ESSAY PLANNING SCAFFOLD
This is a tool you may use for planning and organizing your analytical essay. It is a required assignment, but your
completion of this scaffold will result in a much stronger essay which more closely meets the essay
Content and Organization expectations.
Name:___________________________________ Deadline for submission of first draft: _________________
Some advice for how to proceed:
1
Identify what you want to prove (your thesis)
2
Locate concrete details to support your thesis
3
Draft body paragraphs first
4
Draft introduction, then conclusion.
Introduction:
Attention Grabber: This should
draw your reader in and make them
interested in your argument. There
are many types of A/Gs: imagery, a
shocking statement, a direct
quotation, “big-to-little,” a question,
just to name a few.
Synopsis: Here, be sure to identify
the title and author of the work you
are analyzing. Also, offer a brief
overview of the main concept and
ideas involved in the work you are
analyzing.
Thesis Statement: Your thesis
should identify for your reader
exactly what the point(s) is/are that
you are going to prove in the essay.
Do not give specific details yet.
Body Paragraph #1
Topic Sentence (TS): Your TS
should identify for your reader
exactly what the point(s) is/are that
you are going to prove in this
paragraph.
Context (Cx): You must know your Cd
before you write this. Your Cx should
help the reader understand when and
where your Cd happens in the story.
Consider the story like a timeline…the
context helps your reader locate your Cd
on a timeline by explaining what has
happened right before the Cd.
Concrete Detail (Cd): Here, locate
specific text evidence that PROVES
the point of your topic sentence.
The Cd should not merely “tell” the
same information as your TS offers,
it should “show” your point.
Commentary (Cm): This should be
the longest part of your paragraph.
Here, explain your Cd, including
but not limited to: •Why your Cd is
significant •How it proves your TS and
thesis •What conclusions can be drawn
from your Cd •What implications your
Cd has on other ideas/characters/events
in the text. OR any other analysis you
can offer!
*If you have multiple pieces of evidence to prove your topic sentence in this paragraph, include transitions between multiple
Cx/Cd/Cm sequences. For help, see your teacher!
Body Paragraph #2
Topic Sentence (TS): Your TS
should identify for your reader
exactly what the point(s) is/are that
you are going to prove in this
paragraph.
Context (Cx): You must know your Cd
before you write this. Your Cx should
help the reader understand when and
where your Cd happens in the story.
Consider the story like a timeline…the
context helps your reader locate your Cd
on a timeline by explaining what has
happened right before the Cd.
Concrete Detail (Cd): Here, locate
specific text evidence that PROVES
the point of your topic sentence.
The Cd should not merely “tell” the
same information as your TS offers,
it should “show” your point.
Commentary (Cm): This should be
the longest part of your paragraph.
Here, explain your Cd, including
but not limited to: •Why your Cd is
significant •How it proves your TS and
thesis •What conclusions can be drawn
from your Cd •What implications your
Cd has on other ideas/characters/events
in the text. OR any other analysis you
can offer!
*If you have multiple pieces of evidence to prove your topic sentence in this paragraph, include transitions between multiple
Cx/Cd/Cm sequences. For help, see your teacher!
Body Paragraph #3
Topic Sentence (TS): Your TS
should identify for your reader
exactly what the point(s) is/are that
you are going to prove in this
paragraph.
Context (Cx): You must know your Cd
before you write this. Your Cx should
help the reader understand when and
where your Cd happens in the story.
Consider the story like a timeline…the
context helps your reader locate your Cd
on a timeline by explaining what has
happened right before the Cd.
Concrete Detail (Cd): Here, locate
specific text evidence that PROVES
the point of your topic sentence.
The Cd should not merely “tell” the
same information as your TS offers,
it should “show” your point.
Commentary (Cm): This should be
the longest part of your paragraph.
Here, explain your Cd, including
but not limited to: •Why your Cd is
significant •How it proves your TS and
thesis •What conclusions can be drawn
from your Cd •What implications your
Cd has on other ideas/characters/events
in the text. OR any other analysis you
can offer!
*If you have multiple pieces of evidence to prove your topic sentence in this paragraph, include transitions between multiple
Cx/Cd/Cm sequences. For help, see your teacher!
Conclusion:
Restatement of Thesis Statement:
Review the main points of your
essay and give an overview of the
most significant evidence.
Synopsis: Here, be sure to identify
the title and author of the work you
are analyzing. Here, include a brief
statement that connects your main
ideas to the main ideas of the text.
Stinger: This should be an “echo” or
“mirror” of your Attention-Getter. Close
with the same “style,” so if you open
with a quote, close with a quote; if you
open with a question, close with an
answer or a follow up question; if you
open with imagery, close with imagery
as well. The stinger should be strong,
but it should bring your essay “full
circle.”
Formatting Reminders:
Check the CSC Formatting and Documentation Guide for the requirements and expectations.
Double-space everything, including the header, but do not include an extra space between paragraphs.
Margins should be set at 2 cm left and 4 cm right.
All text, including the title of the essay, should be Times New Roman 12 point font.
Punctuation Reminders:
You are expected to use directly quoted evidence from the text.
Enclose all concrete detail quoted evidence in “double quotation marks.”
If your example includes dialogue that is in quotation in the original text, change all double quotation marks to ‘single
quotation marks’ when you use the text in your essay.
Refer to the CSC Formatting and Documentation Guide for the requirements and expectations.
Know when to use an apostrophe (possession). Do not use an apostrophe when you mean to simply make a plural noun. Edit carefully!
Usage Reminders:
The following are not allowed unless in direct quotations (concrete details) copied exactly from the text:
First person pronouns (I, me, my, mine; we, us, our, ours)
Second person pronouns (you, your, yours)
etc., et al., i.e., e.g., u, w/, w/o, b/c
The following should be avoided in favor of more precise language:
• things, stuff, a lot, lots of
In formal writing, contractions are not allowed. Edit closely to remove them:
• can’t, don’t, won’t, they’ve, she’ll, wouldn’t, shouldn’t, he’s, she’s …to name a few
Be careful when using the word well: Proper usage of
well:
oShe feels well. (Description of a person’s physical or mental condition.)
oHe plays the violin well. (Description of the effectiveness of an action.)
oShe watches movies as well. (Following “as” in order to communicate “also.”)
oJack and Jill got water from the well. (Meaning a place to obtain oil or water.)
oPiggy said, “Well, then we’ll have to climb the mountain.” (In a direct quotation.)
Improper usage of well:
oDoes Simon represent human nature? Well, the book says he does. (Too informal! Wrong!)
oAny other usage of well not listed under “Proper usage of well” above.
E-Submission Reminders:
Your drafts must be submitted electronically.
Via email (attachments are preferred): lawee1@eq.edu.au or hgrah10@eq.edu.au
To the shared folder: T:\Student Submission folder\Year 10