Essay Structure

Joey Z. Balsomo
Department of English & Applied
Linguistics
De La Salle University Manila
Paragraph Essay Models
 A. Model for the One-Paragraph
Essay (Stage I)
Topic Sentence
Specific Support
Specific Support
Specific Support

Reworded Topic Sentence

Main parts of one-paragraph essay
The first sentence states the idea you
want your readers to accept which we call
it a topic sentence.
All middle sentences present specific
support for that idea.
The last sentence rewords the topic
sentence to remind your readers of the
point you have just made
 An outline of the previous
paragraph
Topic Sentence: The Boundary Waters
Canoe Area is a
refreshing change.
Specific Support: quietness
Specific Support: purity of the air
Specific Support: beauty
Reworded Topic Sentence:
Its an ideal place to clear
your head of the
congestion of urban life.
Another example of a one-
paragraph essay
 Outline the previous paragraph by
identifying the topic sentence, specific
supports, and reworded topic sentence
Answer:
Topic Sentence: Going to my grandmothers
farm seems like coming home.
Specific Support: greeting by relatives
Specific Support: coziness of house
Specific Support: smell of home-cooked food

Reworded Topic Sentence:

Visiting Grandmas seems
like coming home.
 B. Model for the One-Paragraph
Essay (Stage II)
If in Stage I paragraph has only one opinion, in
Stage II it has more than one:
The opinion in the topic sentence (which is the main
opinion)
The opinions in the subtopic sentences (these
opinions help support the main opinion in the topic
sentence)
Subtopic sentences are generalizations within
the paragraph and they help support the
overall generalization, the topic sentence.
Model of the Stage II Paragraph
Topic Sentence
Subtopic Sentence
Specific Support
Specific Support

Subtopic Sentence
Specific Support
Specific Support

Reworded Topic Sentence

 Outline of the previous paragraph
Topic Sentence: Older computer manuals
are frustrating.
Subtopic Sentence: Indexes are hard to use.
Specific Support: One index did not use the word print.
Subtopic Sentence: General quality of writing is
poor.
Specific Support: Spreadsheet program has no
diagrams.
Specific Support: Word processing program assumes
too much.
Reworded Topic Sentence: Older computer
manuals needed work.
Support: Subtopic Sentences
 A subtopic sentence is very much like a
topic sentence.
A topic sentence and a subtopic sentence
both state opinions that need specific support.
And both are divisible into two parts: the
subject (which must be limited) and the
opinion (which must be precise).
 Review
A topic sentence is the main idea of your
paragraph.
A subtopic sentence serves as a support
idea. It helps your readers that they should
accept your main idea, the topic sentence.
Theoretically, if you can persuade your
readers to accept each subtopic sentence,
then they should accept your topic
sentence as well.
 SUBTOPIC SENTENCE: WHY?
An easiest to find/write a subtopic
sentence is to state the topic sentence and
then ask, Why?
Suppose this is your topic:
Vegetable gardens take a lot of planning.
If you ask yourself, Why do vegetable
gardens take a lot of planning?
You might come up with these two
subtopic sentences:
 Vegetable gardens take a lot of planning
because the soil needs to be prepared.
Vegetable gardens take a lot of planning
because the vegetables need to be
planted at specific times.
 Here is a possible outline, including the
specific support you might want to use:
 The subtopic sentences give some
reasons why the topic sentence is true; the
specific support then gives the concrete
support for the subtopic sentences.
SUBTOPIC SENTENCE: HOW?
Look at the next paragraph that has
subtopic sentences answering the
question How?
SUBTOPIC SENTENCE: WHEN?
Another type of subtopic sentence
answers the question when?
For example, to show that your roommate
is constantly sleepy, you could ask
yourself When?
 Exercises
Pair Work: For each of the following topic
sentences, invent subtopic sentences and
specific support. Be sure all your subtopic
sentences answer the same question:
Why? or How? or When?
1. Weather forecasting is definitely a
science.
Subtopic Sentence (Why? How? Or When?)
Specific Support (quick example)
Specific Support (quick example)
Subtopic Sentence (Why? How? Or When?)
Specific Support (statistics)
Specific Support (statement by authority)
2. Computers save people time.
Subtopic Sentence (Why? How? Or When?)
Specific Support (narrative example)
Subtopic Sentence (Why? How? Or When?)
Specific Support (statistics)
Specific Support (statement by authority)
 C. Five-paragraph Essay
Are your paragraphs turning into
monsters?
Are they getting longer and longer,
seeming more like small themes instead of
one-paragraph essays?
 Whats the difference between
a one-paragraph essay and a
five-paragraph essay?
 PARTS OF A FIVE-PARAGRAPH
ESSAY
An introduction (1 paragraph)
Central paragraphs (3 paragraphs)
A conclusion (1 paragraph)
 A. Introduction
An introduction is the first paragraph of the
essay.
The topic sentence of your one-paragraph
essay served as an introduction, but now that
youre about to write longer papers, you will
want something more substantial at the
beginning.
Introductions have three parts: a motivator, a
thesis statement, and a blueprint.
 Motivator
It is the beginning of the introductory
paragraph.
Its purpose is simply to get the reader
interested in reading more in other words, in
motivating the reader.
 Thesis Statement
A topic sentence carries the main idea of a
one-paragraph essay.
Thesis statement carries the main idea of the
five-paragraph essay.
 Blueprint
It is simply a quick summary of the main
points you are about to present in the essay.
Since a five-paragraph essay has three
central paragraphs, your blueprint will have
three points, one for each of the central
paragraphs.
 B. Central Paragraphs
There are three central paragraphs in a five-
paragraph essay, and each central
paragraph supports the essays main point
(or thesis statement).
A central paragraph is like a one-paragraph
essay, with a topic sentence at the beginning
and specific support following.
Central paragraphs do not have reworded
topic sentences.
 C. Conclusion
Reworded topic sentence at the end of a
one-paragraph essay gave you a sense of
finality.
In the conclusion of a five-paragraph
essay which is the last one, also gives a
sense of finality.
A conclusion has two parts: a reworded
thesis statement and a clincher.
 Reworded Thesis Statement
It does what it says: rewords the thesis
statement.
Its intended to be a reminder to your readers,
saying, in effect, Youve just been reading my
three central paragraphs. Once again, let me
tell you what those three paragraphs were
supporting. Then you tell them.
 Clincher
It is simply a finisher, a final sentence or two
that leaves no doubt in the readers mind that
the essay has reached its end.
Sample of a real five-paragraph
essay
An outline of the essay
 1. Introduction
Motivator Children have many things to
learn and adjust to as they grow up including
the awareness of the parts of their bodies.
Thesis Children often do humorous
things.
Blueprint Theyre often humorous in
learning to speak, in discovering that all objects
do not have humorous characteristics, and in
attempting to imitate others.
 2. First Central Paragraph
Topic Sentence Children are often
humorous in learning to speak.
Specific Support Betsy mistook ultimatum for
old tomato.
 3. Second Central Paragraph
Topic Sentence Children humanize the
objects around them.
Specific Support Book says children blame
balls and chairs as though the things were
conscious.
Specific Support I thought the sun was out to
get me.
Specific Support Betsy ordered her shoes to
climb the stairs.
 4. Third Central Paragraph
Topic Sentence Children attempt to
imitate what they see.
Specific Support They dress like their
parents.
Specific Support Piagets daughter imitated
a tantrum a visiting child threw.
 5. Conclusion
Reworded Thesis Children are funny
creatures to watch.
Clincher Reminder of the
motivator that
children have a lot
of learning and
adjusting to do.
 Exercise
Pair Work. Outline this five-paragraph
essay.
See dox