Basic Macro-Structure of a Small Research Essay

Introduction section In our very short essays, the introduction is only one paragraph long, but remember, these structures are scalable. Single paragraph Multiple paragraphs Hook ¶ Hook Background 1 Background 2 Background 3 Hook Background 1 Background 2 Background 3 Hook Background 1 Background 2 Background 3 Thesis Scope Background 1 ¶ Background 2 ¶ Background 3 ¶ Thesis ¶ Thesis Scope Thesis ¶ Scope ¶ Scope ¶

Thesis statements: The thesis has to be arguable! Review the OWL pages on creating a thesis statement. The essay supports your side of the argument. Don’t try to be diplomatic. Pick a side and defend your thesis!

Scope The scope statement tells the reader exactly what your plan is. It outlines the rest of essay. This is not a general statement. Be specific as possible! If your scope says you will examine A, B, and C, the essay must examine A, B, and C.

Scope A B C Body ¶s Introduction ¶ Hook Background 1 Thesis Scope A, B, C The topics of the body sections or paragraphs are exactly what you said they would be in the scope and they are in the same order! B C

Scope: Example Introduction Body Thesis: Big cars are better for families who like to travel Scope: More space for luggage More space for more people More space for kids’ toys More space for luggage More space for more people More space for kids’ toys

Scope: Example Thesis and scope: Big cars are better for families who like to travel because they have more space for luggage, more space for more people, and more space for kids’ toys. ¶ 1 First of all, big cars have more space to store luggage during long family trips. SD1 Explanation Justification SD2 SD3 Conclusion sentence

Scope: Example Thesis and scope: Big cars are better for families who like to travel because they have more space for luggage, more space for more people, and more space for kids’ toys. ¶ 2 Big cars also have more space so that more people can sit comfortably. SD1 Explanation Justification SD2 SD3 Conclusion sentence

Scope: Example Thesis and scope: Big cars are better for families who like to travel because they have more space for luggage, more space for more people, and more space for kids’ toys. ¶ 3 Finally, big cars can also hold more toys for the kids. SD1 Explanation Justification SD2 SD3 Conclusion sentence

Examples from your last essay: “This essay outlines how reading has important effects on writing narrations, producing academic writing and great value teaching writing. I’m going to explain these factors respectively.” The thesis is, “reading has important effects on writing.” The scope is, “narrations, academic writing, and teaching writing.” We don’t need “I’m going to explain these factors respectively,” because the reader will already expect you to do that.

Scope ? Introduction ¶ Actual Body ¶ Topic Sentences Thesis: reading has important effects on writing Scope: narrations academic writing teaching writing Reading can provide the author to produce good stories and novels. Writing is a skill and this skill requires to do enough and appropriate reading process. ? Reading has essential role in teaching writing

Scope The word “narrat/ion(s)/ive” occurs 4 times in the paper Introduction ¶ = 1 Body ¶ 1 = 1 Conclusion ¶ = 2 The phrase “academic writing” is found only once in the whole essay (in the introduction) The word “teach/ing/er” occurs 13 times Body ¶ 2 = 2 Body ¶ 3 = 6 Conclusion = 4

Paragraph Structure: Example Reading can provide the author to produce good stories and novels. Initially, writing almost always requires inspiration, motivation and aim. Without enough reading and knowing the trend of writing it can be very difficult to start and produce a good piece of writing. It is more likely that enough reading leads to deep understanding, motivating and new ideas. This is the most important part of reading because choosing the type of reading has great impact on writing. If the writing paper is a scientific work it is better to choose and study scientific works of others, doing some close reading. If its narrative story or descriptive piece of writing it is useful to read relevant sources related to this type of writing. Enough reading also gives knowledge and new issues to write. It is almost impossible to imagine writing process without reading but there are some people who could say they are not fancy of reading but still good at writing. Anyway reading has still remained as a crucial part of writing.

Paragraph Structure Reading can provide the author to produce good stories and novels. [how? Is there only one way that you will explain, or are there 2 or three ways?] Initially, writing almost always requires inspiration, motivation and aim. [this looks like good topic sentence or even a thesis!] Without enough reading and knowing the trend of writing it can be very difficult to start and produce a good piece of writing. It is more likely that enough reading leads to deep understanding, motivating and new ideas. This is the most important part of reading because choosing the type of reading has great impact on writing. If the writing paper is a scientific work it is better to choose and study scientific works of others, doing some close reading. If its narrative story or descriptive piece of writing it is useful to read relevant sources related to this type of writing. Enough reading also gives knowledge and new issues to write. It is almost impossible to imagine writing process without reading but there are some people who could say they are not fancy of reading but still good at writing. Anyway reading has still remained as a crucial part of writing.

Paragraph Structure Reading can provide inspiration, motivation and aim for the author to produce good stories and novels. Initially, writing almost always requires inspiration, motivation and aim. [The paragraph might look like this, or you might scale it up and make 3 paragraphs!] SD1 – Inspiration explanation justification SD2 – Motivation SD3 – Aim We still have a problem, though, because these don’t seem specifically related to narrations. The explanations and justifications will have to help the reader see how reading inspires the creation of stories, how reading motivates the writer to write stories, and how reading clan clarify the writers’ aim/goal of story writing. Is there anything in the paragraph we can use?

Paragraph Structure Reading can provide the author to produce good stories and novels. [how? Is there only one way that you will explain, or are there 2 or three ways?] Initially, writing almost always requires inspiration, motivation and aim. Without enough reading and knowing the trend of writing it can be very difficult to start and produce a good piece of writing. [‘start’ seems related to motivation, but what about ‘trend’? Can we put it with aim?] It is more likely that enough reading leads to deep understanding, motivating and new ideas. This is the most important part of reading because choosing the type of reading has great impact on writing. If the writing paper is a scientific work it is better to choose and study scientific works of others, doing some close reading. If its narrative story or descriptive piece of writing it is useful to read relevant sources related to this type of writing. Enough reading also gives knowledge and new issues to write. It is almost impossible to imagine writing process without reading but there are some people who could say they are not fancy of reading but still good at writing. Anyway reading has still remained as a crucial part of writing.

Paragraph Structure Reading can provide inspiration, motivation and aim for the author to produce good stories and novels. Initially, writing almost always requires inspiration, motivation and aim. [The paragraph might look like this, or you might scale it up and make 3 paragraphs!] SD1 – Inspiration explanation justification SD2 – Motivation it can be difficult to start writing SD3 – Aim to be part of a trend in writing

Paragraph Structure Reading can provide the author to produce good stories and novels. [how? Is there only one way that you will explain, or are there 2 or three ways?] Initially, writing almost always requires inspiration, motivation and aim. Without enough reading and knowing the trend of writing it can be very difficult to start and produce a good piece of writing. [‘start’ seems related to motivation, but what about ‘trend’? Can we put it with aim?] It is more likely that enough reading leads to deep understanding, motivating and new ideas. [this is not explained at all. The writer is not making an argument or providing any support. How can you demonstrate or prove that ‘it is more likely?’ This is where research helps!] This is the most important part of reading because choosing the type of reading has great impact on writing.

Paragraph Structure Reading can provide the author to produce good stories and novels. [how? Is there only one way that you will explain, or are there 2 or three ways?] Initially, writing almost always requires inspiration, motivation and aim. Without enough reading and knowing the trend of writing it can be very difficult to start and produce a good piece of writing. [‘start’ seems related to motivation, but what about ‘trend’? Can we put it with aim?] It is more likely that enough reading leads to deep understanding, motivating and new ideas. [this is not explained at all. The writer is not making an argument or providing any support. How can you demonstrate or prove that ‘it is more likely?’ This is where research helps!] This is the most important part of reading because choosing the type of reading has great impact on writing. [What is the logical connection here? ‘Because’ means that one this is the result of another] If the writing paper is a scientific work it is better to choose and study scientific works of others, doing some close reading. [this paragraph is supposed to be about narrative writing, so why is the reader presented with a sentence about scientific writing?] If its narrative story or descriptive piece of writing it is useful to read relevant sources related to this type of writing. [this is the topic of the paragraph. Why is it being repeated in the middle?]

Paragraph Structure Reading can provide the author to produce good stories and novels. [how? Is there only one way that you will explain, or are there 2 or three ways?] Initially, writing almost always requires inspiration, motivation and aim. Without enough reading and knowing the trend of writing it can be very difficult to start and produce a good piece of writing. It is more likely that enough reading leads to deep understanding, motivating and new ideas. This is the most important part of reading because choosing the type of reading has great impact on writing. If the writing paper is a scientific work it is better to choose and study scientific works of others, doing some close reading. If its narrative story or descriptive piece of writing it is useful to read relevant sources related to this type of writing. Enough reading also gives knowledge and new issues to write. [is this related to narrative?] It is almost impossible to imagine writing process without reading but there are some people who could say they are not fancy of reading but still good at writing. [don’t equivocate! Be strong!] Anyway reading has still remained as a crucial part of writing.

Paragraph Structure Reading can provide the author to produce good stories and novels. [how? Is there only one way that you will explain, or are there 2 or three ways?] Initially, writing almost always requires inspiration, motivation and aim. Without enough reading and knowing the trend of writing it can be very difficult to start and produce a good piece of writing. [‘start’ seems related to motivation, but what about ‘trend’? Can we put it with aim?] It is more likely that enough reading leads to deep understanding, motivating and new ideas. This is the most important part of reading because choosing the type of reading has great impact on writing. If the writing paper is a scientific work it is better to choose and study scientific works of others, doing some close reading. If its narrative story or descriptive piece of writing it is useful to read relevant sources related to this type of writing. Enough reading also gives knowledge and new issues to write. [maybe, but it’s not explained] It is almost impossible to imagine writing process without reading but there are some people who could say they are not fancy of reading but still good at writing Anyway reading has still remained as a crucial part of writing.

Paragraph Structure Reading can provide the author to produce good stories and novels. [how? Is there only one way that you will explain, or are there 2 or three ways?] Initially, writing almost always requires inspiration, motivation and aim. Without enough reading and knowing the trend of writing it can be very difficult to start and produce a good piece of writing. [‘start’ seems related to motivation, but what about ‘trend’? Can we put it with aim?] It is more likely that enough reading leads to deep understanding, motivating and new ideas. This is the most important part of reading because choosing the type of reading has great impact on writing. If the writing paper is a scientific work it is better to choose and study scientific works of others, doing some close reading. If its narrative story or descriptive piece of writing it is useful to read relevant sources related to this type of writing. Enough reading also gives knowledge and new issues to write. It is almost impossible to imagine [the narrative] writing process without reading but there are some people who could say they are not fancy of reading but still good at writing. [don’t equivocate! Be strong!] Anyway reading has still remained as a crucial part of writing.

Paragraph Structure Reading can provide the author to produce good stories and novels. [how? Is there only one way that you will explain, or are there 2 or three ways?] Initially, writing almost always requires inspiration, motivation and aim. Without enough reading and knowing the trend of writing it can be very difficult to start and produce a good piece of writing. [‘start’ seems related to motivation, but what about ‘trend’? Can we put it with aim?] It is more likely that enough reading leads to deep understanding, motivating and new ideas. This is the most important part of reading because choosing the type of reading has great impact on writing. If the writing paper is a scientific work it is better to choose and study scientific works of others, doing some close reading. If its narrative story or descriptive piece of writing it is useful to read relevant sources related to this type of writing. Enough reading also gives knowledge and new issues to write. It is almost impossible to imagine [the narrative] writing process without reading but there are some people who could say they are not fancy of reading but still good at writing. [don’t equivocate! Be strong!] Anyway reading has still remained as a crucial part of writing.

Paragraph Structure Reading can provide the author to produce good stories and novels. [how? Is there only one way that you will explain, or are there 2 or three ways?] Initially, writing almost always requires inspiration, motivation and aim. Without enough reading and knowing the trend of writing it can be very difficult to start and produce a good piece of writing. [‘start’ seems related to motivation, but what about ‘trend’? Can we put it with aim?] It is more likely that enough reading leads to deep understanding, motivating and new ideas. This is the most important part of reading because choosing the type of reading has great impact on writing. If the writing paper is a scientific work it is better to choose and study scientific works of others, doing some close reading. If its narrative story or descriptive piece of writing it is useful to read relevant sources related to this type of writing. Enough reading also gives knowledge and new issues to write. It is almost impossible to imagine [the narrative] writing process without reading but there are some people who could say they are not fancy of reading but still good at writing. Anyway reading has still remained as a crucial part of writing. [never use ‘anyway’ like this in academic writing]

Paragraph Structure Reading can provide the author to produce good stories and novels. [how? Is there only one way that you will explain, or are there 2 or three ways?] Initially, writing almost always requires inspiration, motivation and aim. Without enough reading and knowing the trend of writing it can be very difficult to start and produce a good piece of writing. [‘start’ seems related to motivation, but what about ‘trend’? Can we put it with aim?] It is more likely that enough reading leads to deep understanding, motivating and new ideas. This is the most important part of reading because choosing the type of reading has great impact on writing. If the writing paper is a scientific work it is better to choose and study scientific works of others, doing some close reading. If its narrative story or descriptive piece of writing it is useful to read relevant sources related to this type of writing. Enough reading also gives knowledge and new issues to write. It is almost impossible to imagine [the narrative] writing process without reading but there are some people who could say they are not fancy of reading but still good at writing. Anyway reading has still remained as a crucial part of writing. [But that is a moot point, because this doesn’t really add anything to the paragraph,]

Paragraph Structure Reading can provide inspiration, motivation and aim for the author to produce good stories and novels. The paragraph might look like this. SD1 – Inspiration how/why does reading inspire writers? Why is inspiration important? SD2 – Motivation - it can be difficult to start writing how does reading help motivate writers? So what? Why is important to be motivated? SD3 – Aim Trends are a very important part of writing So what? We’ve thrown out a lot! But the ideas we get from looking at it this way make me think that we could very easily scale this structure up to a whole essay!

Paragraph Structure Thesis: Reading can provide inspiration (¶1), motivation (¶2) and aim (¶3) for the author to produce good stories and novels. The paragraph might look like this. ¶1 – Reading Inspires writers in [2,3, or 4] ways: SD1 Explanation Justification SD2 SD3

Paragraph Structure Thesis: Reading can provide inspiration (¶1), motivation (¶2) and aim (¶3) for the author to produce good stories and novels. The paragraph might look like this. ¶2 – Reading motivates writers in [2,3, or 4] ways: SD1 Explanation Justification SD2 SD3

Paragraph Structure Thesis: Reading can provide inspiration (¶1), motivation (¶2) and aim (¶3) for the author to produce good stories and novels. The paragraph might look like this. ¶3 – Reading gives writers aims (goals?) in [2,3, or 4] ways: SD1 Explanation Justification SD2 SD3

Another Example: The source of racial discrimination is bias, but bias itself is nothing but an unfair attitude. However, with all the negative influences of this attitude, such as affecting people’s cognation, judgement and behavior, bias would finally evolve into discrimination unconsciously. Thesis: Bias evolves into discrimination Scope: Cognition, judgement, behaviour

Another Example: Topic Sentences: ¶ 1: Bias appears at the time when we communicate and has a negative effect on our cognition of new concepts. ¶ 2: The second effect is the denial of wrong concepts. [cognition?] ¶ 3: Bias can also affect people's judgement, one big affection is the blindly worship for the authority. ¶ 4: Another effect that bias has on people’s judgement is the Collective Intentionality. ¶ 5: Although any positive and negative attitude affects our actions, it is not always showed up directly. [behaviour?]

Another Example: Topic Sentences: ¶ 1: Bias appears at the time when we communicate and has a negative effect on our cognition of new concepts. ¶ 2: Another way cognition is affected by biases is in the denial of wrong concepts. ¶ 3: Bias can also affect people's judgement, one big affection is the blindly worship for the authority. ¶ 4: Another effect that bias has on people’s judgement is the Collective Intentionality. ¶ 5: Although any positive and negative attitude affects our actions, it is not always showed up directly. Finally, internal biases can manifest in more serious behavioural ways, which can be graded from least to most serious. [the paragraph discusses a scale of behaviours from least harmful to most harmful, but only discuss direct and indirect expressions of bias very briefly.]

Although any positive and negative attitude affects our actions, it is not always showed up directly. For example, two white students dislike black people at the same degree and they have a black classmate in school. One of the white students is more polite and gentle, he may choose to keep his feelings about the black classmate inside and communicate with him normally, while the other is more direct in personality, he may express his feelings directly to his black classmate. Both of the white students have biases, but only the latter has created a discrimination. This is actually not an example bias showing up of ‘directly’ versus ‘indirectly’. It is an example of ‘direct expression of bias’ and ‘no expression of bias’ (which is not the same as indirect)

The paragraph continues: Allport distinguishes certain degrees of negative action from the least energetic to the most, which are anti-locution, avoidance, discrimination, physical attack and extermination(14). Although for most of people with prejudice, their behaviour is never more serious than avoiding, yet the transformation from a lower level to a higher level is easier. The most obvious example is the transformation from the avoiding for Jews to the Auschwitz. This is very interesting, but the example above (about the two students) has nothing to do with “transformation from a lower level to a higher level”. One student expresses his biases openly, while the other hides his biases.

Finally, internal biases can manifest in more serious behavioural ways, which can be graded from least to most serious. Allport distinguishes certain degrees of negative action from the least energetic to the most, which are antilocution (negative or hateful speech), avoidance, discrimination, physical attack and extermination (14). For example, a group of white students who dislike black people to the same degree (that is, there internal bias is the same) and they have a black classmate in school. One of the white students may express his negative feelings directly to his black classmate (antilocution). The other may say nothing, but practice avoidance by never sitting near the black classmate, or even making eye contact with him. A third student might actively discriminate by not allowing the black student to participate in class activities. It is even possible to imagine a student physically assaulting the black student. It is doubtful, however, that any of the students in this example would reach the final level, extermination. New ¶ For most of prejudiced people, their behaviour is never more serious than avoiding, yet it is possible for these behaviours to increase from a lower level to a higher level. The most obvious example is the transformation from the avoiding for Jews to the Auschwitz. [the rest of the paragraph could explain this example; maybe provide another example; explain why this progression is a serious problem; how to stop the progression; etc.]

Finally, internal biases can manifest in more serious behavioural ways, which can be graded from least to most serious. Allport distinguishes certain degrees of negative action from the least energetic to the most, which are antilocution (negative or hateful speech), avoidance, discrimination, physical attack and extermination (14). For example, a group of white students who dislike black people to the same degree (that is, there internal bias is the same) and they have a black classmate in school. One of the white students may express his negative feelings directly to his black classmate (antilocution). The other may say nothing, but practice avoidance by never sitting near the black classmate, or even making eye contact with him. A third student might actively discriminate by not allowing the black student to participate in class activities. It is even possible to imagine a student physically assaulting the black student. It is doubtful, however, that any of the students in this example would reach the final level, extermination. New ¶ For most of prejudiced people, their behaviour is never more serious than avoiding, yet it is possible for these behaviours to increase from a lower level to a higher level. The most obvious example is the transformation from the avoiding for Jews to the Auschwitz. [the rest of the paragraph could explain this example; maybe provide another example; explain why this progression is a serious problem; how to stop the progression; etc.] Explain new and interesting words

Finally, internal biases can manifest in more serious behavioural ways, which can be graded from least to most serious. Allport distinguishes certain degrees of negative action from the least energetic to the most, which are antilocution (negative or hateful speech), avoidance, discrimination, physical attack and extermination (14). For example, a group of white students who dislike black people to the same degree (that is, there internal bias is the same) and they have a black classmate in school. One of the white students may express his negative feelings directly to his black classmate (antilocution). The other may say nothing, but practice avoidance by never sitting near the black classmate, or even making eye contact with him. A third student might actively discriminate by not allowing the black student to participate in class activities. It is even possible to imagine a student physically assaulting the black student. It is doubtful, however, that any of the students in this example would reach the final level, extermination. New ¶ For most of prejudiced people, their behaviour is never more serious than avoiding, yet it is possible for these behaviours to increase from a lower level to a higher level. The most obvious example is the transformation from the avoiding for Jews to the Auschwitz. [the rest of the paragraph could explain this example; maybe provide another example; explain why this progression is a serious problem; how to stop the progression; etc.] There are five levels, and explaining only two isn’t very helpful

Finally, internal biases can manifest in more serious behavioural ways, which can be graded from least to most serious. Allport distinguishes certain degrees of negative action from the least energetic to the most, which are antilocution (negative or hateful speech), avoidance, discrimination, physical attack and extermination (14). For example, a group of white students who dislike black people to the same degree (that is, there internal bias is the same) and they have a black classmate in school. One of the white students may express his negative feelings directly to his black classmate (antilocution). The other may say nothing, but practice avoidance by never sitting near the black classmate, or even making eye contact with him. A third student might actively discriminate by not allowing the black student to participate in class activities. It is even possible to imagine a student physically assaulting the black student. It is doubtful, however, that any of the students in this example would reach the final level, extermination. New ¶ For most of prejudiced people, their behaviour is never more serious than avoiding, yet it is possible for these behaviours to increase from a lower level to a higher level. The most obvious example is the transformation from the avoiding for Jews to the Auschwitz. [the rest of the paragraph could explain this example; maybe provide another example; explain why this progression is a serious problem; how to stop the progression; etc.] One level doesn’t fit our example, though, so we have to mention it.

Finally, internal biases can manifest in more serious behavioural ways, which can be graded from least to most serious. Allport distinguishes certain degrees of negative action from the least energetic to the most, which are antilocution (negative or hateful speech), avoidance, discrimination, physical attack and extermination (14). For example, a group of white students who dislike black people to the same degree (that is, there internal bias is the same) and they have a black classmate in school. One of the white students may express his negative feelings directly to his black classmate (antilocution). The other may say nothing, but practice avoidance by never sitting near the black classmate, or even making eye contact with him. A third student might actively discriminate by not allowing the black student to participate in class activities. It is even possible to imagine a student physically assaulting the black student. It is doubtful, however, that any of the students in this example would reach the final level, extermination. New ¶ For most of prejudiced people, their behaviour is never more serious than avoiding, yet it is possible for these behaviours to increase from a lower level to a higher level. The most obvious example is the transformation from the avoiding for Jews to the Auschwitz. [the rest of the paragraph could explain this example; maybe provide another example; explain why this progression is a serious problem; how to stop the progression; etc.] This explains both the final level, and shows the main point the writer actually wanted to make which is that moving from lower to higher levels is possible (even easy!)

New ¶ For most of prejudiced people, their behaviour is never more serious than avoiding, yet it is possible for these behaviours to increase from a lower level to a higher level. The most obvious example is the transformation from the avoiding for Jews to the Auschwitz. This new paragraph would also bring our total to 6: Cognition * 2 Judgment * 2 Behaviour * 2 This is a much stronger structure.