bikes, so people do h

not ave to spe d .

n hme searching for one. Therefore,
j the bike-share pro .
1 s · 11 ted on her topic. In this gram is more co .
n ection 1, you saw how the writer of the Student Model essay re _ec n how to structure transportation. nvenient than buses and other kinds of
section, you will analyze the final draft of her academic essay. You will lear
your ideas for your own essay. 3 In addition, a bike-share
safer If program makes a city more enjoyable and · 4 Analyze Writing Skills
· many people use bik th In paragraph 3, underllne
0 Student Model no· p
ise. eople feel comfortabl h
es, ere are fewer cars and less traffic and
the two words that
Read the wn·t·mg prompt again and answer the questions. f . . e w en they travel around, so they spend more introduce the idea that
ime enJoymg the city Ma b . ·11 the writer will discuss in
~ th . · Y e it w1 attract more tourists, and this is good the paragraph. Then
WRITING PROMPT: There are many programs and laws that cities have introduced to reduce or e city, too. Also h h circle the purpose of the
I d 'w en t ere are many people around, the city feels
pollution. These include banning plastic bags, starting bike-share programs, and creating green ess angerous· I come home frem work late at night. When there was no two wo rds.
spaces. Choose one program or law that you are familiar with and give reasons why it is good , a to introduce an opinion
bike-share, I felt a littl scare d when l walked home. Now I see more people
for people and communities. . . e b to explain an Idea
ruling bikes in my neig · hb orhood, and I feel less afraid. The bike-share has C to Introduce the next
Read the title of the essay. What will the writer discuss' Idea
made th e city more comfortable and fun .
2 What reasons might the writer mention?
4 · a bike-share 1s
The best reason for h avmg . . effects on people's
. positive
. its
Circle the sentence below
Read the essay twice. The first time, think about your answers to the questions above.
health. When people bike on a daily basis, they exercise their whole that best expres.se.s the
The second time, answer the questions in the Analyze Writing Skills boxes. This will help to pic of paragraph 4.
you notice key features of academic essays. body every day. I ride at least five miles a day, so I know my heart
a Biking gives people
. and lungs are strong. Also, biking is a good source of energy. energy.
1 Analyz.e Writing Skills Some people lose
I work and go to school, but I still feel energetic. l think it is

'
The Positive Impact of Bike-Share Programs In paragraph 1, the fir,t weight w hen they
sentence gets the reader because I use the bike-share. Finally, exercise can reduce stress, use the bike-share
In my community, people talk about the smog' more than they talk interested in the topic of regularly.
too, and students who work and go to college often feel a lot of
about the weather. Recently, the mayor urged people to give up their cars the essay. Circle the typo
of sentence that it is. stress. Clearly, a bike-share improves people's health.
and use public transportation or the new bike-share program to decrease a a question
s In conclusion, a bike-share program not only helps the 6 Analyze Writing s ~
air pollution. I use the bike-share program a lot to get to school and an interesting
statement environment, it makes a city easier to get around, makes a city more
work, and I really like it. I heard on the news that it is working well and
c a quotation pleasant, and makes people feel and look better. I think that
that there are fewer cars on the streets. I know that sometimes cars are
' a to introduce a new
2 Analyz.e WrlUng Skills bike-share programs are an amazing way to get back our blue skies
a necessity, but the problem of smog is serious because it has a negative idea
In paragraph 1, underline and to enjoy our lives. b to g ive the w riter's
effect on people's health and the quality of life' in the city. A bike-share

J
the sentence that gives opinion
program is good for cities and the people who live there because it is the three Ideas, or points, c to remind the reader
that the writer will discuss of the writer's main
a convenient way to travel, it improves life in the city, and it makes In the e11ay. poinu in the essay
people healthier.
First, a bike-share program is easy for people to use. Commuters who
travel to the city can ride around and go wherever they want. They do
3 Analyze Writing Skllls
not have to rely on the schedules of buses and trains. Driving a car is also
In paragraph 2, underline
difficult because of traffic. In addition, ~e stations are everywhere, so it the two sentences that
is usually easy to find and park a bike. One problem sometimes is that the explain and support why
a bike-share Is easy for
supply of bikes is less than the demand' for them. That was a problem in people to use.
my city. However, we now have an app that tells where there are available
1smog: smoke that is miXC"d with fog (thick cloud)
1quaHty of life: amo unl of comfort and satisfaction that someone feels abou1 their lire
1demand: number of people who ....,ant to have something
 Body
Ill. City_more enjoyal:,le and safer
■ 3. 1 Che ck Your Unde rstan ding
Parag raph 2

Suppo rting
Answ er the quest ions. Idea 1 A.

What is the essay abou t?

1. Feel comf ortal: ,le trave ling _
1
Detail
or impo rtant in your opinion? Explain.
2 Whic h reaso n is the most convincing
ams?
3 How do you feel abou t bike-share progr Detail 2 . Spend more time enjoy ing city __

j ii 3.2 Outline the Write r's Ideas

ve Impa ct of Bike-Share Progr ams."
Write the thesis
Detail .3. Attra ct touri sts

Com plete the outlin e for 'Toe Positi Suppo rting

B. City feels less dang erous__
phras es in the box. Idea 2
state ment . Then use the
Detail
comi ng home from work - feel safer exercises whole body
easy to find and park a bike fewer cars, less traffic and noise Body
reduces stress Parag raph 3 IV. Posit ive effec ts on healt h
easy to use
Suppo rting
Idea 1
A.
ESSAY OUTLINE
Detail '.1 . I.ride 5 miles a day_
__ _ __ _
_ _ _ __ _ _ _ __ __
I. Irrtro.duc:tcr.y.pa.ragraph._ _ __ Suppo rting
Idea 2 B. Good__sourc e of energ y . ___ ..
Thesi s
State ment Detail 1 ., My experience - feel energ etic

Supporting
Idea 3
C,
Body
P.oragr.oph 1
II.
V. Conc hidin g_parag raph
Suppo rting
A .Com mute rs.::- can ride and go ever,y
w.here
Ideal

ules _
De tail 1 . Do not have_to rely on l>11s/train sched

Detail 2 . Car__- too. mpct, traffi c

Suppo rting
Idea 2
B, Bike stati ons are everywhere

Detail 1.
-- -- -- -- -- -- --- -- -
De lall 2. One prol>lern - supp ly

Detail .3. App - to find l?!kes __

.~ a N
~ 0~"'
1
The Essay in Academic Writing A relevant or memorable quotation
\ V' Former U.S. President Franklin O. Roosevelt once said, "A nation that destroys its soils destroys
Writers use the essay structure to communicate their .ideas c1earlY a nd convincingly.
d
There are
t t
. . I d" comparison an con ras , itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to aur p eople.
several types of essays that you will review in this book, me u mg ,,
. 11 h
cause-effect, and argumentative. Academic essays typtea Y ave the following structure: A surprising statistic
. d
1 An introductory paragraph that explains the topic an th e wn·ter's purpose in writing. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans throw away roughly 32 m illion
tons
It indudes: of p lastic each year.
a hook An Interesting and relevant observation
• background information On every college campus, you see many students walking around with plastic water bottles.
• a thesis statement

■ 3.4 Notice
2 Body paragraphs (usually 2--4 paragraphs) that develop the writer's main points. Each body
paragraph includes: _J_, vt..z ~ cl- ~ I
a topic sentence Work with a partner. Discuss these questions. --?J ~ 1- 1--::f-
• supporting sentences and details
• a concluding sentence
✓1 Look at the professional author's essay on pages 1 S-19. What ki nd of hook did the author
use? Do you think it was effective? Why or why not?
3 A concluding paragraph that restates the thesis statement and provides a final comment.
2 Look at the Student Model essay on pages 20-21 . What kind of hook did the writer use?
It includes:
Do you think it was effective? Why or why not?
• a restatement of the thesis
• an insight., an opinion, a recommendation, a prediction, or a call to action
BACKGROUND INFORMATION

j ■ 3.3 Notice
In an introductory paragraph, background information is information on the topic that sets
up the reader for the thesis statement. It explains the topic in a way that makes the thesis
Circle the answers. statement seem logical. For example, if a writer's thesis is "A bike-share program is good for
cities and the people who live there because it is a convenient way to travel, it improves life in
1 Which of the following does an introductory paragraph include?
the city, and it makes people healthier," then the background information should introduce
• a topic sentence b a prediction c a thesis statement bike-share programs in a way that shows that bike-share programs have advantages.
2 In which paragraph(s) does the writer explain the main points of the essay?
Some types of background information are:
• introductory paragraph b body paragraphs c concluding paragraph • a general explanation of the topic
3 In w hich paragraph(s) does the writer say something he or she has learned or wants the
historical information on the topic
reader to do?
a personal story that relates to the topic
• introductory paragraph b body paragraphs c concluding paragraph
relevant data and statistics
THE INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH Read the following student paragraphs. Notice the type of background information each
The hook is usually the first one or two sentences in an introductory paragraph. It makes the one contains.
reader interested in reading the essay. Writers use different types of hooks .
Student Paragraph l
Hooks can be:
A thought-pro voking question What's more important, having the convenience of plastic water bottles
What 's mare important, having the convenience of plastic water bottles or hoving a healthy, or having a healthy, clean e nvironment? According to the Environmental
clean environment 7 Protection Agency, Americans threw away roughly 32 million tons of plastic
Relevant data and
A request to reflect on or visualize a situation to help the reader make a personal in 201 2. This has a large inlpact on the environment. It takes more than 17 statlstia
connection to the Issue million barrels of oil to produce the energy to make and deliver these bottles.
Think about how much paper and plastic you throw away In one day. Multiply that amount b Furthermore, burning oil and other fossil fuels is a main cause of pollution. ~
365 days in the year. Think about how many rooms it all would fill.
Y
 Student Paragraph 2
!I 3.6 Apply It to Your Writing
Look at the list that you created in Section 1 on page 15. Use your brainstorm
Did rou know that shipping an apple 3,000 nu Ics. from California to Ne"· ideas to write some backgroun d infonnatio n for your topic.
York hurts the em;ronme nt? Most of the produce we buy m grocery stores
is not grown locally. Instead, it is produced -m one area and then shipped
hundreds and often thousands of miles to another area. The trucks th •t carry General
eapl,3natlon of the
· · .,
the produce use a lot of oil for iuel. This ou causes car bon emissions that _ topic

pollute our air. Bui;ng produce that comes fmm I0 cat farmers is an effeell<e THE THESIS STATEMENT
war to use less oil and create less pollution. The thesis statement in an essay:
• is usually the last sentence in the introductory paragraph
• tells the reader what ideas will be develo ped in the body of the essay
The thesis statement has two parts: a topic and a point of view. The point of view
the individual ideas or points that the writer will develop in the essay. Below is
often states
an example of a
V
thesis statement that states the points. The points are numbered .
POINT O f Vil W

TOPIC 4 I 2
Bringing your own bag to the store saves trees, reduces waste, and saves money.l
Sometimes the thesis statement is more general. This means that the writer does
not actually
state the individual points. However, it is still clear what he or she will write about
The thesis
statement below is an example of this. We know the writer will discuss benefits
related to the
environme nt and to riders, but we do not know the exact benefits.
POINT Of V\£\\
TOPIC
Liliog_pub!jc transportation benefits both the envi~onment and riders.
I
11 3.7 Notice

Look al the profession al author's essay on pages 18--19 and the Student Model
essay on
pages 20-21 . Find the thesis statement for each one. Do the thesis statemenl
5 state the
points that will be developed ?

FACTS VS. POINTS OF VIEW

It is important to remember that a thesis is not a statement of fact that everyone
agrees on.
A point of view is debatable. People may not agree with the specific ideas. They
may have a
different point of view. Compare the two thesis statements for the following
prompt
■ 3.5 Notice WRITING PROMPT: What are the benefits of using solar power?

Work with a partner. Discuss these questions. Thesis Statemen t 1: Solar power saves money, is a renewable source of energy,
and reduces
global warming .
Look at the introductory paragraph of the professional author's essay on pages
18- 19. Thesis Statemen t 2: Solar power Is an important part of photosynthesis and
What kind of backgroun d information did the author use? Do you think It was the water
effective? cycle process.
Why or why not?
Note that Thesis Statement 1 is debatable. The writer must support the point
Look at the introductory paragraph of the Student Model essay on pages 20- 21 of view with
2 . What kind explanation, facts, and examples. Thesis Statement 2 is a fact It is not debatable,
of backgro und information did the writer use? Do you think it was effective? Why so it cannot
or why not? be developed further like a point of view can. As a re.suit, it is not a good thesis
statement .
 • a concluding sentence that ties all the ideas in the paragraph together. Writers signal the
conclusion by starting this sentence with a word or phrase such as dearly, far these reasons,

J therefore, or in brief.
C/early, .a bike-share program improves people's health.

1 Topic Prefabricated homes

a
.
Prefabricated homes are built in one location an
d th
en mov
ed to another location. Ii 3.10 Notice d..
§
b Prefabricated ho mes benefit the environment and Lhe people who live in them. Read the body paragraph from the Student Model essay on pages 2~21 . Double
2 Topic Solar power underline the topic sentence. Underline the supporting sentences. Circle the concluding T
• Solar power can reduce o ur use of dangerous sources of power, such as nuclear energy. sentence. C{~c
b The supply of power from the sun is unlimited. First, a bike-share program is easy for people to use. Commuters who travel to the city
J Topic Community gardens in city neighborhoods can ride around and go wherever they want. They do not have to rely on the schedules of
• Community gardens benefit the environment and help build a sense of community.
buses and trains. Driving a car is also difficult because of traffic. In addition, bike stations are
b Many cities have community gardens.
everywhere, so it is usually easy to find and park a bike. One problem sometimes is that the
◄ Topic Car sharing
a Car sharing should be mandatory in cities in order to reduce air pollution. supply of bikes is less than the demand for them. That was a problem in my city. However, we

b Car sharing is o ne way to share the cost of g{solin~ 3J _~r(NJ M (fd. ~

now have an app that tells where there are available bikes, so peo ple do not have to spend

, . I time searching for one. Therefore, the bike-share program is more convenient than buses and
3.9 Apply It to Your Writing 1t "':,. ~ -tO r,} I-Mc...01,tk/ ·
~t<M'"'t° • ·· y,} other kinds of transportation.
Think about what you have learned. Revise the possible thesis statement that you

t
wrote on page 15,_Then share it with a partner.
fvt - c{M-1 -
Ii 3.11 Practice Writing Topic Sentences
Read the thesis statements. Write topic sentences for the body paragraphs.

\ 1• b.,J.U. -ll ~, ~ u ' ~

1 Thesis statement: Community gardens benefit cities by improving air quality, providing
healthy food, and teaching children valuable skills.

.o_»J'l'v . ~ . Many urban areas have pollution

- BODY PARAGRAPHS because of the carbon emissions from cars. This pollution can cause asthma and other
fY5 Body paragraphs present the main points of an essay. Each body paragraph logically and breathing problems. The green plants in gardens make oxygen. This oxygen makes it easier

~~ thoroughly explains, describes, or argues o ne aspect of the thesis statement.

A body paragraph includes: 2
for everyone to breathe. Clearly, cleaner air is one benefit of community gardens.
Thesis statement: Biking to work instead of driving reduces air pollution, saves mo ney, a nd
makes people healthier.
• a topic sentence that states one aspect or the thesis. A good topic sentence
. . c1ear1y connects
to the thesis by reusing o r paraphrasing key words. The underlined wo rds b
• . e1ow connect to . Cars are very expensive to maintain,
the words "makes people healthier' In the thesis statement or the Stude M d
nI o el essay while bikes are easy to maintain. For example, if a car engine break5, it can cost hundreds
The best reason for having a bike-share is Its oosll{ve effects OQ~i21tl.hw1b. ·
of dollars to repair. On the other hand, ii the chain on a bike break5, it costs a lot less to fix.
supporting sentences that g ive specific information about the main Id W Gas and Insurance for cars are expensive, too, but bikes do not need them. Bikers olten have
ea. rlters also
include sentences that offer deulls, or more lnlormatlon about the Id to register their bikes, but this does not usually cost very much. There is no doubt that biking
. . . . eas 1n the suppo rting
sentences. The Information that writers give in their supporting sente to work costs less.
nces and det ·1
includes explanations, examples, and facts. ai s
When people bike on a dally basis, they exercise their whole body eve d
miles a day, so I know my heart and lungs are strong. Also, biking is ry ay. 1ride at least 5
0
good source of energy.