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Key Organizational Elements Active, controlling thesis Anchor paragraphs Conclusion

Thesis Must express the unifying idea Must be active and concise (?) does (?) to (?) Must be easily identifiable

Anchor Paragraphs Introduce, but do not necessarily complete, the development of an area of discussion Lead into one or more subparagraphs which will resolve the particular area of development Develop the entire weight of support for the thesis herein

Conclusion The conclusion should concentrate the argument of the rest of the paper and, based on that argument, forcefully restate (not repeat) the thesis.

Essential Skills Transition sentences Active verb use Unity of intent Logical progression

Transitioning Bridging between paragraphs Link the last idea of one paragraph to the first idea of the next and/or Use the same noun or verb in the last sentence of one paragraph and the first sentence of the next

Active verb use When writing an essay, always prefer active over passive voice. Example: Passive: The ball was hit by the boy. Active: The boy hit the ball. Avoid using forms of the verb “to be” (i.e., “is”, “are”, etc.) whenever possible.

Unity of Intent All information cited should relate to the thesis Each paragraph should address one and only one topic

Logical Progression Ideas must flow into each other Progress chronologically Progress from the general to the specific Give background first and then analyze details relevant to the thesis

Outline Thesis ¶ Thesis Anchor ¶ I Introduction Background (if necessary) Sub¶s to A¶I (if necessary) Anchor ¶ II Anchor ¶ III (more may follow if necessary) Area 1 Sub¶s to A¶III (if necessary) Sub¶s to A¶II (if necessary) Area 2 Conclusion

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