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Narrative/Sequential Paragraph

In the United States, we write paragraphs in a basic format. First, we tell you, the reader, what we are going to tell you (main idea or thesis). Then, we provide details that support the main idea. Finally, we restate what we told you (concluding or ‘wrap up’ statement).

Tip
Good writers use a variety of types of sentences in their paragraphs.

Narrative/Sequence Paragraph
This type of paragraph is a group of sentences that specify an order of events, using words like first, next, then, after that, and finally.

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Descriptive Paragraph

In the United States, we write paragraphs in a basic format. First, we tell you, the reader, what we are going to tell you (main idea or thesis). Then, we provide details that support the main idea. Finally, we restate what we told you (concluding or ‘wrap up’ statement).

Tip
Good writers use a variety of types of sentences in their paragraphs.

Descriptive Paragraph
This type of paragraph is a group of sentences that work together to describe something specifically. Our descriptive paragraph form gives you the formula to do this easily.

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Basic American Paragraph

In the United States, we write paragraphs in a basic format. First we tell you, the reader, what we are going to tell you (main idea or thesis). Then, we provide details that support the main idea. Finally, we restate what we told you (concluding or ‘wrap up’ statement).

TIP
Good writers use a variety of types of sentences in their paragraphs.

Basic American Paragraph
This type of paragraph is a group of sentences that work together to support an idea. It includes a topic sentence, detail sentences and a concluding sentence.

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Compare and Contrast

Compare and Contrast

Use these graphic organizers to compare and contrast subjects or topics. Write two items or topics of the same category on the topic line. List the parts that are similar in the center of the overlapping circles and the parts that are different in the outside areas directly under their topic.

Types of topics that are great to compare and contrast include:

  • Plants
  • Books and Stories
  • Animals
  • Items you want to purchase
  • Places you want to visit
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Business Letter Writing

Writing a Business Letter
Here are some Graphic Organizers to help with formal business letter writing. These formats are widely accepted as the standard.

Changing the Business Letter to a Friendly Letter:

If you are writing a friendly letter, you do not need to include a company address. For the friendly letter, use the second Business Letter form (without the business address, and you also do not need to type your name under your signature). In the friendly letter, you may also indent the first line of the body of the letter.

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Persuasive/ Argumentative Essay

Persuasive / Argumentative

Here are two graphic organizers to help outline your basic persuasive or argumentative essay. Start with a position or stance on a topic, write down specific reasoning or arguments, and provide evidence that validates your reasons. To strengthen your persuasive paragraph or essay, think of possible counter-arguments that you can invalidate with evidence.

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Universal Organizers

Universal Organizers

These forms are more free-form, so they can be adapted for different uses. These can be used for note-taking, planning, or just organizing your thoughts and ideas. These forms can help you visualize and prioritize hard to resolve thoughts and ideas for project planning and more.

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Storyboards

Storyboard

Storyboards are great for illustrating events in a sequence and are often used for planning the scenes in movies and commercials. They also work well for planning trips and telling stories about trips you have taken. In the large box, draw the scene, and with the lines below write down the notes that describe it.

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Informational Note Taking

Star Note-Taking Form

This form is perfect for informational reading. Write the main idea of the story, paragraph, or experience (field trip, etc.) in the center. Then write five details about it, one on each point of the star. For example, if the topic is trees, write trees in the center and five facts about them on the points of the star. You can then use your completed form as a study guide or notes with which to write a paragraph about your topic.

Hint: For the Main Idea, think: This paragraph or story or selection tells me about _______________.
Details can include: number, size, dimensions, shape, direction, sensation, direction, color, action, time, setting, background, movement, sound, or answer the questions why or how.

These forms are best used for:

Informational, topic or subject-oriented material.
Example topics: space, trees, hieroglyphics, frogs, or baseball cards, etc.
Placing the main idea in the center of the star and five details that support or provide details about the main idea around the star.

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5W Graphic Organizer – Who, What, Where, When, How, and Why

Use this form to identify who, what, where, when, how, and why in a story or event. The form makes it easy to understand what different characters are doing, what impacts they have on events, and where different events take place. It may also be used to organize information about historical topics, such as people with impact on historical events, or to compare different stories: who is in each story, what they did, where and when they did something, or when events took place.