Expansion 2 - Process Writing Unit 3 - Biography

Write at least 3 paragraphs ( Introduction, Body and conclusion )

In this example the writing is about a famous author, but yours should be about a person near you.  Don't forget it!!

The Introduction

After analyzing the writing task, you should be ready to write an introduction to your biographical narrative. Your introduction should include a thesis and a brief explanation of your thesis.

Here is an introduction about the character, Robinson Crusoe:

During my time in school, I have read many stories. While I don’t always recall the names of the characters in these stories, I do remember a few important ones that I will never forget. Robinson Crusoe is one of these characters. He is the main character in The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. Robinson Crusoe is important to me because he overcomes many tough challenges. His story is also based on the adventures of a real person named Alexander Selkirk.The Body

The body of an essay consists of several paragraphs that support the thesis in your introduction. Each paragraph in the body of the essay must relate to and explain the thesis.

The introduction says that Robinson Crusoe is an important character for two reasons:

1) Robinson Crusoe overcomes many tough challenges; and 

2) Robinson Crusoe’s story is based on the adventures of a real person named Alexander Selkirk.

In the body of the biographical narrative, there must be at least one paragraph for each of the two reasons. In these paragraphs, you must include events, details and examples from Robinson Crusoe’s story to support the discussion. Here is a sample: 
One of the reasons that Robinson Crusoe is important to me is because he overcomes many tough challenges. Marooned on a desert island, he must find ways to survive with no one to help him. At first, he is very sad and lonely, and he fears that he will not survive. Then, he tames wild goats he finds on the island. They provide him with food, and he makes his own clothes from their skins. The goats become his friends. He also builds a house for himself from grass, leaves, and goat skins. Later, he rescues a man chased by cannibals. He names this man Friday, and they become trusted friends. Finally, after 28 years, a ship finds them, and the two men go back to England.

Another reason Robinson Crusoe is important to me is because the story is based on the adventures of a real person named Alexander Selkirk. I enjoy reading about people who really lived. As a boy, Selkirk ran away from home, took a job on a pirate ship, and searched for Spanish treasure. He argued with the captain who cast him off on an island near South America. Like Robinson Crusoe, he had to survive on this island by himself with only a knife, a gun, and his courage. He also tamed goats. The cats he found ate the rats that chewed on his feet at night. After over four years, some ships also found him and brought him home.The Conclusion

The conclusion of an essay summarizes your key ideas and restates your thesis. It usually consists of one brief paragraph that ends the essay.

Here is a sample conclusion to the biographical writing:
In conclusion, Robinson Crusoe is one of my favorite literary characters. He is important to me because he overcomes many obstacles. He learns how to survive on his own on a lonely, deserted island. In addition, Robinson Crusoe’s adventures are based on the real-life experiences of Alexander Selkirk. To me, these two reasons make Robinson Crusoe one of the most memorable and exciting characters in literature.Key words / expressions that may help you:expressions from unit 3 pages 45/46 (what else can you say)Linking words from unit 2 - pages 18/19At least 1 sentence using past perfect.At least 1 sentence using reflexive pronouns.