Name:______________________________________________________Date:_______________Period:________________

GuidingNotesForAn

Awesome

Informative/ExplanatoryEssay

Directions
:Writethe
prompt
or
topic
inthelinesbelow.
Prompt
:

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Next,decidewhichessay
structure
willbesthelpyoutorespondtotheprompt.

Structure
General
A.Introduction
Introduction,Hook,ThesisStatement,3Main
Points

B.BodyParagraphs
1.Point#1
Supportingtextevidenceanddetails
2.Point#2
Supportingtextevidenceanddetails
3.Point#3
Supportingtextevidenceanddetails

C.Conclusion
Rephrasethesisstatement
Rephrasemainpoints
Explainwhytopicaffectsreaders

Cause/Effect
A.Introduction
Introduction,Hook,ThesisStatement,3Main
ExamplesofCause&Effect

B.BodyParagraphs
1.Cause/EffectExample#1
Supportingtextevidenceanddetails
2.Cause/EffectExample#2
Supportingtextevidenceanddetails
3.Cause/EffectExample#3
Supportingtextevidenceanddetails

C.Conclusion
Rephrasethesisstatement
Rephrasemainpoints
Explainwhytopicisaffectsreaders

Compare/Contrast
A.Introduction
Introduction,Hook,ThesisStatement,3Main
CategoriesofComparison/Contrast

B.BodyParagraphs
1.Category#1:Comparison/Contrast
Supportingtextevidenceanddetails
2.Category#2:Comparison/Contrast
Supportingtextevidenceanddetails
3.Category#3:Comparison/Contrast
Supportingtextevidenceanddetails

C.Conclusion
Rephrasethesisstatement
Rephrasemainpoints
Explainwhytopicaffectsreaders

Now,usethechecklisttobeginwritingyourexcellentessay.

(Writeinthe3rdperson:

I
,
me
,
my
,
our
,
you
,
your
,
we
,
our
,

etc.)

IntroductoryParagraph

Introducethebroadtopic.Your
readerdoesntknowthebasictopic
thatyourmainideawillbebased
on.

Hookthereaderwithaninteresting
fact,ormaybeexplainwhythetopic
mayaffectthereader.

Writea
thesisstatement
(thistells
yourreaderexactlyyourmainidea
is)

Introducethe(3)mainpointsofyour
essaytogiveapreviewofwhateach
bodyparagraphwillbeabout(but
dontgivespecificdetailsor
supportingevidenceyet)

*Asyoucontinuewriting,remember
tomakeyourideasas
clear
as
possibleforyourreader.Great
writersknowthattheirreaders
cannot
readawritersmind!

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BodyParagraph#1

Writea
topicsentence
toletyour
readerknowwhichmainpointyou
willdescribe.
Givedetailed
evidence
(text
evidence/quotations).(A.C.E.S.)

Use
transitionwords
thathelpto
connectyourdifferentthoughtsand
detailstogether
and
toshift
betweenthoughtsandparagraphs.

TransitionWords

Compare:

likewise,inthesame
way,besides,aswell,also,
additionally,too,further,either,

Contrast
:
although,but,onother
hand,rather,however,despite,in
contrast,onthecontrary,even
though,instead,only

Sequence:

after,following,next,
before,finally,later,soonafter,
until,since,priorto

Cause/Effect:
because,so,
since,inorder,asaresult

Explain
therelationshipsbetween
eachidea(
cause/effect
or

compare/contrast
).Howdoesyour
evidencesupportyourparagraphs
mainidea?

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BodyParagraph#2

Writea
topicsentence
toletyour
readerknowwhichmainpointyou
willdescribe
Givedetailed
evidence
(text
evidence/quotations).(A.C.E.S.)

Use
transitionwords
thathelpto
connectyourdifferentthoughtsand
detailstogether
and
tochange
betweenthoughtsandparagraphs.

TransitionWords

Compare:

likewise,inthesame
way,aswell,also,additionally,too,
further,either,both

Contrast
:
although,but,onother
hand,rather,only,despite,in
contrast,even,though,instead,

Sequence:

after,following,next,
before,finally,later,soonafter,
until,since,priorto

Cause/Effect:
because,so,
therefore,since,asaresult,

Explain
therelationshipsbetween
eachidea(
cause/effect
or

compare/contrast
).Howdoesyour
evidencesupportyourparagraphs
mainidea?

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BodyParagraph#3

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ConcludingParagraph

____________________________________________________________

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_______________________________________________________________

Writea
topicsentence
toletyour
readerknowwhichmainpointyou
willdescribe
Givedetailed
evidence
(text
evidence/quotations).(A.C.E.S.)
Use
transitionwords
thathelpto
connectyourdifferentthoughtsand
detailstogether
and
tochange
betweenthoughtsandparagraphs.

TransitionWords

Compare:

likewise,inthesame
way,besides,aswell,also,
additionally,too,further,either,
both

Contrast
:
although,but,onother
hand,rather,however,despite,in
contrast,onthecontrary,even
though,instead,only

Sequence:

after,following,next,
before,finally,later,soonafter,
until,since,priorto

Cause/Effect:
because,so,
therefore,inorder,asaresult,
since

Explain
therelationshipsbetween
eachidea(
cause/effect
or

compare/contrast
).Howdoesyour
evidencesupportyourparagraphs
mainidea?

Rephrase
your
thesisstatement
toremindthereaderofthemain
ideaofyouressay.(Whatwasthe
bigpoint?)

Rephrase
the
mainpoints
ofyour
essay.

Why
wasthismainideaimportant?
Howmightyourtopicormainidea
affectthelivesofyourreaders?
Whatdoyouwantyourreaderto
remembermostaboutyourtopic?

Remembertouse
transition
words
tohelpfinalizeyourwords.

TransitionWords

Concluding:
therefore,finally,
lastly,inconclusion,indeed,overall

FinalThoughts
Didyouanswerthe
prompt

completely
?Makesurethatyouprovidedlotsof
evidence
tosupportyourmainpoints.
Readoveryouressaytocheckfor
clarity
.Doesyourwritingmakesense?(Checkforpronounsorreferencesthatwere
notspecific
).
Didyouusea
varietyoflanguage
toexpressyourthoughts?Checkyourwritingforwordsthatareoverused.Trytouse
synonyms
to
makeyouressaymoreinterestingtoread.