1. Persuasive Essay Self-Assessment

2. Introduction: Attention Getter Underline your attention grabber/ hook in BLUE. If you do not have an attention grabber, come up with one now. Sample Prompt: According to a familiar old saying, “Honesty is the best policy.” Do you agree or disagree with this saying? Give reasons to support your opinion. “Honesty is the best policy” is a saying that everyone has heard, and it can also be a statement that most people take for granted. Sometimes it is better to lie if someone is trying to be kind. Another example is if a person is keeping a secret; one should not betray someone’s confidence. Because of timing issues, one may not want to tell a child something that they are too young to hear. There is some truth to the statement, but there are many times in life when honesty is definitely not the best policy.

3. Introduction: Thesis Underline your thesis statement in GREEN. If you do not have a thesis statement, generate one now. “Honesty is the best policy” is a saying that everyone has heard, and it can also be a statement that most people take for granted. Sometimes it is better to lie if someone is trying to be kind. Another example is if a person is keeping a secret; one should not betray someone’s confidence. Because of timing issues, one may not want to tell a child something that they are too young to hear. There is some truth to the statement, but there are many times in life when honesty is definitely not the best policy.

4. Introduction: Key Ideas Underline the key ideas in YELLOW. “Honesty is the best policy” is a saying that everyone has heard, and it can also be a statement that most people take for granted. Sometimes it is better to lie if someone is trying to be kind. Another example is if a person is keeping a secret; one should not betray someone’s confidence. Because of timing issues, one may not want to tell a child something that they are too young to hear. There is some truth to the statement, but there are many times in life when honesty is definitely not the best policy.

5. Introduction: Sentence Structure Complex Sentences Underline one D,I sentence. Circle one ID sentence. Compound Sentences Highlight TWO compound sentences “Honesty is the best policy” is a saying that everyone has heard, and it can also be a statement that most people take for granted. Sometimes it is better to lie if someone is trying to be kind. Another example is if a person is keeping a secret; one should not betray someone’s confidence. Because of timing issues, one may not want to tell a child something that they are too young to hear. There is some truth to the statement, but there are many times in life when honesty is definitely not the best policy.

6. Body Paragraphs Underline the topic sentences in all of your body paragraphs in ORANGE. Make sure the TOPIC SENTENCES match the KEY IDEAS in your introduction. In your first body paragraph, underline the OPPOSING VIEWPOINT in PURPLE. If you did not acknowledge it, add it in now.

7. Sentence Variation THROUGHOUT YOUR PAPER, make the following marks: Complex Sentences Underline the D,I sentences. Circle the ID sentences. Compound Sentences Highlight the compound sentences.

8. Body Paragraphs The last sentence in each body paragraph is the TRANSITION sentence. It gets you from one idea to the next. Use TRANSITION words. Honesty is not the best policy when being honest would betray someone’s confidence. For instance, suppose your friend shares a secret with you, and then someone asks if you know the secret. One might reply either that they cannot answer, or that they do not know because it may not be the right time to share. Sometimes the question of honesty depends in part on timing.

9. Conclusion Underline the restated thesis statement in GREEN. Summarize and call to action Memorable Statement Like most proverbial sayings, “honesty is the best policy” is a sensible guiding principle; however, it is a not a principle that should always be followed blindly. There are certain situations in which the need for sensitivity overrides a person’s responsibility to be entirely honest. Recognizing these situations when they occur is one of life’s challenges.