Essay Writing
28 / 38 Total
Name:
Introduction – Paragraph # 1
7
/7
Marks
Introductory sentence: 1 ( 1 Mark)
(The sentence should introduce the topic, grab the reader's attention, and it should be clear and concise in
the form of a statement or a question)
e.g.: What causes psychopathy?
If two people were not meant to be together, should laws be reformed to make it easier or harder to get a
divorce?
Transition information: 3 ( 3 Marks)
(Lead to your thesis: mention your topic and introduce the 2 opposing views)
Some sentence starters:
1) To understand ………(topic), one must consider different perspectives. OR
It is important to deconstruct the complexities surrounding the issue of ….. (topic).
2) For instance, …… OR
To explain …….(topic), one needs to pay close attention to ……(description of topic).
3) Some scholars argue that ….. . Conversely, others suggest that …… (this may be your antithesis).
e.g.: To understand a psychopath, one must consider different perspectives. For instance, is it nurture or
nature that is the primary factors in this antisocial personality disorder? Some scholars argue that it is due
to their upbringing, namely, the lack of caring and nurturing they received as a child. Conversely, others
suggest that it is due to genetic and structural dysfunctions, which means that people are born to be
psychopaths.
To understand whether or not laws should be reformed to make it easier or harder to get a divorce, one
must consider different perspectives. For instance, I believe that laws should be made a bit more difficult to
get a divorce because often divorced families will greatly affect the child’s life. Conversely, others suggest
that the laws for divorce should be kept as they are now and there should be no need to make a law stricter
so to keep two people who don’t have good chemistry with one another to be together.
Thesis:
3 ( 3 Marks)
(This sentence needs to state the 'topic,' 'list of points,' and 'analysis' in ONE sentence)
Sentence starter:
This paper seeks to explain the issue of ….. (topic), by analyzing ……(list of points), all of which suggest
that …. (analysis).
e.g.: This paper seeks to explain the issue of psychopathy, by analyzing the general nature of psychopaths,
case studies of such individuals, and brain imaging studies, all of which suggest that psychopathy is a
matter of nature influenced by nurture.
This paper seeks to explain the issue of why laws should be reformed to make it more difficult to have a
divorce, by first and foremost seeing how divorces impact not only the spouses, but the children.
Body Paragraphs - Paragraphs 2, 3, and 4:
Topic Sentence # 1
1
( 1 Mark)
(The sentence needs to state the 'Topic,' your 'FIRST point' and 'Analysis' )
5 / 8 Marks
It can be argued that the cause of …(topic) is due to (point #1), which is important because … (analysis).
e.g.: It can be argued that the cause of psychopathy is due to certain characteristics in psychopaths, which
is in support the nature argument.
It can be argued that one of the main causes of divorce in the first place would be incompatibility.
Supporting Evidence: (The sentences should clearly state evidence / facts)
3 ( 3 Marks)
Some sentence starters are:
Stephenson (2001) argues that …
One researcher contends that…. (Lewis, 2002) .
However, Williamson (2004) suggests that……
A number of researchers agree that … (Stevenson, 2002; Howard, 2003, Levi, 2009).
Various suggestions/theories/ideas have been put forward to explain… (Stevenson, 2002; Howard, 2003,
Levi, 2009).
A number of researchers have attempted to explore… (Stevenson, 2002; Howard, 2003, Levi, 2009).
Studies of … have shown that…. (Stevenson, 2002; Howard, 2003, Levi, 2009).
Stephenson (2009) has summed up this basic point by stating that….
In contrast to Stephenson, some social scientists such as Crabtree (2010) have noted that….
Some statistical evidence highlights/demonstrates/clearly supports …… (Levy, 2009).
Wendy Paris, a divorced woman has stated that in her marriage, she only saw certain aspects of her spouse
that she found appealing. Only then did she realize that she and her husband were too incompatible. So they
decided to get a divorce. This point is important because nowadays, people get into marriages quickly and
never think it through. This would result in a divorce in no time.
Critical Analysis of Evidence that Supports Thesis: 1 ( 3 Marks)
(The sentences should clearly explain how the above facts are supportive of your analysis)
Some sentence starters:
This means that …..
In other words, …..
This evidence suggests ….
Another way to understand this issue is ….
This clearly proves that …..
This means that, when people get into marriages quickly and then have children, it shows how nonchalant
and disregardful spouses would be. They don’t pay heed to the possible incompatibilities they have with the
other and are simply determined to make the marriage work even if it may not work out in the end.
Transition Sentence: ( 1 Mark)
(The sentence needs to vaguely summarize your main analysis and introduce, generally, your next point in
the following paragraph)
Sentence starter:
While … (point #1) is necessary to highlight the issue of …(topic), there are still others to consider.
e.g.: While the nature of a psychopath is necessary to highlight the issue of psychopathy, there are still
others to consider.
For a child to be born in a family where their parents do not love each other, or bicker all the time is just
dreadful. A careless divorce like this could greatly affect how this child will view life, his goals, and
dreams.
Topic Sentence # 2: ( 1 Mark)
4
(The sentence needs to state the 'Topic,' your 'SECOND point,' and 'Analysis')
/ 8 Marks
Sentence starter:
The case of … (topic) can be understood in the context of …(point #2), which is significant because
….(analysis)
Eg.; The case of psychopathy can be understood in the context of examining case studies, which is
significant because it further supports the argument that it is nature that is most influential in creating the
psychopath.
In regards to the topic of divorce, it can be understood why we need the laws to be specific and strong in
the article of M. Marcy J.D. Jones, “Whose Fault Is It Anyways?” because it just shows the norm of how
divorces are made and why it’s important to consider it in the first place.
Supporting Evidence: 1 (3 Marks)
(The sentence should clearly state evidence / facts)
According to M. Marcy Jones, both spouses are at fault. In the matters of having a divorce, there is no such
thing as ‘winning.’ If the marriage is over, it’s over. Don’t try to fix or repair what has been done by the
inevitable. To end a marriage is never easy, but it’s important to end it in a civil and fair manner without
any regrets.
Critical Analysis of Evidence that Supports Thesis: 2 ( 3 Marks)
(The sentences should clearly explain how the above facts are supportive of your Analysis)
What all that equals into would be the ‘big picture.’ There are questions such as:
-What do you want your life to be once the divorce is over?
-What kind of relationship do you want with your spouse after the divorce?
-If you have children, what kind of relationship would you want them to have with your spouse after the
divorce?
Transition Sentence: 1 ( 1 Mark)
(The sentence needs to vaguely summarize your main argument and introduce, generally, your next theme
in the following paragraph)
Sentence starter:
Thusly, one cannot disregard …. (point #2) when discussing … (topic), but …. (vague introduction of point
# 3) is equally important.
Thusly, one cannot disregard how important it is to have a big picture in mind before a marriage and even
after a marriage ends because how a divorce affects the children is equally important.
Topic Sentence #3: 1 (1 Marks)
(The sentence needs to state the 'Topic,' your 'THIRD point,' and 'Analysis')
Sentence Starter:
7 / 8 Marks
One could contend that …(topic) cannot be fully understood unless one considers … (point #3), which
supports …. (analysis).
Eg.: One could contend that psychopathy cannot be fully understood unless one considers brain imaging,
which clearly supports the nature argument.
When considering a divorce, one should always think about how a divorce could affect a child’s life.
Supporting Evidence: 2 (3 Marks)
(The sentence should clearly state evidence / facts)
One researcher that goes by the name Judith S. Wallerstein contends that children who were affected by
divorces would carry the experience with them from their childhood into adulthood. She would interview
the children and later on would find out that from a span of 10-15 years, would children still be hurting
because they never properly healed. Most of the children wouldn’t have a good future and had already selfdestructed.
Critical Analysis of Evidence that Supports Thesis: 3 (3 Marks)
(The sentences should clearly explain how the above facts are supportive of your Analysis)
Divorced parents would most likely have a bad influence on their children if not resolved properly. They
can’t even start a family of their own for fear that they too will experience the same hurt and betrayal as
they did when they saw their own parents go through it. These children aren’t able to go on with their lives
and make anything of it because in a way, they are traumatized and afraid of what would happen if their life
is full of ‘false’ people and arguments with their loved ones.
Concluding Sentence of last body paragraph: 1 ( 1 Mark)
(Summarize the argument including topic, THIRD point, and analysis at the end)
Sentence starter:
This …. (point #3) uncovers the issue of … (topic), which is important because ….(analysis)
Divorces can greatly impact a child’s life, which is important because they aren’t able to move on with how
they want to live their own life because they carry the sadness and burden of the divorce of their parents.
When parents get a divorce, they go on with their lives as it was before they had met. As for the children,
the parents assume that it’s for the best.
Children can take these experiences into heart. Whether it is a positive or negative effect is up to how the
parents console them. If taught well, it can teach children how to face serious life problem.
Concluding Paragraph – Last paragraph:
5
/ 7 Marks
Restatement of Thesis: (This sentence needs to restate, IN DIFFERENT WORDS, the 'Topic,' ‘List of
points,' and 'Analysis' in ONE sentence)
Sentence starter: 2 (3 Marks)
In sum, this essay examined the concept of …. (topic) by evaluating …… (list of points), which
demonstrate …. (analysis).
Eg.; In sum, this essay examined the concept of psychopathy by evaluating the mental state of a
psychopath, real-life examples of psychopaths, and recent neuroscientific explanations of the brains of
psychopaths, all of which demonstrate clearly that a psychopath is born and not made.
Next few sentences: (These sentences will summarize all of your points and their analysis = argument)
In conclusion, this essay examined the reasoning of why a divorce should be harder to obtain by evaluating
the rashness of marriages, incompatibilities of spouses, and children, which demonstrate clearly that most
divorces were because their marriages were not sincere and the fact that this not only affects the spouses,
but most importantly, the children.
Some sentence starters: 3 (3 Marks)
While some scholars suggest …. , others contend ….. .
Statistical data clearly proves that ……
It is crucial to pay close attention to …. , in order to understand the complexities of ….. .
It is crucial to pay close attention to why people get a divorce in the first place in order to understand the
Complexities of how it affects the children.
Last statement – 1 or 2 sentences: 0 ( 1 Mark)
(This sentence should NEVER disprove your argument, instead leave the reader with a solid hook-liner
that convinces them that your perspective is the right one! These may be statements or questions and even
statistics to really drive home your point of view – analysis!)
e.g.: It is estimated that psychopaths occupy only 20% of American prisons, yet they commit 50% of all
heinous crimes (Cooke, Forensic Science); for this reason it is crucial to try to understand the causes of
psychopathy in order to live in a safer world. If there is a clearer understanding, then there is better
treatment and if most agree that psychopaths are biologically different from everyone else then the cure will
not be to nurture them back to normalcy but to medicate them and essentially alter their previous
dysfunctional brains.
Laws to have a divorce should be made more difficult so it will give families the time to talk and see first if
they are able to work things out before they do anything rash so that it might even give the family a chance
to reconcile. And even if it doesn’t work out, the children would still remember not the arguments of their
parents and their fear, but they will remember that their parents did in fact try to patch up their family, and
that to any child, would mean so much more, than to just have a divorce without considering how the
children would feel.