The 3.8 Paragraph

Introduction:

1 topic 3 points 8 sentences

The 3.8 Paragraph is made up of

The 3.8 formula:

Sentence 1--the topic sentence introduces the topic that contains three points

Sentences 2 & 3--develop point one

Sentences 4 & 5--develop point two

Sentences 6 & 7--develop point three

Sentence 8--the clincher--restates the topic sentence.

Sentence 1:The topic sentence

The first sentence states the three points you are going to make about the topic.

Example: If parents install DriveCams in their teen’s car, the teen loses their right to privacy.

Sentences 2 and 3:Discuss point 1

Sentences 2 and 3 develop the first point you wish to make with details, reasons, or examples.

Example: Having a DriveCam installed in the car means that camera will always be pointed directly at the driver. Anything he does could be recorded.

Sentences 4 and 5:Discuss point 2

Sentences 4 and 5 develop the second point with details, reasons, or examples.

Example: This violates the teen’s rights to privacy because the employees at the company can see anything he does in the car. This means that even if he slams on the brakes for something that is another driver’s fault, his actions and location are viewed by complete strangers.

Sentences 6 and 7:Discuss point 3

Sentences 6 and 7 develop the third point with details, reasons, or examples.

Example: Finally, and possibly the most extreme violation of the driver’s privacy, the video could then be uploaded to the internet. Having the ability to show examples of dangerous driving online could benefit other teens, but just because the parents sign up for DriveCam, it doesn’t mean the teens give consent to have videos of them published online for strangers to see.

Sentence 8:The conclusion (or clincher)

Sentence 8 concludes the paragraph by restating or summarizing the topic sentence.

Example: As you can see, having a video camera installed in a teen’s car violates his/her rights to privacy in several ways.

Now, let’s put it all together:

If parents install DriveCams in their teen’s car, the teen loses their right to privacy. Having a DriveCam installed in the car means that camera will always be pointed directly at the driver. Anything he does could be recorded. This violates the teen’s rights to privacy because the employees at the company can see anything he does in the car. This means that even if he slams on the brakes for something that is another driver’s fault, his actions and location are viewed by complete strangers. Finally, and possibly the most extreme violation of the driver’s privacy, the video could then be uploaded to the internet. Having the ability to show examples of dangerous driving online could benefit other teens, but just because the parents sign up for DriveCam, it doesn’t mean the teens give consent to have videos of them published online for strangers to see. As you can see, having a video camera installed in a teen’s car violates his/her rights to privacy in several ways.

Now, let’s recap the 3.8 formula:

Sentence 1--the topic sentence introduces the topic that contains three points

Sentences 2 & 3--develop point one

Sentences 4 & 5--develop point two

Sentences 6 & 7--develop point three

Sentence 8--the clincher--restates the topic sentence.

It’s quiz time...

It’s time to get pencil and paper.

Put your name and today’s date on your paper and number from 1 to 6.

You will choose the best answer for each item.

What do you remember about 3.8?

1. The 3.8 paragraph is one paragraph with

a. 3 sentences b. 8 sentences

c. 11 sentences

2. The 3.8 paragraph makes

a. 1 point b. 2 points c. 3 points

3. The first sentence:

a. develops one point b. is the topic sentence

c. is the concluding sentence

continued-->

Quiz continued:

4. The sentenced developing point one are:

a. 2 and 3 b. 4 and 5 c. 6 and 7

5. The sentences 6 and 7 develop:

a. Point 1 b. Point 2 c. Point 3

6. The eighth sentence:

a. develops point 2 b. five examples or details

c. Rewords or summarizes the topic sentence

3.8 in a 5-Paragraph Essay

Introduction Paragraph

Body 1 – 3.8

Body 2 – 3.8

Body 3 – 3.8

Conclusion Paragraph