Four Square

a tool used for brainstorming and outlining your essay

Introduction Paragraph

introduces the topic of your essay; it’s the first paragraph

Introductory Paragraph

Ding! The final bell rings. It’s the last day of school, and summer has finally come! Students don’t have to think about school for at least another 2 ½ months. That is the way it should always be. Schools should continue using the traditional calendar and not a year-round schedule. Year-round school is a bad idea because it has no positive effect on education, it is very expensive, and it disrupts the long-awaited summer vacation.

Grabber

The first sentence of your essay; it “grabs” the

reader’s attention

Introductory Paragraph

Grabber

Ding! The final bell rings. It’s the last day of school, and summer has finally come! Students don’t have to think about school for at least another 2 ½ months. That is the way it should always be. Schools should continue using the traditional calendar and not a year-round schedule. Year-round school is a bad idea because it has no positive effect on education, it is very expensive, and it disrupts the long-awaited summer vacation.

Elaboration Sentences

the sentences in your introduction that follow the

grabber and come before the thesis; they give additional information about your

essay’s topic

Introductory Paragraph

Grabber

Elaboration Sentences

Ding! The final bell rings. It’s the last day of school, and summer has finally come! Students don’t have to think about school for at least another 2 ½ months. That is the way it should always be. Schools should continue using the traditional calendar and not a year-round schedule. Year-round school is a bad idea because it has no positive effect on education, it is very expensive, and it disrupts the long-awaited summer vacation.

Thesisthe three main points of your

essay; the last sentence of your introduction paragraph and is restated as the first sentence in your conclusion paragraph

Introductory Paragraph

Grabber

Elaboration Sentences

Thesis Thesis (Restated)

Ding! The final bell rings. It’s the last day of school, and summer has finally come! Students don’t have to think about school for at least another 2 ½ months. That is the way it should always be. Schools should continue using the traditional calendar and not a year-round schedule. Year-round school is a bad idea because it has no positive effect on education, it is very expensive, and it disrupts the long-awaited summer vacation.

Body Paragraphs

The three middle paragraphs; they must follow the order in

which they were introduced in the thesis

Body Paragraph #1 Body Paragraph #2

Body Paragraph #3

Introductory Paragraph

Elaboration Sentences

Thesis

Thesis (Restated)

Grabber

Transitionthe first word of each body

paragraph; sometimes found as the first word of the conclusion paragraph

Body Paragraph #1 Body Paragraph #2

Body Paragraph #3

Introductory Paragraph

TransitionElaboration Sentences

Thesis

Thesis (Restated)

Transition Transition

Transition

Grabber

Example Transition Words

Second

Suddenly

However

AlsoFirst

NextAfter

Again

FinallyFor example

Topic Sentence

The first sentence in each body paragraph; what the body

paragraph is about

Body Paragraph #1 Body Paragraph #2

Body Paragraph #3

Introductory Paragraph

TransitionElaboration Sentences

Thesis

Thesis (Restated)

Transition Transition

Transition

Grabber

Topic Sentence Topic Sentence

Topic Sentence

Concrete Detail

Evidence that supports the topic sentence

-

Body Paragraph #1 Body Paragraph #2

Body Paragraph #3

Introductory Paragraph

Transition Elaboration Sentences

Thesis

Thesis (Restated)

Transition Transition

Transition

Grabber

Topic Sentence Topic Sentence

Topic Sentence

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

Vivid DetailDetail that further describes

the concrete detail

(5 senses)

Body Paragraph #1 Body Paragraph #2

Body Paragraph #3

Introductory Paragraph

Transition Elaboration Sentences

Thesis

Thesis (Restated)

Transition Transition

Transition

Grabber

Topic Sentence Topic Sentence

Topic Sentence

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

Concluding Sentence

Summarizes the paragraph; the last sentence of each body paragraph; NO NEW INFO!

*

Body Paragraph #1 Body Paragraph #2

Body Paragraph #3

Introductory Paragraph

Transition Elaboration Sentences

Thesis

Thesis (Restated)

Transition Transition

Transition

Grabber

Topic Sentence Topic Sentence

Topic Sentence

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

* *

*

Concluding Sentence

Concluding Sentence

Concluding Sentence

Conclusion Paragraph

The last paragraph of the essay; summarizes the essay;

the first sentence is the restated thesis and the last

sentence is the clincher.

Body Paragraph #1 Body Paragraph #2

Body Paragraph #3

Introductory Paragraph

Transition Elaboration Sentences

Thesis

Thesis (Restated)

Transition Transition

Transition

Grabber

Topic Sentence Topic Sentence

Topic Sentence

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

* *

*

Concluding Sentence

Concluding Sentence

Concluding Sentence

Conclusion Paragraph

Conclusion Paragraph

The three middle sentences contain a detail from each

body paragraph

Body Paragraph #1 Body Paragraph #2

Body Paragraph #3

Introductory Paragraph

Transition Elaboration Sentences

Thesis

Thesis (Restated)

Transition Transition

Transition

Grabber

Topic Sentence Topic Sentence

Topic Sentence

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

* *

*

Concluding Sentence

Concluding Sentence

Concluding Sentence

Conclusion Paragraph

-Detail from body paragraph #1-Detail from body paragraph #2-Detail from body paragraph #3

The Clincher

The last sentence of the entire essay; it drives the point home;

the final thought

Body Paragraph #1 Body Paragraph #2

Body Paragraph #3

Introductory Paragraph

Transition Elaboration Sentences

Thesis

Thesis (Restated)

Transition Transition

Transition

Grabber

Topic Sentence Topic Sentence

Topic Sentence

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

- Concrete Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

Vivid Detail

* *

*

Concluding Sentence

Concluding Sentence

Concluding Sentence

Conclusion Paragraph

The Clincher

-Detail from body paragraph #1-Detail from body paragraph #2-Detail from body paragraph #3