CHAPTER 4

HOW IS AN ESSAY
DIFFERENT FROM A
PARAGRAPH

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1. Paragraph

As you have already learned in the A2 level, a paragraph has three main sections: a topic sentence, 3
supporting ideas and a conclusion. The topic sentence should state the topic of the paragraph while
the supporting ideas give further explanation and examples about the topic. In the concluding
sentence, we restate the topic with different words. In the A2 level, paragraphs consist of 120-180
words.

Please analyze the sample A2 Paragraph below and fill out the outline.

Benefits of Travel

Traveling is beneficial for several reasons. To begin with, traveling broadens the traveller’s horizons.
Seeing different places either in your own country or in another country will give you a chance to see different
lifestyles and different kinds of people. You see that there are alternative ways of doing things such as
housing, cooking, practicing religion etc. As a result, you become more tolerant and wiser with different
perspectives in your own life and work. Secondly, travelling teaches you many skills. Maybe the skills that are
most dramatically affected are social and organizational skills. A traveller has to plan their travels carefully and
follow these plans, which will make them better organizers. Also, a traveler has to talk to or even stay with
many other people during their time away from home. This will also help them become better
communicators. Finally, travelling creates a lot of jobs. Travelling requires many workers in tourism agencies,
transportation, accommodation, catering, and a lot of other job areas that depend on visitors. A traveller
spends money to meet at least their basic needs in places where they go. More jobs will open if there is more
travel. To sum up, travelling is very advantageous for many reasons.

Word count: 203

Topic Sentence: __________________________________________________________________________

Support 1: __________________________________________________________________________

Support 2: __________________________________________________________________________

Support 3: __________________________________________________________________________

Concluding Sentence: _____________________________________________________________________

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2. Essay

Please analyse the sample essay below.

Benefits of Travel
INTRODUCTO
RY One of the greatest philosophers, Augustine said, “The world is a book and those
PARAGRAPH who do not travel read only one page.” It is a well- known fact that experiences
of travel can provide a person a lot of benefits. Not only the traveller, but also an
Thesis entire country benefits from travel or tourism activities. Obviously, travelling
has benefits for the people who travel and for the country’s economy.
Statement

The first gain of travelling is personal benefits. To begin with, traveling broadens
BODY PARAGRAPH 1 the traveller’s horizons. Seeing different places either in their own country or in
Topic sentence another country will give travellers a chance to see different lifestyles and
different kinds of people. They can realize that there are alternative ways of
Support 1 doing everyday activities such as housing, cooking and practicing religion. As a
result, they become more tolerant and wiser with different perspectives in their
own life and work. Furthermore, travelling teaches people many skills. Maybe the
skills that are most dramatically affected are social and organizational skills.
Support 2
Travellers have to plan their travels carefully and follow these plans, which will
make them better organizers. Also, travellers have to talk to, or even stay with
many other people during their time away from home. This will also help them
Concluding Sentence become better communicators. In brief, if people want to improve themselves,
travelling is definitely the best option for them.

BODY PARAGRAPH 2 Another gain of travelling is that it benefits a country’s economy. To start with,
Topic sentence
travelling creates a lot of opportunities. Travelling requires many workers in tourism
agencies, transportation, accommodation, catering, and a lot of other job areas that
Support 1
depend on visitors. When people travel, they have to spend money to meet at least
their basic needs. As a result, this will create more job opportunities in the places
which are attractive for tourists. Additionally, people who travel will get new ideas
Support 2 for business wherever they go because they see new businesses and communicate
with people who are in different industries. This will give people a chance to build a
network for their work. For example, a businessman who travels on a train can meet
somebody who does the same business as they do and they can network. As a result,
travelling can improve a country’s economy.
Concluding Sentence
In conclusion, travel is useful for both people and businesses. Domestic and
international travel will give rise to people who are more equipped and qualified
CONCLUDING
and also economies can improve and become stronger. I think, in addition to
PARAGRAPH
being fun, travel is important especially in the globalized world.
Paraphrase of
thesis statement

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Compare the paragraph and the essay and answer the questions below.

1) What is the approximate word count in an essay?

____________________________________________________________________________

2) How many paragraphs are there in an essay?

____________________________________________________________________________

3) In a paragraph, the topic sentence states the topic. What states the topic in an essay?

____________________________________________________________________________

4) In a paragraph, the topic is given in the first sentence. Where can you find it in an essay?
____________________________________________________________________________

5) How many ideas are there in a thesis statement?

____________________________________________________________________________

6) Where are these ideas explained?

____________________________________________________________________________

7) How many supporting ideas do we need for each body paragraph?

____________________________________________________________________________

8) What follows the supporting ideas?

____________________________________________________________________________

9) How long should a body paragraph be?

____________________________________________________________________________

10) What does the last paragraph include?

____________________________________________________________________________

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EXERCISE 1: Read the student essay below. Then prepare an outline for the essay using the
outline template on the following page.

Essay Prompt: What are the negative effects of overpopulation in İstanbul?

The Drawbacks of Living in İstanbul

Istanbul is the most important city in Turkey not only because of its geographical location and
beauty but also the job opportunities it provides. For these reasons, millions of people have been
migrating to Istanbul. Therefore, the population of Istanbul is already over 15 million people. Living
in a very crowded city naturally brings some disadvantages. The two most important drawbacks of
overcrowding in Istanbul are traffic jams and environmental pollution.

One negative effect of overcrowding is severe traffic jams in Istanbul, which makes it very hard to
live in this metropolitan city. Firstly, people spend a long time on the road. For example, anyone who
lives in Maltepe and works in Levent has to set off at six o'clock in the morning to go to
work. Secondly, people can be aggressive in traffic jams because of spending too much time on the roads.
For instance, taxi drivers suffer from psychological distress as they are always stuck in traffic, and makes
them behave aggressively. Some drivers can yell and even start fights. In brief, living in Istanbul is very
difficult because people get tired and aggressive due to wasting a lot of time in traffic.

Another effect of overpopulation in Istanbul is environmental pollution. To start with, air pollution
comes first among the types of pollution in Istanbul. The reason why air pollution is at dangerous levels
is that there are thousands of factories and millions of cars without exhaust filters. Factories emit a
high amount of carbon dioxide and other hazardous pollutants, which contaminate the air of Istanbul.
In addition to air pollution, chemical wastes from a variety of plants and industries cause water
pollution. For this reason, it is impossible to have uncontaminated water in homes. To give an example,
people who live in İstanbul cannot drink water tap water as they are worried about their health. In
short, the high number of people who are living in İstanbul is the main reason of air and water
pollution.

All in all, unavoidable traffic jams and life-threatening levels of environmental contamination
are two major negative effects of overpopulation in Istanbul. If we cannot take measures against
the rapid rise of Istanbul's population, it will eventually become a city that is impossible to live in.

Word Count: 381

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 OUTLINE FOR THE ESSAY

INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH:

GENERAL /BACKGROUND INFORMATION+ Thesis Statement (Message of the whole

essay)
Thesis Statement : The two most important drawbacks of overcrowding in Istanbul are
traffic jams and environmental pollution.
Traffic jams Body 1 Topic
Environmental Pollution Body 2 Topic

BODY PARAGRAPH 1:

Topic Sentence 1: __________________________________________________

Support 1: ________________________________________________________

Support 2: _______________________________________________________

Concluding Sentence 1:_______________________________________________

BODY PARAGRAPH 2:

Topic Sentence 2: __________________________________________________

Support 1: ________________________________________________________

Support 2: _______________________________________________________

Concluding Sentence 2:_______________________________________________

CONCLUSION PARAGRAPH (Repetition of thesis statement + Closing remarks):

Thesis Statement Repetition: All in all, unavoidable traffic jams and life-threatening
levels of environmental contamination are two major negative effects of overpopulation
in Istanbul.
+ FINAL OPINION

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SELF STUDY PRACTICE

Prepare an outline for the essay below using the outline template on the following page.

Language Experience Abroad

Language is a crucial component of communication. Everybody agrees that English is an

international language which is common all over the world. Most non-English speaking countries teach
English language in schools. Although teaching techniques and the quality of language schools are
continually developing, many people believe that students should spend some time in an English
speaking country in order to learn and use the language properly. Educational experience and a natural
language environment are two reasons why it is important for students to spend time in an English
speaking country.

The first reason why language students should spend time abroad is educational experience. To
begin with, students who study abroad at language schools have a significant advantage because they
will be in a multinational environment. To illustrate, in a school in China, students can only communicate
in Chinese. However, in a language school in the UK, students are mixed. There are Chinese, Turkish,
German and other nationalities, all of whom need to communicate in English. Moreover, students often
socialize with their classmates. When the class consists of international students, the students are more
likely to use English socially. They do not only spend time together in class but they also meet outside
school. When you live abroad you also learn how to function globally. To sum up, spending time abroad
in this context helps students to improve their English.

Experiencing language in a natural environment is another reason why it is important for

students to spend time abroad. Firstly, students who spend time in an English speaking country will be
required to use their English in a natural environment on a daily basis. To explain further, students in a
language school in Turkey might practice how to order food in a café through role-play, but students
living in the UK will actually have to order food from a café. Secondly, students learning English in their
home countries might do listening exercises or watch films to improve their listening skills, but students
living in the UK have the opportunity to listen to English being spoken naturally all day every day. In
short, being in an environment where English is the native language is one reason why it is important for
students to spend time in an English speaking country.

In conclusion, the two important reasons why students of English should spend some time living
in an English speaking country are gaining educational experience and having the chance of learning a
language in its natural environment. Although spending time in an English speaking country is
advantageous for students, it is important to remember that it is not the only way to acquire a high
language level. I believe that many students can successfully reach a high level of proficiency in a second
language through hard work and dedication.

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 OUTLINE FOR THE ESSAY

INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH:

GENERAL /BACKGROUND INFORMATION+ Thesis Statement (Message of the whole

essay)
Thesis Statement : Educational experience and a natural language environment are two
reasons why it is important for students to spend time in an English speaking country.
Educational experience Body 1 Topic
A natural language environment Body 2 Topic

BODY PARAGRAPH 1:

Topic Sentence 1: __________________________________________________

Support 1: ________________________________________________________

Support 2: _______________________________________________________

Concluding Sentence 1:_______________________________________________

BODY PARAGRAPH 2:

Topic Sentence 2: __________________________________________________

Support 1: ________________________________________________________

Support 2: _______________________________________________________

Concluding Sentence 2:_______________________________________________

CONCLUSION PARAGRAPH (Repetition of thesis statement + Closing remarks):

Thesis Statement Repetition: In conclusion, the two important reasons why students of
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English should spend some time living in an English speaking country are gaining
educational experience and having the chance of learning a language in its natural
environment.
+ FINAL OPINION