essay1_outline

Grade 9 Essay #1: Personal Expository

Write an essay about an event, areas of interest, hobbies, clubs, travel, or experiences in your life that you feel are important to you. Besides describing the event or area of interest, include thoughts and/or reflections about the impact this event had (or has) on you as a developing individual.

The essay should be in three parts: the introduction, the body of the essay, and the conclusion.

The introduction should have: a good lead sentence, a sentence explaining the lead, a short personal summary of yourself, and end with a thesis statement. A typical thesis sentence for this essay might be: “These three areas are important to me.”

The body of the essay should have three paragraphs in the present tense which focuses on three events or areas of your life. Explain each topic, elaborate with specific examples about these topics, and end with a commentary on how this impacts your life, making you who you are today.

The conclusion ends this personal expository essay. It should restate the thesis and the three basic areas discussed. The focus should then shift from present tense to future, stating goals and ambitions in the years to come. Discuss if you intend to graduate from high school, if further education is in your plans, what you might want to study, and what career you intend to pursue. A text-to-world (or text-to-text) connection makes for a stronger conclusion. The final sentence in the essay hooks back to the lead.

Think of tone: This essay should be written at the standard or conferential level, not sub-standard (with slang and over use of idioms), nor non-standard. Be precise. Be descriptive. If one follows this outline, the essay should be a good one.

Types of leads

1. quote

2. bold statement

3. question

4. feeling

5. riddle

I. Introduction:

1. lead statement:________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

2. explain the lead:_______________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

3. short summary of self:__________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

4. thesis statement, three areas, hobbies, clubs, activities, events, important to

you: ____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

II. First topic being discussed:

1. state the topic: ____________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

2. supporting detail – explain fully the topic:__________________________

____________________________________________________________________

3. elaboration, give specific examples illustrating or explaining further the topic

so everyone can understand it:____________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

4. commentary/ why is this important to you, how this topic impacts your life

making you who you are today:___________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

III. Second topic being discussed: