English 9

Fleshing Out your Rough Draft

Your rough draft should follow this general outline. Each bullet point represents at least one sentence in your essay.

Introductory Paragraph: Funnel in. Start broad, capturing the attention of Joe Schmoe. Get more specific as you introduce the play. End with the thesis and a preview of where your three body paragraphs will go.

• Hook
• Background information (title of the play, author, brief intro to characters/plot)
• Thesis
• Preview/Transition Sentence: three supporting points

Body Paragraph 1: First supporting point to the thesis

• Topic Sentence
• Supporting Idea
• Lead-in Sentence (setting up the quote)
• Quotation (evidence to support your point)
• Follow-up Sentences (interpreting quote, show how thesis is supported)
• Repeat LS-Quotation-FS for any additional quotations
• Closing Line

Body Paragraph 2: Second supporting point to the thesis

• Topic Sentence
• Supporting Idea
• Lead-in Sentence (setting up the quote)
• Quotation (evidence to support your point)
• Follow-up Sentences (interpreting quote, show how thesis is supported)
• Repeat LS-Quotation-FS for any additional quotations
• Closing Line

Body Paragraph 3: Third supporting point to the thesis

• Topic Sentence
• Supporting Idea
• Lead-in Sentence (setting up the quote)
• Quotation (evidence to support your point)
• Follow-up Sentences (interpreting quote, show how thesis is supported)
• Repeat LS-Quotation-FS for any additional quotations
• Closing Line

Conclusion Paragraph: Funnel out. Start specific (thesis stated in new words), and then generalize to the broader implications of this topic. Leave your reader with "a gift" -- something to take away. Don't use "you", however!)

• Restatement of thesis (be sure to use new words, not the same as the thesis)
• Broad generalizations about the topic
• Closing line