How to write a thesis statement...
A thesis statement is one sentence that expresses the main point of your paper. It touches on the special elements in your paper, but does not go into specifics. It usually makes a firm point, and the whole paper should reflect back to it. It is usually a well thought-out sentence that may take you a few tries to write. The reader of your paper should be able to read the thesis statement and then know exactly what your entire paper is about. Look at these examples below.
bad thesis:There are many teens addicted to drugs in this country.
(too vague; it needs to be more specific)
bad thesis:Thirty-two percent of teenagers admit to using drugs.
(too specific; the whole papers isn’t about one statistic)
good thesis:Many teens are turning to drugs to escape their troubled lives; however,
they are then encountering even bigger problems.
(It touches on the things I will write about in my paper: teens addicted to
drugs, why they’re doing it, and what happens to them.)
How to write a motivator/hook sentence...
Have you ever picked up an article or book to read and been bored by the first sentence? If you did what most people do, you probably put the writing away and found something else to read. No one wants to read something that is boring! This is precisely why you need a motivator. A motivator is the first sentence in your paper which is designed to grab the reader’s attention and make him want to read your paper. The following options are just a few ways to write a motivator. How can you adapt them to match your topic?
1. Ask a thought-provoking question that will make the reader want to read on.
Example:Should an animal be killed in order to examine its organs for
cancer?
2. State a fact or statistic that will shock the reader and make him want to read on.
Example:Statistics show that one out of every four people in the world is
Chinese.
3. Choose an interesting quote and use that to grab the reader’s attention.
Example:“Teenagers never know what they will experience on that particular day when they step into the police car,” says one Baltimore cop.
How to create a formal topic outline...
After gathering notes and writing your thesis, the next step is to organize your information. A topic outline is an essential element of the research paper which follows the content and organization of your thesis. The topic outline is flexible and informal, giving a listing of words or phrases that are specific and informative. Uniformity is the key when making a formal outline. Using the proper structure now will allow you to set up your paper in the most efficient manner, therefore making it easier to draft later. Follow the rules below for organization...
1.Your outline must follow the content and organization of your thesis.
2.*Roman numerals (I, II, III,...) are used to denote the topic of each paragraph in your
research paper.
*Capital letters (A, B, C,...) are used to denote subtopics of each topic (supporting
sentence ideas).
*Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3,...) are used when there are specific details for each of the
subtopics.
*Lower case letters (a, b, c,...) are used for even more specific informational items you
may want to include in your paper.
3.Indent subtopics so that all letters or numbers of the same kind will come directly under
one another in a vertical line.
4.You cannot have less than two (2) subtopics under a larger topic. If you find yourself in
this situation, then you must combine your subtopic with your topic. In other words...
*You can’t have a I. without a II.
*You can’t have an A. without a B.
*You can’t have a 1. without a 2.
*You can’t have an a. without a b.
5. All main topics and subtopics must be in parallel form.
*If the first (sub) topic is a noun, then the others should also be a noun.
*If it is an adjective, then the others should be adjectives.
*If one topic is a phrase, then the others should be phrases.
6. Do not use any complete sentences or periods in a topic outline, but do use a capital letter
at the beginning of each topic or subtopic