Model Essay
7th Grade Practice Prompt
TOPIC #2: Most people will agree that honestyis an important quality. Think about the importance of honesty in everyday life.
In a five paragraph essay, explain to your peers why honesty is important in life.
Think About:
where you were honest
why you were honest
with whom you’ve been honest
Is honesty important in life? Of course it is! (Hook/Attention Getter) Honesty will make one’s life richer in every area. As one grows up, honesty plays a very important part in gaining parents’ trust, keeping friends, and building character. (Thesis/Magic3)
First, (transition) by being honest, you can earn your parents’ trust (Topic Sentence). For example, when you’re going out with your friends, you‘re truthful and tell your parents where you’re really going and with whom (illustration).By doing this consistently, parents’ confidence will be raised, and you will gain more freedom(explain).Completing your chores on time without your parents nagging you will avoid the I’m-gonna-get-you glare (illustration/hyphenated modifier). Instead, you will earn the you’re-so-responsible-I-trust-you-completely look(explain/hyphenated modifier).When children are honest with parents in everything they do, they earn their parents’ trust(concluding sentence).
In addition to earning parents’ trust (transition), honesty also helps keep friends. (TS) When people share secrets, they expect their friends to keep their lips sealed (illustration). As an honest individual, it’s important to respect the wishes of another person and earn a friend’s trust by keeping their secrets (explain). Once the trust is there, honesty between friends is possible (illustration). For example, if someone is doing something that can harm him or her, a fabulous, fantastic, and phenomenal friend (Magic 3) would confront them honestly in order to help (explain/alliteration). Lifelong friendships are based on honesty (concluding sentence).
Finally (transition), good character is built when people are honest with each other (TS). For instance, when you are shopping, and you get money back, an honest person returns it as fast as you would remove your hand from a hot plate (illustration and simile). Being honest like this gets respect (explain). If a student sees another studentwritinggraffiti,he or she should tell an adult (illustration).This type of honesty shows excellent citizenship which helps to build character that counts(explain)! It’s the simple truth; honesty builds character (concluding sentence).
In conclusion (transition), gaining parents’ trust, keeping friends, and building character is the result of being honest in every part of your life (restating thesis, Magic 3). Without honesty, life would be very lonely (opinion). So remember, honesty is the best policy. (Full CircleEnding).
SCORING:
Organization: 5 (inviting beginning, effective sequencing, satisfying sense of resolution, creativity in organization of ideas)
Ideas/Content: 5(specific examples, clear and focused, incorporates student’s purpose and topic, presentation of ideas and support is appropriate for the audience, cliche)
Voice: 5 (appropriate to audience, appropriate tone, engaging and showing commitment to topic)
Word Choice: 5-6 (varied word choice, shows range of vocabulary knowledge, experiments with language for effect, offers a clear and coherent message, words and phrases create images to impact the reader)
Sentence Fluency: 5( natural flow and rhythm to the paper, allows for expressive, smooth reading, control of sentence structure, varied sentence patterns evidenced in beginnings and lengths)
Conventions: 6 (Control and use of grade level conventions, appropriate use of internal and end of sentence punctuation, proper spelling, paragraphing is used appropriately)