1. Research Paper Requirement Notes:
Sentence Types
Appeals
Evidence
Claims
Thesis
Figurative Language
Visuals

2. Sentence Types Simple: Compound-Complex: Periodic: Loose:
Subject-Verb (I went to the store.)
2 Independent Clauses and one or more dependent clauses (While traveling to the store, I saw my friend, and she gave me money.)
The periodic sentence emphasizes its main idea by placing it at the end.
Places the main idea at the beginning followed by a heap of details (aka cumulative sentence)

3. The Rhetorical Triangle: Logos, Pathos, Ethos
Speaker =
Pathos: Audience
Subject = Logos

4. Types of Evidence: First-Hand
Most common
Adds a human element
Appeal to pathos
Speaker must be knowledgeable
“inside” knowledge
Personal Experience:
Anecdotes:
Current Events:
Brief stories about other people
Observed or told about
Appeal to pathos
Observation about local, national, global events
Beware of bias…seek multiple perspectives

5. Types of Evidence: Second-Hand
Facts from research
Gives background & context
Helps establish ethos of writer
Pitfall: do not misrepresent the event…
Develops a point of comparison to a modern event/problem
Historical Information:
Expert Opinions:
Quantitative Evidence:
Expert = published research
Expert = job/experience gives specialized knowledge
Things that can be represented in numbers
Statistics, polls, surveys, census, etc.
Appeal to logos

6. Claims Claim of fact Claim of Value Claim of Policy
Asserts that something is true or not true
Argues that something is good or bad, right or wrong
Proposes a change

7. Thesis * Advantage: immediately addresses the counter & helps the
Closed Thesis Statement:
* Main ideas of the argument
* previews the major points
* Typically three pronger!
Open Thesis Statement:
* Main ideas of the argument
* does NOT list the points the intends to cover
* usually used for longer essays, lots of points to cover
Counterargument Thesis Statement:
* summary of the counterargument precedes the
writer’s opinion (uses although or but)
* Advantage: immediately addresses the counter & helps the
transition later

8. Figurative Language Metaphor: Irony: Simile: Allusion:
Direct comparison; analogy
a meaning in opposition to the literal meaning
Comparison using like or as
Reference to something well known

9. Visuals