Biesenbach-Lucas Good Paragraph / Good Essay Structure Instructor

Good Paragraph Structure

Sample Paragraph, adapted from Renn, D. (2005). Strategies for College Success, Ch. 7

Almost all Americans are or! oriented. "he# tal! a$o%t or! at l%nch, ha&e second 'o$s, and find or! addicti&e. As an e(ample, ) %sed to or! in an ins%rance compan#, and at l%nchtime, hen emplo#ees are s%pposed to rela(, m# co* or!ers not onl# contin%ed to or!, $%t the# also contin%ed to tal! a$o%t their 'o$s. )n m# c%lt%re, hen people eat, the# tal! a$o%t other topics, $%t ne&er a$o%t or!. "his constant tal!ing a$o%t or! ma# $e one reason h# people come to disli!e their 'o$s. As another e(ample, one of the associates in the ins%rance compan# told me that she had a second 'o$ at night, and that she or!ed so hard $eca%se she had a child to s%pport. She al a#s felt stressed and $ecame sic! a lot. "his amo%nt of or!ing cannot $e health# for the mind nor the $od#. +inall#, another e(ample occ%rred hile ) or!ed in this compan#. After '%st a fe months of or!ing there, ) co%ld not lea&e. ,&en hen ) started college, ) !ept or!ing part*time. -%st li!e m# American colleag%es, ) got %sed to or!ing . or, more importantl#, ) got %sed to the mone#. )n concl%sion, or! is a %$i/%ito%s feat%re in the li&es of Americans0 or! does not cease at l%nchtime, one 'o$ is often not eno%gh, and or! $ecomes an o$session. "he danger, ho e&er, is that one can p%t all one1s energ# into or! and forget a$o%t one1s famil# in the process.

Biesenbach-Lucas Good Paragraph / Good Essay Structure Instructor

Biesenbach-Lucas Good Paragraph / Good Essay Structure Instructor

COLOR CODED

ERSIO!

Almost all Americans are or! oriented. "he# "#$tal! a$o%t or! at l%nch, "%$ ha&e second 'o$s, and "&$ find or! addicti&e. "#$ As an e(ample, ) %sed to or! in an ins%rance compan#, and at l%nchtime, hen emplo#ees are s%pposed to rela(, m# co* or!ers not onl# contin%ed to or!, $%t the# also contin%ed to tal! a$o%t their 'o$s. )n m# c%lt%re, hen people eat, the# tal! a$o%t other topics, $%t ne&er a$o%t or!. "his constant tal!ing a$o%t or! ma# $e one reason h# people come to disli!e their 'o$s. "%$ As another e(ample, one of the associates in the ins%rance compan# told me that she had a second 'o$ at night, and that she or!ed so hard $eca%se she had a child to s%pport. She al a#s felt stressed and $ecame sic! a lot. "his amo%nt of or!ing cannot $e health# for the mind nor the $od#. "&$ +inall#, another e(ample occ%rred hile ) or!ed in this compan#. After '%st a fe months of or!ing there, ) co%ld not lea&e. ,&en hen ) started college, ) !ept or!ing part*time. -%st li!e m# American colleag%es, ) got %sed to or!ing . or, more importantl#, ) got %sed to the mone#. )n concl%sion, or! is a %$i/%ito%s feat%re in the li&es of Americans0 or! does not cease at l%nchtime, one 'o$ is often not eno%gh, and or! $ecomes an o$session. "he danger, ho e&er, is that one can p%t all one1s energ# into or! and forget a$o%t one1s famil# in the process.

Biesenbach-Lucas Good Paragraph / Good Essay Structure Instructor

Standard 'i(e-Paragraph Essay 'or)at

Adapted from0 http022 .gc.maricopa.ed%2,nglish2essa#2

Structure of the Introductory Paragraph General Fact / Background: Thesis: Blueprint:

The high Rocky Mountains might seem like a beautiful, but frightening, wilderness, approachable by only the toughest mountain climbers climbing !olorado"s fourteeners is not a difficult e#perience for three reasons: because most of them take only a day to climb, in$ol$e only hiking and simple scrambling, and are con%uered by many people e$ery year

&#ample

To most people, the high Rocky Mountains might seem like a beautiful, but frightening, wilderness, approachable by only the toughest mountain climbers. In fact, over 200 years ago, ebulon !ike believed that no one could ever climb these mountains on foot. It is true that the "# peaks in the Rockies that soar over $%,000 feet in elevation should only be attempted by e&perienced climbers. 'owever, people are mistaken who believe that the high Rockies are hard to climb. The peaks under $%,000 feet, the fourteeners, can be easily climbed by the average person. In fact, climbing (olorado)s fourteeners is not a difficult e&perience for three reasons* most of them take only a day to climb, involve no more than hiking and simple scrambling, and are con+uered by many people each year.

Structure of the First Body Paragraph Topic 'entence

First, the fourteeners are not hard to climb because, unlike e#peditions to Mt Mc(inley or Mt &$erest, a climb up one of !olorado"s )*,+++ foot peaks rarely takes more than a day

'pecific 'upport ,ld professor makes daily climbs 'pecific 'upport - friend climbed four in one day 'pecific 'upport fourteeners in a day to celebrate the Bicentennial !oncluding 'tatement
!olorado Mountain !lub climbed most of the state"s .n short, !olorado/s peaks can be climbed in relati$ely short time

&#ample

,irst, the fourteeners are not hard to climb because, unlike e&peditions to Mt. Mc-inley or Mt. .verest, a climb up one of (olorado)s $%,000 foot peaks rarely takes more than a day. !ike)s !eak, the most visited mountain in /orth 0merica, is admittedly a strenuous climb, but a retired college professor in his middle

Biesenbach-Lucas Good Paragraph / Good Essay Structure Instructor seventies makes the hike every day in the summer. 0lso, a friend of mine, (arson 1lack, once climbed four fourteeners in a day, three of which22(restone !eak, (restone /eedle, and -it (arson !eak22are the most challenging in the state. 3nly a handful of ascents took more than a day. .ven more revealing is the 1icentennial celebration by the (olorado Mountain (lub. Members of the club climbed most of the state)s fourteeners in one day to celebrate the 1icentennial on 4uly %, $567. In short, (olorado8s peaks can be climbed in relatively short time.

Structure of the Second Body Paragraph Topic 'entence 'pecific 'upport 'pecific 'upport 'pecific 'upport !oncluding 'tatement
'econd, !olorado"s )*,+++0foot peaks are also fairly easy to climb because they re%uire no special climbing techni%ues The 1knife0edge tra$erse1 on !apitol 2eak is a challenge, yet ropes aren"t usually used The highest peak in the state, Mt &lbert, is simple to climb . personally saw two motorcycles on the )*,+++0foot ridge Therefore, no unusual skills are needed to climb fourteeners

&#ample
9econd, (olorado)s $%,0002foot peaks are also fairly easy to climb because they re+uire no special climbing techni+ues. The :knife2edge traverse: on (apitol !eak is probably the most infamous challenge, yet most hikers who carry ropes don)t use them when they reali;e that the ridge is not very intimidating. Moreover, the highest peak in the state, Mt. .lbert, is so simple to climb that a <eep made it to the top in $5%5, and one man :rode a 2%2year2old bicycle to the summit in $5"$: =.berhart > 9chmuck, $562, p. #?@. In addition, I personally saw two motorcycles on the $%,0002foot ridge between Mt. Aemocrat and Mt. Bincoln. Therefore, no unusual skills are needed to climb fourteeners.

Structure of the Third Body Paragraph Topic 'entence 'pecific 'upport 'pecific 'upport 'pecific 'upport !oncluding 'entence
Third, another indication that climbing !olorado"s highest peaks is not $ery difficult is the sheer number of people who succeed in climbing them each summer . saw o$er se$enty cars in the parking lot of Torrey"s 2eak 3ou can pass fifty people climbing Mt &lbert Twenty to thirty years ago, *+++ people climbed 4ongs 2eak .t can be seen then that many people climb the peaks each year

Biesenbach-Lucas Good Paragraph / Good Essay Structure Instructor

&#ample
Third, another indication that climbing (olorado)s highest peaks is not very difficult is the sheer number of people who succeed in climbing them each summer. 0fter descending from Torrey)s !eak one weekend in 0ugust, I counted over seventy cars in the parking lot. In fact, its parking lot today, to accommodate the number of climbers, is about a +uarter2mile long. Auring a typical week, you can pass fifty people in various stages of climbing Mt. .lbert. .ven twenty to thirty years ago, over %,000 people regularly climbed Bongs !eak each year =/esbit, $550@. It can be seen then that many people climb the peaks each year.

Structure of the Concluding Paragraph

Reworded Thesis Reworded Blueprint !lincher5

.n conclusion, !olorado"s peaks are not the domain of only bears and mountain men Most peaks can be climbed in a day, in$ol$e mainly hiking and little climbing, and are tackled by numerous people e$ery year !onsider how 6ebulon 2ike, the -merican e#plorer after whom 2ikes 2eak is named, might feel about 2ikes 2eak today: in )7+8, he 1predicted that the mountain would ne$er be climbed1 9&berhart : 'chmuck, );<=, p 8> ?ow, $ia the cog railway or the toll highway, he would be able to reach the summit without mo$ing his legs

&#ample

In conclusion, (olorado)s peaks are not the domain of only bears and mountain men. Most peaks can be climbed in a day, involve mainly hiking and little climbing, and are tackled by numerous people every year. (onsider how ebulon !ike, the 0merican e&plorer after whom !ikes !eak is named, might feel about !ikes !eak today* in $?07, he :predicted that the mountain would never be climbed: =.berhart > 9chmuck, $562, p. 7@. /ow, via the cog railway or the toll highway, he would be able to reach the summit without moving his legs.

Biesenbach-Lucas Good Paragraph / Good Essay Structure Instructor

.ntroductory 2aragraph First Body 2aragraph

General Fact / Background Thesis 'entence @ Blueprints ),=,A Topic 'entence repeat thesis and B2) Specific Support Specific Support Specific Support !oncluding 'entence Topic 'entence repeat thesis and B2 = Specific Support Specific Support Specific Support !oncluding 'entence Topic 'entence repeat thesis and B2 A Specific Support Specific Support Specific Support !oncluding 'entence Reworded Thesis @ Blueprints ),=,A 5!lincher5 (may tie back to introduction)

'econd Body 2aragraph

Third Body 2aragraph

!oncluding 2aragraph