West Hills Essay Format Concrete Details

CONCRETE DETAILS are the things that prove the thesis statement CONCRETE DETAILS are the things that prove the thesis statement. Just as a lawyer must use facts to prove a case in court, a writer must use CONCRETE DETAILS to prove his or her thesis. CONCRETE DETAILS INCLUDE: Facts that cannot be argued Things that actually happen in a story Quotes (quotes are ANY words taken directly from a story or other piece of writing, not just dialogue) Statistics

FACTS CONCRETE DETAILS can be facts, that is, things that are proven to be true or agreed to be true. * The United States has a population of more than 300 million. Dinosaurs are thought to be extinct. Neptune is a planet composed of ice and gas. *FOR PURPOSES OF DISCUSSION, ALL NUMBERS GIVEN BY THE TEACHER ARE ASSUMED TO BE ACCURATE. Please don’t argue about them!

Things that actually happen in a story Anne Frank and her family hid in an attic for 25 months during World War II. Cinderella cried, her fairy godmother appeared, and she got her wish. In “the Matrix” Neo agrees to help fight the evil alien invaders. Dorothy conquers the evil witch by throwing water on her.

Quotes According to a New York Times article, “Dr. Smith performed medicine without a license.” “So we beat on, boats against the tide,” said Nick Carraway. “A man wants a little piece of land. I seen men crazy from dreamin’ of land,” said Joe. He told the man that he “would help rid the world of the surplus population.”

Statistics In 1999, nearly 2,000 people were arrested for drunk driving during the Memorial Day weekend. Two out of three students surveyed agreed that homework is unnecessary. A study of 5,000 cancer patients found that chemotherapy was beneficial in 78 percent of the cases.

Personal anecdotes and examples This type of CONCRETE DETAIL is not listed, but can be used in certain instances. It should NOT be used when doing literary analysis unless specifically requested. If you were to write a personal essay, your own experiences and observations could serve as CONCRETE DETAILS. This type of CD will be covered at another time.

PRACTICE Using the text PRISCILLA AND THE WIMPS and the thesis statement provided, work with a partner and find three CONCRETE DETAILS that would prove your thesis. Review the types of things that can be CDs. THESIS: Monk Klutter and the Kobras terrorize students at the school and abuse their power. CD1: For example, CD2: In addition, CD3: Furthermore,

THESIS 2: With a partner, find CDs for this thesis: Although Priscilla defends the underdogs she, too, is a bully. CD1: For example, CD2: In addition, CD3: Furthermore