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essays—not that kind of writing. It’s a how-to manual for high-quality arguments. There are four main components: – Chapters: Each provides guidance, not rules, because there are always exceptions to the rules in academic writing. – Practicums: These boxes give step-by-step instructions to help you build ideas and write papers.
Strategies for Essay Writing: PDFs Strategies for Essay Writing--Complete. description. Tips for Reading an Assignment Prompt. description. Asking Analytical Questions.
• State why the topic is important/interesting/relevant Explain: Answer what _, how _, and why _ (as if teaching); make clear and simple; define key terms and substantiate with relevant research. Explore: Consider, in an objective and questioning (less argumentative) tone, different stances on the topic and reconcile them where possible.
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Verbs like analyze, compare, discuss, explain, make an argument, propose a solution, trace, or research can help you understand what you’re being asked to do with an assignment. Unless the instructor has specified otherwise, most of your paper assignments at Harvard will ask you to make an argument.
- Academic papers are like hourglasses.
- Writing the introduction
- The ‘so what’: Why is this important?
- Thesis statement
- Writing the body
- Topic sentence
- Evidence
- Analysis
- Transition
- Writing the conclusion
The paper opens at its widest point; the introduction makes broad connections to the reader's interests, hoping they will be persuaded to follow along, then gradually narrows to a tight, focused, thesis statement. The argument stays relatively narrow and focused on the thesis throughout the body, or the middle paragraphs. Like an hourglass, the con...
As we've discussed, all introductions begin broadly. The audience, format, and purpose of your paper influence how broad it should be. You can expect more background knowledge from readers of a technical journal than you can from readers of a popular magazine.
After you've hooked your readers, keep them by presenting your thesis clearly and persuasively. Set the context of your paper, situating your topic in the context of other research in the field. Why are you making this argument in the first place? What is the problem? Why is this work important? If a reader asks you "So what?", you'll want to be ab...
The thesis is generally the narrowest part and last sentence of the introduction, and conveys your position, the essence of your argument or idea. See our handout on Writing a Thesis Statement for more.
The body is the bulk of the paper, where the ‘convincing’ takes place. Each paragraph focuses on one piece of your argument, building on what you've already written and flowing logically to the next step. Ultimately, the body should fully persuade your reader that your thesis (which you have already provided) is substantiated by evidence and sound ...
The topic sentence is usually the first in the paragraph. As the name implies, it tells the reader your main point, and should connect to the thesis stated in your introduction. Subsequent sentences in the paragraph should relate back to this topic.
Ideas, facts, or information from external sources that support your claims – either data you collect yourself, or the research and writing of others.
You should never present evidence without some form of analysis, or explaining the meaning of what you have shown us. Even if the quote, idea, or statistic seems to speak for itself, you must offer the reader your interpretation of how it supports your topic sentence. Although they are separate concepts, it can be hard to separate analysis from ...
At the start of each paragraph, consider how it relates to the previous one. Also consider how the last sentence sets up your next point. A short transition phrase like "In contrast," or "Similarly," can guide the reader from one idea to the next. Too many transition words make writing clunky and hard to read, but they are handy for shifting betwee...
The conclusion is the last section of your paper. It should briefly review the argument you've built, but it's not a summary – it's your final pitch to the audience for your main idea. A conclusion should: Remind the reader what you have just told them, clarifying the key ideas to ensure there is no misunderstanding. Return to the hook used in ...
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Are you seeking to describe, narrate, argue or explain, these being the four common purposes for writing academic essays. Below is a brief description of each purpose, or ‘mode’, illustrated with examples. • Exposition – You seek to inform your reader about a given subject and explain what it’s all about.
It means understanding the question, engaging with the debate and using evidence critically. This booklet provides strategies you can use to help refine, structure and present your position and argument throughout a written essay. The following diagram outlines the essay writing process as it is presented in this booklet.
