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PEARSON ADULT LEARNING CENTRE 
English 10: Essays 
Writing the Body 

November 14, 2001

The body is the "meat" of your essay. It is here that you will make your main points. Your use of examples, details, comparisons, and anecdotes will enliven the content and make your readers feel satisfied with your efforts. Today, we'll look at some examples of how to develop ideas in the body.

My original thesis: "Children today face difficult and confusing issues as they grow up." A point I'd like to make: Messages given through the media affect children's understanding of life. The following three methods illustrate the same idea using three different methods.

First method: Use an Example

Children love to watch TV, and particularly enjoy situation comedies. These shows, subtracting commercials, are about 23 minutes in length. In this amount of time, a problem is presented, complications are explored, and a solution is reached. The problems are real ones, usually, concerning family life. A child, seeing easy solutions to complex problems, may feel that his or her own family does not seem to reach solutions as easily. Thus, children are confused by media messages shown in situation comedies.

Second Method: Make a Comparison

Today, media is much more pervasive than in the past. My son and daughter are exposed to many more media than I was, and this can't help but affect them deeply. Some forms, such as the Internet, did not even exist when I was a child. Both my son and daughter watch more television, see more movies (through the use of video) and view more advertising than was common in the past. Young people, with their large disposable incomes, are the targets of advertising. The media fight hard to get their hands on children's wallets!

Third Method: Use a Quotation

Often, magazines aimed at young teens use a quiz page to deliver a message that may be at odds with their parents' views. One example I noted was one titled, "Is it like, love or lust?" Above the title was the sentence, "You know you dig the guy you're hanging with-but in what way?" Beside this was a picture of two kids, about 15 years old. The implied message here was to help kids figure out whether they had a "true" love. Many parents would agree that love between the very young is rare, and more often leads to hurt than happiness.

Assignment: (Due November 21, 2001)

Write one idea for a body paragraph on student cheating using the three different methods outlined above. You need not write a whole paragraph. Make sure that the idea remains the same and only the methods change.

 

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