Essay Foundations Do Now Worksheet
ELD IV • Do Now #23 Informational Essay • Sentence & Paragraph Skills
Name:
Date:
Period:
Introduction Paragraph Architecture & Sentence Mechanics
Read the model paragraph, then complete questions 1–10.
Model Introduction Paragraph (Informational Essay) Topic: Why Dogs Make Great Pets
Dogs are wonderful companion animals for many families. Dogs require daily care and attention, but they bring great joy to people of all ages. Because dogs give loyal friendship, encourage healthy outdoor exercise, and teach children responsibility, they make the best household pets.
Part 1
Three Parts of an Introduction Paragraph
Hook Word Bank: makes a strong statement • shares an interesting fact • asks a question
1. Hook: Which sentence is the hook, and how does it catch the reader's interest? (Use the word bank above)
Sentence: [ ] 1st [ ] 2nd [ ] 3rd How it hooks:
2. Background & Topic: Which sentence gives general background information? What general fact does it share?
Sentence: [ ] 1st [ ] 2nd [ ] 3rd Background fact:
3. Thesis & Roadmap: The thesis includes a roadmap for 3 body details. List the three details:
Detail 1:
Detail 2:
Detail 3:
Part 2
Three Sentence Structures
4. Simple Sentence: Which sentence is simple (one independent clause)? Name its subject and verb.
Sentence: [ ] 1st [ ] 2nd [ ] 3rd Subject: Verb:
5. Compound Sentence: Which sentence is compound (two independent clauses joined with a coordinating conjunction)?
Sentence: [ ] 1st [ ] 2nd [ ] 3rd Coordinating Conjunction (FANBOYS):
6. Complex Sentence: Which sentence is complex (one dependent clause + one independent clause)?
Sentence: [ ] 1st [ ] 2nd [ ] 3rd Connecting Subordinating Word:
Part 3
Complete Sentences & Mechanics Rules
Rule: Subject + Predicate + Complete Thought + Capital + Punctuation
7. Core Parts: Name the two essential grammatical parts that every complete sentence must have:
Part 1: Part 2:
8. Capitals & Punctuation: Why MUST every sentence start with a capital letter and end with punctuation (. / ? / !)?
Importance:
9. Complete vs. Fragment: Is “Because dogs are friendly animals.” a complete sentence or a fragment? Why?
[ ] Complete Sentence [ ] Fragment Why:
10. Edit & Punctuate: Fix and rewrite this run-on. Add a capital letter, comma + conjunction, and end punctuation:
draft: dogs are playful pets they love to run in the park
Corrected:
Student Checklist: [ ] Capital letter at start [ ] Proper end mark (. / ? / !) [ ] Complete thought expressed
ELD Level IV Writing
