I think this article had some very valid points, and it is relieving to know that I won't always have to write essays the same way over and over again. I'd been told all throughout junior high and last year that there was one correct way to write a paper and that the five paragraph essay was it. When one thinks about it, it makes perfect sense that writing is taught this way. The FPT gives beginning writers a good solid way to structure their essays, but as the article points out, that structure becomes more constricting than helpful after a while. Once a student knows how to put their thoughts on paper in a coherent way, the specific organization of those thoughts should be up to the given student.
I agree with Thomas E. Nunnally with his perspective on writing the usual standard five-paragraph theme. Although I have always thought that writing a composition could only be with the FPT,I can now see that there isnt only one specific way to write an article. Once you master enough skills you can write in any format you want. The FPT is like a diaper, and when you're ready to grow out of it, or learn how to write an essay without automatically thinking you need to use the FPT, you can wear some big boy underwear. (: Joerlyn Manalang
For the most part, I agree with the author of this article. Throughout elementary school and junior high, the FPT was a general teaching tool for inexperienced writers like me. The main purpose was to create a basic structure for writing that could be built upon in the years to come. It makes perfect sense that the FPT was the first type of writing taught to beginners; however, the only essays teachers would accept were those written in the five paragraph format. I was given the perception that the FPT was the only type of essay that I could write, and that I had to stick with the general consensus of a thesis, topic sentence and concluding sentence, and a conclusion that summarized the main points of the paper. Last year, it was difficult for me to branch off from the FPT and into the CEW format because of the perception. As Danny said, "the structure became more constricting then helpful". I think that once a student has his/her thoughts organized, they should be allowed to write in whatever style they want.
I like the fact that someone with some credibility recognizes that the FPT isn't by far the best way. If the student will take the time to learn a new method, they should be allowed to write whichever way they want to.
I absolutely agree with Thomas Nunnally's statement that "the FPT can be a genral-purpose teaching tool for inexperienced writers." The FPT is just the basis, the training wheels, for writing any sort of essay.Eventually you have to take the training wheels off to be able to become go an independent writer with your own ideas and to be able to expand from the FTP format. Obviously your going to fall down and make mistakes, but that only makes you a stronger writer because you learn from your mistakes. Also, I loved how Nunnally compared the FTP essays to squared cucumbers that are forced to grow in a confined container with no potential. This comparison really gave me a vivd idea of how FTPs look and sound like. Its like being forced to write an essay in a tiny box, with no room for details and interpretaions, the essay isnt going to turn out good. It has no potential.
I think that Nunnally drove straight to the heart of the FPT issue, which is that students don't understand that the FPT is only a temporary organization format. Certainly, my middle-school English teacher told me that, while FPT wasn't the only essay format, it was the best one and the one we should always use. One of the hardest adjustments I had to make coming into to freshman English was to break away from that format both for essays and for theses. In my middle school, even perfectly coherent writers were taught to use the FPT, the FPT, and only the FPT.
I agree with Nunnally that FPT is similar to training wheels. Like training wheels, an FPT is used to help us understand how an essay should be written (with an introduction, thesis statement, proof, and a conclusion). However, like Nunnally, I also agree that it should not be something that we constantly depend on to write. I still remember the simple days in junior high, where writing an essay simply did mean a five paragraph essay. Entering high school, I had no idea (like these college students) that people can write AMAZING essays without this format. I agree with his point that we become so dependent on the FPT, that we sometimes forget that there are other ways to write too. Of course, the FPT is easier to follow and write than different formats of essays, but, I agree with Nunnally that there is a reason for that. The FPT is just like practice, and once we get used to this practice and master it, we must move on and write in different styles too. The FPT certainly helped me (and I'm sure other students as well) realize how an effective essay or paper should be written, but it only taught all of us the beginning. Like Nunnally, I say that it is time for everybody to 'take off the training wheels' and say 'adios' to the FPT. -Sareena Ali
I agree with the article almost entirely. Writing in the FPT is a good way to organize your thoughts and it is a good starter for new writers. However, the same theme gets to be too repetitive and it doesn't really allow for any creativity or any way to expand on your writing to go more in depth. Like Thomas E. Nunnally stated, "I continue to believe that the FPT is a valuable teaching tool; comp teachers just need to be sure that their students don't perceive it as an end in itself." It is a good tool to start off with but as writers get to be more experienced, they should be allowed to expand on their writing a little more.
I like what Olivia said about how writing an FPT is like squeezing your ideas into a tiny box without room for growth or expansion. I think that perfectly sums up what writing an FPT is like. Even though you may have tons of great ideas just bursting out of your head, you can only choose a measly three and then you have to cram all of your details and explanation into only one paragraph for each. The format is like an old tennis shoe; when it doesn't fit anymore, there's no room to grow.
I agree with what the author said about the five-paragraph template. I like his analogy when he said that FPT limits the writer's potential to write something excellent or interesting like how a cucumber is limited to be just a cucumber and nothing else. I have used FPT for as long as I can remember. All my junior high teachers have told us to write as many paragraphs as we feel we need, but that secretly meant write five. I also agree that FPT is a great teaching tool for those who are not use to writing formally, but after a while we should be exposed to different formats for writing. With that being said, I think it is difficult to write in a different style because FPT has become the norm for standard essay writing.
I agree with Nunnally's expination of the FPT. Although it is a great way to become comfortable with your writing, breaking away from this method is also a necessity to grow as a writer. Following a specific formula when you write is a good guideline but it doesn't allow for much self expression as you start writing about things that require deeper thinking. As the title suggests, the FPT is a barrier that one day you must push through to discover what is on the other side.
After reading Nunnally's well written paper, I have to say that I agree with him. The FPT was something that I'm very familiar with, because in middle school this format was taught to me over and over again. I've always told myself that the FPT is just a guide of what an ideal essay would look like. I've never actually taken it as the only way to write an acceptable essay. I really like how Nunnally compared FPT to a "junior tennis racket" or "a bicycle with training wheels?". Nunnally teaches that the FPT format is suppose to direct you to the right path for writing an effective paper and is not the only way to go about writing an essay.
I agree with Thomas E. Nunnally with his idea of writing a five-paragraph theme. The FPT is a valuable teaching tool that should be taught to beginners.It helps students understand the principles of writing. The FPT will not serve for all writing needs. It helps one expand their own ideas and write in a organized fashion. It helps one enhance their writing skills and increase their vocabulary as well. It should not be a format or method that we have to depend on, yet it does guide us to become stronger writers. After we really excel in developing the solid principles of composition, we can stop using this format.The FTP helps one understand and catch their mistakes. It helps one become a confident writer!
I think that Nunnally does a terrific job at depicting the positive and negative sides of the FPT. As he stated, the FPT is like "training wheels", helpful at first, but crippling to maturing writers. In elementary school, we use the FPT to encompass our ideas and display them in a way that can be understood easily. However, in high school, instead of writing essays that clearly depict our ideas on the topic, the mechanical process of the FPT remains embedded in our essays. In order to grow as writers, we need to let go of the restraining FPT, just as a child grows out of training wheels.
I can relate to Sana K. because throughout elementary school, none of my teachers would accept essays that were not written in the FPT. Reading this article brings a sense of nostalgia -- my 8th grade language arts teacher repeatedly told us throughout the year that in high school, we'd learn that the FPT was "garbage" and "wrong in every possible way". Even after reading this article, I still do not believe that to be the case; it is only wrong to view the FPT as some sort of constraint or crutch. It's a great format for essays, and has helped me many times, so much that I cannot imagine a proper essay without claims, evidence, and warrants. (Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think there is a difference between CEW and FPT. Seems like alternate naming to me.) I agree with this article in that if one would like to incorporate additional ideas/points into their essay, I do not see why they shouldn't be able to. There are better ways to formulate certain ideas. Perhaps one overarching idea instead of three, or several ideas connected at the end by one huge warrant.
I agree with Nunnally, and I am thoroughly relieved that we won't forever have to submit to the FPT form of writing. I do agree that the FPT format is a good starting point to teach everyone in general, but I also like the fact the Nunnally says that writers can then branch out from that form of writing and start getting more fluid and creative. That way you can express your ideas in an easy to read manner and still be creative enough to think "outside the box," like his cucumber example. Box. . .get it? Never mind. Overall, his ideas are good and I agree that the FPT is like Wikipedia: a good starting point to something creative potentially fun.
I agree with Nunnally completely. He strongly believes that "the FPT is a valuable teaching tool" but students should eventually shy away from the FPT format and develop their own voice and style of writing. Sometimes the best essays are the ones that take the original format and twist it so that the paper or article suddenly becomes interesting. He makes a good arguments in this essay and I think people who feel that they have to follow the FPT format should feel more independent in their writing.
After reading Thomas Nunnally's article about the FPT essay, I completely agree with the statement that "FPT gave the confidence to explore and grow." Yes, that is completely true because in some ways, FPT is kind of like training wheels to become an experienced writer. Also, I think that is very important that all students start off in this sort of robotic writing because it teaches everyone the same basic writing skills all students need, until they become more familiar with different writing styles out there. When Joeryln said that "FPT is like a diaper" because everyone has to use it at first, but then they grow out of it when their knowledge grows. I think that if we didn't have that training in our early writing days, we wouldn't have a lot of skills like we do now. We would all just write how we wanted and that would make our perception on a good essay very weak.
I have to admit, when I first started reading about Nunnely's thoughts on the FPT, I immediately thought, "Oh geez, another guy defending the useless format that caused me so much stress my freshman year. Haven't I heard enough praise over writing five structured paragraphs in grade school?" However, when I read further, I started seeing what Nunnely was really trying to tell me: the five paragraph essay, although a great way to start essay writing, is the first step that helps us reach a more sophisticated form of writing. Looking back at my Freshman year, I have to agree with Nunnely's little theory. Although using grade school format became "off limits" as soon as Ms. Yoo explained CEW's, I found that aspects of the FPT still existed in my papers, only in a slightly changed state. Think of it like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly after being stuck in a cocoon for it's whole middle school life: it's still the same caterpillar, only better looking. By the end of my freshman year, my essays had stepped out of that grade school cocoon and became a lot "better looking" because of me being able to incorporate my own thoughts and ideas (which is something Nunnely also mentioned).
I agree with Nunnally when he says that as long as one learns and grows from writing FPTs, nothing is wrong with them. A FPT and a junior tennis racket both serve [forgive the pun] the same purpose: to help the person using them develop their skill. As a beginner in any hobby, skill, or etc., one cannot expect to immediately master it without first having endless amounts of practice. Take, for example, a wide-eyed child hoping to become a professional tennis player. He cannot expect himself to be able to use a professional tennis racket correctly, as well as win tournaments against tennis professionals as soon as he starts. So, he begins with an easily-manageable junior tennis racket to help him hone in his basic skills. After months, or possibly years of practice, he can then move on to a professional tennis racket and start to learn skills that are more advanced. In the same way, students cannot be expected to write decent, advanced college-level essays without developing their basic skills first. That is where the FPT comes in. The FPT helps students develop basic composition skills to the point where they are ready to attempt much more difficult essays. And just like the junior tennis racket, the FPT is not a tool one may use forever; eventually, he or she will need to move on and continue to learn more challenging skills in order to grow. The FPT is just a step in the right direction.
I have always been taught that the FPT was the correct way to write an essay, and I have never before been told that my writing should break away from that structure. Even the CEW format that we all learned last year I find to be extremely structured and constricting. I was surprised to read in the article that students in college were using the FPT structure, when I always envisioned college students to be much more advanced than that. I think that the FPT has taught us well, but being encouraged to stray from it is long overdue.
I also agree with Sarah C.'s thoughts about the FPT. It was really hard for me to break away from a format I was so used to, as well. I was constantly frustrated with my grade school teachers for teaching me such a "useless" method, and I never stopped to think that FPT writing was actually helping me in some way.
I agree with Nunnally about the entire article. FPT is completely helpful when first learning how to write an essay. It helps you organize and structure the paper well, but it does keep you from writing to your full potential. FPT is a good base to start writing essays from and we should grow out of it by searching or creating other ways to organize an essay that can let us write to our full capability
I agree with Nunnally's opinion that the FPT is an intelligible, basic template for new writers. Although a great method of organization, FPT is meant to be revised throughout the essays and years of a writer's career so that it matures with the writer's style. It should be altered and changed and should grow, reflecting the growth of the writer over time.
I agree with Dianna when she defines the FPT as a "guideline." It is a guideline and only a guideline; it exists to ensure the stability of the shaky, blossoming writer, but not to serve as a crutch to the developed and mature writer.
I agree with Sareena A. when she recalls how easy writing essays was in junior high. Whenever there was an in-class essay or out of class essay, the FPT never ceased to fail. Back then, writing an above average FPT almost always guaranteed us an A, or at the very least a B+. However, as soon as I stepped into my high school Freshman English class, it was a rude awakening as I discovered a little thing called a CEW. From experience, I definitely can say that writing FPTs helped me to better understand writing more advanced essays.
I think this article is really helpful and informative. I agree with Thomas E. Nunnally completely. It shows that the skills that we drilled into our brains are very helpful, yet we need to take it a step further now. We need to use these skills we have and apply them to bigger and better things. Yes knowing how to compose a five paragraph essay is a good skill to have acquired, we now need to 'take the training wheels off and enjoy the ride'. I think we don't let ourselves break free because we rely on the five paragraph format, since that's all we know. On the contrary, we should be exploring what we don't know. The unknown. I feel like we have set a standard, a barrier, even a wall that is stopping us from reaching our full potential. I think this article has opened my eyes and my peers to a new, fresh way of composing literature.
I agree with Nunnally about how the FTP is a guide to our writing. We shouldn't just rely on the FTP because it doesn't go deep in the ideas. Writing FTP in middle school was easy, but now they aren't as easy as they use to be. FTP is a good teaching tool. The FTP is like trainer wheels on a bike. Writing FTP doesn't let us think outside of the box. In my opinion, I think that writing a CEW is harder than I think because you have to go back to the theme.
I completely agree with Nunnally on what he says about the five-paragraph essay (FPT). FPT is just the template or starting point in which someone learns how to write. In elementary school, our essays were always based on our intoduction, 3 body paragraphs, and our conclusion. However, now that we have been able to achieve the FPT, we are now ready to take our writing to the next level. The FPT is the first step in helping us write in a more sophisticated way. Nunnally's comparison of FPT to a "bicycle with training wheels" and a "junior tennis racket" was really interesting and made me come up with my own. The FPT is like a pair of sneakers, once you have worn them down and grown into them, or in this case, once you have mastered on how to write the FPT, it is time to buy the new AirJordans. Overall, I believe that FPT is the baby step one needs to take in order to reach their big goal or destination.
I agree with Nunnally on what he says about the Five Paragraph Essay. I believe that this is like learning addition- once you learn it, you can move on to bigger topics, but you need to learn it in order to do well in them. I also like what Jayna said about FPT being a baby step. (:
I whole heartedly agree with what Nunnelly said about the FTP format regarding essays. It is a great building block for beginner writers in junior high to get comfortable with writing extended responses. They learn how to organize their thoughts and how to successfully explain them. However, after a period of time, students must learn to branch out from the FTP format. It is only then that they are able to put forth their full thoughts and opinions on paper. The FTP format sometimes restricts a student's ideas and trains of thoughts. When they finally achieve their own personal writing style, they are able to effectively communicate their thoughts. The FTP is a great first step for kids learning how to write; the key is to remember that it's the beginning of writing not the end.
I agree with Nunnally. The FPT is drilled into our brains as we progressed through the elementary grades. We have been taught that specific way so much to the point where it is becoming hard to break out of. As a student you think more is better but not in all cases. Sometimes it really is less is more. Writing a 5 paragraph mediocre essay is worse than writing a 2 paragraph detailed essay. The FPT is there as a foundation, as we explore other writing methods and become more of independent writers, we can build on that foundation. Underneath all those building blocks, the FPT is always going to be there, you just have to learn to vary it in a creative and well written manor.
I completely agree with Nunnally's view on the FPT. Throughout your early school life, you only learn about the FPT writing style. Honestly, I thought that if as long as you write in the FPT it's guaranteed a pretty good grade. This article truly changed my perspective on the FPT. I think that Nunnally is saying that the FPT is just an outline for how to write a well written essay. Also, I like how Nunnally compares the FPT to training wheels on a bike, because that is so true. We're all like little children afraid to break away from what's so easy for us. I think it's time for us to break away from the FPT and create something greater.
The further I read in "Breaking the Five-Paragraph-Theme Barrier", the more I agreed with Nunnally. What really caught my attention was the training wheels of a bike to a FPT metaphor, because what he said was true. A biker only relies on the training wheels for support until s/he gains balance. The FPT is supposed to act as the "training wheels" for us, but we rely too much on our "training wheels" and the consequences for that is our creativity becomes restrained and one would use the same format throughout one's essay and in the end it dulls and makes the paper repetitive. Earlier in Nunnally's report, he also said that the FPT is most helpful for the inexperienced writers, but if that is the only format the experienced writers use. Then how will the unexperienced develop into a more experienced writer, eventually, the FPT will become something that will become an obstacle for them to write a "good" paper. Nunnally, gave strong points about the FPT, although it is usually used for the inexperienced, however the FPT is good for both the inexperienced and the experienced.
I agree with Thomas E. Nunnally. The five-paragraph theme essay is a good starting point for inexperienced writers, but sometimes it can interrupt the organic thoughts in writing. It it important to explore alternate methods of essay organization, especially for various types of essays. Using the FPT for so many years without any other type of writing can make it harder when students try to write anything else, because we are so used to the structured organization of a five-paragraph essay.
I agree with Thomas E. Nunnally that the FTP is a good way for students to start in essay writing. I never though about it this way, but when he used the metaphor comparing FTP to a bike with training wheels, I understood completely. It makes sense that what we learn in middle school will transition, and evolve to a better form of writing. Learning FTP made the transition to high school a lot easier, and that without it we would have a hard time learning essay writing.
I also agree with what Sharon H. said about how the FTP was like training wheels. It is what we are use to, and it takes a big leap of faith to venture on to the big boy bikes. However, the pros of writing an essay that expresses who you are is worth that risk.
I agree with Thomas E.Nunnally about what he says about the FTP. The FTP is a great way for beginners to start off writing with. "Students should be encouraged to see the FTP for what it is: a helpful but contrived exercise." Practicing more FTPs will definitely help a student succeed in writing better essays throughout their lifetime. FTP will not serve for all writing needs. This is why this is just another useful step into writing better essays. This is one important step to understand and to accomplish. It's a step for writing in more sophisticated manners.
I agree with Danielle Habash that we need to take it a step further. We need to start using these skills in order to write professionally. Also, we should all start exploring what we do not know.
I liked the way Nunnally said that the FPT way of writing is just a way to get started in writing and it will not serve all their writing needs. You have to learn to widen your knowledge with the FPT and add more "shapely" ways of writing. He says, "it is: a helpful but contrived exercise useful in developing solid principals of composition."
I agree with Thomas E. Nunnally about how the FPT is important to learn so that it may be used as a base to expand writing formats. Nunnally states that writing should not be confined to just a FPT, but rather starts off with a FPT as a basic format, and then a student goes on to explore new styles of writing. I understand what Nunnally is trying to say; FPT is important but it should not be the only way you write. Going into high school I explored a different way of writing that was presented early on in the year. That is the CEW format. Using the CEW format was new to me, but surprisingly easy. I believe that writing in a CEW format was easy for me because of my many years of practicing the FPT format. The CEW format has many similarities to the FPT format that I noticed right away. For example, there was an introduction, proof, and a conclusion. These similarites helped me write my essays easily. With this experience in mind I know what Nunnally is trying to say when he stated that the FPT is "useful in developing solid principles of composition"(Nunnally, 71).
I agree with Saleh that the FPT way of writing is just a starting way of writing and that when we get into highschool we will evolve it into a better form of writing.
I agree with Nunnally's view on the five-paragraph theme. He suggests that the FPT form of writing is meant as a building block for future writing. Previously in middle school, and even in elementary school, we were taught that the FTP should be our go-to for essay writing. We were given a precise outline, asked to fill it out, and then put it all together to create an essay. Teachers said that if we followed this format we would have the perfect essay. High school is the time to expand out of this method and experiment with different styles of writing, since we aren't graded solely on if we follow the FPT.
I can relate to what Sarah C. is saying when she says that her middle school taught her that the FPT was basically the only way of writing. My english teachers taught us the same thing until about the end of eighth grade year when we started to try different types of writings like persuasive essays. Our Persuasive essays were not in the FPT format, and I think that allowed us to explore a little bit with which ways of writing we liked the most.
I also agree with Lila and how she compares the FPT to addition because they are both so simple but important. It provides a base for more complex writing in the future.
I've seen FPT as a tool taught to kids to keep them organized while they're writing. But after evaluating what FPT does and the different advantages and disadvantages, I don't know how I'm supposed to mature out of the rudimentary mold. If writing in the FPT format is good only to a point, how do I not do that anymore? This essay reads more as an informative criticism then a helpful solution or tip
I really appreciate Nunnally's view on the FPT, because he does not shoot it down with criticism, nor does he praise it as the best way to write an essay. He explains it as a beginning tool to first understand the composition and the sine qua non's of an essay, but not as a permanent method. It's a starting point, from which students can manipulate the format as they seem fit. The one thing that surprised me about this article was that college students were writing in such a manner. I remember my eighth grade teacher and my freshman year teacher(Ms. Yoo) telling us about writing without the FPT format and instead using the CEW format. When looking through the comments, I saw Barbara's comparison of the FPT format to a cocoon, which I thought was very clever and accurate. The FPT develops into a more beautiful and elaborate essay.
I agree with Thomas E. Nunnally on his view of the FPT. He explains that it can be useful as a general-purpose teaching tool for inexperienced writers. He also explains that students fall back on it as a form of comfort. I agree with him because this is the way we have been taught to write since we were young. We are comfortable with it now as high school students because we have been using this format since grade school. Nunnally also describes the FPT as training wheels. I agree with him because we all take life and learning one step at a time. We should learn writing in building blocks where the FPT is the beginning to our skyscraper.
I think Nunnally is right to an extent. Yes the FPT is a great way to teach beginning writers, but from my past experience, it was always more difficult with me doing the 5 paragraphs. Waaay back in elementary school I was taught to use five paragraphs, but it was very confusing to me growing up. And in some ways it still is. But if I'm taught the right way I'm sure that one day the FPT will help me more than it will hurt me. I couldn't help but see Theo's comment up above. And I agree with him. It seems that Nunnally is saying that the FPT can only help for a little while, and that eventually, you'll get right back to where you started, in need of an aid for your writing skills. It seems that while Nunnally is saying that FPt is good, he's discrediting the idea throughout the essay. I
I agree with Thomas E. Nunnally when he says that there is nothing wrong with the five paragraph essay. It is a great outline and a great way to teach kids how to form and write an essay when they are just learning, but it should only be referred to as a support for new writers. As people get more experienced they should drift away from the FPT form of writing and move on.
I agree with Shanet because the FPT is something that someone is able to fall back on when they are stuck in writing. It is also comfortable for most of us to use because we are so used to using it and have grown up knowing only the FPT way to write an essay.
I agree with Thomas E. Nunnally's article on basic five paragraph essays. When we were in elementary school, we were told to write five paragraph essays with the introduction, three main body paragraphs, and then the conclusion. Then when we moved into junior high, and high school, we were told the same thing. We used the FPT as assort of template for our writing, and used our knowledge to add, and expand it. But after reading this article, I can see that there are many ways to write essays. I agree with Nunnally's article because it doesn't limit people when they are writing, but rather allows them to think on their own, and format their essay in their own way.
I liked this refreshing take on essay writing, and the analogy of FPT being training wheels to my writing makes perfect sense. In a way, my writing feels so constrained in the systematic format that has always been expected of me. I'm excited to try and expand my writing beyond FPT and develop it into a more creative unique form to fit me and not a generic rubric.
I agree with Nunnally on that the FPT is a step in the process of how to write an effective theme, not the desired result of the process. I even though I confess to not yet having broken the format in my own writing, I feel like I can do so thanks to the writing skills that the FPT gave me. The structure if provides is helpful to the inexperienced writer. However, once the writer gains experience the structure becomes a constraint rather than a tool. Ideas do not always follow the cookie-cutter format of three ideas per composition, and often the ideas are warped and ill-expressed through the alleged need to do so. The redundancies in opening and closing theme of the FPT inhibit the ability to explain the ideas logically. The purpose of learning theme-writing is to be able to express ideas on paper that are derived from one's analysis skills and train of thought. The FPT requires very few analysis skills and clashes with natural structure of the writer's thoughts, therefore making the expression of those thoughts difficult.
Thomas E. Nunnally includes a quote from a student in his essay that really makes a great point: "We have to write another five paragraph essay. We must not forget to write a creative introduction or to cite a thesis with three main points; however, we must not forget the most important item, proof. And finally, we need to make sure we have a conclusion which 'ties it all in.' All of these listed characteristics were drilled into my head in high school whenever I was asked to write a composition. Though they may seem sarcastic, these characteristics are the basis for college writing."
The things that we learn now may seem basic, but the basic skills are what we build on to become better writers. Everyone has to start somewhere, & you have to start at the bottom to get to the top. :]
I also agree with Emma when she says that FTP is sort of like training wheels. Now that we're older, it's time to expand our knowledge beyond our comfort zone and really see how far our writing can take us.
I like the way Thomas E. Nunnally explains that we don't need to wipe the slate clean and learn an entirely new writing format (what my English teacher told me last year) but rather use the five paragraph essay as a stepping stone.You have the basic format, now break the mold and see what lies outside of the box. To add onto and explain new ideas within the old makes a lot more sense to me then learning an entire new way to write after 8 years of the same 5 paragraph essay. I, as I'm sure many of my classmates have, have done in class essays as a plug and chug many a time, however in eighth grade I started to get what Nunnally is trying to say about not using 3 ideas but any idea that explains your thesis. I was actually looking forward to expanding this idea in Freshman year. Yet instead, I was thrown into the C.E.W where my previous training in writing gave no help. After better getting to know the C.E.W. concept I have started to see how it can be useful. Then after reading this article I see how the C.E.W. format is actually very similar to what Nunnally is trying to explain. You expand your ideas relating them back to real world concepts to help understand the original thesis. However the C.E.W is still another very box like structure that leaves only slightly more breathing room then the ever tight F.P.T. It's a cage instead of a cardboard box. However, I figure once I learn to master the C.E.W I will go right back to plugging and chugging leaving even less wiggle room then before thought. Where as Nunnally's idea is to reshape the 'cardboard box' not by adding wire bars with room in between, but by punching one big hole in the side and adding a whole other cardboard box, giving you twice as much room, and if you really want you can add a third box,or a fourth; as long as you reconnect the many boxes to the first box, which contains the original idea. This leaves much more room to explore your original idea and still be organized. This concept makes much more sense to me, because I feel by containing our writing in specified structures we simply learn the structure, change a few words depending on the question, and move on; plug and chug. Nunnally's concept allows you to add as little or as much as you want to fully explain you idea and explore the concepts.
Nunnally's essay was eye-opening for me. He did a phenomenal job at proving his point, which is that the FPT format is only a tool that is meant to aid inexperienced writers. He believes that students are now relying too much on the FPT format and that they believe the FPT is the one and only way to create an essay. Nunnally states, "What's wrong with a...bicycle with training wheels?...Nothing is wrong, as long as one understands its purpose" (Nunnally 67). I like this comparison that he gives because it helps me understand that the FPT is only temporary until a writer is able to expand to more advanced writing. I'm so relieved to know that I actually have a lot of freedom when I'm assigned to write an essay because, before reading this article, I honestly believed that just about all the essays I'll ever have to write would have to be the standard CEW, five paragraph essay. All of a sudden, writing never sounded more fun! :)
I have to say that I didn't like Mr. Nunnally's view on FPT. While everyone else blogging is saying that the FPT is very helpful and everyone should know it, I believe that it didn't help me when I came to high school. Rather, the FPT format did the oppsite. When I just began to learn how to write a CEW, I was like, "What? What was the point of teaching us FPT if it isn't used in high school?". Personally, although we learned how to write FPT's in middle school, will we really remember when and how to use them in the future if we don't even use them anymore? -Anna Antonow
I also agree with Kacie that once we have finished with FPT's, we should leave them behind. Rather than trying to mash the concept with newer ones we are learning right now, I say we let go of what we won't use or need anymore and start perfecting skills on newer ones. -Anna Antonow
I strongly agree with Rachel W. that I too am frustrated that our teachers in junior high didn't even give us a hint about the new format we were going to learn in high school. The FPT has not helped me with the situation of learning a new way of writing because I had always believed that it was going to be the only way of writing throughout my life. If our middle school teachers even gave us some idea of the way it was going to be in English Class during high school, maybe some or most students and I wouldn't have struggled so much freshman year with CEW's. Also, just as Rachel had said, I too was surprised to find that college students were writing FPT's. If everyone said that it was only a building block from elementary to high school, why would colleges go back to such a simple format? -Anna Antonow
I agree with Nunnally's view point that FPT is the training wheels for better and advanced writing. Since day one, we have been taught that FPT was the way to create an ideal essay, and as we enter higher levels of writing in high school, we are taught to break away from the boring FPT. We should expand and experiment with what our minds can create with different styles and techniques.
But I also agree with Nunnally when he stated that FPT was a type of well planned-out and organized essay. People now have to decide whether they would like to be organized or creative.
I'm grateful for this article by Thomas E. Nunnally about breaking away from the five paragraph theme. After reading it and some of my peers' comments, I'm relieved to know that I am not the only one who feels we have more potential. Nunnally's article is admirably composed to me. I like how he showed that while average can get a person by, it's not the pathway to success. "Our students were weak in diction, ideas, and literary experience, but in a sea of rambling papers, our group of bland but planned essays rose to the top" (Nunally 67). Yet he wrote as this strategy went down, "Furthermore, a backlash developed among scorers, as they began penalizing mechanically produced but conceptionally empty FPTs" (Nunnally 68). I also appreciated this article because Nunnally showed a student's essay right in the text along with how she grew after she received constructive criticism. It really shows that we are capable of redefining our boundaries. The best part is that Nunnally successfully demonstrated one of his objectives for his student by writing this essay! "What I want to find out is whether you can allow a subject and line of thought to develop into an appropriately organized and developed paper" (Nunnally 69). His essay flows, is understandable, and made me feel understood. All in all, I agree with all who say the FPT is just the basic template. So I can't wait to break away from it and to explore new territory in my writing. :)
I like how Sharon said that the FPT is something that we need to break away from, and that we should be "exploring new territory" in writing. With this in mind, you don't have to be limited to the format of FPT, and you can use your own organization that will work for you.
When I read this packet, in mind I just kept thinking that in middle/junior high, I was always taught that 5 paragraph essays were intro, middle, and concluding paragraphs. After reading, I realized that that "rule" was just a template and a way to get the students started off. During freshman year, my English teacher taught myself and my classmates to get away from that rule. We added the CEW yet, we never really changed the actually essay format.
I agree with Nunally and Joerlyn when they say that there's nothing wrong with the five paragraph essay as long as you know the correct way to use it and stuff. All I can think of is how in middle school and elementary school all you can do is five paragraph essays and now in high school it's time to move to something new
I agree with Nunnaly because i think that the Five paragraph theme is good for begginers in the fact that it brought peoples writing skills up. The Five paragraph theme is a good way for a writer to start writing, but thet need to learn hot to come away from this format
I agree with Nunnally about using the FPT as an outline for inexperienced writers. But once they've become comfortable with it, i believe they should start writing where the content fits into it's own paragraphs. It is a starting point to getting students to write in their own creative ways.
I agree with the author about how the Five-Paragraph-Theme is great for beginners, I think it is a very great learning tool and teaches students good writing skills, but at a certain point you should move on to better ways of writing a paper. -Sergei Lemesh Period Two
i agree with this article because i think that it's good to learn with the fpt because it teaches you the main concepts of an essay. That way you have all the main parts you need for an essay. Kids should grow out of the fpt because it is not the only way to write, and as you grow older you learn more about writing. Therefore it is good to learn to write in different essay formats to grow what you know about different ways to write an essay.
I think that this was a good article to read for soph honors because only the more sophisticated writers have the ability to step out of that boring 5 paragraph template. That template should only serve as a base for our writing; a starting point for our growth as writers. Just as mentioned in the article, if that FPT is all we depend on, we will never be able to discover the possibly amazing and creative ways of not only writing, but thinking as well. Because we are thinking at a set bar (a low bar, in fact...), we will never be able to find out that we have the abilities to raise that bar to a whole new level. I think that Mrs. Hett had us read this article because she knows that we, soph honors, can handle that new level of thinking.
I totally agree with Thomas Nunnally and his idea about FPT. I believe that FPT should be used as a standard writing method in junior highs, but no where near the high school or college environments. Just as Nunnally said, FPT is like training wheels, eventually you have to take them off. You can learn to write using FPT, but eventually you have to start writing more freely. I believe that FPT is too formalistic and writing should be about using different methods to make your papers your own.
i feel that their should not be a limit on how many paragraphs as long as it gets the job done and gets you a good grade also i think that the more detailed the better Billal Abbasi
I agree with Nunnally that the five-paragraph-theme is a good way for students to learn to write. I remember doing this many times in elementary school and I was able to do this very well. This way of writing is a great way to learn writing in an organized way and later students will learn to write in their own style. Everyone needs to start somewhere and then they will become better
I agree with Karloina, the five paragraph essay is a great way to learn how to write but now we have to learn to write more freely. It is formalistic and we rely on the format to write a good essay, but a good essay isn't all about format. A good essay is so much more that that.
I totally agree with Joerlyn when she said that the FPT is like a pair of diapers and more sophisticated writing is like a pair of "big boy underwear". Just as a child cannot wear diapers forever, we as writers can, but should not write in the FPT format forever. Diapers will most likely prevent the child from growing, and so will the FPT for writers.
I agree with Nunnally that the five paragraph essay should be used for inexperienced writers. Children that are just beginning to write should use this format and as they get older and move to on middle school, high school, and college, their writing should not still be the five paragraph essay. Instead, it should change, and writers should only use it as a template to guide them when writing a more sophisticated essay because writing in the five paragraph format forever is boring and will not improve your writing skills.
I completely agree with Tracy's thoughts of the FPT. Honestly, Nunnally does a great job describing himself the ways that a FPT essay helps the developing writer but cripples, as Tracy said, the more experienced writer who can stat to broaden their horizons from the FPT into more creative and clear writings.
I agree with Francesca in that there is nothing wrong with the FPT. Some people seem to be saying that the FPT should be disposed of. I don't agree, nor do I believe the article meant it in this way. Instead, the FPT should be expanded on and no longer thought of as a defined boundary.
I found myself agreeing with this article by Nunnally. Throughout junior high and in high school, I been taught to write a structured five paragraph essay. I have always thought that this is the only way to write an essay; which makes sense, because you come up with a solid thesis, then build upon the thesis with proof to show support. Then you wrap up the main points in a final concluding paragraph. But as I read through this article, I realized that the FPT is only a guide to write more creative and professional essays.
I agree with Olivia's statement that when you take away the FPT style or writing, it may take a few times to get use to a different way of writing, but it will eventually make you a better writer. It is like taking away the training wheels of a bike. The first few times are shaky until you get the hang of it. With any new thing, it takes getting use to, including writing.
I definitely agree that the FPT is exactly like training wheels. Training wheels prep you up for the real game. It's like their basically telling you what to write about and your just adding the details. However, you eventually master training wheels and when your not supposed to depend on them anymore, you need to challenge yourself again. This is exactly why freshmans and maybe even 8th grade students should be prepped for CEWS because CEWS are completely made up of your own ideas and your own way of writing an essay. I remember my junior high teachers would give us a sheet of paper that would give us a list of numbers followed with directions on what to write about, which didn't really help at all when i had to throw all i learned away when i entered Ms .Yoo's class last year. The first say of school she told us to forget all about the five paragraph essays and that were going to start learning CEW formats, which i hadn't even heard of. Alot of students in Ms. Yoo's class seriously struggled in the beginning of the year because we were put to such a challenge to suddenly take off our training wheels. FPT is definitely not something junior high students should depend on and i think it should only be used in teaching k-4 students how to write a basic essay.
I sort of disagree with Minnie because CEWs are really nothing like FPTs. Most teachers just decided to teach CEWs in that way because none of us understood at all what the teachers were talking about when they said 'claim, evident, warrant, thesis.. etc.' I don't know about anyone else but i was honestly clueless until i passed Ms. Yoo's class. When you write a CEW, you piece it together yourself with your own ideas. Either it's a cause and effect relationship between the claims or an compare and contrast its always something different.
I agree with Tina, because all throughout my early school days, we were taught how to write a claim and back it up with many different bits of evidence. The result turned out "choppy" but we were told that that was the right way to write, but this article shows a more advanced way to write. -Sergei Lemesh Period 2
I 100% agree with the author. I never found the FTP format helpful for me. I hate outlines and I love the ability to twist a curve my essays with organization, but I guess... a 'disorganized' kind of organization. I feel the author recognizes that some kids, like me, have a more... 'abstract' way of writing that works for them. While I agree with the author on this, I feel the CEW really helps one support their ideas and helps with an overall better piece of writing.
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I basically agree with everyone who feels that the FTP is way too constricting and likes to 'just plain write'.
Thomas E. Nullay has a point about the five paragraph essay being like training wheels of a bike. But another thing to think about is that the essay is not only easy to write but sounds well written. I'm not trying to say that this essay format will make one sound like Shakespere or any other writing prodigy, but it will make one sound educated and organized. On the other hand, it is nice to know that this essay format isn't the only way in which our writing can sound good. Maybe our other teachers told this to us because five paragraph essays are easy to grade, i don't know. Bt what i do know is that this essay brings both good and bad aspects to the table. We feel good about having the right to write in any way that we want, just as long as out ideas are well organized, but we also get the stress that we now have to step outside of the box and really think of a good way to organized your thought on paper. By: Susana Montoya Quinchia
I agree with Sharon H. on how the FTP is like training wheels. I also use to think that the FTP would get me good grades, but after the yesterday, I learned that I have to let go. In middle school, teachers mostly taught the FTP.
I like Jorelyn's metaphor of the FPT being like diapers. It's true, they pretty much keep your essay clean and dry.(=}) while you get writing potty trained. But once you learn to write in your own way, one can take off that diaper and use big kid underwear, or in our case, different writing methods that can make one sound like a better writer. It sounds really funny comparing essay formats to undergarments, but hey, it's a pretty good analysis, and i also enjoy talking about underwear! hehe=}
I completely agree with the author, Thomas E. Nunnally, that the FPT is used too much in high school and is not a creative way to express your thoughts in an essay. There is nothing interesting about it. Its understandable for kids just learning how to write to use it because it allows them to clearly express their thoughts in an organized way. However as high school students I feel like there are many other ways to organize your ideas and also have the essay be much more enjoyable. However, to be honest I feel like for me, it could take a bit of training to get out of that FPT essay format when I write. Hopefully, I can start to experiment with new ways of writing and have it be a organized, well-thought out, interesting way.
I agree with Alyssa that the FPT is a good way to first teach about writing essays and that it can really help new writers to get their ideas clearly out on paper. As high school students we can still use the FPT to build and expand our ideas on. We shouldn't completely get rid of it because it still has important ideas, mainly being organization. This is because all good essays are organized, despite differences in format.
I agree with Thomas E. that the FPT is basically the basic steps to writing a good essay. And, after learning that, students should be taught how to branch off from there. A good paper should go smoothly and freely without the same constant set-up. We as students should figure out or own formats but still use the basics that were taught to us from the FPT.
I also agree with Sana that the FPT isn't a very creative way at all to write an essay. Alas, it's still important to learn, but, once you hit high school, organizing ones thoughts should be done in a different way. Student shouldn't be confined to using the same format over and over again and should be allowed to express and organize their ideas in a different way.
I agree with the author in his reasoning behind the FPT. Since kids are taught that method of writing since the beginning of elementary school, the tend to stick to the FPT format all throughout their lives. However, when we read essays in magazines, newspapers, books etc. we don't see the FPT. The essays we read are very smooth flowing, and are almost like they can be read as if the author was talking to the reader on the spot. It also helps if we abandoned the FPT since the SATs are graded depending on the quality of the writing.
I agree with Thomas E. Nunnally on his perspective of the standard five-paragraph theme essay. Even though the FPT is a highly useful tool in mastering the correct skill for developing essays, it limits the writer to only three ideas, whether they are reasons or evidence. There are more ideas in the world then just three, and to limit the student's ideas is actually closing their mind to other possibilities. The FPT should be introduced to junior high students as a start, but I think it is essential for students to open up their mind. It should be taught that the FPT is only an outline, and the real essay is written when the writer has truly reached out to all parts of their imagination. I agree with Nunnally that the FPT is not the only answer to well-developed essays.
I really like what Sarah C. said about the FPT format being a tennis shoe, and when it doesn't fit anymore, there is no room to grow. I agree with this statement because the FPT is a good tool to get started. When you have developed the skills of writing neat essays and learned how to organize your ideas, you should have the choice of using any format that helps you create the essay. I also agree with Joeanna J's example of the boy who wants to become a professional tennis player. Every person doesn't start off at a big step; you have to learn step-by-step. Start off with FPT, but when you think you have mastered the skills needed to conjure up a good theme for your essay, move on to other writing styles.
I like how Kris said that the essays we read in magazines are not in an FPT format. This is very true and something I haven't really thought about before. This makes me realize that the FPT is not meant to be used in everything. I also agree with Kris about the fact that the SAT will be grading essays based on quality, and not so much on the format. So it's important to understand that we must let go of the FPT and focus on writing a quality paper.
I agree with Rachel W. that both the FPT and the CEW are both constricting and the Nunnally describes a better way to break free from the molded essay.
I agree with Theo about Nunnally only critiquing the FPT format. He tells us what's good and bad, but doesn't help us in finding a solution. We've been doing the FPT essay for years and it's what we started off with so how are we going to find or compose a different format?
I agree with Diana M when she said that the FPT is just training wheels because eventually everyone stops using training wheels and eventually writers should stop using FPT. Some bikers can drive without hands some with just one and some can barely drive. Likewise, every persons essays should be different, and if everyone uses the FPT they will all be similar and that doens't work anymore in high school!
After reading Susie's comment, I came to the conclusion that branching out from FPT will improve our writing drastically. It will be a challenge to let go of what was drilled into our head year after year but I think were up for it.
I agree with Lia’s perspective on the FPT. We should be exposed to different formats for writing because once you think about it, we aren’t going to get into college based on a mediocre FPT. We should have been able to branch off and evolve our writing earlier. Now, I feel that my writing feels so constrained in the systematic format that has always been expected from me.
This paper really made me think about the five paragraph method. It definitely is the basic step to writing. I've been writing papers like that for as long as I can remember. It is both a good and a bad thing. Good in the sense I know how to state a point clearly and give the reader organized thoughts. However its bed because I begin to feel trapped in this form, it has become so natural to format things this way. Colleges would rather read an incredible three paragraph essay than an average five paragraph essay. Incredible eats average any day of the week. This has challenged me to break the barriers of my writing abilities .
I completely agree with Danny . When told how to do something it's extremely hard to break the habit. Writers also deserve to be creative and chose how to format their papers. It helps with the flow and your writing ability, to not feel chained .
I agree with Emma's comment. We were taught over and over again the same way of writing, but it will be a challenge to see if we can branch out of the normal five paragraph essay and write more freely. It would make writing a lot more interesting to not only write, but to read as well.
I agree with Chandne when she stated that the FPT is a good tool to practice using but will not serve all writing purposes nevertheless throughout life. I also recognize that she used a great quote to support her idea: "Students should be encouraged to see the FTP for what it is: a helpful but contrived exercise."
I agree with Joerlyn's idea that the FPT essay is like a diaper because you use it to train yourself until you are ready to move onto the next level. In this case, as Joerlyn says it, your "big boy underwear." I think this is a perfect example to compare to the FPT because once you are able to write the FPT essay leisurely, you can start writing in a different format, such as a CEW (claim evidence warrant).
The FPT is like a diaper, and when you're ready to grow out of it, or learn how to write an essay without automatically thinking you need to use the FPT, you can wear some big boy underwear. (:
I definitely agree with Joerlyn " you can wear some big boy underwear". This formula is only a starters method that later a writer should stop inhabiting. This formula helps a writer enhance their writing skills. After you become well-skilled at the FTP, one should change their paragraph structures.
i agree with Joerlyn's comment about how the ftp helps with learning the basics and then you can write an essay in many different formats. I also love how she compared the writing to the diapers and underwear scenario.
I agree with what Nunnally says about the FPT format of writing. I have always been taught to write in that format and sometimes I don't like writing that way. It's a great way to get used to writing papers and it pretty much includes all details, but with writing that way I sometimes tend to repeat myself a lot. Being able to use any format of your choice is good because it's your paper and you know the best way of writing it.
I agree with Natalie B when she says FPT doesn't have to be a format of writing we have to depend on. It helped us when we were younger and less experienced, but now we should be able to figure out the way of writing that is best for our papers.
I agree with Natalie because it does serve as a way of organizing, and guides a beginner to become a stronger writer.For basic writing, it is a terrific format. However, later on, it has to be let go of.
I think this article had some very valid points, and it is relieving to know that I won't always have to write essays the same way over and over again. I'd been told all throughout junior high and last year that there was one correct way to write a paper and that the five paragraph essay was it. When one thinks about it, it makes perfect sense that writing is taught this way. The FPT gives beginning writers a good solid way to structure their essays, but as the article points out, that structure becomes more constricting than helpful after a while. Once a student knows how to put their thoughts on paper in a coherent way, the specific organization of those thoughts should be up to the given student.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Thomas E. Nunnally with his perspective on writing the usual standard five-paragraph theme. Although I have always thought that writing a composition could only be with the FPT,I can now see that there isnt only one specific way to write an article. Once you master enough skills you can write in any format you want. The FPT is like a diaper, and when you're ready to grow out of it, or learn how to write an essay without automatically thinking you need to use the FPT, you can wear some big boy underwear. (:
ReplyDeleteJoerlyn Manalang
For the most part, I agree with the author of this article. Throughout elementary school and junior high, the FPT was a general teaching tool for inexperienced writers like me. The main purpose was to create a basic structure for writing that could be built upon in the years to come. It makes perfect sense that the FPT was the first type of writing taught to beginners; however, the only essays teachers would accept were those written in the five paragraph format. I was given the perception that the FPT was the only type of essay that I could write, and that I had to stick with the general consensus of a thesis, topic sentence and concluding sentence, and a conclusion that summarized the main points of the paper. Last year, it was difficult for me to branch off from the FPT and into the CEW format because of the perception. As Danny said, "the structure became more constricting then helpful". I think that once a student has his/her thoughts organized, they should be allowed to write in whatever style they want.
ReplyDeleteI like the fact that someone with some credibility recognizes that the FPT isn't by far the best way. If the student will take the time to learn a new method, they should be allowed to write whichever way they want to.
ReplyDeleteAlso I agree with Sana and Danny when they say that a student should not be limited to simply the FPT
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with Thomas Nunnally's statement that "the FPT can be a genral-purpose teaching tool for inexperienced writers." The FPT is just the basis, the training wheels, for writing any sort of essay.Eventually you have to take the training wheels off to be able to become go an independent writer with your own ideas and to be able to expand from the FTP format. Obviously your going to fall down and make mistakes, but that only makes you a stronger writer because you learn from your mistakes. Also, I loved how Nunnally compared the FTP essays to squared cucumbers that are forced to grow in a confined container with no potential. This comparison really gave me a vivd idea of how FTPs look and sound like. Its like being forced to write an essay in a tiny box, with no room for details and interpretaions, the essay isnt going to turn out good. It has no potential.
ReplyDeleteI think that Nunnally drove straight to the heart of the FPT issue, which is that students don't understand that the FPT is only a temporary organization format. Certainly, my middle-school English teacher told me that, while FPT wasn't the only essay format, it was the best one and the one we should always use. One of the hardest adjustments I had to make coming into to freshman English was to break away from that format both for essays and for theses. In my middle school, even perfectly coherent writers were taught to use the FPT, the FPT, and only the FPT.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nunnally that FPT is similar to training wheels. Like training wheels, an FPT is used to help us understand how an essay should be written (with an introduction, thesis statement, proof, and a conclusion). However, like Nunnally, I also agree that it should not be something that we constantly depend on to write. I still remember the simple days in junior high, where writing an essay simply did mean a five paragraph essay. Entering high school, I had no idea (like these college students) that people can write AMAZING essays without this format. I agree with his point that we become so dependent on the FPT, that we sometimes forget that there are other ways to write too. Of course, the FPT is easier to follow and write than different formats of essays, but, I agree with Nunnally that there is a reason for that. The FPT is just like practice, and once we get used to this practice and master it, we must move on and write in different styles too. The FPT certainly helped me (and I'm sure other students as well) realize how an effective essay or paper should be written, but it only taught all of us the beginning. Like Nunnally, I say that it is time for everybody to 'take off the training wheels' and say 'adios' to the FPT.
ReplyDelete-Sareena Ali
I agree with the article almost entirely. Writing in the FPT is a good way to organize your thoughts and it is a good starter for new writers. However, the same theme gets to be too repetitive and it doesn't really allow for any creativity or any way to expand on your writing to go more in depth. Like Thomas E. Nunnally stated, "I continue to believe that the FPT is a valuable teaching tool; comp teachers just need to be sure that their students don't perceive it as an end in itself." It is a good tool to start off with but as writers get to be more experienced, they should be allowed to expand on their writing a little more.
ReplyDeleteI like what Olivia said about how writing an FPT is like squeezing your ideas into a tiny box without room for growth or expansion. I think that perfectly sums up what writing an FPT is like. Even though you may have tons of great ideas just bursting out of your head, you can only choose a measly three and then you have to cram all of your details and explanation into only one paragraph for each. The format is like an old tennis shoe; when it doesn't fit anymore, there's no room to grow.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what the author said about the five-paragraph template. I like his analogy when he said that FPT limits the writer's potential to write something excellent or interesting like how a cucumber is limited to be just a cucumber and nothing else. I have used FPT for as long as I can remember. All my junior high teachers have told us to write as many paragraphs as we feel we need, but that secretly meant write five. I also agree that FPT is a great teaching tool for those who are not use to writing formally, but after a while we should be exposed to different formats for writing. With that being said, I think it is difficult to write in a different style because FPT has become the norm for standard essay writing.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nunnally's expination of the FPT. Although it is a great way to become comfortable with your writing, breaking away from this method is also a necessity to grow as a writer. Following a specific formula when you write is a good guideline but it doesn't allow for much self expression as you start writing about things that require deeper thinking. As the title suggests, the FPT is a barrier that one day you must push through to discover what is on the other side.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sana and Danny when they say that a student should not be limited to just the fpt
ReplyDeleteDimitri
After reading Nunnally's well written paper, I have to say that I agree with him. The FPT was something that I'm very familiar with, because in middle school this format was taught to me over and over again. I've always told myself that the FPT is just a guide of what an ideal essay would look like. I've never actually taken it as the only way to write an acceptable essay. I really like how Nunnally compared FPT to a "junior tennis racket" or "a bicycle with training wheels?". Nunnally teaches that the FPT format is suppose to direct you to the right path for writing an effective paper and is not the only way to go about writing an essay.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Thomas E. Nunnally with his idea of writing a five-paragraph theme. The FPT is a valuable teaching tool that should be taught to beginners.It helps students understand the principles of writing. The FPT will not serve for all writing needs. It helps one expand their own ideas and write in a organized fashion. It helps one enhance their writing skills and increase their vocabulary as well. It should not be a format or method that we have to depend on, yet it does guide us to become stronger writers. After we really excel in developing the solid principles of composition, we can stop using this format.The FTP helps one understand and catch their mistakes. It helps one become a confident writer!
ReplyDeleteI think that Nunnally does a terrific job at depicting the positive and negative sides of the FPT. As he stated, the FPT is like "training wheels", helpful at first, but crippling to maturing writers. In elementary school, we use the FPT to encompass our ideas and display them in a way that can be understood easily. However, in high school, instead of writing essays that clearly depict our ideas on the topic, the mechanical process of the FPT remains embedded in our essays. In order to grow as writers, we need to let go of the restraining FPT, just as a child grows out of training wheels.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to Sana K. because throughout elementary school, none of my teachers would accept essays that were not written in the FPT. Reading this article brings a sense of nostalgia -- my 8th grade language arts teacher repeatedly told us throughout the year that in high school, we'd learn that the FPT was "garbage" and "wrong in every possible way". Even after reading this article, I still do not believe that to be the case; it is only wrong to view the FPT as some sort of constraint or crutch. It's a great format for essays, and has helped me many times, so much that I cannot imagine a proper essay without claims, evidence, and warrants. (Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think there is a difference between CEW and FPT. Seems like alternate naming to me.)
ReplyDeleteI agree with this article in that if one would like to incorporate additional ideas/points into their essay, I do not see why they shouldn't be able to. There are better ways to formulate certain ideas. Perhaps one overarching idea instead of three, or several ideas connected at the end by one huge warrant.
I agree with Nunnally, and I am thoroughly relieved that we won't forever have to submit to the FPT form of writing. I do agree that the FPT format is a good starting point to teach everyone in general, but I also like the fact the Nunnally says that writers can then branch out from that form of writing and start getting more fluid and creative. That way you can express your ideas in an easy to read manner and still be creative enough to think "outside the box," like his cucumber example. Box. . .get it? Never mind. Overall, his ideas are good and I agree that the FPT is like Wikipedia: a good starting point to something creative potentially fun.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nunnally completely. He strongly believes that "the FPT is a valuable teaching tool" but students should eventually shy away from the FPT format and develop their own voice and style of writing. Sometimes the best essays are the ones that take the original format and twist it so that the paper or article suddenly becomes interesting. He makes a good arguments in this essay and I think people who feel that they have to follow the FPT format should feel more independent in their writing.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Thomas Nunnally's article about the FPT essay, I completely agree with the statement that "FPT gave the confidence to explore and grow." Yes, that is completely true because in some ways, FPT is kind of like training wheels to become an experienced writer. Also, I think that is very important that all students start off in this sort of robotic writing because it teaches everyone the same basic writing skills all students need, until they become more familiar with different writing styles out there. When Joeryln said that "FPT is like a diaper" because everyone has to use it at first, but then they grow out of it when their knowledge grows. I think that if we didn't have that training in our early writing days, we wouldn't have a lot of skills like we do now. We would all just write how we wanted and that would make our perception on a good essay very weak.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit, when I first started reading about Nunnely's thoughts on the FPT, I immediately thought, "Oh geez, another guy defending the useless format that caused me so much stress my freshman year. Haven't I heard enough praise over writing five structured paragraphs in grade school?"
ReplyDeleteHowever, when I read further, I started seeing what Nunnely was really trying to tell me: the five paragraph essay, although a great way to start essay writing, is the first step that helps us reach a more sophisticated form of writing. Looking back at my Freshman year, I have to agree with Nunnely's little theory. Although using grade school format became "off limits" as soon as Ms. Yoo explained CEW's, I found that aspects of the FPT still existed in my papers, only in a slightly changed state. Think of it like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly after being stuck in a cocoon for it's whole middle school life: it's still the same caterpillar, only better looking. By the end of my freshman year, my essays had stepped out of that grade school cocoon and became a lot "better looking" because of me being able to incorporate my own thoughts and ideas (which is something Nunnely also mentioned).
I agree with Nunnally when he says that as long as one learns and grows from writing FPTs, nothing is wrong with them. A FPT and a junior tennis racket both serve [forgive the pun] the same purpose: to help the person using them develop their skill. As a beginner in any hobby, skill, or etc., one cannot expect to immediately master it without first having endless amounts of practice. Take, for example, a wide-eyed child hoping to become a professional tennis player. He cannot expect himself to be able to use a professional tennis racket correctly, as well as win tournaments against tennis professionals as soon as he starts. So, he begins with an easily-manageable junior tennis racket to help him hone in his basic skills. After months, or possibly years of practice, he can then move on to a professional tennis racket and start to learn skills that are more advanced. In the same way, students cannot be expected to write decent, advanced college-level essays without developing their basic skills first. That is where the FPT comes in. The FPT helps students develop basic composition skills to the point where they are ready to attempt much more difficult essays. And just like the junior tennis racket, the FPT is not a tool one may use forever; eventually, he or she will need to move on and continue to learn more challenging skills in order to grow. The FPT is just a step in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteI have always been taught that the FPT was the correct way to write an essay, and I have never before been told that my writing should break away from that structure. Even the CEW format that we all learned last year I find to be extremely structured and constricting. I was surprised to read in the article that students in college were using the FPT structure, when I always envisioned college students to be much more advanced than that. I think that the FPT has taught us well, but being encouraged to stray from it is long overdue.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Sarah C.'s thoughts about the FPT. It was really hard for me to break away from a format I was so used to, as well. I was constantly frustrated with my grade school teachers for teaching me such a "useless" method, and I never stopped to think that FPT writing was actually helping me in some way.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nunnally about the entire article. FPT is completely helpful when first learning how to write an essay. It helps you organize and structure the paper well, but it does keep you from writing to your full potential. FPT is a good base to start writing essays from and we should grow out of it by searching or creating other ways to organize an essay that can let us write to our full capability
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nunnally's opinion that the FPT is an intelligible, basic template for new writers. Although a great method of organization, FPT is meant to be revised throughout the essays and years of a writer's career so that it matures with the writer's style. It should be altered and changed and should grow, reflecting the growth of the writer over time.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Dianna when she defines the FPT as a "guideline." It is a guideline and only a guideline; it exists to ensure the stability of the shaky, blossoming writer, but not to serve as a crutch to the developed and mature writer.
I agree with Sareena A. when she recalls how easy writing essays was in junior high. Whenever there was an in-class essay or out of class essay, the FPT never ceased to fail. Back then, writing an above average FPT almost always guaranteed us an A, or at the very least a B+. However, as soon as I stepped into my high school Freshman English class, it was a rude awakening as I discovered a little thing called a CEW. From experience, I definitely can say that writing FPTs helped me to better understand writing more advanced essays.
ReplyDeleteI think this article is really helpful and informative. I agree with Thomas E. Nunnally completely. It shows that the skills that we drilled into our brains are very helpful, yet we need to take it a step further now. We need to use these skills we have and apply them to bigger and better things. Yes knowing how to compose a five paragraph essay is a good skill to have acquired, we now need to 'take the training wheels off and enjoy the ride'. I think we don't let ourselves break free because we rely on the five paragraph format, since that's all we know. On the contrary, we should be exploring what we don't know. The unknown. I feel like we have set a standard, a barrier, even a wall that is stopping us from reaching our full potential. I think this article has opened my eyes and my peers to a new, fresh way of composing literature.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nunnally about how the FTP is a guide to our writing. We shouldn't just rely on the FTP because it doesn't go deep in the ideas. Writing FTP in middle school was easy, but now they aren't as easy as they use to be. FTP is a good teaching tool. The FTP is like trainer wheels on a bike. Writing FTP doesn't let us think outside of the box. In my opinion, I think that writing a CEW is harder than I think because you have to go back to the theme.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Nunnally on what he says about the five-paragraph essay (FPT). FPT is just the template or starting point in which someone learns how to write. In elementary school, our essays were always based on our intoduction, 3 body paragraphs, and our conclusion. However, now that we have been able to achieve the FPT, we are now ready to take our writing to the next level. The FPT is the first step in helping us write in a more sophisticated way. Nunnally's comparison of FPT to a "bicycle with training wheels" and a "junior tennis racket" was really interesting and made me come up with my own.
ReplyDeleteThe FPT is like a pair of sneakers, once you have worn them down and grown into them, or in this case, once you have mastered on how to write the FPT, it is time to buy the new AirJordans. Overall, I believe that FPT is the baby step one needs to take in order to reach their big goal or destination.
I agree with Nunnally on what he says about the Five Paragraph Essay. I believe that this is like learning addition- once you learn it, you can move on to bigger topics, but you need to learn it in order to do well in them. I also like what Jayna said about FPT being a baby step. (:
ReplyDeleteI whole heartedly agree with what Nunnelly said about the FTP format regarding essays. It is a great building block for beginner writers in junior high to get comfortable with writing extended responses. They learn how to organize their thoughts and how to successfully explain them. However, after a period of time, students must learn to branch out from the FTP format. It is only then that they are able to put forth their full thoughts and opinions on paper. The FTP format sometimes restricts a student's ideas and trains of thoughts. When they finally achieve their own personal writing style, they are able to effectively communicate their thoughts. The FTP is a great first step for kids learning how to write; the key is to remember that it's the beginning of writing not the end.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nunnally. The FPT is drilled into our brains as we progressed through the elementary grades. We have been taught that specific way so much to the point where it is becoming hard to break out of. As a student you think more is better but not in all cases. Sometimes it really is less is more. Writing a 5 paragraph mediocre essay is worse than writing a 2 paragraph detailed essay. The FPT is there as a foundation, as we explore other writing methods and become more of independent writers, we can build on that foundation. Underneath all those building blocks, the FPT is always going to be there, you just have to learn to vary it in a creative and well written manor.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Nunnally's view on the FPT. Throughout your early school life, you only learn about the FPT writing style. Honestly, I thought that if as long as you write in the FPT it's guaranteed a pretty good grade. This article truly changed my perspective on the FPT. I think that Nunnally is saying that the FPT is just an outline for how to write a well written essay. Also, I like how Nunnally compares the FPT to training wheels on a bike, because that is so true. We're all like little children afraid to break away from what's so easy for us. I think it's time for us to break away from the FPT and create something greater.
ReplyDeleteThe further I read in "Breaking the Five-Paragraph-Theme Barrier", the more I agreed with Nunnally. What really caught my attention was the training wheels of a bike to a FPT metaphor, because what he said was true. A biker only relies on the training wheels for support until s/he gains balance. The FPT is supposed to act as the "training wheels" for us, but we rely too much on our "training wheels" and the consequences for that is our creativity becomes restrained and one would use the same format throughout one's essay and in the end it dulls and makes the paper repetitive. Earlier in Nunnally's report, he also said that the FPT is most helpful for the inexperienced writers, but if that is the only format the experienced writers use. Then how will the unexperienced develop into a more experienced writer, eventually, the FPT will become something that will become an obstacle for them to write a "good" paper. Nunnally, gave strong points about the FPT, although it is usually used for the inexperienced, however the FPT is good for both the inexperienced and the experienced.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Thomas E. Nunnally. The five-paragraph theme essay is a good starting point for inexperienced writers, but sometimes it can interrupt the organic thoughts in writing. It it important to explore alternate methods of essay organization, especially for various types of essays. Using the FPT for so many years without any other type of writing can make it harder when students try to write anything else, because we are so used to the structured organization of a five-paragraph essay.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Thomas E. Nunnally that the FTP is a good way for students to start in essay writing. I never though about it this way, but when he used the metaphor comparing FTP to a bike with training wheels, I understood completely. It makes sense that what we learn in middle school will transition, and evolve to a better form of writing. Learning FTP made the transition to high school a lot easier, and that without it we would have a hard time learning essay writing.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with what Sharon H. said about how the FTP was like training wheels. It is what we are use to, and it takes a big leap of faith to venture on to the big boy bikes. However, the pros of writing an essay that expresses who you are is worth that risk.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sharon H that it IS time to break away from the FPT format and write something that surpasses it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Thomas E.Nunnally about what he says about the FTP. The FTP is a great way for beginners to start off writing with. "Students should be encouraged to see the FTP for what it is: a helpful but contrived exercise." Practicing more FTPs will definitely help a student succeed in writing better essays throughout their lifetime. FTP will not serve for all writing needs. This is why this is just another useful step into writing better essays. This is one important step to understand and to accomplish. It's a step for writing in more sophisticated manners.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Danielle Habash that we need to take it a step further. We need to start using these skills in order to write professionally. Also, we should all start exploring what we do not know.
ReplyDeleteI liked the way Nunnally said that the FPT way of writing is just a way to get started in writing and it will not serve all their writing needs. You have to learn to widen your knowledge with the FPT and add more "shapely" ways of writing. He says, "it is: a helpful but contrived exercise useful in developing solid principals of composition."
ReplyDeleteI agree with Thomas E. Nunnally about how the FPT is important to learn so that it may be used as a base to expand writing formats. Nunnally states that writing should not be confined to just a FPT, but rather starts off with a FPT as a basic format, and then a student goes on to explore new styles of writing. I understand what Nunnally is trying to say; FPT is important but it should not be the only way you write. Going into high school I explored a different way of writing that was presented early on in the year. That is the CEW format. Using the CEW format was new to me, but surprisingly easy. I believe that writing in a CEW format was easy for me because of my many years of practicing the FPT format. The CEW format has many similarities to the FPT format that I noticed right away. For example, there was an introduction, proof, and a conclusion. These similarites helped me write my essays easily. With this experience in mind I know what Nunnally is trying to say when he stated that the FPT is "useful in developing solid principles of composition"(Nunnally, 71).
ReplyDeleteI agree with Saleh that the FPT way of writing is just a starting way of writing and that when we get into highschool we will evolve it into a better form of writing.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nunnally's view on the five-paragraph theme. He suggests that the FPT form of writing is meant as a building block for future writing. Previously in middle school, and even in elementary school, we were taught that the FTP should be our go-to for essay writing. We were given a precise outline, asked to fill it out, and then put it all together to create an essay. Teachers said that if we followed this format we would have the perfect essay. High school is the time to expand out of this method and experiment with different styles of writing, since we aren't graded solely on if we follow the FPT.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to what Sarah C. is saying when she says that her middle school taught her that the FPT was basically the only way of writing. My english teachers taught us the same thing until about the end of eighth grade year when we started to try different types of writings like persuasive essays. Our Persuasive essays were not in the FPT format, and I think that allowed us to explore a little bit with which ways of writing we liked the most.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Lila and how she compares the FPT to addition because they are both so simple but important. It provides a base for more complex writing in the future.
ReplyDeleteI've seen FPT as a tool taught to kids to keep them organized while they're writing. But after evaluating what FPT does and the different advantages and disadvantages, I don't know how I'm supposed to mature out of the rudimentary mold. If writing in the FPT format is good only to a point, how do I not do that anymore? This essay reads more as an informative criticism then a helpful solution or tip
ReplyDelete-Theo
I really appreciate Nunnally's view on the FPT, because he does not shoot it down with criticism, nor does he praise it as the best way to write an essay. He explains it as a beginning tool to first understand the composition and the sine qua non's of an essay, but not as a permanent method. It's a starting point, from which students can manipulate the format as they seem fit. The one thing that surprised me about this article was that college students were writing in such a manner. I remember my eighth grade teacher and my freshman year teacher(Ms. Yoo) telling us about writing without the FPT format and instead using the CEW format.
ReplyDeleteWhen looking through the comments, I saw Barbara's comparison of the FPT format to a cocoon, which I thought was very clever and accurate. The FPT develops into a more beautiful and elaborate essay.
I agree with Thomas E. Nunnally on his view of the FPT. He explains that it can be useful as a general-purpose teaching tool for inexperienced writers. He also explains that students fall back on it as a form of comfort. I agree with him because this is the way we have been taught to write since we were young. We are comfortable with it now as high school students because we have been using this format since grade school. Nunnally also describes the FPT as training wheels. I agree with him because we all take life and learning one step at a time. We should learn writing in building blocks where the FPT is the beginning to our skyscraper.
ReplyDeleteI think Nunnally is right to an extent. Yes the FPT is a great way to teach beginning writers, but from my past experience, it was always more difficult with me doing the 5 paragraphs. Waaay back in elementary school I was taught to use five paragraphs, but it was very confusing to me growing up. And in some ways it still is. But if I'm taught the right way I'm sure that one day the FPT will help me more than it will hurt me.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't help but see Theo's comment up above. And I agree with him. It seems that Nunnally is saying that the FPT can only help for a little while, and that eventually, you'll get right back to where you started, in need of an aid for your writing skills. It seems that while Nunnally is saying that FPt is good, he's discrediting the idea throughout the essay.
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I agree with Thomas E. Nunnally when he says that there is nothing wrong with the five paragraph essay. It is a great outline and a great way to teach kids how to form and write an essay when they are just learning, but it should only be referred to as a support for new writers. As people get more experienced they should drift away from the FPT form of writing and move on.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Shanet because the FPT is something that someone is able to fall back on when they are stuck in writing. It is also comfortable for most of us to use because we are so used to using it and have grown up knowing only the FPT way to write an essay.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Thomas E. Nunnally's article on basic five paragraph essays. When we were in elementary school, we were told to write five paragraph essays with the introduction, three main body paragraphs, and then the conclusion. Then when we moved into junior high, and high school, we were told the same thing. We used the FPT as assort of template for our writing, and used our knowledge to add, and expand it. But after reading this article, I can see that there are many ways to write essays. I agree with Nunnally's article because it doesn't limit people when they are writing, but rather allows them to think on their own, and format their essay in their own way.
ReplyDeleteI liked this refreshing take on essay writing, and the analogy of FPT being training wheels to my writing makes perfect sense. In a way, my writing feels so constrained in the systematic format that has always been expected of me. I'm excited to try and expand my writing beyond FPT and develop it into a more creative unique form to fit me and not a generic rubric.
ReplyDeleteBridget Keenan said:
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nunnally on that the FPT is a step in the process of how to write an effective theme, not the desired result of the process. I even though I confess to not yet having broken the format in my own writing, I feel like I can do so thanks to the writing skills that the FPT gave me. The structure if provides is helpful to the inexperienced writer. However, once the writer gains experience the structure becomes a constraint rather than a tool. Ideas do not always follow the cookie-cutter format of three ideas per composition, and often the ideas are warped and ill-expressed through the alleged need to do so. The redundancies in opening and closing theme of the FPT inhibit the ability to explain the ideas logically. The purpose of learning theme-writing is to be able to express ideas on paper that are derived from one's analysis skills and train of thought. The FPT requires very few analysis skills and clashes with natural structure of the writer's thoughts, therefore making the expression of those thoughts difficult.
Thomas E. Nunnally includes a quote from a student in his essay that really makes a great point:
ReplyDelete"We have to write another five paragraph essay. We must not forget to write a creative introduction or to cite a thesis with three main points; however, we must not forget the most important item, proof. And finally, we need to make sure we have a conclusion which 'ties it all in.' All of these listed characteristics were drilled into my head in high school whenever I was asked to write a composition. Though they may seem sarcastic, these characteristics are the basis for college writing."
The things that we learn now may seem basic, but the basic skills are what we build on to become better writers. Everyone has to start somewhere, & you have to start at the bottom to get to the top. :]
I also agree with Emma when she says that FTP is sort of like training wheels. Now that we're older, it's time to expand our knowledge beyond our comfort zone and really see how far our writing can take us.
ReplyDeleteI like the way Thomas E. Nunnally explains that we don't need to wipe the slate clean and learn an entirely new writing format (what my English teacher told me last year) but rather use the five paragraph essay as a stepping stone.You have the basic format, now break the mold and see what lies outside of the box. To add onto and explain new ideas within the old makes a lot more sense to me then learning an entire new way to write after 8 years of the same 5 paragraph essay. I, as I'm sure many of my classmates have, have done in class essays as a plug and chug many a time, however in eighth grade I started to get what Nunnally is trying to say about not using 3 ideas but any idea that explains your thesis. I was actually looking forward to expanding this idea in Freshman year. Yet instead, I was thrown into the C.E.W where my previous training in writing gave no help. After better getting to know the C.E.W. concept I have started to see how it can be useful. Then after reading this article I see how the C.E.W. format is actually very similar to what Nunnally is trying to explain. You expand your ideas relating them back to real world concepts to help understand the original thesis. However the C.E.W is still another very box like structure that leaves only slightly more breathing room then the ever tight F.P.T. It's a cage instead of a cardboard box. However, I figure once I learn to master the C.E.W I will go right back to plugging and chugging leaving even less wiggle room then before thought. Where as Nunnally's idea is to reshape the 'cardboard box' not by adding wire bars with room in between, but by punching one big hole in the side and adding a whole other cardboard box, giving you twice as much room, and if you really want you can add a third box,or a fourth; as long as you reconnect the many boxes to the first box, which contains the original idea. This leaves much more room to explore your original idea and still be organized. This concept makes much more sense to me, because I feel by containing our writing in specified structures we simply learn the structure, change a few words depending on the question, and move on; plug and chug. Nunnally's concept allows you to add as little or as much as you want to fully explain you idea and explore the concepts.
ReplyDeleteNunnally's essay was eye-opening for me. He did a phenomenal job at proving his point, which is that the FPT format is only a tool that is meant to aid inexperienced writers. He believes that students are now relying too much on the FPT format and that they believe the FPT is the one and only way to create an essay. Nunnally states, "What's wrong with a...bicycle with training wheels?...Nothing is wrong, as long as one understands its purpose" (Nunnally 67). I like this comparison that he gives because it helps me understand that the FPT is only temporary until a writer is able to expand to more advanced writing. I'm so relieved to know that I actually have a lot of freedom when I'm assigned to write an essay because, before reading this article, I honestly believed that just about all the essays I'll ever have to write would have to be the standard CEW, five paragraph essay. All of a sudden, writing never sounded more fun! :)
ReplyDeleteI have to say that I didn't like Mr. Nunnally's view on FPT. While everyone else blogging is saying that the FPT is very helpful and everyone should know it, I believe that it didn't help me when I came to high school. Rather, the FPT format did the oppsite. When I just began to learn how to write a CEW, I was like, "What? What was the point of teaching us FPT if it isn't used in high school?". Personally, although we learned how to write FPT's in middle school, will we really remember when and how to use them in the future if we don't even use them anymore?
ReplyDelete-Anna Antonow
I also agree with Kacie that once we have finished with FPT's, we should leave them behind. Rather than trying to mash the concept with newer ones we are learning right now, I say we let go of what we won't use or need anymore and start perfecting skills on newer ones.
ReplyDelete-Anna Antonow
I strongly agree with Rachel W. that I too am frustrated that our teachers in junior high didn't even give us a hint about the new format we were going to learn in high school. The FPT has not helped me with the situation of learning a new way of writing because I had always believed that it was going to be the only way of writing throughout my life. If our middle school teachers even gave us some idea of the way it was going to be in English Class during high school, maybe some or most students and I wouldn't have struggled so much freshman year with CEW's. Also, just as Rachel had said, I too was surprised to find that college students were writing FPT's. If everyone said that it was only a building block from elementary to high school, why would colleges go back to such a simple format?
ReplyDelete-Anna Antonow
I agree with Nunnally's view point that FPT is the training wheels for better and advanced writing. Since day one, we have been taught that FPT was the way to create an ideal essay, and as we enter higher levels of writing in high school, we are taught to break away from the boring FPT. We should expand and experiment with what our minds can create with different styles and techniques.
ReplyDeleteBut I also agree with Nunnally when he stated that FPT was a type of well planned-out and organized essay. People now have to decide whether they would like to be organized or creative.
I'm grateful for this article by Thomas E. Nunnally about breaking away from the five paragraph theme. After reading it and some of my peers' comments, I'm relieved to know that I am not the only one who feels we have more potential. Nunnally's article is admirably composed to me. I like how he showed that while average can get a person by, it's not the pathway to success. "Our students were weak in diction, ideas, and literary experience, but in a sea of rambling papers, our group of bland but planned essays rose to the top" (Nunally 67). Yet he wrote as this strategy went down, "Furthermore, a backlash developed among scorers, as they began penalizing mechanically produced but conceptionally empty FPTs" (Nunnally 68). I also appreciated this article because Nunnally showed a student's essay right in the text along with how she grew after she received constructive criticism. It really shows that we are capable of redefining our boundaries. The best part is that Nunnally successfully demonstrated one of his objectives for his student by writing this essay! "What I want to find out is whether you can allow a subject and line of thought to develop into an appropriately organized and developed paper" (Nunnally 69). His essay flows, is understandable, and made me feel understood. All in all, I agree with all who say the FPT is just the basic template. So I can't wait to break away from it and to explore new territory in my writing. :)
ReplyDeleteI like how Sharon said that the FPT is something that we need to break away from, and that we should be "exploring new territory" in writing. With this in mind, you don't have to be limited to the format of FPT, and you can use your own organization that will work for you.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read this packet, in mind I just kept thinking that in middle/junior high, I was always taught that 5 paragraph essays were intro, middle, and concluding paragraphs. After reading, I realized that that "rule" was just a template and a way to get the students started off. During freshman year, my English teacher taught myself and my classmates to get away from that rule. We added the CEW yet, we never really changed the actually essay format.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nunally and Joerlyn when they say that there's nothing wrong with the five paragraph essay as long as you know the correct way to use it and stuff. All I can think of is how in middle school and elementary school all you can do is five paragraph essays and now in high school it's time to move to something new
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nunnaly because i think that the Five paragraph theme is good for begginers in the fact that it brought peoples writing skills up. The Five paragraph theme is a good way for a writer to start writing, but thet need to learn hot to come away from this format
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nunnally about using the FPT as an outline for inexperienced writers. But once they've become comfortable with it, i believe they should start writing where the content fits into it's own paragraphs. It is a starting point to getting students to write in their own creative ways.
ReplyDeleteI thought that the article was very interesting, but i was confused on whether or not the author was saying the FPT was bad or if it was not?
ReplyDelete-George Enwia
Period 7
I agree with the author about how the Five-Paragraph-Theme is great for beginners, I think it is a very great learning tool and teaches students good writing skills, but at a certain point you should move on to better ways of writing a paper.
ReplyDelete-Sergei Lemesh Period Two
i agree with this article because i think that it's good to learn with the fpt because it teaches you the main concepts of an essay. That way you have all the main parts you need for an essay. Kids should grow out of the fpt because it is not the only way to write, and as you grow older you learn more about writing. Therefore it is good to learn to write in different essay formats to grow what you know about different ways to write an essay.
ReplyDeleteI think that this was a good article to read for soph honors because only the more sophisticated writers have the ability to step out of that boring 5 paragraph template. That template should only serve as a base for our writing; a starting point for our growth as writers. Just as mentioned in the article, if that FPT is all we depend on, we will never be able to discover the possibly amazing and creative ways of not only writing, but thinking as well. Because we are thinking at a set bar (a low bar, in fact...), we will never be able to find out that we have the abilities to raise that bar to a whole new level. I think that Mrs. Hett had us read this article because she knows that we, soph honors, can handle that new level of thinking.
ReplyDeleteSusie Lee
I totally agree with Thomas Nunnally and his idea about FPT. I believe that FPT should be used as a standard writing method in junior highs, but no where near the high school or college environments. Just as Nunnally said, FPT is like training wheels, eventually you have to take them off. You can learn to write using FPT, but eventually you have to start writing more freely. I believe that FPT is too formalistic and writing should be about using different methods to make your papers your own.
ReplyDeletei feel that their should not be a limit on how many paragraphs as long as it gets the job done and gets you a good grade also i think that the more detailed the better
ReplyDeleteBillal Abbasi
I agree with Nunnally that the five-paragraph-theme is a good way for students to learn to write. I remember doing this many times in elementary school and I was able to do this very well. This way of writing is a great way to learn writing in an organized way and later students will learn to write in their own style. Everyone needs to start somewhere and then they will become better
ReplyDeleteI agree with Karloina, the five paragraph essay is a great way to learn how to write but now we have to learn to write more freely. It is formalistic and we rely on the format to write a good essay, but a good essay isn't all about format. A good essay is so much more that that.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with Joerlyn when she said that the FPT is like a pair of diapers and more sophisticated writing is like a pair of "big boy underwear". Just as a child cannot wear diapers forever, we as writers can, but should not write in the FPT format forever. Diapers will most likely prevent the child from growing, and so will the FPT for writers.
ReplyDeleteSusie Lee
I agree with Nunnally that the five paragraph essay should be used for inexperienced writers. Children that are just beginning to write should use this format and as they get older and move to on middle school, high school, and college, their writing should not still be the five paragraph essay. Instead, it should change, and writers should only use it as a template to guide them when writing a more sophisticated essay because writing in the five paragraph format forever is boring and will not improve your writing skills.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Tracy's thoughts of the FPT. Honestly, Nunnally does a great job describing himself the ways that a FPT essay helps the developing writer but cripples, as Tracy said, the more experienced writer who can stat to broaden their horizons from the FPT into more creative and clear writings.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Francesca in that there is nothing wrong with the FPT. Some people seem to be saying that the FPT should be disposed of. I don't agree, nor do I believe the article meant it in this way. Instead, the FPT should be expanded on and no longer thought of as a defined boundary.
ReplyDeleteI found myself agreeing with this article by Nunnally. Throughout junior high and in high school, I been taught to write a structured five paragraph essay. I have always thought that this is the only way to write an essay; which makes sense, because you come up with a solid thesis, then build upon the thesis with proof to show support. Then you wrap up the main points in a final concluding paragraph. But as I read through this article, I realized that the FPT is only a guide to write more creative and professional essays.
ReplyDeleteTina Kim
I agree with Olivia's statement that when you take away the FPT style or writing, it may take a few times to get use to a different way of writing, but it will eventually make you a better writer. It is like taking away the training wheels of a bike. The first few times are shaky until you get the hang of it. With any new thing, it takes getting use to, including writing.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that the FPT is exactly like training wheels. Training wheels prep you up for the real game. It's like their basically telling you what to write about and your just adding the details. However, you eventually master training wheels and when your not supposed to depend on them anymore, you need to challenge yourself again. This is exactly why freshmans and maybe even 8th grade students should be prepped for CEWS because CEWS are completely made up of your own ideas and your own way of writing an essay. I remember my junior high teachers would give us a sheet of paper that would give us a list of numbers followed with directions on what to write about, which didn't really help at all when i had to throw all i learned away when i entered Ms .Yoo's class last year. The first say of school she told us to forget all about the five paragraph essays and that were going to start learning CEW formats, which i hadn't even heard of. Alot of students in Ms. Yoo's class seriously struggled in the beginning of the year because we were put to such a challenge to suddenly take off our training wheels. FPT is definitely not something junior high students should depend on and i think it should only be used in teaching k-4 students how to write a basic essay.
ReplyDeleteI sort of disagree with Minnie because CEWs are really nothing like FPTs. Most teachers just decided to teach CEWs in that way because none of us understood at all what the teachers were talking about when they said 'claim, evident, warrant, thesis.. etc.' I don't know about anyone else but i was honestly clueless until i passed Ms. Yoo's class. When you write a CEW, you piece it together yourself with your own ideas. Either it's a cause and effect relationship between the claims or an compare and contrast its always something different.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Tina, because all throughout my early school days, we were taught how to write a claim and back it up with many different bits of evidence. The result turned out "choppy" but we were told that that was the right way to write, but this article shows a more advanced way to write.
ReplyDelete-Sergei Lemesh Period 2
Sorry for the lateness but~
ReplyDeleteI 100% agree with the author. I never found the FTP format helpful for me. I hate outlines and I love the ability to twist a curve my essays with organization, but I guess... a 'disorganized' kind of organization. I feel the author recognizes that some kids, like me, have a more... 'abstract' way of writing that works for them. While I agree with the author on this, I feel the CEW really helps one support their ideas and helps with an overall better piece of writing.
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I basically agree with everyone who feels that the FTP is way too constricting and likes to 'just plain write'.
Thomas E. Nullay has a point about the five paragraph essay being like training wheels of a bike. But another thing to think about is that the essay is not only easy to write but sounds well written. I'm not trying to say that this essay format will make one sound like Shakespere or any other writing prodigy, but it will make one sound educated and organized. On the other hand, it is nice to know that this essay format isn't the only way in which our writing can sound good. Maybe our other teachers told this to us because five paragraph essays are easy to grade, i don't know. Bt what i do know is that this essay brings both good and bad aspects to the table. We feel good about having the right to write in any way that we want, just as long as out ideas are well organized, but we also get the stress that we now have to step outside of the box and really think of a good way to organized your thought on paper. By: Susana Montoya Quinchia
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sharon H. on how the FTP is like training wheels. I also use to think that the FTP would get me good grades, but after the yesterday, I learned that I have to let go. In middle school, teachers mostly taught the FTP.
ReplyDeleteI like Jorelyn's metaphor of the FPT being like diapers. It's true, they pretty much keep your essay clean and dry.(=}) while you get writing potty trained. But once you learn to write in your own way, one can take off that diaper and use big kid underwear, or in our case, different writing methods that can make one sound like a better writer. It sounds really funny comparing essay formats to undergarments, but hey, it's a pretty good analysis, and i also enjoy talking about underwear! hehe=}
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with the author, Thomas E. Nunnally, that the FPT is used too much in high school and is not a creative way to express your thoughts in an essay. There is nothing interesting about it. Its understandable for kids just learning how to write to use it because it allows them to clearly express their thoughts in an organized way. However as high school students I feel like there are many other ways to organize your ideas and also have the essay be much more enjoyable. However, to be honest I feel like for me, it could take a bit of training to get out of that FPT essay format when I write. Hopefully, I can start to experiment with new ways of writing and have it be a organized, well-thought out, interesting way.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Alyssa that the FPT is a good way to first teach about writing essays and that it can really help new writers to get their ideas clearly out on paper. As high school students we can still use the FPT to build and expand our ideas on. We shouldn't completely get rid of it because it still has important ideas, mainly being organization. This is because all good essays are organized, despite differences in format.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Thomas E. that the FPT is basically the basic steps to writing a good essay. And, after learning that, students should be taught how to branch off from there. A good paper should go smoothly and freely without the same constant set-up. We as students should figure out or own formats but still use the basics that were taught to us from the FPT.
ReplyDelete- Jennifer N.
I also agree with Sana that the FPT isn't a very creative way at all to write an essay. Alas, it's still important to learn, but, once you hit high school, organizing ones thoughts should be done in a different way. Student shouldn't be confined to using the same format over and over again and should be allowed to express and organize their ideas in a different way.
ReplyDelete- Jennifer N.
I agree with the author in his reasoning behind the FPT. Since kids are taught that method of writing since the beginning of elementary school, the tend to stick to the FPT format all throughout their lives. However, when we read essays in magazines, newspapers, books etc. we don't see the FPT. The essays we read are very smooth flowing, and are almost like they can be read as if the author was talking to the reader on the spot. It also helps if we abandoned the FPT since the SATs are graded depending on the quality of the writing.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Thomas E. Nunnally on his perspective of the standard five-paragraph theme essay. Even though the FPT is a highly useful tool in mastering the correct skill for developing essays, it limits the writer to only three ideas, whether they are reasons or evidence. There are more ideas in the world then just three, and to limit the student's ideas is actually closing their mind to other possibilities. The FPT should be introduced to junior high students as a start, but I think it is essential for students to open up their mind. It should be taught that the FPT is only an outline, and the real essay is written when the writer has truly reached out to all parts of their imagination. I agree with Nunnally that the FPT is not the only answer to well-developed essays.
ReplyDeleteI really like what Sarah C. said about the FPT format being a tennis shoe, and when it doesn't fit anymore, there is no room to grow. I agree with this statement because the FPT is a good tool to get started. When you have developed the skills of writing neat essays and learned how to organize your ideas, you should have the choice of using any format that helps you create the essay. I also agree with Joeanna J's example of the boy who wants to become a professional tennis player. Every person doesn't start off at a big step; you have to learn step-by-step. Start off with FPT, but when you think you have mastered the skills needed to conjure up a good theme for your essay, move on to other writing styles.
ReplyDeleteI like how Kris said that the essays we read in magazines are not in an FPT format. This is very true and something I haven't really thought about before. This makes me realize that the FPT is not meant to be used in everything. I also agree with Kris about the fact that the SAT will be grading essays based on quality, and not so much on the format. So it's important to understand that we must let go of the FPT and focus on writing a quality paper.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Rachel W. that both the FPT and the CEW are both constricting and the Nunnally describes a better way to break free from the molded essay.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Theo about Nunnally only critiquing the FPT format. He tells us what's good and bad, but doesn't help us in finding a solution. We've been doing the FPT essay for years and it's what we started off with so how are we going to find or compose a different format?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Diana M when she said that the FPT is just training wheels because eventually everyone stops using training wheels and eventually writers should stop using FPT. Some bikers can drive without hands some with just one and some can barely drive. Likewise, every persons essays should be different, and if everyone uses the FPT they will all be similar and that doens't work anymore in high school!
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Susie's comment, I came to the conclusion that branching out from FPT will improve our writing drastically. It will be a challenge to let go of what was drilled into our head year after year but I think were up for it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Lia’s perspective on the FPT. We should be exposed to different formats for writing because once you think about it, we aren’t going to get into college based on a mediocre FPT. We should have been able to branch off and evolve our writing earlier. Now, I feel that my writing feels so constrained in the systematic format that has always been expected from me.
ReplyDeleteThis paper really made me think about the five paragraph method. It definitely is the basic step to writing. I've been writing papers like that for as long as I can remember. It is both a good and a bad thing. Good in the sense I know how to state a point clearly and give the reader organized thoughts. However its bed because I begin to feel trapped in this form, it has become so natural to format things this way. Colleges would rather read an incredible three paragraph essay than an average five paragraph essay. Incredible eats average any day of the week. This has challenged me to break the barriers of my writing abilities .
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Danny . When told how to do something it's extremely hard to break the habit. Writers also deserve to be creative and chose how to format their papers. It helps with the flow and your writing ability, to not feel chained .
ReplyDeleteI agree with Emma's comment. We were taught over and over again the same way of writing, but it will be a challenge to see if we can branch out of the normal five paragraph essay and write more freely. It would make writing a lot more interesting to not only write, but to read as well.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Chandne when she stated that the FPT is a good tool to practice using but will not serve all writing purposes nevertheless throughout life. I also recognize that she used a great quote to support her idea: "Students should be encouraged to see the FTP for what it is: a helpful but contrived exercise."
ReplyDeleteI agree with Joerlyn's idea that the FPT essay is like a diaper because you use it to train yourself until you are ready to move onto the next level. In this case, as Joerlyn says it, your "big boy underwear." I think this is a perfect example to compare to the FPT because once you are able to write the FPT essay leisurely, you can start writing in a different format, such as a CEW (claim evidence warrant).
ReplyDeleteThe FPT is like a diaper, and when you're ready to grow out of it, or learn how to write an essay without automatically thinking you need to use the FPT, you can wear some big boy underwear. (:
I definitely agree with Joerlyn " you can wear some big boy underwear". This formula is only a starters method that later a writer should stop inhabiting. This formula helps a writer enhance their writing skills. After you become well-skilled at the FTP, one should change their paragraph structures.
ReplyDeletei agree with Joerlyn's comment about how the ftp helps with learning the basics and then you can write an essay in many different formats. I also love how she compared the writing to the diapers and underwear scenario.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Nunnally says about the FPT format of writing. I have always been taught to write in that format and sometimes I don't like writing that way. It's a great way to get used to writing papers and it pretty much includes all details, but with writing that way I sometimes tend to repeat myself a lot. Being able to use any format of your choice is good because it's your paper and you know the best way of writing it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Natalie B when she says FPT doesn't have to be a format of writing we have to depend on. It helped us when we were younger and less experienced, but now we should be able to figure out the way of writing that is best for our papers.
I agree with Natalie because it does serve as a way of organizing, and guides a beginner to become a stronger writer.For basic writing, it is a terrific format. However, later on, it has to be let go of.
ReplyDelete