SPOKEN EXERCISE #1

This is a rambling story about an old-fashioned institution from fifty years ago: the milkman. Search through the material and find the following ingredients for a five-paragraph essay: (1) an “attention grabber” to introduce the essay, (2) a thesis statement to control the essay, (3) three topic sentences to begin the body paragraphs, and (4) a final sentence to conclude the essay.

Rats! Out of milk again. Now I’ve got to stop everything I’m doing and run to the store. What a bummer! How I wish we had Mr. Garrett to deliver milk, cream, cheese, orange juice, and eggs directly to our house. When I was a small child, I lived on a country road on the outskirts of Nashville, Tennessee, where our friendly neighborhood milkman took good care of his route customers. Mr. Garrett delivered dairy products every Tuesday and Thursday morning. The guy was on such friendly terms with his customers that he actually stepped into their kitchens to check the refrigerator’s stock. Then he might have said, “Mr. Clark, you have plenty of fresh milk until Thursday. No need to add any.” Then he left, but not before telling one of his funny jokes. He was like a member of every family on his route. Even the watchdogs didn’t bite him. They just jumped on him with friendly yelps because they were so tickled to see him. He occasionally even jumped into the middle of roughhouse fights between the neighborhood kids, separating them while he reminded them that their mothers wouldn’t like how they were behaving. He even stopped to pray with a couple on his route who were planning to get a divorce. With someone like Mr. Garrett watching your fridge and making sure you were stocked up, you never had to bother with last-minute runs to the grocery store. Also, if we wanted an extra order, like chocolate milk or ice cream, my mother just left a note on the door, and, like magic, Mr. Garrett would fill her order. I sure do wish they’d bring back the old-fashioned personal milkman.

Grammar corrections: (1) Avoid “you” & “your.” (2) Avoid contractions. (3) Avoid slang words like “bummer,” “kids,” and “fridge”; use college-level words instead.

OUTLINE OF ESSAY:

Title of Essay.

Introduction Sentence to Grab Attention.

Opinionated Thesis Statement.

Statement of 3 Main Ideas. (Something like, “Mr. Garrett did A, B, and C.”)

Transitional Sentence.

Topic Sentence of First Body Paragraph. (First, …)

Details, Examples, & Reasons.

Conclusion Sentence for This Paragraph.

Topic Sentence of Second Body Paragraph. (Second, …)

Details, Examples, & Reasons.

Conclusion Sentence for This Paragraph.

Topic Sentence of Third Body Paragraph. (Third, …)

Details, Examples, & Reasons.

Conclusion Sentence for This Paragraph.

Conclusion Paragraph.

OUTLINE OF EXAMPLE ESSAY:

(Title of Essay.) The Old-Fashioned Milkman

(Introduction Sentence to Grab Attention.) “Well, I am out of milk again. Now I have to stop what I am doing and run to the store.” Most people have said statements like this many times. (Opinionated Thesis Statement and Statement of 3 Main Ideas.) Fifty years ago in Nashville, Tennessee, our neighborhood milkman was extremely valuable to his customers. Mr. Garrett was so valuable because he provided twice-weekly delivery of dairy products, he checked our refrigerators to see what products were needed, and he was a friend to all of the people on his delivery route. Mr. Garrett was part of a bygone American-neighborhood culture where doctors and milkmen actually visited people’s homes! He will always be remembered for his good examples of customer service.

(Topic Sentence of First Body Paragraph.) First, Mr. Garrett delivered various dairy products directly to our home on Tuesdays and Thursdays. (Details, Examples, & Reasons.) We were very grateful to be able to get fresh milk and eggs twice a week. Mr. Garrett’s deliveries werevery helpful because we had only one car in those days, and my mother could not go to the grocery store any time she wanted. She had to wait until my father came home from work. We did not eat a lot of meat, but thanks to Mr. Garrett, we always seemed to have enough food in the house. As a result, we ate lots of egg sandwiches during the week. (Conclusion Sentence for This Paragraph.) We were not wealthy, but we were not starving, either.

(Topic Sentence of Second Body Paragraph.) Second, Mr. Garrett checked the stock of dairy products in the customer’s refrigerators and gave helpful suggestions about what products were needed. (Details, Examples, & Reasons.) He also would recommend products that we normally did not buy, such as ice cream bars, Swiss cheese, or chocolate milk. He even had good recipes and advice for holiday cooking, and he was able to deliver hard-to-find products such as “condensed milk,” necessary for certain cakes and pies. (Conclusion Sentence for This Paragraph.) He was almost as helpful as a cookbook.

(Topic Sentence of Third Body Paragraph.) Third, and most important, Mr. Garrett was a friend to everyone on his delivery route. (Details, Examples, & Reasons.) He always had a kind word or a humorous comment for everyone. Even the dogs recognized him and liked him. He was not afraid to interrupt childhood battles in an attempt to keep brothers and sisters out of trouble. He tried to show his customers that he truly cared about their lives and families. (Conclusion Sentence for This Paragraph.) Most of all, he was a friend to his customers first, and a salesman last.

(Conclusion Paragraph.) I am sure that everyone today could use someone like Mr. Garrett in his or her neighborhood. Unfortunately, home delivery of dairy products is very rare in most parts of the country. Furthermore, most salespeople nowadays seem to be concerned about tricking customers into buying as many products as possible, rather than just listening to customers to find out what they really need! I believe our country would be better off if we had more salespeople and delivery people like Mr. Garrett. We need more people in business who really care about their customers, people who put customer service above everything else.