Unit 1: A Descriptive Essay
A Person I Admire
In this unit, you will learn about essay writing.
Goals:
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Recognize similarities and differences between essays and paragraphs
Identify parts of an essay
Learn vocabulary used to talk about an essay
Brainstorm ideas for your essay
Complete an outline to organize ideas for your essay
Write essay introductions and conclusions
Write different drafts of your essay
Use transitions in an essay
Name: ____________________
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Warm-Up
Task 1: Paragraphs vs. Essays
Below, there is an example of a paragraph and an essay. In groups try to think of ways they
are similar or different:
 What are the similarities?
 How are they different?
 Why are they similar or different?
An Important Person in My Life
My sister Susan is an amazing person. She has worked for the Fire Department for 10
years. As a firefighter, she has had a pretty tough time working with so many men and
being in dangerous situations. However, she is very happy with her job because it is
exciting and fulfilling. Susan was very athletic during high school and still keeps in
good shape. Her height and build made her look a little scary, but she has a very warm
and friendly personality. She is my hero and has been a very strong influence in my life
Somebody I Admire
John Lennon is the person that I respect the most. He was a member of The
Beatles and may have been one of the greatest rock musicians of the 20th Century.
He was born on October 9th in 1940 and died on December 8th in 1980. His songs
are still popular among people all over the world. Lennon is the reason that I like
music so much, and he is also the reason that I learned to play guitar. He is a very
important person for me, and I respect him because he was a great musician, a
great father, and he believed in peace.
First of all, Lennon wrote lots of good music. When he was young, he formed a rock band called The
Beatles with Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. He often worked with Paul to write
songs. They made more than one hundred songs together, many of them masterpieces. After The
Beatles broke up, he started his solo career and continued making songs. My favorite Lennon songs
are, “In My Life,” “All You Need Is Love,” “Grow Old With Me” and “Woman.” I think all of his
songs are very good.
Secondly, Lennon was a good father. In 1969, he married a Japanese woman named Yoko Ono, and in
1975 his son Sean was born. He loved him very much, so he stopped working for a while, became a
house husband and concentrated on raising him. He wrote a song called “Beautiful Boy” for Sean,
which is full of kindness. Also, he drew lots of pictures to teach his son words and phrases. He did
everything he could do for Sean. It’s wonderful that he tried so hard to be a dedicated father.
Another thing that made Lennon a great person was that he made an appeal to the world for peace.
For example, after The Beatles broke up, he wrote some songs like, “Imagine,” “Happy Xmas (War
Is Over)” and “Give Peace A Chance.” He wrote these songs in the hope for peace. In addition, with
Yoko he led events for this cause all over the world. He appealed for global peace in many ways
similar to this.
In conclusion, he was a very talented, thoughtful and influential man, and this is why I admire him so
much. Although Lennon died prematurely in 1980, he is still very famous today. I think it is because
his songs are very good, but also because he was charismatic and his activities for peace were so
effective. John Lennon was a brilliant person, and I will always respect him.
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Task 2: In this task, you will use a Venn diagram to organize your group’s ideas. (If you
don’t know how to use a Venn diagram, ask your teacher.)
In the left and right sections, write how paragraphs and essays are different from each other.
In the middle section, write how they are similar to each other.
paragraphs
essays
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Task 3: Parts of the descriptive essay
The paragraph and essay are similar in many ways. An essay has one main idea that comes in the
first paragraph. This is called the introduction. The next few paragraphs are called the body and
support the introduction. The last paragraph repeats the main idea using different words and
finishes your thoughts about the main idea. This is called the conclusion.
Somebody I Admire
John Lennon is the person that I respect the most. He was a member of The Beatles and
may have been one of the greatest rock musicians of the 20 th Century. He was born on
October 9th in 1940 and died on December 8th in 1980. His songs are still popular among
people all over the world. Lennon is the reason that I like music so much, and he is also
the reason that I learned to play guitar. He is a very important person for me, and I respect
him because he was a great musician, a great father, and he believed in peace
Introduction
First of all, Lennon wrote lots of good music. When he was young, he formed a rock band
called The Beatles with Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. He often
worked with Paul to write songs. They made more than one hundred songs together, many
of them masterpieces. After The Beatles broke up, he started his solo career and continued
making songs. My favorite Lennon songs are, “In My Life,” “All You Need Is Love,”
“Grow Old With Me” and “Woman.” I think all of his songs are very good.
Body 1
Secondly, Lennon was a good father. In 1969, he married a Japanese woman named Yoko
Ono, and in 1975 his son Sean was born. He loved him very much, so he stopped working
for a while, became a house husband and concentrated on raising him. He wrote a song
called “Beautiful Boy” for Sean, which is full of kindness. Also, he drew lots of pictures
to teach his son words and phrases. He did everything he could do for Sean. It’s wonderful
that he tried so hard to be a dedicated father
Body 2
Another thing that made Lennon a great person was that he made an appeal to the world
for peace. For example, after The Beatles broke up, he wrote some songs like, “Imagine,”
“Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” and “Give Peace A Chance.” He wrote these songs in the
hope for peace. In addition, with Yoko he led events for this cause all over the world. He
appealed for global peace in many ways similar to this.
Body 3
In conclusion, he was a very talented, thoughtful and influential man, and this is why I
admire him so much. Although Lennon died prematurely in 1980, he is still very famous
today. I think it is because his songs are very good, but also because he was charismatic
and his activities for peace were so effective. John Lennon was a brilliant person, and I
will always respect him.
Conclusion
Paragraphs vs. Essays
Paragraph
Essay
Topic sentence
Supporting sentences
Transitions
Concluding sentence
Introduction
Supporting paragraphs
Transitions
Conclusion
Writing Skill -- Transitions
Writing Center Worksheet
When you see
skill.
you can go to the Writing Center and pick up a worksheet for that
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Identify -- John Lennon essay
Practice -- Work with a partner
The thesis statement is the sentence which tells the main idea of the essay and is
located in the introduction. What is the thesis statement in the John Lennon
essay?
Transitional expressions are words or phrases that guide the reader from
paragraph to paragraph. What transitions are used between paragraphs?
Between paragraphs 1 and 2:
Between paragraphs 2 and 3:
Between paragraphs 3 and 4:
Between paragraphs 4 and 5:
The conclusion is the last paragraph of an essay. The thesis statement is
paraphrased and final thoughts are given. What is the paraphrased thesis
statement in the conclusion?
The topic sentences are the main ideas of the body paragraphs. What are the
topic sentences of the three body paragraphs?
1.
2.
3.
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Key words
Task 4: Match the words and phrases on the left with the definition on the right.
Check your answers with a partner.
1) Body paragraphs
_____
2) Sentence-level transitions
A) Something that comes at the beginning of a paragraph
and tells the reader the main idea of the paragraph
_____ B) Something that comes in the introduction of an essay. It
tells the reader the most important idea of the essay
3) Drafting
_____
C) Words and phrases which help the reader see
connections between sentences in a paragraph
4) Paragraph-level transitions _____ D) Words and phrases that help the reader see the
connection between paragraphs in an essay
5) Freewriting
6) Thesis statement
7) Conclusion
E) The first paragraph of an essay. It contains a thesis
statement and gives background information about the topic
of the essay
_____
______
______
G) The last paragraph of an essay, where the thesis
statement is paraphrased
H) Writing down ideas quickly without stopping or worrying
about mistakes
I) Looking again at something you have already written and
making changes to it
8) Topic sentence ______
9) Introduction
F) Paragraphs where the main ideas and examples are
explained to the reader
______
J) The last sentence of a paragraph which paraphrases the
topic sentence
10) Concluding Sentence
_______
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Brainstorm
Task 5 -- Mind mapping
You are going to write a descriptive essay about a famous person you respect. Write the
person’s name in the circle, then think of ideas about why you look up to this person. Then,
with a partner, brainstorm ideas. Ask each other questions; below are a few examples.
1. Why do you look up to this person?
2. When did you start respecting this person?
3. Does this person influence your daily life? If yes, how?
4. What does this person do to make the world a better place?
5. Anything else?
Name:
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Outline
Task 6: Make an outline for your essay
Use details from your mind map to make an outline. In an outline, you need to have a thesis
statement (the main idea of your essay) and 3 body paragraphs. Each paragraph must have
a topic sentence that supports your thesis statement. This main idea must be supported by
supporting details. You must also have a concluding sentence in each body paragraph. In
your conclusion, you should paraphrase your thesis statement.
Introduction - Thesis statement: _I respect Walt Disney because he make smile for people all
over the world.
Body Paragraph 1 - Topic Sentence: Walt created characters.
Supporting Detail 1:He created famous characters.
Supporting Detail 2: He made many animations.
Supporting Detail 3:.He try to new way about make animation.
Body Paragraph 2 - Topic Sentence: Walt built Disneyland.____________________
Supporting Detail 1:_He made amusement park which everyone enjoy!
Supporting Detail 2: He thought always clean and have smile._
Supporting Detail 3: He have imagination on his head.________________________
Body Paragraph 3 - Topic Sentence: He always like a people_____________________
Supporting Detail 1:He think about adult and child.__________________________
Supporting Detail 2: _He likes smile and enjoy place.________________________
Supporting Detail 3: _He loved every staff._________________________________
Conclusion - Paraphrased thesis statement: _He knew how to feeling happy for
everyone.That is respect point.
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Introduction
Task 7: Write your introduction
The introduction is an important part of an essay. In the introduction we want to get the
readers’ attention; therefore you should:
1) Introduce the topic – ask a question, give a fact, or describe the topic. This is also
called a ‘hook’ because it catches the reader’s attention.
2) Provide background information
3) Write the thesis statement – this should contain the main ideas of the body
paragraphs
Your introduction should be between 3-5 sentences.
Try writing your introduction below. Remember, if you need help, ask a friend or grab a
worksheet from the Writing Center.
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Conclusion
Task 8: Write your conclusion
The conclusion is very important because it tells the reader about your final thoughts and
feelings, and summarizes the information you have already written. It is usually around 3-5
sentences. You may organize the sentences in many different ways, but make sure that:
1) At least one of your sentences reminds the reader of your thesis statement.
2) The very last sentence is a final statement to end the essay (this is called a ‘closer’).
Try writing your conclusion below. Remember, if you need help, ask a friend, your teacher,
or go to the Writing Center.
So far you have:
Ideas that are
outlined,
an introduction
and…
a conclusion.
Let’s Write!
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Writing: Draft 1
Task 9: Using your outline, introduction and conclusion write your first draft.
Peer Revision
Task 10: Listen to your teacher’s instructions on peer revision.
Writing: Draft 2
Task 11: Look at the scores or comments you received from your classmates.
Revise your essay – if you got a low score in one category, work extra hard to improve that
area.
If you need more help revising and editing, there are several places which offer help:
1. The Writing Center – In the ELI next to the Practice Center, you can make a 15-minute
appointment with a teacher. You should ask the teacher a specific question about your
writing. If you need any ideas, there are different-colored cards with questions on them.
2. Writing worksheets next to The Writing Center
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Self-Editing
Task 12: Use the following checklist to read your paragraph and look for any grammar or
spelling mistakes. You will read your paragraph several times. Each time you will look for
a different grammar point. (Example: Read each sentence carefully in your paragraph and
look only for a subject and a verb. When you have checked every sentence, put a tick next to
it.) Have your partner sign below
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Every sentence has a subject and verb
Verbs agree with their subjects
The verbs are in the correct tense
There are no fragments
There are compound sentences
There are complex sentences
There are no run-on sentences
Punctuation is used appropriately
There are no spelling mistakes
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Partner’s Signature:________________________________________________
Writing: Final Draft
Task 13: Write your final draft for this unit.
Sharing your Writing
Task 14:
With the photo or drawing of the person you admire, get into small groups and read each
other’s essays while looking at the photos/drawings. Underneath the paragraph, write about
something which you liked. Hand papers back and read the comments.
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Reflection
Task 15:
After you have finished your final draft, complete the first two sections of the table below.
When you receive comments back from your teacher, use them to help you complete the last
two parts of the form.
Title of Essay: ______________________________
Things I enjoyed
Things that were new to me
Things I did well on
Things I still need to
improve on
Remember to check out the shelf next to the Writing
Center in the ELI! You can find worksheets there.
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Descriptive Essay Rubric
0
1
2
3
4
Essay
Structure
Incomplete
Paragraph Structure
Content
Incomplete
Incomplete
No introduction;
No conclusion;
No paragraph-level
transitions
Missing many parts
of essay;
Very few paragraphlevel transitions
No topic sentence;
No concluding sentence;
No sentence-level
transitions
Poor topic/concluding
sentences;
Very few sentence-level
transitions
May be missing one
part of essay;
Some paragraphlevel transitions
Excellent essay
structure;
Many paragraphlevel transitions
Good concluding/topic
sentences;
Some sentence-level
transitions
Excellent topic/concluding
sentences;
Many sentence-level
transitions
Short and very
few details;
Writing is not
understandable
Some irrelevant
sentences;
Poor content, but
writing is
understandable
Almost no
irrelevant
sentences;
Good content
No irrelevant
sentences;
Excellent content
Grammar, Spelling, and Degree of Improvement
Punctuation
between Drafts
Incomplete
Incomplete
Many mistakes in grammar,
spelling, or punctuation,
which make the passage
difficult to understand
Many mistakes in grammar,
spelling, or punctuation, but
writing is understandable
No change between drafts
Little improvement between
drafts;
Has not listened to peer or
instructor advice
Generally good grammar,
spelling, and punctuation
Some improvement between
drafts;
Listened to peer/instructor
advice
Excellent grammar, spelling, A lot of improvement
and punctuation
between drafts;
Listened very well to
peer/instructor advice
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