Write minimum of five paragraphs with an introduction, body, and conclusion
Introduction (3-5 sentences minimum)
1. Hook—grabs the reader’s attention
A surprising or startling fact, generalization, or idea
A thought-provoking quote
A striking contrast
An upside-down cliché
An anecdote (story) or illustration
2. Bridge—transitions between the hook and thesis statement
3. Thesis statement
Sample Introduction:
Success can happen in a single day—for some. Soon after I joined my high school cross-country team, I heard the success story of my teammate Molly, who
had once run junior varsity, but that one day she decided she ought to run next to her friend who led the Varsity team. And she did just that, instantly
becoming second on the Varsity team her freshman year. This story was regarded as a model to follow, and as a freshman, I thought that perhaps
I would eventually reach the Varsity ranks. But it never happened. Running junior varsity but never arriving to Varsity showed me the value of enjoying a sport
without excelling in it.
Body
(3 body paragraphs of at least 6-7 sentences each; each body paragraph begins with a topic sentence that transitions from the previous paragraph; follow
your outline to compose the body and add more details not found on the outline)
1. My first running experience as a high school freshman was at the notoriously difficult West Shore course, which was dreaded by experienced runners for
its steep and plentiful sandy hills. I lacked the proper shoes, so I huffed and puffed up the hills as I struggled to gain traction on the sand. Going down the
hills, I slid on the sandy parts. I ran only a mile before having to stop and walk. Other than having my dad beside me, I was alone and far behind the rest of my
team, and I marveled that the rest of the team had the energy to run up and down the many hills as though doing so was an everyday activity. My mouth was
dry, my muscles were shaky, and my body was perspiring; I wondered if running was not for me. But at the end of that first practice, the coaches and some
team members said I did very well for my first time.
2. As I attended more practices and began competing, I
enjoyed the comradery of participating with a team and soon grew stronger and faster. A small group of girls and I enjoyed the adventure and challenge of
running through the woods, climbing up and striding down hills, and navigating unfamiliar courses consisting of sand, dirt, and tree roots. I soon had new
running shoes and became more stable running on the sand. Traveling to away meets made running much more challenging in terms of knowing which hills
were ahead and the exhaustion of having to run through a mile or two of the course prior to racing on it. But the most enjoyable meets were at our home
course when the local crowds, including my family, cheered as I passed: “Keep pushing!” or “Looking good!” The most welcoming sight of all was the finish
line. Over the course of four seasons, my 5K times improved from 28 minutes down to 26 minutes and eventually under 25 minutes.
3. At the end of my running career, I ran a race that didn’t count, but it was my best run on the West Shore course—and it was at my target time to qualify for
Varsity. When I crossed the finish line, I noticed my time was 23:25, the best time of my career on the West Shore course. For the first time, another junior
varsity teammate who usually placed ahead of me came in behind me. When I told my coach about it, he did not even congratulate me—because it was an
“open” run and didn’t count.
Conclusion (3-5 sentences minimum)
1. Re-states the thesis in completely different words and in more detail than the original thesis
2. Summarizes the importance of the details in the essay; states reflections on the story’s events
3. Ends with a clincher (a final observation, thought, or application) that relates to the ideas in the introduction
Sample Conclusion:
Although I didn’t reach my goal of running Varsity, I improved significantly in my ability to run a 5K race and found confidence in my ability to persevere. The
steep inclines, the uneven sand, and my fatigued arms and legs taught me to fight through the struggle. Sudden success was never part of my journey
trudging through the hills, but I enjoyed the various angles of the hillside nonetheless.