Read the essay below. Then outline it on a separate sheet of paper. Write out the thesis statement and topic sentences and list the three major points that fit under each topic sentence.

Question

Problems with Holidays

When most of us think about holidays, we have images of togetherness, happiness, and freedom from everyday cares. However, these pleasant pre-holiday thoughts can often turn into an unpleasant reality. Holiday celebrations are often problematic and difficult for a great many of us. The problems connected with holidays tend to occur in three areas—family situations, personal expectations, and finances.
Families can make holidays very trying times. First, for larger holidays such as Christmas, many families gather all the relatives in one place. Living with relatives, even temporarily, can be annoying. It turns out, for instance, that Uncle Bob spends two hours in the bathroom every morning, and Aunt Helen performs dozens of noisy jumping jacks on the wooden floors of the upstairs bedroom. Besides the problems of close confinement, family get-togethers can also result in arguments and conflicts. Old wounds are opened and new ones inflicted. Aunt Helen will have one drink too many and remind Dad that no one in their family thought Mom was good enough for him. Mom’s simmering dislike of Aunt Helen flares up, the entire family takes sides, children start crying, and the grudges are carried long past the holiday season. Nevertheless, as bad as family get-togethers are, a lack of familial support can be even worse. Though many family members are estranged from one another, the separation feels especially palpable during the holidays. The emphasis placed on family activity can create feelings of depression in those revelers who find themselves alone on the holidays.
A second area of holiday trouble revolves around personal expectations. One expectation that can end in disappointment is the dream of a perfect gift. A boyfriend shows up on Valentine’s Day with a card, not a dozen roses; a shirt is sitting under the Christmas tree, not the coveted latest tablet. Another false expectation is that something important will happen. For instance, the hope that this Thanksgiving will finally be the one that brings son and father closer together vanishes as the day turns into the usual round of eating and watching football, rather than talking in an intimate way. A last false belief is that the holiday will lessen loneliness and depression. But, in fact, holidays may do just the opposite. People often feel especially miserable if they have no special someone and everywhere they turn, they see couples holding hands or parents and children having fun.
Finances are the final area of holiday difficulty. Employees may be asked to contribute to holiday charity drives, the boss’s present, the secretary’s gift, or the maintenance people’s envelopes. Also, acting as the host for a holiday can be expensive. Having a pre-holiday party or a big family dinner on the day itself can cost hundreds of dollars. The biggest financial pressure, though, is buying gifts for the family. The pressure builds unrelentingly to buy the Barbie Dream House, the just-released video game, or the perfect piece of jewelry. Those who do not buy the desired presents feel like guilty Scrooges; those who do buy them, live in dread of January bills.
Whether the reasons are family situations, personal expectations, or financial considerations, holidays are often not the fulfilling experiences they are supposed to be. They can, in fact, be nerve-racking. In order to improve these stressful situations, we must re-think our approach to celebration, emphasizing the central meaning of a holiday—and not the trying or capitalistic motivations that so often taint our enjoyment. We get so wrapped up in the trappings and expectations of holiday celebrations that we lose sight of the relationships and dates we wish to commemorate. Only by divorcing ourselves from these maddening byproducts can we reclaim the togetherness, happiness, and freedo

Answer 1

Thesis: The problems connected with holidays tend to occur in three areas—family
situations, personal expectations, and finances.

First topic sentence: Families can make holidays very trying times

Supporting Point #1: Living with relatives, even temporarily, can be annoying.
Supporting Point #2: Besides the problems of close confinement, family get-togethers can also result in arguments and conflicts.
Supporting Point #3: Nevertheless, as bad as family get-togethers are, a lack of familial support can be even worse

Second topic sentence: A second area of holiday trouble revolves around personal expectations.

Supporting Point #1: One expectation that can end in disappointment is the dream of a perfect gift.
Supporting Point #2: Another false expectation is that something important will happen
Supporting Point #3: A last false belief is that the holiday will lessen loneliness and depression.


Third topic sentence: Finances are the final area of holiday difficulty.

Supporting Point #1: Employees may be asked to contribute…
Supporting Point #2: Also, acting as the host for a holiday can be expensive
Supporting Point #3: The biggest financial pressure, though, is buying gifts for the family.