Thesis
Effective Essay Writing Guidelines NOTES
The Introduction
Your first paragraph is important because it structures your entire essay.you
have a good introductory paragraph, everything else falls into place.
The Hook
This is your reader’s first encounter with your writing, make it good.with
an anecdote, a shocking statement, a preview of your thesis statement, a
generalization that will later be proved, or some other interesting point.
The Thesis
This is of more importance than any other one sentence in your essay.is the
reason you are writing- it is your purpose, your assignment.the end of your
essay you will have proved your thesis, so give it to them right away. Writing
a good thesis is an art., think about your topic.DO you want to prove?
Now that you have a topic, narrow it down into something you can prove.
your assignment is to write your opinion, that is fine- all literary criticism is
only fact-supported opinion.of your opinion, and support it with facts.
The preview Sentence
This is more like housekeeping for your essay.want your reader to feel at
ease, and know exactly what you will be doing in the next few pages.have
told the reader in your thesis statement what you are going to prove.you are
telling them how you are going to prove it.
Proving your points
Always begin each main point section with a sentence of introduction that is
very similar to the way you introduced the topic in your preview sentence.
you state your point, give the reader evidence from the book.Tell them what
page the evidence is on (see here for citation information) and if possible
give them a quote from the book to support what you say.is NO STRONGER
EVIDENCE than a quote.follow a quote with an explanation of how that
quotation proves your point.
The Conclusion
The conclusion is important because it summarizes everything you have said
in your essay and leaves the reader confident that you have accomplished
what you set out to do.is more than simply re-stating your introduction, it is
your final say to convince the reader.
Essay Outline
I. Introduction
A. Hook- interesting statement
B. Thesis- what are you writing to prove
C. Preview- a sentence which describes each of your three (or more)
points
II. Main Point 1
A. A review of what you said in your preview statement that relates to
this point.
B. An analysis and further description of your point
C. Quotes and evidence from the text to prove your point
III-IVRepeat above for main points 2 and 3
V. Conclusion
A. Summary of your points
B. Release the reader- let them know that you have proved your point
Your final project will be to research one of the following subjects
and write a five-page thesis:
• Prevention (through herbs and diet) and what constitutes a
healthy lifestyle – what tools can be used to maintain health and
vitality, what role can herbs and food play in this process
• The difference between alternative and conventional medicine
– what makes one more effective than the other, how can the two
be integrated
• Anti-aging with herbs and lifestyle changes – what measures can
be taken to prevent age related disorders
• The future of natural medicine – what the trends show, statistics,
future of health care, etc.
•
Please type your thesis single-spaced or write legibly if you don’t
have access to a computer or typewriter. All illegible materials will be
returned unmarked.
