Chunyan Shao (Shandong University)

 Opening: Paragraph 1  Body: Paragraph 2 (topic 1)  Paragraph 3 (topic 2)  Paragraph 4 ( topic 3)  Conclusion: Paragraph 5

 Issue: There has been a heated discussion as to whether…  There has been a wide concern about whether…  Positive: Some think/hold/maintain/state that...  Negative: Others believe/argue/say/contend that such is… and will lead to many potential problems.  My view: So far as I am concerned, A cannot solve all the problems, but B will be beneficial.

 Issue: Traffic jams have become one of the most serious problems in big cities in China.  Traffic jams have become one of the most urgent issues in big cities in China.  Positive: Obviously/ Undoubtedly /evidently/ clearly/ It going without saying that, A will do good to…  Negative: However/Nevertheless/Nonetheless, this will lead to/result in some unforeseeable problems/consequences.  My View: From my point of view / For my part, A is….

 Supporting details are the supporting sentences in a paragraph that relate to the main idea that is presented in the topic sentence.

Topic Sentence (Main Idea) Supporting Detail 1 Supporting Detail 2 Supporting Detail 3

Topic sentence: Hiking on the Appalachian Trail can be very dangerous. Support: 1. Hungry bears will be searching for food. 2. When it rains, the trail—which is very steep at some points—becomes slippery. 3. Severe weather develops quickly.

 Hiking on the Appalachian Trail can be very dangerous. One reason is that hungry bears will be searching for food. Another reason is when it rains, the trail—which is very steep at some points—becomes slippery. A third reason is that severe weather develops quickly.

Topic Sentence (Main Idea) Supporting Detail 1 Relevance to the topic Supporting Detail 2 Relevance to the topic Supporting Detail 3 Relevance to the topic Closing Sentence (summarize the above points and restate Main Idea)

 Hiking on the Appalachian Trail can be very dangerous.  One reason is that hungry bears may be searching for food.______________.  Another reason is when it rains, the trail—which is very steep at some points—becomes slippery.________________________.  A third reason is that severe weather develops quickly. _______________.  (Closing Sentence)_______________________.

 Hiking on the Appalachian Trail can be very dangerous.  One reason is that hungry bears may be searching for food. They pose a threat to the hikers.  Another reason is when it rains, the trail—which is very steep at some points—becomes slippery. It is very likely that the hikers slip and fall into the valleys.  A third reason is that severe weather develops quickly, and the hikers may be exposed to storm and cold.  (Closing Sentence) Therefore, hiking on the Appalachian Trail one faces danger from the bear, the trail and the weather change. It is perilous to hike there.

 Topic sentence 1  supporting detail (1)  supporting detail (2)  supporting detail (3)  Topic sentence 2  supporting detail (1)  supporting detail (2)  supporting detail (3)  Topic sentence 3  supporting detail (1)  supporting detail (2)  supporting detail (3)

 --Topic 1: Firstly / To begin with…  For instance  Also  Thus  --Topic 2: Next / Secondly…  One reason is that…  Another reason is that…  As a result…  --Topic 3: Finally / What is more…  For one thing…  For another…  Consequently...

 Sum up the main points talked about in the body part.  Restate the topic of this essay.

 Traditional culture is one essential element of human heritage. Some argue that traditional culture is dying, while others maintain that it is still vigorous. From my perspective, not all traditional cultures are dying.

 Firstly, some traditional cultures are still pervasive. For instance, people still celebrate Spring Festival. It is so deeply rooted in people’s mind that it remains the most important holiday for Chinese. What is more, traditional cultures can be found in people’s daily lives—the way they dress, the language they speak, the food they eat, all reflecting Chinese tradition. Unless Chinese stops being Chinese, traditional Chinese culture won’t be dying. Therefore, some traditions are still active in people’s life.

 Next, what is dying is those cultures which are unfit for the modern society. For example, in the feudal society, women were supposed to obey her parents before marriage, her husband after marriage and her sons after her husband died. Such prejudice against women has been long abandoned by modern people. Also, people traditionally believed superstition could help people recover from diseases. Nowadays, people no longer resort to such unscientific ways of treating people when they are ill. Thus, it is natural for some traditional cultures to die, for they have been regarded as not compatible with the modern ideas.

 To sum up, some valuable traditional cultures are still active while those outdated cultures perish from people’s life. That is to say, not all traditional cultures are dying.

 Essay: three-part principle (opening, body, conclusion)  Opening: 4-sentence principle  S1: issue  S2:negative view  S3: positive view  S4: your view  Body: 2/3-paragraph principle (2/3 reasons)  paragraph 1: 6-sentence principle  S1: Topic sentence  S2: one reason  S3:one relevance  S4:another reason  S5: another relevance  S6: relevance to the paragraph topic  paragraph 2: 6-sentence principle  S1: Topic sentence  S2: one reason  S3:one relevance  S4:another reason  S5: another relevance  S6: relevance to the paragraph topic  Conclusion: 2-sentence principle  S1: summary of the body  S2: restate the topic