Thesis/Position Statement: States the topic, the position and the
counterargument. It also shows the order in which the information
will appear in your paper.
Hook/Lead: Draws the reader in and leads into the thesis statement
Topic Sentences: States the 1
st
reason mentioned in your thesis. It needs to clearly
state the topic and the first reason that supports that topic.
Ex. Smoking should be illegal because it can be risky to an individuals health.
Dont Do: It should be illegal because it can be risky to an individuals health.
It doesnt state the topic clearly.
Supporting Details
5- Sentences
Topic Sentence
Thesis
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Persuasi%e &riting La"out 'uide
!ackground $n(ormation: Provide ac!ground information on the topic to allow
the reader a stronger sense of how your hoo! ties in with your position"thesis.
!ackground
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Topic Sentence
Supporting Details 5-
Sentences
Supporting Details: Supports your topic sentence using various methods such as#
1. $acts
%. &uthoritative 'pinions (opinions from reliale individuals)
*. +uotes
,. &necdotes (shorter stories relating to the topic)
-. ./amples
)ounterargument: States the oppositions opinion in the first sentence, and then the
rest of the paragraph states why the oppositions opinion is wrong.
)onclusion: 0estates the thesis, main ideas and ends with a call to action.
*estate the Thesis: state the thesis in a new way
*estate +ain $deas: cover the !ey ideas from the essay
)all to ,ction: 'ne last old statement in support of your position.
./. Smoking should be made illegal immediately!
Censoring the internet is a violation that should never be instituted in America!
)ounterargument
Statement
*easons to state -h"
The opposition is -rong
.-5 sentences
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Writing Prompt
1he idea that technology ma!es the world smaller is a familiar one. 2ell phones, te/t messaging, email, products li!e
S!ype, and social networ!ing sites li!e $aceoo! connect people and ideas from around the gloe. 1en years ago, a social
networ! as comple/ and omnipresent as $aceoo! would have een unthin!ale3 now, especially for young people in
developed countries, it4s hard to imagine what life would e li!e without technologies of this !ind. 5ut are technologies
that allow constant, effortless communication ultimately a good thing6 In the deate on whether or not mass
communication technology and social networ!s are eneficial, some people have suggested that we have grown too
dependent on these technologies and what they can offer us3 we spend every wa!ing moment 7plugged in7 and online, to
the point that we have forgotten how to connect as real individuals. 'thers argue that these technologies and social
networ!s provide greater communication than ever efore and connect people from distant regions of the gloe who
otherwise never would have met one another, as well as helping li!e8minded individuals organi9e into groups and
coordinate change for causes that are important to them.
1he large amount of technology in our culture raises several fascinating issues, one of which is# where does our
virtual e/istence end and our real e/istence egin6 :any people are no longer ale to separate their real lives from the
lives they lead on the Internet. 1his can damage their relationships with other people as well as their productivity at wor! or
school. 'nline role8playing games li!e ;orld of ;arcraft or Second <ife are perfect e/amples of this change in our culture.
;hile technology has allowed our society to ma!e great advancements in medicine and education, our reliance on technology
is very trouling and needs more attention. I elieve that technology, overall, is tending towards a more dangerous path, as
seen in people4s increasing aility to lose themselves in virtual worlds and detach from reality completely, thus not getting
the true human interaction that we need to lead rich and fulfilling lives.
;orld of ;arcraft (or ;o;) allows players to ecome elves, warriors, and magicians, and to fight magic easts and
search for treasure in underground caverns. 5ut apart from its entertainment value, ;o; is interesting ecause it gives
people the opportunity to create alternate identities for themselves. Some people ecome so invested in their ;o;
character that they forget to do such simple things as eat and sleep. 1his attitude stri!es me as very unhealthy3 your virtual
life should not e considered more important than your physical life. :oreover, some people spend real money for items that
only e/ist in the game, which could affect their financial staility.
Second <ife is an even more fascinating e/ample ecause it is not a fantasy game. In Second <ife, players can do all
the things that people do in real life. 5ut they can alter their appearance, even their gender, easily. & very good friend of
mine spends so much time on Second <ife that she considers it to e her primary life. :y friend does not have many people
she trusts and values as friends, and I thin! the reason for this is her dependence on Second <ife.
& final e/ample of the amount of time we spend crafting virtual identities is the vast array of social networ!s from
1witter to $aceoo! to logger communities. :any of my peers spend so much time ma!ing themselves loo! li!e perfect
humans on $aceoo! = coming up with a witty >uote or listing the right movies as their favorites, choosing the most
attractive profile pictures = that they lose touch with improving themselves in the real world through e/ercise, fostering
relationships with friends and family, and developing hoies li!e art, sports, or music. 1here are log communities in which
hundreds of people comment on posts and 7meet7 each other virtually, ut this is not real life. ?ow much true friendship can
one actually glean from a witty ac! and forth comment thread anter where all you can see of the other person is a little
thumnail that could e a picture of anything6 People mista!e these virtual interactions for real life ones and develop
crushes on each other or friendships without ever actually meeting in person. In my opinion, though interesting, this form of
onding is very limited and lac!s a lot of the essential traits of a real friendship or relationship.
1echnology is not always ad. &fter all, I depend on my computer for everything from tal!ing to my friends to
researching essays for school. I would not recogni9e my life without technology, and I elieve that very few people (at least
in our country) would. 1echnology is not inherently ad or good3 it can e one or the other, or even oth at the same time.
?owever, when we start spending more time online than in reality, we run the ris! of ecoming technology slaves@avatars of
ourselves, and this is a point at which technology use crosses the line from a enign activity to an all8consuming virtual
addiction.
Score A B
1his is a pretty darn impressive essay, especially given the time limit. Co spelling or grammatical errors3 nice, fluid paragraphs3 a strong
introduction, thesis statement, and conclusion. 1his essay also oasts#
'reat examples. 2reative, intriguing e/amples, pac!ed with plenty of detail.
$nteresting word choice and varied sentence structure. 1his author has oviously done her homewor!# she4s read a lot, she4s
practiced writing a lot, and she4s comfortale using some advanced vocaulary and mi/ing up the length and structure of her
sentences.
0riginal approach. Instead of Dust saying, 1echnology is good, or 1echnology is ad, the author e/plores some specific
changes or challenges she thin!s people face due to technology.
