English 100

Front 1

What is a thesis?

Back 1

A thesis statement is the main point of an essay. It explains what the essay will be
about and expresses the writer’s position on the subject.

When you write, think of a thesis statement as a promise to your reader. The rest of your essay delivers on your promise.

Front 2

What guidelines should you follow when writing a thesis statement?

Back 2

1. Make an assertion - An assertion, unlike a fact, takes a position, expresses a view-point, or suggests your approach toward the topic.

2. Be specific - Try to provide as much information as possible about your main point.

3. Focus on one central point - Limit your essay to one major idea.

4. Offer an original perspective on your topic - If your thesis seems dull or ordinary, it probably needs more work. Search your prewriting for an interesting angle
on your topic.

5. Avoid making an announcement. Don’t use phrases such as “This essay will discuss” or “The subject of my paper is.” Instead, state your main point directly.

6. Use your thesis to preview the organization of the essay. Consider using your thesis to mention the two or three key concepts on which your essay will focus, in the order in which you will discuss them.

Front 3

Where do you place your thesis statement?

Back 3

Your thesis statement can appear anywhere in your essay, but it is usually best to place it in the first paragraph as part of your introduction. When your thesis appears at the beginning of the essay, your readers will know what to pay attention to and what to expect in the rest of the essay. When your thesis is placed later in the essay, you need to build up to the thesis gradually in order to prepare readers for it

Front 4

Describe how evidence supports your thesis?

Back 4

Evidence is any type of information, such as examples, statistics, or expert opinion, that will convince your reader that your thesis is reasonable or correct.

Front 5

How do you choose the type of evidence to support your thesis?

Back 5

Analyze your purpose, audience, and thesis to determine which types of evidence will be most effective.

If your audience is unfamiliar with your topic, provide definitions, historical background, an explanation of a process, and factual and descriptive
details.

If your purpose is to persuade, use comparison and contrast, advantages and disadvantages, examples, problems, statistics, and quotations to make your argument.

Front 6

What preparation measures must you take before writing paragraphs which support your thesis?

Back 6

Before you begin writing these body paragraphs, decide on the supporting evidence you will use and the order in which you will present your evidence.

Front 7

What are the three common ways to organize your ideas?

Back 7

The three common ways to organize ideas are

1. most-to-least (or least-to-most) order of importance

<often times you might want to save your most convincing evidence for your final paragraph, thus allowing you to slowly build up to your strongest point>

2. chronological order

<Most commonly used with narrative essays and process analyses>


3. Spatial order.

< spatial order, you organize details about your subject according to its location or position in space.>

<“Look” at your subject systematically — from top to bottom, inside to outside, front to back.>

Front 8

What are the two types of outlines?

Back 8

1. Formal - Formal outlines use Roman numerals (I, II), capital letters (A, B), arabic numbers (1, 2), and lowercase letters (a, b) to designate levels of importance. Formal outlines fall into two categories: Sentence outlines use complete sentences, and topic outlines use only key words and phrases.

2. Informal - An informal outline, also called a scratch outline, uses key words and phrases to list main points and subpoints.

Front 9

What guidelines should you follow when drafting a formal outline?

Back 9

Remember that all items labeled with the same designation (capital letters, for example) should be at the same level of importance, and each must explain or support the topic or subtopic under which it is placed. Also, all items at the same level should
be grammatically parallel.

You might write all subtopics (designated by capital
letters A, B, and so on) as sentences and all supporting details (designated by 1, 2, and so on) as phrases, for instance.

Front 10

What is a transitional expression?

Back 10

A transitional expression — which can be a word, phrase, clause, or sentence — shows the reader how a new sentence or paragraph is connected to the one that precedes it.

Front 11

What can you do to effectively transition from one paragraph to the next?

Back 11

Pick a work or phrase from the previous paragraph and build on it.

Make sure it lends itself to the supporting the topic of the next paragraph.

Front 12

What is a synonym?

Back 12

Words that have a similar meaning

Front 13

List the tips for writing a strong introduction.

Back 13

1. Ask a provocative or disturbing question.

2. Begin with a story or anecdote.

3. Offer a quotation

4. Cite a little-known or shocking fact or statistic.

5. Move from general to specific. Begin with the category or general subject area to which your topic belongs, and narrow it to arrive at your thesis

6. State a commonly held misconception or a position that you oppose.

7. Describe a hypothetical situation.

8. Begin with a striking example

9. Make a comparison. Compare your topic with one that is familiar or of special interest to your readers

Front 14

List the mistakes to avoid when writing an introduction.

Back 14

1. Do not make an announcement.

2. Keep your introduction short

3. Avoid statements that may discourage your readers from continuing.

4. Avoid a casual, overly familiar, or chatty tone.

5. Be sure your topic is clear or explained adequately for your readers.

Front 15

What is a conclusion and what must it accomplish?

Back 15

conclusion — a separate paragraph that reiterates (without directly restating) the importance of your thesis and that brings your essay to a satisfying close.

For most essays, your conclusion should summarize your main points and reaffirm your
thesis.

Front 16

List the tips for writing a strong conclusion.

Back 16

1. Look ahead

2. Remind readers of the relevance of the issue.

3. Offer a recommendation or make a call to action.

4. Discuss broader implications, but do not introduce new topics.

5. Conclude with a fact, a quotation, an anecdote, or an example that emphasizes your thesis.

Front 17

List the mistakes to avoid when writing a conclusion.

Back 17

1. Avoid a direct restatement of your thesis.

2. Avoid standard phrases.

3. Avoid a direct restatement of your thesis.

4. Avoid apologizing for yourself, your work, or your ideas

5. Avoid weakening your stance in the conclusion.

Front 18

List the tips for writing a good title

Back 18

1. Write straightforward, descriptive titles for most academic essays

2. Ask a question that your essay answers.

3. Use alliteration

4. Consider using a play on words or a catchy or humorous expression.

5. Avoid broad, vague titles that sound like labels

Front 19

What is illustration?

Back 19

Illustration is a way of using examples to reveal the essential characteristics of a topic or to reinforce a thesis.

Front 20

When can illustration be used to explain or clarify?

Back 20

Examples are also useful when you need to explain an unfamiliar topic, a difficult concept, or an abstract term.

Abstract terms refer to ideas, rather than to concrete things you can see and touch

Front 21

What is process analysis?

Back 21

A process analysis explains in step-by-step fashion how something works or how something is done or made.

Front 22

What two types of situations call for process analysis?

Back 22

1. To explain how to do something to readers who want or need to perform the process

2. To explain how something works to readers who want to understand the process but not actually perform it

Front 23

What does a process analysis contain?

Back 23

A process analysis usually contains a clear thesis that identifies the process to be discussed and suggests why the process is important or useful to the reader.

Front 24

How is a process analysis organized?

Back 24

The steps or events in a process analysis are usually organized in chronological order — that is, the order in which the steps are normally completed.

Front 25

List the tips for incorporating a process analysis into an essay

Back 25

1. Provide a brief summary or overview of the process rather than a detailed step-by-step explanation.

2. Make it clear why the process analysis is included.

3. It is sometimes helpful to use the word process or procedure to let readers know that a process analysis is to follow.

4. When you have completed the process analysis, let readers know that you are about to return to the main topic.

Front 26

What are the two methods of organization in a compare and contrast essay?

Back 26

1. point-by-point

The writer moves back and forth between his two subjects comparing them on the basis of several key points or characteristics.

2. subject-by-subject

Here the author describes the key points or characteristics of one subject before moving on to those of his other subject.

Front 27

List the purposes of a compare and contrast essay.

Back 27

1. to express ideas

2. to inform

3. to persuade

Front 28

In writing comparison and contrast essays, what are the three functions of an explicit thesis?

Back 28

1. It identifies the subjects being compared or contrasted.

2. It suggests whether the focus is on similarities, differences, or both.

3. It states the main point of the comparison or contrast.

Front 29

List the tips for incorporating compare and contrast into an essay

Back 29

1. Determine the purpose of the comparison or contrast.

2. Introduce the comparison or contrast clearly.

3. Keep the comparison or contrast short and to the point.

4. Organize the points of the comparison or contrast.

5. Use transitions.

Front 30

What are the characteristics of an extended definition?

Back 30

1. An extended definition focuses on a specific term and discusses it in detail.

2. readers often find it useful to have a brief definition to help them begin to grasp the concept.

Front 31

List the guidelines for defining a definition in an essay.

Back 31

1. Describe the class as specifically as possible.

2. Do not use the term (or forms of the term) as part of your definition

3. Include enough distinguishing characteristics so that your readers will not mistake the term for something similar within the class.

4. Do not limit the definition so much that it becomes inaccurate.

Front 32

What is the purposes of the thesis in an extended definition essay?

Back 32

tells the reader why the term is worth reading about.

Front 33

How is negation used in writing an extended definition?

Back 33

A writer may use negation — explaining what a term is not as well as what it is — to show how the term is different from the other terms in the same class.

Front 34

What are the four characteristics an effective sentence should contain?

Back 34

1. They should be clear and concise.
2. They should be varied.
3. They should use parallel structure for similar ideas.
4, They should contain strong action verbs.

Front 35

What is parallelism?

Back 35

Parallelism means that similar ideas in a sentence are expressed in similar grammatical form.