ESSAY TIPS for research essays

Essay Structure

The Thesis  THE MOST IMPORTANT SENTENCE IN THE ESSAY  It is a forceful and not obvious statement about the topic  It represents an opinion (even though you do not state “my opinion”)  Should be arguable  Should contain a “so what” or why is it important in the larger picture (“so what” can be developed throughout the essay but is especially in the conclusion)  Everything you develop in the paper should be closely connected with this statement

Formulate research questions: Topic: Child Discipline  Do children of very strict parents behave better?  Does a child's reaction to strict parental rules change as the child grows older?  Does spanking affect children's self-esteem?  Does inconsistent discipline have a negative effect on children's behaviour?

Answer one or more of the questions to form your thesis:  Children of very strict parents follow the rules diligently until adolescence, but not during the teen years; thus challenging the effectiveness of traditional child discipline methods.

Bad thesis statements revised:  The government has the right to limit free speech (too broad)  The government has the right to limit free speech in cases of overtly racist or sexist language because failure to address such abuses would effectively suggest that society condones such ignorant and hateful views.

 There are many reasons we need to limit hate speech (thesis should not simply be a list)  Among the many reasons to limit hate speech the most compelling ones all refer to America`s history of discrimination and prejudice, and it is, ultimately, for the purpose of trying to repair a troubled racial society that hate speech legislation is greatly needed.

Test your thesis statement  Does the thesis show analysis and depth of thought, or is it mainly descriptive?  Does the thesis present an argument about the material, and is it worded as an argument?  Is the thesis contestable? (Would someone potentially want to argue with you about it?)  Does the thesis statement take into account the “so what” question?

The Introduction  Sentence #1: Provide a general opening statement about the topic  Next few sentences nicely follow your first statement giving basic background to your topic and gradually focusing it toward your thesis  Thesis statement  Preview sentence(s) follow the thesis statement and outline what your main points will be

The Body  Carefully organized  Strongest points are at the beginning and end with weaker points in the middle  Should flow from one paragraph to another (exceptions in report writing)  Citing should happen throughout, not just at the end of a paragraph  Integrate quotes, don’t just throw them in

The Conclusion  Restate your thesis  Briefly sum up the main points of your essay  Spend most of the time developing the “so what” of your thesis and topic. Why is it important that this topic is considered through your perspective as is stated in your thesis  Remember the triangle. Expand!

General Tips  Do not use personal pronouns (I, we, our, your, etc). Use “one” if you cannot figure out how to avoid this in your sentence.  Always use formal writing. We are not having a conversation!  Do not use contractions: “don’t” should be “do not”  Avoid “This essay is about” “My paper will discuss”  Write out numbers 1-10 “Eight” not “8”

General Tips  Avoid clichés, colloquial language, euphemisms and other slang and expressions  Cut to the chase  All in all  Breath of fresh air  Up his sleeve  In this day and age  Time and time again  Sugar coat