November 13, 2008 Archives

Length: 2-3 pages. Persuade your reader by presenting the pro and con.

Title: Include the topic and your precise opinion.

Introduction: You might begin with a brief anecdote, a quotation, a definition, or something else your reader needs to know up front. You might also begin right away with your thesis statement.

While you may write it last, the first thing your reader encounters should be a thesis paragraph that lays out your blueprint. (Are you going to give all your reasons AGAINST, then all your reasons FOR, and then synthesize in a conclusion? Are you going to say the issue hinges on three factors -- such as personal, social, and professional preferences, and then give the pro and con for each factor? Will you need to begin with a paragraph that sets the scene, defines terms, or emphasizes the stakes?)

Make sure you have written an introduction that includes a reasoning blueprint, or a road map, or at least a list of your main points -- something that will help the reader understand where each part fits in the overall scheme of your paper.

Body: You may not know what shape your paper will take until after you've drafted it, but before you submit the draft, make sure the body of your paper follows the plan you laid out in the introduction. (It may be easier to change the introduction to match whatever body you end up writing.)