essays 101 with your old pal, mr. clawson

Essays 101 With Your Old Pal, Mr. Clawson

Five Paragraph

Essay


Body Paragraph

Essays 101 With Your Old Pal, Mr. ClawsonBody Paragraph

Topic SentenceThe topic sentence oragnizes/focuses your body

paragraph. Every sentence in your body paragraph should connect back to your topic sentence. topic.

• Your TOPIC SENTENCE should be the first sentence

of your body paragraph.


Topic SentenceFirstly, Romeo is the protagonist of Romeo and

Juliet, which is an important qualification of a tragic hero.

• #1) My TOPIC SENTENCE introduces the main idea of this BODY PARGRAPH.

•#2) My TOPIC SENTENCE connects back to the main idea of my essay: the THESIS STATEMENT.


Topic Sentence

Firstly, Romeo is the protagonist of Romeo and Juliet, which is an important qualification of a tragic hero. The reader knows Romeo is the protagonist because he is the character that is

most centrally involved with the plot. Romeo himself is responsible for the climax of the play, when he kills Tybalt in the

streets of Verona (RJ 3.1).

Every sentence in your body paragraph should connect back to your topic sentence.


TransitionThe transition is the word/phrase that segues out of

the previous paragraph and into the next one.

• Paragraph’s #2-#5 should ALWAYS begin with

a TRANSITION.


Transition

• “Firstly,” is the TRANSITION.

Firstly, Romeo is the protagonist of Romeo and Juliet, which is an important qualification of a tragic

hero.

• It segues into the topic sentence.


Transitions• First

•Then

•Next

•Last

• Speaking of…

• On a related note…

• Not only does…

• Consequently…

• Even though…

• In conclusion…


ExampleThe example from the text is the specific moment you reference which connects back to your topic

sentence and ultimately supports your thesis statement.


Example

• #1) My EXAMPLE uses a specific moment from the text that connects back to my TOPIC SENTENCE and reinforces my THESIS STATEMENT.

•#2) My EXAMPLE proves that I read the material.

Firstly, Romeo is the protagonist of Romeo and Juliet, which is an important qualification of a tragic hero. The reader knows Romeo is the protagonist because he is the character that is

most centrally involved with the plot. Romeo himself is responsible for the climax of the play, when he kills Tybalt in the

streets of Verona (RJ 3.1).


Direct/Context Quote

The direct/context quote is a specific line of text written verbatim in your essay. ANY line from any text needs to be in quotations.


Direct/Context Quote“I would the fool were married to her grave” (RJ 3. 5. 140). This quote from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is one of

the most obvious examples of…

• #1) My DIRECT/CONTEXT QUOTE is written word-for-word from the play.

•#2) My DIRECT/CONTEXT QUOTE should connect back to my TOPIC SENTENCE and reinforce my THESIS STATEMENT.


Direct/Context QuoteA common theme in tragedy is when a character

thinks they can challenge the heavens. Romeo does this when he receives word of Juliet’s death. “Then I defy you, stars” (RJ 5.1. 24). This moment proves

Romeo is a tragic hero, because he is literally rebelling against the heavens/fate.

• Notice that I explain clearly why the quote I used was an appropriate choice.


CitationsCitations are a formatting device the

references the work you are quoting/paraphrasing. You will use

parenthetical/in-text citations after every quote/paraphrase in your essay.

• CITATIONS are required in all forms of formal writing.


Citations“I would the fool were married to her grave” (RJ 3. 5. 140). This quote from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is one of

the most obvious examples of…

• #1) My CITATION appears after my quote in parenthesis.

•#2) My CITATION references the work, act #, scene #, and line #/#’s.

•#3) The punctuation of the sentence comes AFTER the parenthesis.


Citations

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