Organizer for Justification Paragraph:
"I am in College for Three Main Reasons"
Our justification paragraph will be a simple justification argument. Please review pages 286 to 294 for very specific advice on writing argument pieces. You will
also find Chapters 13, 14, 15, and parts of 16 very helpful, as well as Chapter 12. The title for this justification argument is "I am in College for Three Main
Reasons." Please keep your topic sentence simple, being very clear about your three main reasons. I would like to strongly encourage you to either print out a
copy of this organizer, or save it to your desktop, so that you can actually write or type the various components of your paragraph onto this form; this way, you'll
know that you have every required component. Strong structure is essential to this project. Even if you have grammar issues, if your structure is sound, you will
have a higher grade. Do not expect to complete the rough draft in just one sitting; ideas may occur to you at different times, and you can come back and put
them in. What would you say are your three main reasons for being in college? Some common reasons stated by my past students have included the following:
to obtain training for a good job, to retrain for a better job, to be a good example for one's children, to fulfill a lifelong dream, to get prerequisite classes out of
the way, to increase skill levels in business and professional competencies, and many other good reasons.
During prewriting, generate several good ideas; this way, you can pick your three strongest when writing your paragraph.
Your topic sentence must do three jobs: give the topic, give your opinion about that topic, and preview the organization of the piece of writing.
Consider the following thesis statement:
"I like my dog because he has a sweet personality, because he is the reason that I walk a mile each evening after work, and because he is protective of my
children." The topic is "my dog." The author's opinion is that he or she likes the dog. The organization of the paragraph will be as follows: after the topic
sentence, the first main idea sentence will discuss the dog's sweet personality, and will be followed by at least two support sentences which will give evidence,
examples, or a more in-depth explanation of how sweet this dog is. The second main idea sentence will speak of how having this dog makes the owner get
outdoors for a healthy walk each day (something that the owner may not have done, had he or she not had a dog); at least two support sentences will follow.
The third main idea sentence will be about the author's appreciation of the dog's protective behavior toward his or her children, and will in turn be followed by
at least two support sentences. Finally, the concluding sentence will wrap things up, and give the reader something to think about.
Visual image of the justification paragraph, with room for notes:
Attention Getter(s)
Topic Sentence
First Main Point (first reason I'm in college)
Support (example, illustration, or a more-in-depth explanation of this point)
Support (example, illustration, or a more-in-depth explanation of this point)
Second Main Point (second reason I'm in college)
Support (example, illustration, or a more-in-depth explanation of this point)
Support (example, illustration, or a more-in-depth explanation of this point)
Third Main Point (third reason I'm in college)
Support (example, illustration, or a more-in-depth explanation of this point)
Support (example, illustration, or a more-in-depth explanation of this point)
Any Additional Main Idea(s), each with at least two support sentences
Concluding Sentence
Worksheet to help you organize your Narrative Paragraph:
One or Two Attention Getter Sentences (These set up the situation or just get the reader's attention).
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Topic sentence that gives the subject, the author's opinion, and the organization of the piece:
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Complete sentence introducing the first reason (main point)to justify your being in college:
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At least two complete sentences giving supporting information, or additional information:
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Complete sentence introducing the second reason (main point)to justify your being in college:
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At least two complete sentences giving supporting information, or additional information:
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Complete sentence introducing the third reason (main point)to justify your being in college:
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At least two complete sentences giving supporting information, or additional information:
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(You may need more main idea sentences (along with two support sentences each), depending upon what
you have to say).
Concluding sentence: This sentence can be much like the topic sentence, but uses different words; it is also
different in that it reflects the point (or lesson, or moral) of the story.
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