EXPOSITORY AND PERSUASIVE PAPERS

(5 PARAGRAPH PAPER)

Introduction

·        Catchy beginning

·        3 main reasons (NO LISTING)

·        Thesis statement (One sentence that tells about your entire paper)

 

1st Body Paragraph

·        Topic sentence (One sentence that tell about your entire paragraph in general)

·        At least 3 reasons of support

·        Transition sentence (Must use transition words; check worksheet)

 

2nd Body Paragraph

·        Topic sentence (One sentence that tell about your entire paragraph in general)

·        At least 3 reasons of support

·        Transition sentence (Must use transition words; check worksheet)

 

3rd Body Paragraph

·        Topic sentence (One sentence that tell about your entire paragraph in general)

·        At least 3 reasons of support

·        Transition Sentence (Must use transition words: check worksheet)

 

Conclusion

·        Restate Main Points

·        Use a Proper Conclusion Type

 

INTRODUCTION

 

Things to include in the Introduction

·        Catchy beginning (see handout)

·        Mention at least three items that you are going to talk about in your paper

·        Thesis statement

o       In a persuasive paper, you need to state the side you are talking

 

 

 

Things to stay away from in the Introduction

·        Listing what your are going to write about

My grandpa is funny because he make jokes, he is witty, and he is old.

·        Listing in different sentences:

Bob is cool. He likes to eat pizza. My brother is the funniest.

·        Do not state:

“I am going to tell you about….”

·        No two sentences in the same paragraph begin with the same word.

 

 

 BODY

 

Items that must be included in a body paragraph:

 

1.  Topic sentence – This is a sentence about the entire paragraph and is very general in catching the audience’s interest.  It is the first sentence of your body paragraph!

 

 

2.  Transition words or phrase – This is a word or group of words that ends your paragraph and connects the paragraph that you just finished with the paragraph that you are going to write next.  It is the last sentence of your body paragraph.

 

 

3.  Using supporting details – You need to have support in each paragraph.  These sentences make your paragraph complete.  the support must stay on the subject!!!!!

 

 

4.  Five sentences per paragraph – Each paragraph must have at least five sentences. (! topic, 3 support, and 1 transition)

 

 

5.  NO two sentences may begin with the same word.

 

 

 CONCLUSION

 

A conclusion paragraph is the last paragraph of your paper

 

1.  Use a strategy from the “Writing Effective Endings” worksheet.  You may combine more that one of these strategies.

 

 

2.  Restate your main points.  This does not have to be all three of your points.  You just need to restate the strongest one or two reasons.  Be sure to restate them in a different manner that presented in your Introduction.

 

 

 

DO NOT LIST YOUR MAIN POINTS

 

  

 

 

GREAT BEGINNINGS

 

Hook                                                                                                      Example

 

Question                                                What? You do not like crunch caterpillars on your pizza?

                                                              Once a caterpillar, always a caterpillar? Not hardly.

 

Idiom                                                      No you are in a pickle.  No food, no water, no shelter.  What do

                                                               you do?

 

Anecdote (narrative vignette)                    I was living in Arkansas the first time that I met prejudice

                                                                   face to face.

 

Definition                                                 Metamorphosis means transformation.  I found out this can

                                                                apply to people as well as animals.

 

Setting                                                      In a small school, tucked up in a hollow in Kentucky, students

                                                                are discovering the power of excellence.

 

Quotation                                                “Give me liberty or give me death.”

 

Pun: Play on words                                  Now, spider-silk crosshairs are spinning out of existence.

 

A riddle                                                    What do you call an eight-legged weaver?

 

Alliterative phrase                                      Stepping and stomping.  Whirling and swirling. Native

                                                                 Americans turn dancing into art.

 

Words in capitols, bold, or italics               Stop!  Look! Listen!  The safety patrol wants you.

 

Exclamation                                               Whew! And you thought the desert was hot!

 

Noises                                                        Slurp, slurp.  Glug, glug.  On a hot day, the best thing to

                                                                  quench your thirst is a tasty fruit drink from Holler Holler

                                                                  Snack Bar.

 

Sentence Fragments                                   A rose in full-bloom.  Your favorite perfume.  A steak

                                                                 cooking over charcoal. Our sense of smell tells us plenty.

 

 

 

EFFECTIVE ENDINGS

 

Simply put, the function of an effective ending is to wrap up the paper.  Here are some examples that you may try.

 

·        Reminder statement (should be subtle, not:  “I have told you 3 reasons I love books,”)

o       Be sure to look for the tell-tale rings on the tree…

o       Remember that not all snakes are….

·        Quotations concerning topic

o       “Let us all join in preserving the….

o       “I owe my success to…..”

o       I hope you will be inspired by this too….”

·        Author’s feelings

o       The think I like best about Girl Scout camp……..

o       I knew then I would always be happy in ……

o       This valuable information helped me realize my goal…….

 

·        Prediction

o       The next time you go diving, you will know how to……

o       In no time at all, you will be able to reach…….

·        Summary statement

o       To survive, they must…, and,,,,

·        An invitation to the

o       The next time you are surrounded by darkness…look up and imagine….

·        Reference to more on the topic

o       For more details…..

o       Send a self-addressed stamped postcard to…..

o       There are so many more fascinating things to know about insects.  You may want to…..

·        Raise a further question about the subject

o       Cobwebs in your next telescope?  Not likely unless you leave the cap off of the lens

o       Take a look at yourself.  Are you a good citizen?

 

 

 

USING SUPPORTING DETAILS

 

·        Real World Examples

o       Aunts are not always as old as your parents.  Amy’s Aunt Katrina is two years younger than I am!  My mother was 24 and had two kids (including me) when her mother, my grandmother, had Katrina.

·        Descriptive Details

o       You can tell the differences between the United States’ coins by feel.  The fifty-cent piece, the quarter, and the dime all have grooved edges; the nickel and penny have smooth edges.  The coins are each a different size and thickness.

·        Authoritative Quotes and Citations (For a young wittier, the authority can be a parent, teacher, friend, coach, relative, or neighbor)

o       I would like to have a pet.  My grandmother always says, “Taking care of a pet makes you responsible.”

·        Number or

o       We should have a traffic light by the library.  When we try to cross from school, it is dangerous.  Last year, we saw three accidents at that corner, and one kid was hit on his bike.

·        Proofs

o       I am good at swimming.  Last year, in the first swim meet I ever entered, I won a first place trophy.

·        Specific Examples

o       Friends are loyal, and you can trust them.  If you tell your friends a secret, she will not tell anyone else.

·        Definitions

o       I am good at karate.  It is a Japanese martial art.

 

·        Anecdotes

o       Winds can do a lot of damage.  My friend Joshua lived in Homestead, and when the hurricane hit, all the houses on his block lost their roofs.

·        Allusions

o       It reminds me of the feeling you get right before the storm.  Everything is kind of still, like we are all waiting for something to happen.  It is a funny feeling.

·        Comparisons and analogies

o       Kids go to school like grown-ups go to work.  They both have jobs.  Kids have to learn things, and grown-ups have to do things or make things.

·        Self-evident Truths

o       I hat girls.  Our teacher makes us pick girls for computer partners.  They are not like boy partners.  They giggle too much.

 

 

 

 

 

TRANSITIONAL WORDS

 

Words and Phrases of Agreement

 

and                                                         also                                          likewise

to                                                           as well as                                  besides

not only, but also                                    in addition                                furthermore

in the same fashion                                  in like manner                            and then

first, second, third                                   again

moreover                                                of course

 

 

Words and Phrases of Opposition

 

although this may be true                         or                                             otherwise

however                                                  still                                           on the other hand

not withstanding                                      yet                                            nevertheless

even so                                                   instead                                      on the contrary

of course…but                                        at the same time                        but

 

 

Words and Phrases of Cause and Effect

for                                                because                                              thus

then                                               hence                                                 consequently

therefore                                        according                                           henceforth

as                                                  to this end                                          for this purpose

as a result

 

Words and Phrases of Summarization

therefore                                        hence                                                 as shown above

consequently                                 in short                                              in conclusion

as a result                                      as can be seen                                    for this reason

for these reasons                           to sum up                                           in brief

on the whole                                  in summary                                        generally speaking

in any event                                   in other words                                    in fact

in any case                                    in either case                                      thus

 

Words and Phrases of Time

first, second, then                          next                                                   at the present time

in due time                                     sooner or later                                    at the same time

up to the present time                     up to this point                                   hence/henceforth

to begin with                                  until now                                            in time

one, since                                      further                                                later

until                                               when                                                  after

before                                           meanwhile                                          during

eventually                                      finally                                       whenever

 

DEAD WORD LIST

 

Some words in the English language tend to be overused and, therefore,

lose their power.  These words are referred to as DEAD WORDS.  Below is a list of dead words and some interesting alternatives.  This list is not limited to just these words!

 

DEAD WORDS

ALTERNATIVE

a lot, lots

Numerous, heaps, many scores, innumerable, much a great deal, many times, often

also

Too, moreover, besides, as well as, in addition to

awesome, cool, rad

fine, wonderful, marvelous, fantastic, excellent

awful

dreadful, alarming, frightful, terrible, horrid, shocking

but

however, moreover, yet, still, nevertheless, though, although, on the other had

fun

pleasant, pleasurable, amusing, entertaining, jolly

funny

amusing, comical, laughable, jovial, strange, peculiar, unusual

got, get

received, obtained, attained, succeed in

good

excellent, exceptional, fine, marvelous, splendid, superb, wonderful

great

wonderful, outstanding, marvelous, fantastic, excellent

guy

man, person, fellow, boy, individual

have to

need to, must

kid

child, boy, girl, youngster, youth, teen, teenager, adolescent

like

such as, similar to, similarly

mad

angry, frustrated, furious, incensed, enraged, irate

nice

pleasant, charming, fascinating, captivating, delightful, pleasurable, pleasing

pretty

attractive, comely, beautiful

scared

afraid, fearful, terrified, frightened

so

this, according, therefore

then

first, second, next, later, finally, afterwards, meanwhile, soon

very

extremely, exceedingly, fantastically, unusually, incredibly, intensely, truly, fully, especially, shockingly, bitterly, immeasurable, infinitely, severely, surely, mightily, powerfully, chiefly

 

 

WRITING RULES

 

o     No contractions (can’t, I’m)

o     No abbreviations (U.S.A., T.V.)

o     No numbers that are not written out (50, 100)

o     No slang words (cool, awesome)

o     Stay away from pronouns (He, She)

o     NEVER USE “IT”

o     No two sentences in the same paragraph start with the same word

o     Double space

o     No first person point of view (I, me, my us, we, our)