ENGL000: Pre-College English

Take the paragraph essay you wrote and worked on in the first three units and expand it into a five or six paragraph essay (much like you did in the practice activity only this time it will be based on the paragraph essay you have written). To do this, you will make each of your three or four main ideas from the paragraph into its own paragraph along with writing an introduction and a conclusion paragraph. 

The following are elements your essay needs to contain:

• An introduction that grabs your reader's attention getting them interested in your topic WITHOUT giving away any of your main ideas that belong in the body paragraphs
• A thesis statement at the end of your introduction paragraph that contains your topic, what you want to say about that topic, and a plan of development (your three main ideas) which accurately previews what your essay is about and which makes a transition from your introductory material into what will be the body of your essay
• Three or four (depending on how many main ideas you have) body paragraphs that use evidence, elaboration, and explanation to show how each of your main ideas are true and how they support the thesis statement
• Good topic sentences for all three or four of your body paragraphs -Remember that a good topic sentence should contain your topic and message -Also remember that your topic sentences should accurately preview what the paragraph is about -Lastly, remember that your topic sentences should contain some kind of transition to move readers smoothly from the information in the previous paragraph to the information in the new paragraph
• Transitions that move readers smoothly from one detail to another within paragraphs
• Sufficient supporting details and examples for each of your main ideas within their corresponding body paragraphs – be sure to anticipate questions brought up by your writing and ensure that you answer them within your writing
• A good conclusion that restates your topic and main three or four ideas (please reword it, but you could think of this as restating your thesis statement), which includes a closing statement of some sort, and which does not bring up any new ideas or statements that would raise questions.
• Error-free writing that has been thoroughly proofread

Source: Erin Severs
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