1. General Format & the Thesis Statement 9/1: Thesis/Essay Notes page 4R
Essay Format Part #1:
General Format & the Thesis Statement
9/1: Thesis/Essay Notes page 4R

2. A Standard 5 paragraph essay follows a certain format:
INTRODUCTION: with a “hook” and an opinionated thesis statement
BODY: 3 separate paragraphs where the argument is explained and supporting evidence is cited.
CONCLUSION: where main points are summarized and reviewed and the reader is left with something to think about.

3. First…Know Your Audience…
Before you start writing, you should know your audience:
Who will read your writing? Who do you need to convince?
The audience may be your friends, your teacher, your parents, your principal, the readers of a newspaper or the President of the United States!
Will you be graded? On What?
Should you be casual or professional?
What does your audience already think
about your topic?

4. Second… Pick a side!
The writer must clearly state his/her position and stay with that position. Pick a side! Don’t be in the middle, or undecided!
Your opinion about the topic, or your answer to a driving question is your THESIS!

5. Three: Do Your Research…
In order to convince the reader you need more than just an opinion; you need facts or examples to back your opinion. So, be sure to do the research!
Walsh Publishing Co. 2009

6. Four: MAKE A PLAN, then write!
The Standard 5 Paragraph Essay:
1. Introduction/Hook/Thesis
2. Argument 1 with support
3. Argument 2 with support
4. Argument 3 with support
5. Conclusion

7. Start with your Thesis Statement
A thesis statement is one sentence at the end of your introduction paragraph that states your opinion.
It needs to be strong.
It is the single-most important statement of your opinion in your essay.
* Always start essays by brainstorming your thesis statement first, and then build your essay around that idea!

8. Start with your Thesis Statement
One method is the 3-point thesis statement:
First, choose 3 main focus points to discuss in your essay. These points will become the focus of three paragraphs in the body of your paper.
Let’s use fast food as an example again.
Fast food…(3 Discussion Points)
rapidly increases weight
causes high blood pressure
leads to sluggishness

9. Writing the Thesis Statement
Now list your three point in your sentence. Put your completed thesis statement at the end of your first paragraph.
THREE MAIN FOCUS POINTS
I believe fast food is harmful because it rapidly increases weight, causes high blood pressure, and leads to lethargy.
Revised
Fast food is harmful because it rapidly increases weight, causes high blood pressure, and leads to lethargy.
* Remember: You opinion is stronger when you don’t say “I believe,” or “I think…”

10. Practice: Answer the following question based on your opinion:
“Who’s to blame for America’s growing weight
Problem?”
What three reasons will you discuss in your essay?
“________ is to blame for America’s weight problem because (1) , (2) , and __(3) .

11. An Umbrella Thesis
This approach summarizes your 3 main points into one category, or umbrella
THREE MAIN FOCUS POINTS
Fast food is harmful because it rapidly increases weight, causes high blood pressure, and leads to lethargy.
COMPLETED THESIS STATEMENT
Eating fast food frequently is a poor choice, as many fast foods can cause negative health effects.

12. Thesis Statements continued…
Your statement should be debatable.
Non-debatable example:
Many people blame the fast-food industry for making them fat.
Better example:
The fast-food industry is to blame for making people fat.

13. The Introduction Paragraph
ESSAY FORMAT: Part 2:
The Introduction Paragraph

14. The Great Introduction…
What makes an good introduction?
It grabs or “hooks” the reader’s attention by using one or more of the following strategies:
An anecdote or scenario
A quotation
An interesting fact or statistic
A question
It tells how the writing will be organized.
The author’s position is clearly stated in a thesis statement.

15. Introduction To be the MOST clear, use this format:
1st sentence: hook (question, statistic, general statement of the problem)
2-3th sentences: necessary background info/description of the problem
4th sentence: In “Title of work,” Author’s full name claims, summary of author’s argument.
5th/ LAST sentence: YOUR thesis

16. The Inverted Triangle Introduction
Goes from general information to the most specific aspects of your essay.
Thesis should almost always be the last sentence in your intro paragraph.
General info about topic
Specific opinion (thesis)

17. Grabbing Your Audience…
Good strategies used in introductions:
Use an Anecdote/ Scenario
The writer provides a personal experience or made-up situation to introduce the position.
Questioning
The writer asks thought-provoking questions to capture the reader’s interest.
Interesting fact or statistic
The writer gives an interesting piece of information to grab the reader’s attention.
Lets Take A Look….

18. You Could Start with a Riddle:
Get your reader’s attention with a challenging thought.
“What’s plain, and boring? What makes all students in a school building look the same and lose their individuality? If you guessed UNIFORMS, you’re correct!”

19. You Could Begin with a Strong Statement:
Example:
Fast food consumption has risen 500 percent since 1970 and today reaches nearly every part of society, including some public school cafeterias.

20. You Could Open with an Anecdote:
An anecdote can provide an amusing and attention-getting opening if it is short and to the point.
“My hands felt sticky after pulling open the doors to “Big Bobby’s Boisterous Burger Hut”. The odor smelled of fried everything. I ordered a Big Bobby Combo #2. There was enough food to serve a small third world country on my tray. I nibbled at the ¾ pound burger and my chin was covered in a mayonnaise and ketchup concoction. I asked the server if I could have a few fries with my salt. I left the place feeling like my stomach was mad at me.”

21. You Could Open with a Quotation:
Example:
University of Delaware professor states:
“Advertising, including television ads, billboards, and other advertising,
including toys in boxed meals, has had an effect upon children as never before.
Children these days are growing up with low concern for their health and
more concern for what tastes good.”

22. You Could Open with a interesting fact:
Example:
“Did you know that a typical child needs 2,000 calories for an entire day and Burger King’s Whopper with triple cheese has 1,230 calories?”

23. You Could Open with a Fact or Statistic:
Example:
Thirty percent of the children in the survey ate fast food on any given day during the survey, and they ate an average of 187 calories a day more than those who did not eat fast food. These additional calories could account for an extra six pounds of weight gain per year, according to Ludwig.

24. You Could Open with a Question:
Ex) How many times have you eaten fast food this month?
BUT use a sophisticated
question…NOT like this,
“Do you think that fast food
Is bad for you?” 

25. Open with an Outrageous Statement:
Example:
“Fast food is killing America!”

26. Our Introductory Paragraph:
CATCHY TITLE
Fast Food Is Killing America!
Did you know that a typical child needs 2,000 calories for an entire day and Burger King’s Whopper with triple cheese has 1,230 calories? That is far more calories than anyone needs in one day! Fast food consumption has risen 500 percent since 1970 and today reaches nearly every part of society, including some public school cafeterias. Fast food is harmful because it rapidly increases weight, causes high blood pressure, and leads to sluggishness. Fast food is unhealthy and consumers should limit their intake.
HOOK THE READER
YOUR THREE ARGUMENTS
THESIS STATEMENT

27. Three Supporting Paragraphs:
Use each of the main arguments you used in your introductory paragraph and expand on each giving facts and reasons.
In our example, you would write one paragraph on how fast food increases weight, one paragraph on how it causes high blood pressure and one on how it leads to sluggishness.
Walsh Publishing Co. 2009

28. Conclude or End Your Essay…
What makes an good conclusion?
Last paragraph summarizes your main point.
End using one or more of the following strategies:
Call the reader to action
Anecdote or scenario
Make a Prediction
The last paragraph wraps up the writing and gives the reader something to think about.
Walsh Publishing Co. 2009

29. Strategies for Conclusions
Call to Action
Ask the reader to do something or to make something happen “I challenge you to watch what you eat and to avoid fast food.”
Provide a solution
Provide an answer to the problem “Fast food doesn’t have to be “bad food.” Make better choices like salads, fruit and low fat treats.”
Make a Prediction
Explain what might be the consequences of action or inaction “If people continue to eat lots of fast food, they put their health at risk. If kids don’t make better choices today, they won’t grow into healthy adults.”
Walsh Publishing Co. 2009

30. Concluding Paragraph:
Restate your thesis.
End with…
A comment (Don’t make your body suffer!)
A question (Are you willing to risk your health?)
A call to action (I highly recommend you consider your options the next time your faced with a decision about what to eat.)
In closing, it’s important to remember that too much fast food can have negative effects on your health. If not eaten in moderation, you can gain weight, suffer from high blood pressure and become slow and sluggish. Is it worth the risk to your body? Eat Healthy and Make good choices!
Walsh Publishing Co. 2009

31. Don’t Forget…
Make sure to read over your work and edit for mechanics and spelling.
Write neatly!
Include detail and great vocabulary.
Follow proper format: Proper heading and skip lines!
Walsh Publishing Co. 2009

32. Essay Format Part #3:
CITATIONS

33. Quotations
Cite any outside information or statistics you reference, including information from the original article (Weintraub’s).
Cite words that you paraphrase
Don’t plagiarize – better safe than sorry!
MLA format (See Purdue Owl cite)
Purdue MLA

34. Subsequent uses – only use the last name.
In-text quotations must reference the author’s first and last name the first time it is used.
Subsequent uses – only use the last name.
Name of essays/articles are placed in quotations. Books and movies are italicized.
Ex) In Daniel Weintraub’s article, “The Battle Against Fast Food Begins in the Home,” blah blah blah.
According to Supersize Me, blah blah blah…

35. Citation The author’s last name and page number must always be cited.
Either in-text citation OR parenthetical citation
Ex) He said, “Blah blah” (Weintraub 66).
Notice the punctuation: “( ).
There is no comma between the last name and the page #.
If you mention the author’s name in the sentence, only cite the page number at the end.
Ex) Weintraub states, “Blah blah” (88).

36. Embed your quotes: Don’t leave them naked!
Naked quote:
“My own home is by no means a fast food-free zone” (Weintraub 43). In this quote, Weintraub is saying…
Embedded Quote:
Weintraub gives context to his own home life by saying, “My own home is by no means a fast food-free zone” (43).

37. Examples
Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (263). - direct citation with author’s name
Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (Wordsworth 263) direct citation without author’s name
Wordsworth extensively explored the role of emotion in the creative process (263).
-paraphrased

38. Practice Embed and cite this quote according to the information given:
Daniel Weintraub. Pg 42. Obesity is the fault of the parents who let their kids eat unhealthy foods.
Direct quote using author’s name in the sentence
Direct quote without using the author’s name in the sentence
Paraphrase the quote and cite it