How to write a paper Argument and Analysis

Learning Target Students will understand the best practices for writing an introductory, body, and conclusion paragraph in an argument or analysis paper.

vocabulary A hook: An open ended, introductory statement that interests your reader and entices them to want to keep reading. Building of context: Assume that your reader is educated, but not familiar with your topic. You are going to have to inform them of the vital information for them to understand your argument. This may take multiple sentences. A thesis statement: The last one or two sentences that offer a concise summary of what the main points of your argument will be.

Understand your prompt Your goal when writing a paper is to write a logical argument that accomplishes the objective of this paper. To do this you must always keep the prompt in mind. Prompt: In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, how does Shakespeare show that it is possible to control another person’s actions? Who is your best example for this?

Examples When writing a hook you want to make a broad statement about your topic, in this case it is a play by William Shakespeare. William Shakespeare wrote elaborate plays and stories with universal appeal. These stories are so loved and widely read because of their ability to reach multiple audiences. Plays and stories by William Shakespeare have the ability to speak to and evoke deep universal human emotions. Humanity has been defined and represented by the art and stories that people create. We see this in plays by William Shakespeare through his characters and enjoyable plots.

Examples When you are building context, assume that your reader is educated, but not familiar with the play you are going to discuss in your paper. Give them the important information that they need to know such as characters, plot, setting, and a brief summary. William Shakespeare wrote a play called “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” which includes a complex plot with a love triangle, magic, and funny situations. The characters I will focus on were characters who controlled others using a flower called “Love in Idleness”. These characters were forced to fall in love with random people and in one case, a man turned into a donkey. Although many characters were manipulated and controlled, the motivation for this control is the most important part.

Examples When writing a thesis statement you want to write concise summary of what the main points of your argument will be and make sure that they answer the focus question of the prompt. Tell your audience what you plan to argue in your paper, this will help you structure the order of your paragraphs. The play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” contains evidence of control from many characters, but the character that has the most control was Oberon. Oberon controlled Titania, Demetrius, and Puck because of his emotional motivations.

Organizing your paper Your thesis statement will dictate the organization of your paper. Thesis: Oberon controlled Titania, Demetrius, and Puck because of his emotional motivations. Body Paragraph 1 will be about Titania. Body Paragraph 2 will be about Demetrius. Body Paragraph 3 will be about Puck.

Acknowledging counterclaims When you are making an argument, you want to acknowledge and refute a counterclaim, or prove it wrong. This will build up your own argument and make it seem more logical. Although Oberon’s control is clear, some may argue that puck was the one most in control. You then want to say how that claim is valid, and then refute it by proving that it is not as valid as your claim. You will need to use evidence and reasoning for this.