General Essay Questions
How many body paragraphs can you have in an essay?
As many as you want/ need to get your point across
1. Is it okay to introduce new ideas or text evidence in the conclusion?
2. Should you put a title on your essay during the STAAR test?
3. Do you need to include citations in the STAAR test?
No
What are the three parts of an essay?
Introduction, body, and conclusion
Which two parts of an argumentative essay are the same as the R and A in a R.A.T.E. paragraph?
Claim is the same as restating the question (R), except you choose a side of the argument.
Reasons are the same as answering the question (A).
What does R.A.T.E. stand for?
Restate the question, Answer the question, Text evidence, Explain text evidence
What do you need at the beginning of every paragraph?
An indent
What is the first sentence of your introductory paragraph called?
Hook/ attention getter
What is one thing you always need to have in the conclusion of any essay?
Re-statement of the thesis
What is a call to action and where does it go in an argumentative essay?
A call to actions is where you tell the audience to do something now that they have heard all your arguments.
It is the last sentence of a concluding paragraph.
1. Which two parts of a R.A.T.E. paragraph are used to create a thesis statement?
2. How many sentences minimum can you have in a R.A.T.E. paragraph?
1. R and A
2. Three
What is the purpose of a citation?
To tell the reader where they can find the evidence from the original reading that's been used in the paper.
Every time you include textual evidence in your essay, what do you also need to include at the end?
A citation
Define the word "infer."
To figure out
To conclude
To make an educated guess
What is the purpose of an argumentative essay?
To persuade a reader to see your point of view, and to do something about it
What is the purpose of a R.A.T.E. paragraph?
To help you answer short answer paragraphs.
Where does your analysis/ explanation of text evidence (E) go in your essay?
After your text evidence in the body paragraphs
Where does your text evidence go in an essay?
After the topic sentence in the body paragraph
What is the most important sentence of an essay?
BONUS: What is the second most important part of any essay?
Thesis
BONUS: Text evidence
What is a counterclaim?
A counterclaim is when you show that you (the author) considered the opposing side’s point of view.
What are two good phrases you can use to start your explanation of text evidence (E)?
“This text evidence demonstrates” or “This text evidence shows”
What is a thesis statement and where does it go in your essay?
A thesis statement is what your essay is about or the main point you want to get across to your reader. It should be the last sentence of an introductory paragraph
Where does a topic sentence go in an essay and what is the purpose?
First sentence of a body paragraph. The purpose is to introduce what will be talked about in that paragraph
What three things should be included in the hook?
Title, author name, and a brief summary of the reading.
What is a rebuttal?
A rebuttal is when you (the author of this paper) explain why the counterclaim is not accurate or why your argument is stronger.
What are three good phrases you can use to start your text evidence (T)?
1. According to [the author’s last name]...
2. [The author’s last name] states...
3. For example...