Going above less than minimum standards Michael Quiñones, NBCT

Writing in Complete Sentences  When writing for an audience, especially an academic one, write in coherent (understandable) and complete sentences AT ALL TIMES.  A good strategy is to begin sentences with a partial restatement of the question.

What is the difference between a report and an essay?  There are many differences between essays and reports. However, essays are more thorough than reports. Reports most of the time merely regurgitate information with no obvious point of view or direction. Essays on the other hand aim to state a thesis and attempt to prove the thesis with clear and convincing evidence.

Which will you complete for the research paper?  For the research paper assigned in this class I will complete a research paper. The reason I will complete a research paper is to demonstrate my ability to create a clear thesis and prove it with clear and convincing evidence based on my research.

What is a thesis statement, what is its purpose and where should it be located in an effective essay?  A thesis is a statement created by an essay writer that has a slant or an opinion that he/she wishes to prove. In order to provide an effective essay, and clear direction for the reader, it is best to place the thesis as the very first sentence of the essay.

What are some key components of an introductory paragraph?  In order to establish an assertive and clear direction, an effective essay will have a clear and efficient thesis statement as its first sentence. To provide support for the thesis the introductory paragraph must also include 3-5 examples in short, direct, supporting sentences to give the reader an idea of what will follow in body/content paragraphs.

What are key components of an effective body paragraph?  Effective body paragraphs begin with topic sentences that follow with evidence from research that support the claim in the topic sentences. The main purpose for body paragraphs is to prove the argument stated in the essay’s thesis.

What are important things to avoid in body paragraphs?  To have effective body paragraphs, and not confuse the reader of an essay, the writer should avoid making generalizations. Generalizations are statements that could apply to anyone or anything and do not really prove anything specific. Using pronouns such as he, she and they should also be avoided because those words are unspecific and when talking about multiple people the reader can easily be confused about who he, she or they is.

What should an effective concluding paragraph contain?  An effective concluding paragraph will begin with a slightly reworded thesis that an essay begins with. In order to remind the reader of what was proven it’s helpful to reuse the best examples of evidence used in previous body paragraphs.

What is a citation and what is its purpose?  Citations are used by writers of essays in order to show the reader that evidence had an original location. Whenever information or ideas belong to someone else, you must give credit to that original author otherwise it is considered academic cheating or stealing.

Explain two different types of APA citations (What is the difference between the two?)  There are two basic types of APA citations. The first is direct citation which aims to use specific quotes and passages from an author which requires you to cite the author’s name and page number [ex. According to Jones (1996) “Native- Americans were exterminated by Europeans starting in 1492” (p. 15)]. The second type of citation is indirect which allows the essay writer to paraphrase someone else’s ideas and does not require an exact page number just the author’s last name and date [ex. Native-Americans were wiped out after Columbus reached the New World (Jones, 2005)].