writing a thesis driven paper
3-4-page Essay Structure
Title: Something descriptive- not cute- about your paper. Often related to your main argument(s).
Introduction: Introduce your topic. What is it that you are discussing and why is it interesting? Orient your reader to what follows. Relate your thesis in a general fashion to the materials that you will be discussing. This should be neither overly broad nor too specific. Have a thesis: A topic or theme that reasonable people might debate or disagree about (i.e., not “the sky is blue” or “wars are destructive” or “wars cause hardship”). Argue something; don’t just say/describe what happened!
Paragraphs: Introduces evidence that supports the ideas or concepts necessary to advance your thesis. These are in turn supported by concrete examples/evidence that serve to illustrate and back your claims/arguments.
Paragraph A:
Paragraph B:
Paragraph C:
Paragraph D:
Paragraph E:
In each paragraph, explain how your evidence supports the main ideas and/or concepts that the paragraph is intended to make/advance. Don’t just say what happened next !!
Conclusion: Neatly summarize how your ideas illustrate your overall thesis. Explain why the way you handled your evidence to support your main ideas was persuasive.