+

Intro to the P.I.E. ParagraphWriting Paragraphs with a Purpose

+One of the hardest milestones in writing is. . .

Writing clearly and effectively

Supporting your opinion with evidence

Making sure everything in your writing has a purpose and isn’t just “fluff”

+. . .Which is why we are going to use P.I.E.!!!

Make your POINT, stating your opinion/ POSITION

ILLUSTRATE your point with INFORMATION, such as quotes, examples, lessons learned, etc.

EXPLAIN or EXPAND your ideas to show the link between those examples and your position statement.

+Stating your POINT/POSITION

Your first sentence will be able to answer one or both of the following What is the point of this

paragraph? What is your stance on this

particular issue? Most times, the point of the

paragraph is also known as the TOPIC SENTENCE.

+POINT/POSITION

Example: I think that out of all of the types of pie that there are in the world, that chocolate and peanut butter pie is the best.

+POINT/POSITION

Example: I think that out of all of the types of pie that there are in the world, that chocolate and peanut butter pie is the best.

+Then, ILLUSTRATING your point with specific INFORMATION. . .

The information you provide is how you support/develop your point.

When illustrating your point, you should be able to answer the following question: How is the point supported with specific data,

experiences, or other factual material?

Types of Information: Information from readings or class discussions Personal experience Information from newspapers, magazines, television, etc Statistics

+ILLUSTRATING your point with specific INFORMATION. . .Example: To elaborate, I am an adventurous eater, and have tried many different kinds of pie in my life, including blueberry, strawberry, pumpkin, pecan, and cherry. However, chocolate peanut butter pie always seems to taste the best. Also, in 2012 at the Annual Good Food Pie Contest, the winner was a chocolate peanut butter pie.

+ILLUSTRATING your point with specific INFORMATION. . .Example: To elaborate, I am an adventurous eater, and have tried many different kinds of pie in my life, including blueberry, strawberry, pumpkin, pecan, and cherry. However, chocolate peanut butter pie always seems to taste the best. Also, in 2012 at the Annual Good Food Pie Contest, the winner was a chocolate peanut butter pie.

+Lastly, EXPLAINING this information and how it is relevant to your point. . .

The explanation is how you add to or elaborate a point.

Your explanation should answer the following question: What does the information

provided mean? What does it have to do

with the point that I am trying to make.

+EXPLAINING this information and how it is relevant to your point. . .Example: Both my personal experiences as a pie connoisseur, as well as the judgments of others do in fact suggest that chocolate peanut butter pie is superior to all other types of pie. Therefore, it can be determined that this pie is, in fact, the best.

+EXPLAINING this information and how it is relevant to your point. . .Example: Both my personal experiences as a pie connoisseur, as well as the judgments of others do in fact suggest that chocolate peanut butter pie is superior to all other types of pie. Therefore, it can be determined that this pie is, in fact, the best

+Now put it all together. . .I think that out of all of the types of pie that there

are in the world, that chocolate and peanut butter pie is the best. To elaborate, I am an adventurous eater, and have tried many different kinds of pie in my life, including blueberry, strawberry, pumpkin, pecan, and cherry. However, chocolate peanut butter pie always seems to taste the best. Also, in 2012 at the Annual Good Food Pie Contest, the winner was a chocolate peanut butter pie. Both my personal experiences as a pie connoisseur, as well as the judgments of others do in fact suggest that chocolate peanut butter pie is superior to all other types of pie. Therefore, it can be determined that this pie is, in fact, the best.

+Now it’s your turn. . .Learning to communicate well is an

important skill for anyone to develop, whether you are a student or a professional. For example, teachers learn what students understand from what they say. This means that students who want to get good grades in school will have to speak well enough to show what they know. Also, professionals sometimes write letters to tell a company about a bad experience a client has had with a product. If the letter was written poorly, it wouldn’t be taken as seriously by the company. So, from these examples, it is clear that learning to write well can be useful for a variety of reasons both in school as well as in the workplace.

+. . .Which is why we are going to use P.I.E.!!!

Make your POINT, stating your opinion/ POSITION

ILLUSTRATE your point with INFORMATION, such as quotes, examples, lessons learned, etc.

EXPLAIN or EXPAND your ideas to show the link between those examples and your position statement.

+POINT/POSITIONLearning to communicate well is an important

skill for anyone to develop, whether you are a student or a professional. For example, teachers learn what students understand from what they say. This means that students who want to get good grades in school will have to speak well enough to show what they know. Also, professionals sometimes write letters to tell a company about a bad experience a client has had with a product. If the letter was written poorly, it wouldn’t be taken as seriously by the company. So, from these examples, it is clear that learning to write well can be useful for a variety of reasons both in school as well as in the workplace.

+INFORMATION/ ILLUSTRATIONLearning to communicate well is an

important skill for anyone to develop, whether you are a student or a professional. For example, teachers learn what students understand from what they say. This means that students who want to get good grades in school will have to speak well enough to show what they know. Also, professionals sometimes write letters to tell a company about a bad experience a client has had with a product. If the letter was written poorly, it wouldn’t be taken as seriously by the company. So, from these examples, it is clear that learning to write well can be useful for a variety of reasons both in school as well as in the workplace.

+EXPLANATIONLearning to communicate well is an

important skill for anyone to develop, whether you are a student or a professional. For example, teachers learn what students understand from what they say. This means that students who want to get good grades in school will have to speak well enough to show what they know. Also, professionals sometimes write letters to tell a company about a bad experience a client has had with a product. If the letter was written poorly, it wouldn’t be taken as seriously by the company. So, from these examples, it is clear that learning to write well can be useful for a variety of reasons both in school as well as in the workplace.