Writing an Academic Essay

Thesis Examples

• Dr. Seuss’ propaganda cartoons during World War II reduced Japanese Americans to stereotypes, played on the fears of the American public during a time of war, and focused on the broad, generalized issues of the situation rather than the individual circumstances of the people involved.

Developing an Outline

• Once you establish a thesis, use it to help you develop an outline of the paper
• An outline will:
• Help you organize your ideas
• Keep you focused
• Save time
• For every main point, you’ll need several supporting details

Outline Example

• Thesis
• Main Point
• Supporting Point
• Detail
• Detail
• Supporting Point
• Detail
• Detail
• Main Point
• Supporting Point
• Detail
• Detail
• Supporting Point
• Detail
• Detail
• Supporting Point
• Detail
• Detail
• Main Point
• Supporting Point
• Detail
• Detail
• Supporting Point
• Detail
• Detail
• Conclusion

Writing the Rough Draft

• Now that you have a thesis and outline, you may begin writing your rough draft.
• As you write this rough draft, keep the following strategies in mind:
• Organize information in your body paragraphs
• Hook the reader in the introduction
• Keep your paper coherent with transition words and sentences
• Wrap up your paper with a strong closing
• Utilize academic writing conventions
• Follow the writing process

Introductions

• The purpose of the introduction paragraph is to:
• Hook the reader
• Contextualize your argument or topic
• Provide necessary background information about the topic

Strategies to Hook the Reader

• Ask a question
• Tell a story
• Use a quote
• Provide interesting statistics
• Share an anecdote
• Make a provocative statement

Give Context in the Introduction

• What does the reader need to know to understand this paper?
• Historical background
• Issues relating to the topic
• Important authors and texts you will be referring to
• Cultural issues
• Why this topic is important or relevant

Start Your Body Paragraphs with Clear Topic Sentences

A topic sentence:

• Comes at the beginning of a paragraph
• Presents the most important point you want to make in that paragraph
• Is specific (or not so broad it would require a full essay to explore)

Use Compelling Supporting Points to Support Your Topic Sentence

• Supporting points are examples or pieces of evidence that support the claim you have made in your topic sentence.
• They can be:
• Facts
• Examples
• Anecdotes (Stories)
• Expert Testimony
• Quotes
• Observations
• Statistics

Make Sure to Elaborate with Concrete Details

• Once you have listed your supporting points, you can now elaborate on them by adding details or explaining what you mean further.

Example

Topic Sentence: Dr. Seuss emphasized the danger posed by Japanese Americans during World War II.

Main Point: His pictures show a parade of smiling Japanese marching down the West Coast collecting explosives.

Detail: Each box of TNT these cartoon characters carry plays on the often-irrational fears Americans felt toward Japanese Americans after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

An Alternative: Using the PIE Formula

• Another useful strategy to organize information is to use the PIE formula
• PIE
• P = Point = The main point you want to make
• I = Illustration = A quote or paraphrase from the text
• E = Explanation = Your explanation about what the quote or paraphrase means

Use Transitions to Create Coherence

• Use transition words or sentences to bridge ideas so the reader does not get confused
• First
• Second
• In addition
• Nevertheless
• In contrast
• Furthermore
• Therefore
• Etc.

Strategies for a Conclusion

• Re-state your thesis statement in a different way.
• Make a strong closing comment.
• Leave the reader with a closing thought.

Academic Conventions: Things to Avoid

• Avoid using personal pronouns like “I”, “We”, and “You”.
• Avoid not use contractions like “isn’t”, “they’re”, “wasn’t”, etc.
• Avoid slang
• Avoid a personal tone
• Avoid vague ideas
• Avoid plagiarism

Academic Conventions: Things to Do

• Do address both sides of an argument
• Do cite your sources
• Do use a formal tone
• Do take a stand
• Do use concrete details
• Do give yourself time to develop your paper

Remember, Writing is a Process

• Every writing assignment is practice for the next one
• Writing takes time
• Go through every step of the process
• Focus on your ideas first
• Focus on grammar and spelling last
• Get feedback from a peer, instructor, or tutor