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Expository
Persuasive
Descriptive
Narrative
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What is an expository essay? It …
 …Gives facts.
 …Explains.
 …Gives steps in a process.
 …Presents ideas in logical order o
correct sequence.
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What are the key words that show it is an
expository prompt?
Most people enjoy some type of music. Think
about your favorite type of music and explain
why you like that particular type of music.
Sometimes even the best drivers can get lost at
times. Explain how you would direct a lost man
to get back to the interstate highway from your
neighborhood.
Tell how to make a hamburger.
YOU WILL FIND THESE WORDS IN THE PROMPT
EXPLAIN or TELL HOW.
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What is a descriptive essay?
 Sensory images are
used to describe what
the writer sees, hears,
smells, touches, and
tastes.
 It paints a clear
description of people,
places, objects, or
events.
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What are the key words that show it is a
descriptive prompt?
Describe your bedroom. Imagine telling someone who
has never visited you.
There are many tourist spots to visit in Birmingham.
Describe your favorite place to take visitors. You may
want to tell what you will see, hear, smell and how you
feel when you are there.
Tell us what you see, hear, smell, taste, and feel on
Christmas morning.
YOU MUST
DESCRIBE
OR
TELL WHAT A PERSON CAN
SEE, HEAR, SMELL, TASTE OR FEEL.
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What is a persuasive essay?
 You are asked to
prove something.
 Give reasons why.
 Present arguments
against your reasons.
Show them to be
false.
 Take a stand
 Ask or call for an
action.
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What are the key words that show it’s a persuasive
prompt?
 Persuade a close friend to donate blood as part of a blood
drive that your school is sponsoring for the Red Cross.
 Some of your kid brothers friends have taken up smoking
and want him to start too. Write a convincing letter to your
kid brother to not take up this habit.
 Write a letter to the editor of the newspaper telling why
citizens in Birmingham should support a tax increase
benefiting the local public schools.
YOU WILL NOTICE THE
WORDS PERSUADE, CONVINCE
OR TELL WHY SOMEONE
SHOULD DO SOMETHING.
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What is a
narrative?
A narrative…
• Tells a story.
• Has chronological order
and sequence of
events.
• Has action.
• Has conflicts or
problems.
• Has dialogue.
• Has characters.
• Has a definite
beginning, middle and
end.
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What are the key words that show that
these are narrative prompts?
You and your friend find a big box that is labeled “Do Not
Open.” Your friend wants to open the box. Write a story
about what happens next.
Tell about a time when you made a serious mistake.
Two little girls found a wallet on the sidewalk. Tell what
happened next.
NOTE THE WORDS: WRITE A STORY
TELL ABOUT A TIME,
or
or
TELL WHAT HAPPENED NEXT.
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Ready to write? First determine what type prompt
you have. You should read your prompt at least
“three” times.
 Expository--explain, tell how
 Descriptive--describe
 Persuasive---persuade or convince
 Narrative-- tell about a time
when, tell a story
Use your scratch paper to brain storm and then
make an outline, or web, for a five paragraph essay.
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Think – Brainstorm-PACO
 P-What is your purpose?
 A- Who is your audience?
 C- Content --What are
your ideas for
details, facts, or
reasons?
 O- Organization --Think
how you want to
structure your paper.
Jot down these ideas.
NOW START YOUR OUTLINE, OR WEB!
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First Paragraph
Introduce your topic
Give 3 details, reasons, facts or steps in a process
You will talk about in your paper.
Second Paragraph
Third
Fourth
KEY IDEA
Descriptive(details)
Persuasive (reasons)
Expository (facts/steps)
KEY IDEA
Descriptive(details)
Persuasive (reasons)
Expository (facts/steps)
KEY IDEA
Descriptive(details)
Persuasive (reasons)
Expository (facts/steps)
explanation
explanation
explanation
elaboration
elaboration
elaboration
examples
examples
examples
KEY IDEA
KEY IDEA
KEY IDEA
explanation
explanation
explanation
elaboration
elaboration
elaboration
examples
examples
examples
Fifth Paragraph
Conclusion
Summarize the points
you made in the essay
go back to the introduction
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FIRST PAPAGRAPH
Introduce your topic
Give 3 details, reasons, facts or steps in a process
You will talk about in your paper.
KEY IDEA
D(details)
P (reasons)
E (facts/steps)
KEY IDEA
D(details)
P (reasons)
E (facts/steps)
KEY IDEA
D(details)
P (reasons)
E (facts/steps)
explanation
explanation
explanation
elaboration
elaboration
elaboration
examples
examples
examples
KEY IDEA
KEY IDEA
KEY IDEA
explanation
explanation
explanation
elaboration
elaboration
elaboration
examples
examples
examples
Conclusion
Summarize the points
you made in the essay
go back to the introduction
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Here’s the prompt.
There are many good and bad things
about being in the seventh grade.
Explain what these things are.
What kind of prompt do we have?
Did you say expository? You’re
right!
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Use
your
scratch
paper
Jot down a few transitions.
 What are transitions?
 Words or phrases that connect ideas or
introduce the topic.
 Such as one, if, although, however,
finally, in conclusion, first, second,
next, additionally,consequently
Make an outline or web. Develop a
1-3-1 plan. One Paragraph for introThree paragraphs for the body –
One paragraph for the conclusion.
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This is an important step!
Don’t try to write your paper without
doing an outline first.
Why?!
•You will be graded on organization.
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Introductions for expository,
descriptive and persuasive essays
should….
 Grab the reader’s attention.
 Or -- Let the reader know what you’re going to talk abou
 Or--Show a plan for what you’re going to be talking
about in the three body paragraphs.
 Or --State what the audience will learn in this
essay.
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Let’s start on the body. Go back to
your web or outline for the second
paragraph.
Good Fun Things
-Changing classes and teachers
-Ms. Trunchbull & Ms. Honey
More Freedom
- no line
-See friends at lunch
1
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Look back at your outline for the
third paragraph
Bad things
SAT Test
-not like elementary school
-compare to stale bread
more test and harder
-stress stomach hurts
-math makes me sick
2
0
Look back to your outline before writing
the fourth paragraph
things that are both good & bad
Field Trips
-miss school
-might be boring
PE
-clothes sweat
-fun to play and compete
Homework
-too much
-pull up grades
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Now we are ready for the fifth paragraph – the
conclusion which will summarize our main points
or key ideas in the body.
Good and bad things
freedom
changing classes
SAT test
going to school longer
tests
Good and Bad
Homework
PE
Fieldtrips
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Now Let’s Look At Narrative
 Tell about a time
 Write a story
Do you think there is a
love story here?
 Chronological
sequence of events
 Dialogue
 Action
 Problems, conflicts
 Beginning, Middle,
End
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STORY TITLE
Introduction
Event
Event
Use this
type of
web for
a Narrative
CLIMAX
Event
Event
ENDING
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Some typical story transition words
 One day
 Suddenly
 During
 Until
 Yesterday
 Meanwhile
 Afterwards
 While
Typically transitions
are about time. After,
before, since, later
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How to get your story rolling
 Begin by describing a
character.
LaDarius Smith, a star
on our school
basketball team, is
very lucky.
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Get the story rolling with dialogue
“What’s that smell?”
the seventh graders
complained.
“Finish your
experiment and we’ll
head outside to get
away from it,” said
their teacher.
What punctuation goes
with the words said?
Did you say quotation
marks? You’re right!
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Get the story rolling
Provide a “where” with
prepositional phrases:
 Near the park
 Below the surface of
the water
 In Chicago
 Throughout the
crowded room
 Inside the lunchroom
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Can you tell which passage is narrative and
which is expository?
Marty and I jumped to our
feet. “Ohhhh.” I heard
Marty let out a frightened
moan.
I started to back away. I
thought maybe I could
scramble out the other side
of the car.
But the snarling, growling
monsters came at us from
both sides. “L-leave us
alone.” I stammered.
A monster covered in
tangled brown fur opened
Expository
After Christopher
Columbus’s voyages to the
New World, many Spaniards
came to this continent to
explore. One Spanish
explorer was Ponce De Leon.
He traveled through presentday Florida to find the
Fountain of Youth. A second
explorer, Coronado searched
for the Seven Cities of Gold.
He and his men traveled
Narrative
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Summary
 Identify your prompt
 Plan your work with an outline.
 Give your work a title with an action word.
 Grab interest in the beginning
 Build your paragraph with explanations,
examples, & evidence following the topic
statement or key statement.
 Use strong action words
 Use vivid adjectives
 Use metaphors
 Finished? Reread & reread to improve and
clarify.
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