Paragraph One – the Introduction
Your purpose in this paragraph is to clearly answer
the writing prompt.
Answer the prompt in the first sentence – this is the thesis
statement.
  • You have three options for your answer.
  • Agree – ex. I agree that all school personnel
    should take turns performing lunch-room duty.
  • Disagree – ex. It is wrong to expect all school
    personnel to take turns performing lunch-room
    duty.
  • See two sides to the proposal – ex. While there is
    merit to the proposal that all school personnel take
    turns performing lunch-room duty, there are also
    drawbacks.
  • There are no wrong answers to the prompts!
  •  Choose the answer that you can most
    easily support.
  • You do not have to believe in your answer!
  • Sometimes it simpler to write about
    an issue for which you do not have
    strong feelings.
  • Follow your thesis statement with at least two sentences
    that briefly give three reasons for your stated opinion.
  • Use examples from your experience, your reading,
    and/or from television or movies.
  • Each of these reasons will act as the main idea for
    the following three paragraphs.
Example writing
prompt:
“All school personnel
should take turns
performing lunch-
room duty; this
includes custodial,
secretarial, and
administrative staff.”
Agree or disagree
with this statement.
Give reasons for your
opinion.
Remember!
This is not the only
way to write an essay -
rather a convenient
tool to help you
organize your thoughts
and stay on track.
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