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
State your main reason from your thesis.
This tells the reader what your paragraph will
be about.

What concrete details will help prove your thesis?
 Quotations (taken from an interview or article)
 Anecdote (short story taken from personal experience)
 Specific Example (from your own experience and/or
knowledge)
 Statistic or fact that proves your point (researched from
an expert source)

Sentence Starters:
 “One example is…”
 “One fact that supports this is…”
 “A specific example that proves this is…”


Now, explain how each concrete detail proves
your main point.
Commentary Sentence Starters:
 “______ is important because…”
 “This quote shows…”
 “This fact demonstrates…”
 “This means…”
 “This proves…”
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
Wrap up what you’ve said in the paragraph,
without repeating anything.
Concluding Sentence Starters:
 “As can be seen…”
 “It is clear that…”
 “Clearly it is true that…”
 “It is obvious that…”
 “One can conclude that…”

Show that you understand the opposite viewpoint of your
position, and then counter it (respond with a rebuttal) by:
 Providing contrasting evidence or
 finding mistakes and inconsistencies in the logic of the
opposing argument.
 Providing facts that clearly prove your opinion and disprove the
opposite view

Sentence Starters:







While I can not argue that…
Even though…
I agree that…
While it is true that…
I cannot argue with…
Granted…
Admittedly…


Reword your thesis and main points from
your essay, without repeating anything, in 1-2
sentences.
End with a strong “call to action” statement
 Tell the reader what must be done.
 What are the next steps?

Introduction
Paragraph
 Hook
 Brief Background Info.
 Thesis (last sentence of
the introduction)

Body Paragraphs (1-3)
 Topic Sentence
 Concrete Detail
 Commentary (2
sentences)
 Concluding Sentence
• Counterargument (4th
Body Paragraph)
– Topic Sentence (Stating
opposite opinion)
– Rebuttal/Concrete Detail
– Commentary
– Concluding Sentence
• Conclusion
– Reword thesis
– End with a call to action