: What is more valuable then gold? A man with many friends is rich.
Report on outer space
Comment: There are too many stars in the sky to sit and count.
Essay on Sports
Quote: British author George Orwell once said, “Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play. In other words, it is war minus the shooting”.

7. (Continued) Paper on Beauty practices
Statistic: The average woman uses her height in lipstick every 5 years.
Paper about American History
Anecdote: Christopher Columbus sailed off to prove the world was round, the rest of the world believed him when he did not fall off the side of the Earth.
Paper on Travel
Humor: What’s worse then raining buckets? Hailing taxis in Boston.

8. Thesis Statement
A basic statement that is one sentence (or two at the most)
The LAST sentence in your introduction
A roadmap of what you will be talking about

9. A thesis should… 1. Express what your essay is about (your argument)
2. Make a discussable point
3. Pick one side

10. Two types of thesis statements
X Y Z Thesis
Umbrella Thesis
Tells exactly what points you will make your body paragraphs
Example: The Lord of the Flies depicts the dangers of civilization through the symbolism of the fire (x), the dead parachutist (y) and Piggy’s death (z).
One statement that summarizes your argument so your topic sentences do the arguing.
“Covers” your whole argument and examples
Example: Beowulf shows how Beowulf is the hero by describing the monsters’ ugly qualities.

11. Sample introduction
What would one expect to be the personality of a man who has his wife sent away to a convent (or perhaps has had her murdered) because she took too much pleasure in the sunset and in a compliment paid to her by another man? It is just such a man—a Renaissance duke—who Robert Browning portrays in his poem “My Last Duchess.” A character analysis of the Duke reveals that through his internal dialogue, his interpretation of earlier incidents, and his actions, his traits—arrogance, jealousy, and greediness—emerge.

12. Sample introduction
The setting of John Updike’s story “A & P” is crucial to the reader’s understanding of Sammy’s decision to quit his job. Even though Sammy knows that his quitting will make life more difficult for him, he instinctively insists upon rejecting what the A & P represents in the story. When he rings up a “No Sale” and “saunter[s]” out of the store, Sammy leaves behind not only a job but the rigid state of mind associated with the A & P. Although Sammy is the central character in the story, Updike seems to invest as much effort in describing the setting as he does Sammy. The title, after all, is not “Youthful Rebellion” or “Sammy Quits” but “A & P.” The setting is the antagonist of the story and plays a role that is as important as Sammy’s.

13. Sample introduction
The first paragraph of Alberto Alvaro Rios’s short story “The Secret Lion” presents a twelve-year-old boy’s view of growing up—everything changes. As the narrator informs the reader, when the magician pulls a tablecloth out from under a pile of dishes, children are amazed at the “stay-the- same part,” while adults focus only on the tablecloth itself (42). Adults have the benefit of experience and know the trick will work as long as the technique is correct. When people “grow up,” they gain this experience and knowledge but lose their innocence and sense of wonder. In other words, the price paid for growing up is a permanent sense of loss. This tradeoff is central to “The Secret Lion.” The key symbols in the story reinforce its main theme: change is inevitable and always accompanied by a sense of loss.

14. Things to remember

15. Fix the statements
Dogs are probably your favorite animal because they are fun.
Do you ever wonder if there is life in outer space?
I think that dogs are the best animal to have as a pet because they are friendly, loyal and smart.

16. No contractions

17. No slang