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Prewriting
n
Brainstorming: Use this section to begin answering your BIG question. You should go back to the text to begin gathering information that will help you answer this question.
What is the BIG question chosen for this essay? This will be answered in your thesis statement and your entire essay.
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Introductory Paragraph
Hook: Hooks might (1) make a striking assertion, (2) provide an anecdote or example that helps to illustrate your subject, (3) Use an interesting detail, statistic, or quote, or (4) ask a provocative question. Regardless of your approach, you need to let your reader know about the broad subject of the essay and generate some interest in reading your essay.
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Your introduction should start on a general level with lead-in statements and gradually focus in on the specific topic of the essay. In the introduction, the reader should find the main idea of the essay expressed in the thesis statement. Also in the introduction, the reader should be able to tell what specific points about the main idea will be discussed and in what order they will be developed.
Work(s) of literature and author(s) studied: Make sure you give Shakespeare credit for writing Hamlet in this into the “Lead-In” or “Brief Overview” sections of your intro paragraph!
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A brief overview of work of literature to be discussed:
History, plot summary, etc. This section should present information that informs your audience about the work of literature you’re discussing in terms of your broad subject.
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Please Remember:
Thesis statement: Your answer to the essential question posed in the original assignment
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Ideas you will address in the body of the essay: This is sometimes referred to as the map, a blueprint of the body or sentence of enumeration. Your key points, arguments and/or key definitions that you will discuss in the body of your essay should be introduced here.
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Your essay needs all three!
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Body: Major Section(s) #1
Topic sentence for supporting point 1: The topic sentence should be a major point of argument that supports the thesis statement – this is the topic of the following paragraph (s) ____________________________________________________________
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Body paragraphs provide evidence from your research and discuss how it supports/proves your thesis statement.
Evidence: Provide several specific details/facts that help to prove or support your thesis statement. Be sure to cite where this information comes from (act, scene, line) Consider using quotes as well as specific paraphrasing.
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Discussion: How does the evidence support the thesis statement? NOTE: Be sure to discuss each quote when you provide it in your essay!
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Notes:
Evidence: Provide several specific details/facts that help to prove or support your thesis statement. Be sure to cite where this information comes from (act, scene, line) Consider using quotes as well as specific paraphrasing.
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Discussion: How does the evidence support the thesis statement? NOTE: Be sure to discuss each quote when you provide it in your essay!
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‘So what’ sentence?
This last sentence of this section reinforces/ clarifies the paragraphs’ relation to the thesis statement and purpose of the paper as a whole. It should answer these questions: “How is this section important to my paper?” and “Why did I just tell all this to my reader?”
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Evidence: Provide several specific details/facts that help to prove or support your thesis statement. Be sure to cite where this information comes from (act, scene, line) Consider using quotes as well as specific paraphrasing.
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Discussion: How does the evidence support the thesis statement? NOTE: Be sure to discuss each quote when you provide it in your essay!
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Body: Major Section(s) #2
Topic sentence for supporting point 2: The topic sentence should be a major point of argument that supports the thesis statement – this is the topic of the following paragraph (s) ____________________________________________________________________
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Evidence: Provide several specific details/facts that help to prove or support your thesis statement. Be sure to cite where this information comes from (act, scene, line) Consider using quotes as well as specific paraphrasing.
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Discussion: How does the evidence support the thesis statement? NOTE: Be sure to discuss each quote when you provide it in your essay!
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Notes:
Evidence: Provide several specific details/facts that help to prove or support your thesis statement. Be sure to cite where this information comes from (act, scene, line) Consider using quotes as well as specific paraphrasing.
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Discussion: How does the evidence support the thesis statement? NOTE: Be sure to discuss each quote when you provide it in your essay!
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Evidence: Provide several specific details/facts that help to prove or support your thesis statement. Be sure to cite where this information comes from (act, scene, line) Consider using quotes as well as specific paraphrasing.
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Discussion: How does the evidence support the thesis statement? NOTE: Be sure to discuss each quote when you provide it in your essay!
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‘So what’ sentence?
This last sentence of this section reinforces/ clarifies the paragraphs’ relation to the thesis statement and purpose of the paper as a whole. It should answer these questions: “How is this section important to my paper?” and “Why did I just tell all this to my reader?”
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Body: Major Section(s) #3
Topic sentence for supporting point 2: The topic sentence should be a major point of argument that supports the thesis statement – this is the topic of the following paragraph (s) ____________________________________________________________________
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Evidence: Provide several specific details/facts that help to prove or support your thesis statement. Be sure to cite where this information comes from (act, scene, line) Consider using quotes as well as specific paraphrasing.
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Discussion: How does the evidence support the thesis statement? NOTE: Be sure to discuss each quote when you provide it in your essay!
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Notes:
Evidence: Provide several specific details/facts that help to prove or support your thesis statement. Be sure to cite where this information comes from (act, scene, line) Consider using quotes as well as specific paraphrasing.
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Discussion: How does the evidence support the thesis statement? NOTE: Be sure to discuss each quote when you provide it in your essay!
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Evidence: Provide several specific details/facts that help to prove or support your thesis statement. Be sure to cite where this information comes from (act, scene, line) Consider using quotes as well as specific paraphrasing.
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Discussion: How does the evidence support the thesis statement? NOTE: Be sure to discuss each quote when you provide it in your essay!
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‘So what’ sentence?
This last sentence of this section reinforces/ clarifies the paragraphs’ relation to the thesis statement and purpose of the paper as a whole. It should answer these questions: “How is this section important to my paper?” and “Why did I just tell all this to my reader?”
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Concluding Paragraph
The concluding paragraph should include a general summary statement that recaps the thesis, a sentence that restates the major points of argument, and a wrap-up statement. The conclusion could also contain the end of a split anecdote that would finish the story begun in the introduction. The wrap-up statement could contain insights of the essay writer, encourage the reader to take action, emphasize the importance of one of the points of argument, or create a solid sense of finality.
Restatement of thesis statement: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Now you are ready to write your first draft!
Wrap-up/extension: The “So what?” section of your essay – sometimes referred to as the “kicker” statement. You may discuss ideas beyond what has been stated in the essay: draw a further conclusion, or give an opinion. However, you should not include new evidence in your last paragraph.
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Restatement of key supporting points/arguments: These were presented in the topic sentences of the body paragraphs.
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