The Structure of an Essay Another Boring PPT by Jessica Wojtysiak Bakersfield College – B80

General Structure of an Essay Introduction Attention Getter Thesis Statement Body Paragraphs Main idea sentence Evidence Explanation of the evidence Conclusion Restatement of thesis Call to action, general statement of belief

Introduction First Paragraph of the Essay Begins broad, gradually narrows Ends with the thesis statement Rarely includes quotations; should not begin to argue the thesis

Thesis Statement Explains the focus of your paper Should be the last sentence in the first paragraph Should be restated as the first sentence in the last paragraph

Thesis Statement Topic Claim Support Qualification

Topic = What do you have an opinion about? The Topic is the General Subject of your Paper = What do you have an opinion about? = Ex. Illegal immigration—fairly simple = The detriment of illegal immigration upon the family unit – more narrow

Claim = What is one thing about your topic that you believe to be true and that you wish to argue? = The detriment of illegal immigration upon young children born outside of the United States should discouraged due to --must be addressed through --can be prevented/minimized by -- In order to reduce … (use at beginning)

Consider Your Prompt Your friend Jo recently confided an intent to drop out of Bakersfield College. Jo is your friend from high school, and Jo’s parents, who did not attend college, talked Jo into earning a degree. However, Jo is worried about money and thinks that dropping out of college to get a job is the better choice. Then, Jo can help support the family and start saving. Craft an essay in which you argue against Jo’s position. Consider developing answers to the following questions: Why should Jo (or anyone) stay in college? What are some options besides dropping out?

Crafting a Thesis What does the prompt require us to do? What questions do we have to answer?

The Support = In general why do you believe your position to be correct in spite of any opposing arguments? = This is a general statement; your specific reasons will follow in the body of your essay. An optimistic lifestyle is best because… People should not be afraid to be pessimistic at times because…

The Qualification A good thesis is always arguable – that means you are going to have people who disagree with you To state your thesis like it is an absolute will weaken your case and lose credibility with the reader = Here’s a trick: begin your qualification with a word like “although,” “despite,” “though,” or “even though.”

Example with Qualification Although some are correct to value a positive attitude, overlooking the benefits of defensive pessimism is a serious mistake.

What Your Thesis Does… The thesis sentence must control the entire argument. Your thesis sentence determines what you are required to say in a paper. It also determines what you cannot say. Every paragraph in your paper exists in order to support your thesis. Accordingly, if one of your paragraphs seems irrelevant to your thesis you have two choices: get rid of the paragraph, or rewrite your thesis.

Working Thesis in Action 1st draft Optimism is the way to go! 2nd draft Optimism is better than pessimism because only optimism promotes better health. 3rd draft While both optimism and pessimism have their advantages, a successful person should adopt the mindset most useful to particular challenges and situations.

So What? = a good thesis statement should take a stand = a good thesis statement should justify discussion = a good thesis statement should express one main idea or a clear relationship between specific ideas linked by words like "because," "since," "so," "although," "unless," or "however.”

Thesis Checklist Is your thesis statement 1-2 declarative sentences? Does your thesis statement state what you want your readers to know, believe, or understand after reading your essay? Does your thesis statement reflect everything in the essay? Does your essay develop everything in the thesis statement? Is your thesis statement clear and unambiguous? Is your thesis statement precise and limited? Is your thesis statement defensible?

Body Paragraphs Support the Thesis Contain arguments/evidence Begin with paragraph #2, end with the 2nd to last paragraph

Basic Outline of a Paragraph Topic Sentence Evidence or reasoning Explanation

Topic Sentences Control the entire paragraph. Every sentence in a paragraph exists to support the topic sentence.

Writing Topic Sentences To write the topic sentence, ask yourself what sentence is broad enough to describe all of the sentences in the paragraph. Topic sentences are broad. Supporting details are more specific but all share a common link to the topic sentence.

Revising Topic Sentences If a sentence does not support the topic sentence, something is wrong. Options: Remove the sentence from the paragraph Rewrite the topic sentence to incorporate the sentence

Where do they go? Most often the first sentence of the paragraph. The author starts with a broad idea and then offers specific examples or evidence to support that broad idea. The reader knows exactly what the paragraph will be about just by reading the first sentence.

But… Topic sentences can be the last sentence of a paragraph. They can be in the middle of a paragraph. A paragraph can contain 2 topic sentences. A paragraph may even be missing a topic sentence. (Don’t do this!)

Ultimately… You can treat the topic sentence of body paragraphs like the thesis statement of the essay Topic sentences control the content of the body paragraph

Conclusion Restate the Thesis Summarize the Essay Leave the Reader with something to think about

Essay Structure Checklist Do I have at least 3 paragraphs (intro/body/conclusion)? Do I have a clearly articulated thesis? Is the thesis the last sentence in the first paragraph? Does each body paragraph have a main idea/topic sentence? Where is the topic sentence? Does each body paragraph support the thesis? Is each body paragraph supported by evidence and/or logic? Does the conclusion restate the thesis in the first sentence? Does the conclusion avoid making new arguments?