CLEAR THINKING AND WRITING JOHN LANGAN 2010 Townsend

CLEAR THINKING AND WRITING JOHN LANGAN © 2010 Townsend Press

The Difference between a Paragraph and an Essay A paragraph is a series of sentences about one main idea, or point.

PARAGRAPHS A paragraph typically starts with a point (often called the topic sentence). The rest of the paragraph provides specific details to support and develop the point.

PARAGRAPHS Here is a paragraph written by a student named Carla. Three Kinds of Bullies There are three kinds of bullies in schools. First of all, there are the physical bullies. They are the bigger or meaner kids who try to hurt kids who are smaller or unsure of themselves. They'll push other kids off swings, trip them in the halls, or knock books out of their hands. They do their best to frighten kids and make them cry. Another kind of bully is the verbal bully. This kind tries to hurt with words rather than fists. Nursery-school kids may call each other "dummy" or "weirdo" or "fatty, " and as kids get older, their words carry even more sting. "You are such a loser, " those bullies will tell their victim, making sure there is a crowd nearby to hear. The worst kind of bully is the social bully. Social bullies realize that they can make themselves feel powerful by making others feel unwanted. Bullies choose their victims and then do all they can to isolate them. They roll their eyes and turn away in disgust if those people try to talk to them. They move away if a victim sits near them at lunch. Physical, verbal, and social bullies all have the same ugly goal: to hurt and humiliate others. What is the point of Carla’s paragraph? What specific evidence does she offer to back up her point?

PARAGRAPHS Here is a paragraph written by a student named Carla. Three Kinds of Bullies There are three kinds of bullies in schools. First of all, there are the physical bullies. They are the bigger or meaner kids who try to hurt kids who are smaller or unsure of themselves. They'll push other kids off swings, trip them in the halls, or knock books out of their hands. They do their best to frighten kids and make them cry. Another kind of bully is the verbal bully. This kind tries to hurt with words rather than fists. Nursery-school kids may call each other "dummy" or "weirdo" or "fatty, " and as kids get older, their words carry even more sting. "You are such a loser, " those bullies will tell their victim, making sure there is a crowd nearby to hear. The worst kind of bully is the social bully. Social bullies realize that they can make themselves feel powerful by making others feel unwanted. Bullies choose their victims and then do all they can to isolate them. They roll their eyes and turn away in disgust if those people try to talk to them. They move away if a victim sits near them at lunch. Physical, verbal, and social bullies all have the same ugly goal: to hurt and humiliate others. What is the point of Carla’s paragraph? There are three kinds of bullies in schools. What specific evidence does she offer to back up her point? Carla gives many examples to support the idea that there are physical, verbal, and social bullies. For example, she says that physical bullies push and trip other kids, they knock books out of their hands, and so forth.

PARAGRAPHS An effective paragraph must not only make a point but also support it with specific evidence—reasons, examples, and other details.

ESSAYS A paragraph is a series of sentences about one main idea or point. An essay is a series of paragraphs about one main idea or point.

ESSAYS In an essay, the main idea or point is called the central point or thesis.

ESSAYS On page 25 of the textbook there is an essay written by Carla that more fully develops her paragraph on bullies. Notice the parts of that essay: Introductory paragraph that includes the central point of the essay—there are three forms of bullying in schools: physical, verbal, and social Three supporting paragraphs —one on physical bullying, one on verbal bullying, and one on social bullying Concluding paragraph

THE PARTS OF AN ESSAY Introductory Paragraph A well-written introductory paragraph will: • Gain the reader’s interest • Present thesis statement or central idea

THE PARTS OF AN ESSAY Introductory Paragraph: Four Common Methods There are four common methods of introduction: 1. Telling a brief story 2. Asking one or more questions 3. Shifting to the opposite 4. Going from the broad to the narrow

THE PARTS OF AN ESSAY Introductory Paragraph: Four Common Methods 1. Telling a brief story Example Eric, a new boy at school, was shy and physically small. He quickly became a victim of bullies. Kids would wait after school, pull out his shirt, and punch and shove him around. He was called such names as "Mouse Boy" and "Jerk Boy. " When he sat down during lunch hour, others would leave his table. In gym games he was never thrown the ball, as if he didn't exist. Then one day he came to school with a gun. When the police were called, he told them he just couldn't take it anymore. Bullying had hurt him badly, just as it hurts so many other students. Every member of a school community should be aware of bullying and the three hateful forms that it takes: physical, verbal, and social bullying.

THE PARTS OF AN ESSAY Introductory Paragraph: Four Common Methods 2. Asking one or more questions Example When you were a kid, were you ever pushed around by bigger children? Were you shoved aside in hallways or knocked out of your seat in classrooms? Were you ever called hurtful names like "fatso, " "worm, " "dogface, " or "retard"? Or were you coldly ignored by other students? Did they turn their backs on you, pretending you didn't exist? If the answer to any of these questions is "yes, " then you were a victim of one of three forms of bullying: physical, verbal, or social.

THE PARTS OF AN ESSAY Introductory Paragraph: Four Common Methods 3. Shifting to the opposite Example For many children, school is a happy experience. They like their teachers, they see their friends on a daily basis, and they feel comfortable and welcome. But for the victims of bullies, school is a nightmare. Every day they must face someone bigger or meaner than they are and endure humiliation in a variety of forms—physical, verbal, and social.

THE PARTS OF AN ESSAY Introductory Paragraph: Four Common Methods 4. Going from the broad to the narrow Example Many unpleasant parts of growing up seem unavoidable. Pimples happen, voices crack, and students worry all the time about their looks and their changing bodies. In time, the pimples disappear, the voices deepen, and the worries recede. But one all-too-common aspect of growing up, bullying, can have lasting negative results. Young people should not have to put up with bullying in any of its forms—physical, verbal, or social.

THE PARTS OF AN ESSAY Supporting Paragraphs Each supporting paragraph in an essay should have its own topic sentence. That sentence should state the point to be developed in the paragraph.

THE PARTS OF AN ESSAY Supporting Paragraphs In the essay on page 25 of the textbook, each supporting paragraph has a clear topic sentence. First supporting paragraph: First of all, there is physical bullying. Second supporting paragraph: Perhaps even worse than physical attack is verbal bullying, which uses words, rather than hands or fists, as weapons. Third supporting paragraph: As bad as verbal bullying is, perhaps the most painful type of bullying is social bullying.

THE PARTS OF AN ESSAY Transitional Words and Sentences In a paragraph, transitional words like First, Another, Also, and Finally are used to help connect supporting ideas. In an essay, transitional sentences are used to help tie the supporting paragraphs together.

THE PARTS OF AN ESSAY Transitional Words and Sentences Transitional sentences often occur at the beginning of a supporting paragraph.

THE PARTS OF AN ESSAY Transitional Words and Sentences Here are the topic sentences for the second and third supporting paragraphs in the essay on bullying. What makes these transitional sentences? Perhaps even worse than physical attack is verbal bullying, which uses words, rather than hands or fists, as weapons. As bad as verbal bullying is, perhaps the most painful type of bullying is social bullying.

THE PARTS OF AN ESSAY Transitional Words and Sentences Here are the topic sentences for the second and third supporting paragraphs in the essay on bullying. What makes these transitional sentences? Perhaps even worse than physical attack is verbal bullying, which uses words, rather than hands or fists, as weapons. As bad as verbal bullying is, perhaps the most painful type of bullying is social bullying. Explanation Each topic sentence names the type of bullying that will be discussed in the paragraph it introduces. But it also restates the type of bullying discussed in the previous paragraph. This makes these sentences transitional sentences.

THE PARTS OF AN ESSAY Concluding Paragraph The concluding paragraph often summarizes the essay by briefly restating thesis and, at times, the main supporting points. It may also provide a closing thought or two as a way to bring the paper to a natural and graceful end.

THE PARTS OF AN ESSAY Concluding Paragraph Here is the concluding paragraph of the essay on bullying. Whether bullying is physical, verbal, or social, it can leave deep and lasting scars. If parents, teachers, and other adults were more aware of the types of bullying, they might help by stepping in before the situation becomes too extreme. If students were more aware of the terrible pain that bullying causes, they might think twice about being bullies themselves. Which sentence summarizes the essay? Which sentences provide closing thoughts?

THE PARTS OF AN ESSAY Concluding Paragraph Here is the concluding paragraph of the essay on bullying. Whether bullying is physical, verbal, or social, it can leave deep and lasting scars. If parents, teachers, and other adults were more aware of the types of bullying, they might help by stepping in before the situation becomes too extreme. If students were more aware of the terrible pain that bullying causes, they might think twice about being bullies themselves. Which sentence summarizes the essay? The first sentence summarizes the three forms of bullying and their effects. Which sentences provide closing thoughts? The second and third sentences provide closing thoughts.

PARAGRAPHS AND ESSAYS Remember: A paragraph is a series of sentences about one main idea or point. An essay is a series of paragraphs about a central point or thesis.