Bellevue University Office 365 account

Bruin T. Bear

STS 110

September, 1, 20xx

For this writing assignment, let’s focus on developing an essay based on the “five-paragraph” structure. Following that structure means that your paper should include one paragraph for the Introduction, three paragraphs for the Body, and one paragraph for the Conclusion. You do not have to label your paragraphs as Introduction, Body, Conclusion.

Using this structure should allow you to present your position in sufficient depth. Don’t worry if you end up writing six paragraphs. The point here is to give you guidance on the basic structure to be used for this assignment.

Here are some tips to help you set up the formatting for your essay. We recommend you use the Microsoft Word application from your Bellevue University Office 365 account.

Formatting

· Start by putting your name, the course name, and the date in the upper-left corner of the document, as shown above.

· Select the “Layout” option above to set you “Margins” select the 1-inch margins for all sides.

· Select the “Home” button option above and locate the “Line and Paragraph Spacing” button and select “2.0” which is double spacing, this should be set for the entire essay.

· Remember Not to add additional spacing between paragraphs only the double spacing.

· Ensure that you indent the first line of each new paragraph ½ inch, this can be done by pressing the “tab” button on your keyboard.

From the “Home” tab in Microsoft Word, select “Times New Roman” as the Font Name and “12” as the Font Size.

Next, go to the “Layout” tab to set up your margins. Under the Margins dropdown, select Normal for 1-inch margins all around.

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Introduction

The introduction should be a minimum of three sentences in length. Use the first two sentences to provide the context for your paper. You should clearly state the position you are taking so that you get the reader’s attention and guide them toward your claim. The last sentence of the introduction is the thesis statement (i.e., argument) and it should identify what is going to be discussed in the body of the paper. Because the body is supposed to consist of three paragraphs, it is a good practice to break down your thesis into three main ideas that support your position. See the example below.

Back when my mom did all my laundry, I just threw all my clothes into a pile and didn’t worry about how everything was washed. However, now that I have experience doing my own laundry, I must stress the importance of properly separating clothes into “whites,” “lights,” and “darks” or you will risk ruining your wardrobe. If you do not want ruin your clothes, then you should follow the steps I am about to describe for managing your laundry.

Body

The paragraphs in the body should develop the main ideas of your thesis. Write three paragraphs for the three points or pieces of evidence. The paragraphs should be about 5-8 sentences in length and provide sufficient details that explain what is meant by each of the main ideas in your thesis. Be sure to introduce and summarize each main idea in the individual paragraphs.

Each body paragraph should start with a transition into the topic—words or phrases like “First,” or “Another important point is,” See the example below.

First, I recommend making piles for white, light, and dark clothing. Your white pile should be for articles such as socks, underwear, and t-shirts. (Continue to explain this point in the remaining sentences)

Next, continue separating your colors into piles for light and dark clothing. (Continue to explain this point in the remaining sentences)

Finally, your dark pile should have gray, black, purple, dark blue, and so forth. (Continue to explain this point in the remaining sentences)

Conclusion

The concluding paragraph will recap the thesis and the main ideas presented in the introduction and body of the paper. Briefly restate the main points of your essay and tell the audience why you are right. Tie your topic to a bigger point so that your audience understands the significance of your position.

Remember, you cannot stick a red towel into a load of white laundry without damaging the rest of the clothes in that load. So the next time you set out to do your laundry, make sure you follow the steps outlined above for separating your clothes before washing them. Following these steps might even save you money in the long run because you will not have to buy new clothes to replace the ones that get ruined by improperly separated laundry.

If you use any references or quote another writer, be sure to add a References section at the end of your paper. For each reference, be sure to include the Title, Author, Date, and URL if available. If you have more than one source, be sure to separate them.

Here are a couple examples:

References

Pod, Tide. (2019). The Laundry Separator’s Handbook. Detergent Publishing, Inc.

Shirt, Tee. (2017). Wash Me with My Friends. www.not_a_real_site.com. Accessed on 7/31/2020.

* Feel free to save this document in your personal files for future reference.