Prt II: Genre and Document Design

Thesis Statements

• Developed only after the writer understands what he or she wants to claim about the topic

Explicit Thesis
for Rhetorical analysis and review essays
-a line can be drawn under the sentence and placed as the final sentence in the introduction

Implicit Thesis
-the line cannot be drawn under a specific sentence,
or the thesis statement might be placed somewhere else in the writing

Created after preliminary research, reading, and brainstorming has been done

Must contain opinion and cannot be factual statements

Examples
"There are no phone numbers or email addresses given at the Mayo Clinic website because the
resources are from multiple sources."
"The Mayo Clinic does a good job of delivering information to individuals who want to learn more
about ADHD because it has authority, currency, and accuracy."
***The 2nd sentence is the one that works best as a thesis statement, and clearly and directly issues a judgment, while the first one simply states a fact.

Topic Sentences

• Depend on the main point stated in the thesis statement
• Requiring the writer to know the main point he or she is making before deciding on those supporting points

Body Paragraphs

• Begins with a topic sentence
• Topic Sentences should come from the mind of the writer
• Not from an outside source

Topic SEntences

• Begins with a transitional word or phrase
• Contains a unique supporting point that links directly to the thesis statement

Not be a question or an imperative command sentence, which usually begins with a verb and instructs the reader to do something

Reason
Subject of such a sentence is you, understood, and second-person pronouns are typically not used in an academic essay

Imperative

• A type of sentence that asks or tells the reader what to do; it usually begins with a verb located at the beginning or very near the beginning of a sentence.

Imperative or Declarative?

• "Remember to check the website for a current date."
• "A researcher should remember to check the website for a current date."

Answers

• First is an imperative command
• Second is a declarative statement

Good academic essay writing allows readers to draw their own conclusions rather than instructing them.

Supporting Sentences

• Can be facts, examples, quotes, paraphrased passages, or summaries.
• Quote, paraphrase, or summary
• Need proper in-text citations that link clearly to a reference page entry

Direct quotations

• Signal phrases, which are words the writer provides as an introduction to the quoted material.
• Quotations should not just be dropped into the writing aka floaters

Each cited piece of material that comes from an outside source is explained

How and why that particular quote, paraphrase, or summary was needed?

How it supports the topic sentence,
and why it was used?

Body Paragraphs

• Should begin and end with information from the writer
• Not from an outside source
• Always either introducing or explaining

Ending sentence of a body paragraph

-Includes a lead-in to the next paragraph, which is part of the transitional process

Transitions Words and phrases

• They hold ideas together from one place to another
• Between ideas within paragraphs, to show how they fit together
• Most often needed between paragraphs

For example...

Last sentence of a paragraph

"The ending sentence of a body paragraph may also include a lead-in to the next paragraph, which is part of the transitional process."

Beginning sentence of the next paragraph

"Transitions are like glue; they hold ideas together from one place to another."

Logical connections
made between sentences, paragraphs, or sections of the paper

Often want to use the phrase “in conclusion,” but other more creative ways can be used to grab the reader’s attention and help them focus on the final statements

Explain the connection between ideas, which increase readers’ understanding

Missing from the rough draft
Important for the writer or a reviewer to make note of where transitions are needed so that they can be added into the final draft

Writing Conclusions

• that includes an attention-capturing and engaging statement that is relevant to the subject
• Links back to the hook
• Relate to the introduction whenever possible
• Thesis statement and topic sentences should not be repeated exactly

Conclusion

• contains no new information
• last chance to establish credibility
• leave readers with a lasting impression

Discussion of Outlines

• Provide a structure or a skeleton of sorts for what the writer will fill out and grow into an entire essay
• Serve as a type of roadmap for the writer and for those who read the essay
• Finds that the essay, as outlined, might not flow as well as intended

For example

• Order of discussion of certain sections or supporting details needs to be changed
• Not enough detail has been given and more needs to be discussed about certain points
• Outline should be considered to be changed

References

Bakhtin, M. (2001). The problem of speech genres. In P. Bizzell and B. Herzberg (Eds.), The rhetorical
tradition: Readings from classical times to the present (pp. 1227-1245). New York, NY: Bedford St.
Martins.