These are just a few tips for writing successful papers. In this document, I cover the thesis statement (what it is and how to come up with one), introductions, and conclusions. There is a whole lot more to writing a successful paper, but these three structural components of a college essay usually stand out.
THESIS:
A thesis is an argument; that is, it is a claim that needs to be supported by discussion and the apt use of evidence. A thesis is not a statement of fact; nor is it a description of the questions you will ask in the paper. A thesis is also not a preview of the discussion. Usually, your thesis will appear at the end of your first introductory paragraph and will be composed of one or two sentences. More complex papers can develop more complex ways of introducing the thesis, but for most purposes, this model will suffice.
DEVELOPING A THESIS:
1. Work through some exploratory writing to determine what you are interested in.
2. The second step is then to "locate the draft's thesis (or various possible theses) and test this against evidence that doesn't clearly fit" (Rosenwasser and Stephen 67). This means determining what evidence in the text might be used to argue against your thesis. Can you change the thesis to account for this evidence? How does the evidence make you think differently about your argument?
3. "Modify your thesis so that it more precisely and accurately accounts for your evidence" (Rosenwasser and Stephen 67).
4. See if your new thesis accounts for more evidence from the source than the old one.
5. Continue to check the thesis against the evidence and the evidence against the thesis (this is a dialectical relationship) until you are satisfied that you have a thesis that accounts for all the evidence that concerns your topic, and that all the relevant evidence points toward this particular thesis.
INTRODUCTIONS:
An introduction doesn't need to start out with the universe in order to make a significant claim. Stick with something appropriate to your topic. In a short paper (and this includes all papers under 5 pages), a very short introductory paragraph is important. You can shoot for 3-4 sentences. For longer papers, say 5-15 pages, a paragraph (even possible two) is appropriate for introductory material. But make sure everything is pertinent.
Don't rehearse your argument in the introduction--just prepare the way for it. You should do the following things in your introduction: "Define your topic--the issue, question, or problem . . . Provide necessary background or context. Offer the working thesis that your paper will develop" (Rosenwasser and Stephen 96). The emphasis here should be on the "necessary context"--you'll be surprised, as we usually think we should include more than we really need to. Think of the reader as an informed person who may not have read the source text, or thought about the issues you present, in awhile. What should you tell that person so that he or she will remember the text or issue well enough to follow the discussion?
CONCLUSIONS:
These can be a real bugbear. Don't use your conclusion just to repeat what you've already said. Instead, use the conclusion as a way to make a claim based on the preceding discussion, something you couldn't have said or known without analyzing the materials as you do in the paper. You may ask a significant question, if it follows from the discussion and its answer is relevant and not readily obvious. (Don't end with a question if the relation of the question to the paper's discussion is forced.)
IMPORTANT LINKS:
CLICK HERE for links to the Writing Center Self-Help Environment. These pages have information on MLA Citation, punctuation, subordinate conjunctions, active and passive voice, improving coherence with paragraph hooks, and using grace and coherence when writing long sentences.
CLICK HERE for Professor Hausman's grading guidelines.
Work Cited:
Rosenwasser, David, and Jill Stephen.Writing Analytically. Orlando: Harcourt, Brace, and Co., 1997.