sample basic essay

In reading below a sample of a personal example essay, you may wish to note the strategies used for writing the introductory paragraph and concluding paragraph. In addition, the thesis statement appears in these paragraphs in two different forms. It may be helpful to introduce the student to the diagram provided at the beginning of the Process Summary section and then analyze the sample essay together. Type of Essay: Personal example essay Assigned Topic: People you would like to meet Desired Meetings I've been fortunate to have met many wonderful people. I have had the chance to meet some elderly family members before they died and also some well-known people. When I was young, I met my great grandfather, which is nice because my mother talks about him so much. I've met I. King Jordan, who became president of Gallaudet University following the Deaf President Now protest. I've also met famous people such as Maya Angelou, former U.S. President George Bush, and Terry Bradshaw. However, three people I wish I could have met are Emeline Pratt, Zora Neale Hurston, and Laurent Clerc. One person I would like to have met is Emeline Pratt, who was my great great grandmother. I have recently done some family history research with my mother and found out a lot about this amazing woman. I would love to be able to meet her to ask her about her life. For example, I know that her parents died when she was still young and she went to live with another family. I wonder why the other family didn't adopt her legally? How did the family agree to take Emeline and raise her? Also, Emeline had 10 children and moved a lot when she was in her childbearing years. I wonder how she did it and why they moved so much. Meeting Emeline Pratt would answer many of my questions. It would be interesting to get her views on her life and find out what she was like as a person. Another person who would be.
I.INTRODUCTION A. Begins with a sentence that captures the reader’s attention 1) You may want to use an interesting example, a surprising statistic, or a challenging question. B. Gives background information on the topic. C. Includes the THESIS STATEMENT which: 1) States the main ideas of the essay and includes: a. Topic b. Viewpoint (what you plan to say about the topic) 2) Is more general than supporting data 3) May mention the main point of each of the body paragraphs II.BODY PARAGRAPH 1 A. Begins with a topic sentence that: 1) States the main point of the paragraph 2) Relates to the THESIS STATEMENT B. After the topic sentence, you need to fill the paragraph with well-organized details, facts, and examples. C. Paragraph may end with a transition. III.BODY PARAGRAPH 2 A. Begins with a topic sentence that: 1) States the main point of the paragraph 2) Relates to the THESIS STATEMENT B. After the topic sentence, you need to fill the paragraph with well-organized details, facts, and examples. C. Paragraph may end with a transition. IV.BODY PARAGRPH 3 A. Begins with a topic sentence that: 3) States the main point of the paragraph 4) Relates to the THESIS STATEMENT B. After the topic sentence, you need to fill the paragraph with well-organized details, facts, and examples. C. Paragraph may end with a transition. V. CONCLUSION A. Echoes the THESIS STATEMENT but does not repeat it. B. Poses a question for the future, suggests some action to be taken, or warns of a consequence. C. Includes a detail or example from the INTRODUCTION to “tie up” the essay. D. Ends with a strong image – or a humorous or surprising statement.
Title Author’s Name Paragraph One: Introduction Three reasons for my opinion Thesis statement Paragraph Two: Develops the first reason by giving examples Topic Sentence Paragraph Three: Topic Sentence Develops the second reason, giving facts and statistics to support the statement. Paragraph Four: Topic sentence Develops third reason, giving an example Paragraph Five: Conclusion Restatement of thesis Summary of reasons Why You Should Vaccinate Your Kids sample essay for student use by Trudy Morgan-Cole Since Edward Jenner introduced the first successful smallpox vaccine by injecting an eight-year-old boy with cowpox pus in 1796, vaccines have been an important part of public health care around the world (“Edward Jenner”). Yet today, many parents choose not to vaccinate their children. Because vaccines are widely supported by research, have few side effects, and have proven successful in halting the spread of disease, I believe it is important that all parents continue to vaccinate their children. All major health organizations, including the Centres for Disease Control and the World Health Organization, recommend vaccination. The value of vaccination is supported by research from around the world, and researchers are constantly working to improve the safety and effectiveness of vaccines. Epidemiologists, the scientists whose job is to study the outbreak of disease, all recommend vaccination. Many parents worry about the safety of vaccines. While side effects do occur, they are usually minor, like redness or swelling around the site of an injection. In Canada, only about one in a million doses of vaccine leads to serious side effects (“Fact and Fiction”). The most famous study linking vaccines to autism, one which got many parents worried about vaccination, has been proven false and the doctor who conducted the study has had his medical license taken away (Triggle).