Paragraph Writing
By Kenneth
Beare
There are two structures to learn in English that are important in writing: the sentence and the paragraph. Paragraphs
can be described as a collection of sentences. These sentences combine to express a specific idea, main point, topic
and so on. A number of paragraphs are then combined to write a report, an essay, or even a book. This guide
to writing
paragraphs describe the basic structure of each paragraph you will write.
In general, the purpose of a paragraph is to express one point, idea or opinion.
For example: Students require more recreational time in order to better focus on lessons in class.
This main idea is expressed through three sections of a paragraph:
1. Beginning - Introduce your idea.
2. Middle - Explain your idea.
3. End - Make your point again, transition to next paragraph.
Here is a paragraph taken from an essay on various strategies required for an overall improvement of student
performance:
Students require more recreational time in order to better focus on lessons in class. In fact, studies have shown that
students who enjoy a recess of more than 45 minutes consistently score better on tests immediately following the
recess period. Clinical analysis further suggests that physical exercise greatly improves the ability to focus on
academic materials. Longer periods of recess are clearly required to allow students the best possible chances of
success in their studies. Clearly, physical exercise is just one of the necessary ingredients for improving student scores
on standardized tests.
There are four sentence types used to construct a paragraph:
1. Topic sentence
One sentence which states your idea, point, or opinion. This sentence should use a strong verb and make a bold
statement.
For example: Students require more recreational time in order to better focus on lessons in class.
NOTE: Notice the strong verb 'require' which is a call to action. A weaker form of this sentence might be: I think
students probably need more recreational time ...This weaker form is inappropriate for a topic
sentence.
1. Supporting sentences
Supporting sentences (notice the plural) provide explanations and support for the topic sentence (main idea) of your
paragraph.
For example: In fact, studies have shown that students who enjoy a recess of more than 45 minutes consistently score
better on tests immediately following the recess period. Clinical analysis further suggests that physical exercise greatly
improves the ability to focus on academic materials.
NOTE: Supporting sentences provide the evidence for your topic sentence. Supporting sentences that include facts,
statistics and logical reasoning are much more convincing that simple statements of opinion.
1. Concluding sentence
The concluding sentence restates the main idea (found in your topic sentence) and reinforces the point or opinion.
For example: Longer periods of recess are clearly required to allow students the best possible chances of success in
their studies.
NOTE: Concluding sentences repeat the main idea of your paragraph in different words.
2.
Transitional sentence
The transitional sentence prepares the reader for the following paragraph.
For example: Clearly, physical exercise is just one of the necessary ingredients for improving student scores on
standardized tests.
NOTE: Transitional sentences should help readers logically understand the connection between your current main
idea, point or opinion and the
main idea of your next paragraph. In this instance, the phrase 'just one of the
necessary ingredients ...' prepares the reader for the next paragraph which will discuss another necessary ingredient
for success.
How To Write an Essay
By Kenneth Beare
There are many ways to write an essay. However, the standard essay form follows the same basic
patterns as discussed in this 'how to'. Most essays take a repetitive form sometimes known as the
"hamburger essay". What this means is that the introductory and concluding paragraphs are very
similar, whereas the most important information is found in the body of the essay. Think of a
hamburger: The buns cover the top and the bottom - the introduction and conclusion - and provide a
nice covering for the most important part of the meal the burger.
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: 30 minutes
Here's How:
1. Select the topic of your essay.
2. Choose the central idea, or thesis, of your essay. For example: Information technology has
revolutionized the way we work.
3. Outline your essay into introductory, body and summary paragraphs.
4. The introductory paragraph begins with an interesting sentence. For example: Home workers
have grown from 150,000 to over 12 million in the past 5 years thanks to the wonders of the
computer. There are a number of types of introductions: Interesting statistics, a quote from a
famous person, or a rhetorical question such as "Did you know that ...".
1. After this first sentence, add your thesis statement from above. The thesis clearly outlines
what you hope to express in the essay.
2. Use one sentence to introduce every body paragraph to follow. This linking to ideas you will
develop further in your body paragraphs provides structure to your essay.
3. Finish the introductory paragraph with a short summary or goal statement. For example:
Technological innovation has thus made the traditional workplace obsolete.
1. In each of the body paragraphs (usually two or three) the ideas first presented in the
introductory paragraph are developed. Remember that referring to ideas first introduced in
the initial paragraph provides structure to your essay.
2. Develop your body paragraphs by giving detailed information and examples. For example:
When the Internet was first introduced it was used primarily by scientists, now it is common in
every classroom.
3. Body paragraphs should develop the central idea and finish with a summary of that idea.
There should be at least two examples or facts in each body paragraph to support the central
idea.
1. The summary paragraph summarizes your essay and is often a reverse of the introductory
paragrah.
2. Begin the summary paragrah by quickly restating the principal ideas of your body paragraphs.
For example: The Internet in the home, benefits and ease of use of modern computer
systems...
3. The penultimate sentence should restate your basic thesis of the essay. For example: We
have now passed from the industrial revolution to the information revolution.
4. Your final statement can be a future prediction based on what you have shown in the essay.
For example: The next step: The complete disappearance of the workplace.
Tips:
1. Use strong verbs and avoid modals to state your opinion. It is better to write: The workplace
has evolved than The workplace seems to have evolved
2. Do not apologize for what you are saying. An essay is about your opinion.
3. Do not translate from your mother tongue. It will quickly get you into trouble!
What You Need:
Computer or Typewriter
Dictionary
Thesaurus
ESL Essay Writing Rubric
By Kenneth
Beare
Scoring essays written by English learners can at times be difficult due to the challenging task of writing larger
structures in English. ESL
/ EFL teachers should expect errors in each area and make appropriate concessions in
their scoring. Rubrics should be based on a keen understanding of English learner communicative levels. This
essay writing rubric provides a scoring system which is more appropriate to English learners than standard rubrics.
This essay
writing rubric also contains marks not only for organization and structure, but also for important sentence
level mistakes such as the correct usage of linking language, spelling and grammar.
Essay Writing Rubric
Category
4 - Exceeds 3 - Meets
2 - Needs
1 - Inadequate Score
Expectations Expectations Improvement
Understanding Demonstrates Demonstrates Demonstrates a Not clear
of Audience
a keen
a general
limited
which
understanding understanding understanding audience is
of the target of audience
of audience,
intended for
audience, and and uses
and generally this writing.
uses
mostly
uses
appropriate
appropriate
appropriate, if
vocabulary andvocabulary andsimple,
language.
language
Anticipates
structures.
probable
questions and
addresses
these concerns
with evidence
pertaining to
probable
potential
readers.
Hook /
Introduction
vocabulary and
language.
Introductory
Introductory
Introductory
Introductory
paragraph
paragraph
paragraph
paragraph
begins with a begins with a begins with a does not
statement that statement that statement that contain a hook
both grabs the attempts to
might be
or attention
attention of the grab the
construed as grabber.
reader and is attention of the an attention
appropriate to reader, but is getter, but is not
the audience. incomplete in clear.
some sense,
or may not be
appropriate to
the audience.
Theses / Main Introductory
Introductory
Idea
paragraph
paragraph
Structuring
contains a
contains a
clear thesis of clear thesis.
main idea with However, the
clear
following
suggestions as support
to how the
sentences are
body of the
not
essay will
necessarily, or
support this
only vaguely
thesis.
connected to
the body
paragraphs.
Introductory
paragraph
contains a
statement that
may be
construed as a
thesis or main
idea. However,
there is little
structural
support in the
following
sentences.
Introductory
paragraph
contains no
clear thesis
statement or
main idea.
Body /
Evidence and
Examples
Body
paragraphs
provide clear
evidence and
ample
examples
supporting
thesis
statement.
Body
Body
paragraphs
paragraphs are
provide clear vaguely on
connections to topic, but lack
thesis
clear
statement, but connections,
may be need evidence and
more examplesexamples of
or concrete
thesis or main
evidence.
idea.
Body
paragraphs are
unrelated, or
marginally
connected to
essay topic.
Examples and
evidence is
weak or
nonexistent.
Closing
Paragraph /
Closing
paragraph
Closing
paragraph
Conclusion is
nonexistent
Conclusion is
weak and at
Conclusion
provides a
concludes
clear
essay in
conclusion
satisfactory
successfully manner.
stating the
However,
author's
author's
position, as
position and /
well as
or an effective
containing an restatement of
effective
main idea or
restatement of thesis may be
the main idea lacking.
or thesis of the
essay.
Sentence
Structure
All sentences
are well
constructed
with very few
minor
mistakes.
Complex
sentence
structures are
used
effectively.
Most
Some
sentences are sentences are
well
well
constructed
constructed,
with a number while others
of mistakes.
contain serious
Some attempts errors. Use of
at complex
complex
sentence
sentence
structure are structure is
successful.
limited.
Very few
sentences are
well
constructed, or
sentence
structures are
all very simple.
Linking
Language
Linking
language is
used correctly
and often.
Linking
Linking
language is
language is
used.
seldom used.
However,
mistakes in
exact phrasing
or usage of
linking
language is
evident.
Linking
language is
almost never
or never used.
Grammar and Writing
Spelling
includes no or
only very few
minor errors in
grammar,
spelling.
times confusing with little or no
in terms of
reference to
author's
proceeding
position with
paragraphs or
little reference author's
to main idea or position.
thesis.
Writing
Writing includes Writing
includes a
a number of
includes
relatively small errors in
numerous
number of
grammar,
errors in
errors in
spelling and
grammar,
grammar,
punctuation
spelling and
spelling and which, at times, punctuation
punctuation. hinders
which makes
However,
reader's
reader's
reader's
understanding. understanding
understanding
difficult.
is not impeded
by these
errors.
ESL Writing Workshop 1
By Kenneth Beare
Essay writing in English is required on a number of important exams such as
theTOEFL, TOEIC, IELTS and Cambridge exams. Any student wanting to continue their studies at
university must also be able to write essays. At the most basic level essays are written in a certain style
that I like to call the hamburger essay. In other words, an introduction and conclusion that is similar
with body paragraphsproviding the main points of the essay.
English learners can use this series of four lessons to begin writing essays.
Most students also write essays for other courses in their native language, they often feel hesitant
when writing essays in English. This series of four lessons is designed to help students become
familiar with writing an essay in English. The first lesson is designed to give students an overview of
basic essay writing style. The final three lessons focus on developing skills that are used when
analyzing texts as the basis of their essays.
Aim: Learning basic essay structure for young learners to use for text analysis
Activity: Overview of basic essay structure presentation with students working together to develop an
essay outline
Level: Young Learners - upper intermediate
Outline:
Choose a short story that your class is very familiar with, and about which they will surely have
strong opinions.
In a brainstorming session, ask students the following questions (you may want to have the
students work on these questions in small groups and then review their answers as a class):
Who are the main characters of the story?
What are the main events of the story?
What roles do the main characters play in the main events of the story?
Is there a moral to the story? If yes, what do you think it is?
What did you learn from the story?
Make a list of the most commonly held opinions and answers relating to the story.
Give students the short outline to writing an essay. Have them read through the outline and
answer any questions they may have.
Ask students to break up into small groups and, using the information from the brainstorming
session, fill in the outline questionnaire.
Circulate around the class helping the groups come up with appropriate answers to the outline.
Make sure that each student has a copy of the work they produce as this outline will be used as
the base of an essay in a future lesson.
An Introduction to Writing an Essay
1. Select the topic of your essay.
1. Choose the central idea, or thesis, of your essay. For example:
George Orwell's Animal Farm provides a fascinating allegory of life in a totalitarian society.
2. Outline your essay into introductory, body and summary paragraphs.
3. The introductory paragraph begins with an interesting sentence. For example:
The idyllic setting of life on the farm provides little clue of the harsh realities George Orwell portrays
in Animal Farm.
4. After this first sentence, add your thesis statement from above.
5. Use one sentence to introduce every body paragraph to follow. For example:
Orwell's choice of pigs as the leaders of the farm can hardly be incidental.
6. Finish the introductory paragraph with a short summary or goal statement. For example:
George Orwell's Animal Farm fascinates the reader through its extreme contrast between the idyllic
and brutally realistic.
7. In each of the body paragraphs (usually two or three) the ideas first presented in the
introductory paragraph are developed.
8. Develop your body paragraphs by giving detailed information and examples. For example:
The struggle between the two leading pigs, Napoleon and Snowball, with its consequences felt by the
population of the farm clearly illustrates how totalitarian leaders will put their own confrontations ahead
of the population they are supposedly leading.
9. Body paragraphs should develop the central idea and finish with a summary of that idea.
There should be at least two examples or facts in each body paragraph to support the central
idea.
10. The summary paragraph summarizes your essay and is often a reverse of the of the
introductory paragraph.
11. Begin the summary paragraph by quickly restating the principal ideas of your body
paragraphs. For example:
Through the use of symbolism in the portrayal of characters, setting and style, George Orwell's Animal
Farm delivers a harsh criticism of totalitarian society.
12. The penultimate sentence should restate your basic thesis of the essay. For example:
Animal Farm is a deceivingly simple allegory presenting totalitarian society in all its grimmest aspects.
13. Your final statement can be a future prediction based on what you have shown in the essay.
For example:
Considering the vast changes in the global political structure of the last twenty years, one can only
hope that mankind has learned the lessons so elegantly told in George Orwell's Animal Farm.
Outline Questionnaire
This essay is about:
The essay is introduced by the following interesting statement:
This essay is introduced with the following idea:
The essay will illustrate the above idea by showing that:
(main point of paragraph 1)
This is shown by:
1.
2.
3.
(main point of paragraph 2)
This is shown by:
1.
2.
3.
(main point of paragraph 3)
This is shown by:
1.
2.
3.
To summarize, this essay has shown that:
The lessons that can be learned are:
Printing Page
Writers' Workshop - Lesson 1 - Basic Essay Structure
Writers' Workshop - Lesson 2 - Developing a Character Analysis
Writers' Workshop - Lesson 3 - Using Themes to Relate to a Story
Writers' Workshop - Lesson 4 - Getting Ideas Organized
Back to lessons resource page
