The Introduction (template)

Sentence One: State the Topic

"The reading and the lecture are both about ________"

Sentence Two: The author's arguement

"The author of the article feels that ________"

"The author of the article provides three theories about ________"

Sentence Three: The transition

"The lecturer disputes the claims made in the arcticle."

Sentence Four: The lecturer's argument

"His/Her position is that _______"

The Introduction Example:

The reading and the lecture are both about Easter Island. The author of the reading provides three theories about  why the society on the island declined. The lecturer disputes the arguments made in the article. His position is that the theories do not explain what cause the collapse. (48 words)

Body Paragraph 1 (template)

Sentence One: 

"According to the reading..."

Sentence Two:

"The article mentions that..."

Sentence Three:

"This specific argument is challenged by the lecturer."

Sentence Four:

"He claims that..."

Sentence Five:

"Additionally, he points out that..."

The Body1 Example:

According to the reading, the collapse might have been caused by rats that ate the seeds of palm trees. The article mentions that this caused erosion and soil loss which made it difficult to grow food on the island. This specific argument is challenged by the lecturer. He claims that soil loss would not have totally disrupted the food supply because they were effective fishers and sixty percent of their diet came from the ocean. Additionally, he points out that they built special rock gardens with rich soil which were used to grow potatoes. (96 words)

Body Paragraph 2 (template)

Sentence One: 

"Secondly, the author suggested that..."

Sentence Two:

"In the article, it is said that..."

Sentence Three:

"The lecturer, however, asserts that..."

Sentence Four:

"He goes on to say that..."

The Body2 Example:

Secondly, the author suggests that the collapse may have been caused by warfare. In the article, it is said that the presence of thousands of blades used in large-scale conflicts have been found. The lecturer, however, asserts that the shape of the blades proves that they were not used as weapons. He goes on to say that they are neither sharp nor pointy, so they were probably just used to cut rocks during the construction of homes and statues. (77 words)

Body paragraph 3 (template)

Sentence One:

"Finally, the author posits that..."

Sentence Two:

"The author contends that..."

Sentence Three:

"In contrast, the lecturer's stance is..."

Sentence Four:

"He notes that..."

The Body3 Example:

Finally, the author posits that the population on the island could have been wiped out by diseases brought by foreign visitors. The author contends that the local did not have immunity to these diseases. In contrast, the lecturer's stance is that when contact was made, the population was only 3000. He notes that since the population was twenty thousand many years before then, the collapse must have started before Europeans arrived. (71 words)

GENERAL TIPS

• You don't need a conclusion
• Aim for between 280 and 300 words
• Don't copy the reading word for word
• The template works for all three styles