Model Essays: Analysis
Studying complete essays shows how the parts fit together. Both model essays below follow the same structure: a funnel introduction ending in a thesis, body paragraphs each developing one controlling idea, and a conclusion with summary plus final comment.
Model 1 — "Do the advantages of the car outweigh the drawbacks?"
Introduction: background on cars → thesis naming convenience (advantage) and pollution & traffic (drawbacks).
Body 1: convenience — travel at any time, to any destination.
Body 2: pollution — fossil fuels emit carbon dioxide and other pollutants; statistic from the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Body 3: traffic — car ownership outpaces roadway, causing congestion and delays.
Conclusion: summary of the three ideas + final comment (green fuels, car sharing).
Model 2 — "Short- and long-term effects of buying on credit."
Introduction: society is increasingly materialistic → thesis naming an improved quality of life (short-term) and life-long debt (long-term).
Body 1: short-term — luxury items like cars and computers are now affordable to almost anyone.
Body 2: long-term — high interest rates and reckless spending can lead to a lifetime of debt.
Conclusion: summary of both effects + final comment advising consumers to weigh long-term consequences.
Tip: When you read a model essay, label each part — funnel introduction, thesis, each topic sentence, the support, the summary, the final comment. Then copy the structure, not the words, in your own essays.
Common mistake: Reading model essays only for content. Read them for structure — how the thesis maps onto the body paragraphs and how the conclusion mirrors the thesis.
✏️ Test Yourself
1. Both model essays end with a summary plus a final ___ .
2. In Model 1, the controlling ideas are convenience, pollution, and ___ .
3. Model 2 contrasts short-term and ___ effects.
4. When studying a model essay, copy the ___ , not the words.
📒 Words to learn
Meaning — Status established in order of importance or urgency.
“National independence takes Precedence over class struggle.”
Meaning — Grossly irreverent toward what is held to be sacred.
“It is blasphemous to go in mosque with shoes.”
Meaning — Threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments.
“It could be more ominous than you think.”
Meaning — Shockingly repellent; inspiring horror
“That was a grisly fight among people.”
Meaning — Someone who gets in (to a party) without an invitation or without paying.
“Gatecrasher guests entered the wedding party.”