Essay planning sheet
PARAGRAPH #1 : (1-2 sentences of necessary background information on your topic. Last sentence is your thesis
statement which must clearly reflect the prompt and provide three (3) points of discussion.
PARAGRAPH #2 1st Body paragraph: 11 sentences minimum
Format: #1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
#10
#11
Topic sentence introducing first topic of discussion Provides a concrete example to support your first topic
Comment on, or explain why/how this example supports your first idea
Additional comment(s)
Provide a second concrete example from the text which supports first idea of the
thesis
Comment on, or explain why/how the example supports first idea
Additional comment(s)
Provide a third concrete example from the text that supports
first idea of the thesis
Comment on, or explain why the example supports first idea
Additional comment(s)
Concluding sentence
PARAGRAPH #3 2nd Body paragraph: 11 sentences minimum
Format: #1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
#10
#11
Topic sentence introducing second topic of discussion from thesis Provides a concrete example in the text to support your second topic
Comment on, or explain why/how this example supports your second idea
Additional comment(s)
Provide a second concrete example from the text which supports second idea of
the thesis
Comment on, or explain why/how the example supports second idea
Additional comment(s)
Provide a third concrete example from the text that supports
second idea of the thesis
Comment on, or explain why the example supports second idea
Additional comment(s)
Concluding sentence
rd
PARAGRAPH #4 3 Body paragraph: 11 sentences minimlum
Format: #1Topic sentence introducing third topic of discussion #2
Provides a concrete example in the text to support your third topic
#3
Comment on, or explain why/how this example supports your third idea
#4
Additional comment(s)
#5
Provide a second concrete example from the text which supports third idea of
the thesis
#6
Comment on, or explain why/how the example supports third idea
#7
Additional comment(s)
#8
Provide a third concrete example from the text that supports
third idea of the thesis
#9
Comment on, or explain why the example supports third idea
#10
Additional comment(s)
#11
Concluding sentence
PARAGRAPH #5 Concluding Paragraph:
Based on what you have written, what conclusion can you come to about the subject of the essay? Make predictions
about expected results, but DO NOT REPEAT OR RESTATE THE THESIS FROM YOUR INTRODUCTION.
Paragraph #1 - INTRODUCTION (1-2 sentences mentioning the subject, application of subject, and a brief summary of
how this knowledge could be useful to the reader; your thesis must reflect the prompt and mention three points of
discussion)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph #2 - First Body Paragraph - Discussing thesis point #1
#1 (Indent: Topic Sentence introducing the first point of your thesis)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
#2 (concrete detail from the text to support point #1 of thesis)
For example/To begin with/First of all,_______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
#3 (Comment)___________________________________________________________________________________
#4 (Additional Comment)__________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
#5 (a second concrete detail from the text to support point #1 of thesis)
In addition/Also/Furthermore_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
#6 (Comment)___________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
#7 (Additional Comment)_________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
#8 (third concrete detail from the text to support first idea of thesis)
Finally,_________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
#9 (Commentary)________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
#10 (Additional Comment)_________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
#11 (Concluding Sentence)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph #3 - Second Body Paragraph - Discussing point #2 of your thesis
#1 (Indent: Topic Sentence introducing the second point of your thesis)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
#2 (concrete detail from the text to support point #2 of thesis)
For example/To begin with/First of all,_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
#3 (Comment)___________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
#4 (Additional Comment)__________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
#5 (a second concrete detail from the text to support point #2 of thesis)
In addition/Also/Furthermore,______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
#6 (Comment)___________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
#7 (Additional Comment)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
#8 (Third concrete detail from the text to support second idea of thesis)
Finally,_________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
#9 (Commentary)_________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
#10 (Additional Comment)________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
#11 (Concluding Sentence)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph #4 - Third Body Paragraph - Discussing point #3 of your thesis.
#1 (Indent: Topic Sentence introducing the third point of your thesis)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
#2 (First concrete detail from the text to support point #3 of thesis)
For example/To begin with/First of all,_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
#3 (Comment)___________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
#4 (Additional Comment)__________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
#5 (a second concrete detail from the text to support point #3 of thesis)
In addition/Also/Furthermore,_____________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
#6 (Comment)___________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
#7 (Additional Comment)__________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
#8 (Third concrete detail from the text to support third idea of thesis)
Finally,_________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
#9 (Commentary)_________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
#10 (Additional Comment)_________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
#11 (Concluding Sentence)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
PARAGRAPH #5 (Concluding paragraph - Based on what you have read, what conclusion can you come to about the
subject of the essay? DO NOT REPEAT OR RESTATE THE THESIS. Apply what you have written about to vehicle
owners and/or society in general.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
SELF CHECK FOR THE FOLLOWING:
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•
•
•
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SPELLING, WORD CHOICE, NO NO WORDS
COMPLETE SENTENCES - FRAGMENTS, RUN-ONS, AWKWARD SENTENCES, UNCLEAR SENTENCES
PUNCTUATION: COMMAS, PERIODS, QUESTION MARKS ALL USED CORRECTLY
PRONOUN REFERENCE ERRORS
EVERY PORTION OF FORMAT COMPLETE
Mrs. Breyer 2012