This page will help you understand what is needed to build a well-structured and convincing argument in your academic writing. Arguing is something that we are likely to engage in most days of our ...

Thesis & Motive (20%). The motivation for addressing the chosen problem, the explication of the main argument or claim, as seen mainly in the introduction and conclusion Evidence & Analysis (50%). The ...

We are reading this article not for its content – although I expect it to be of interest to many of you, especially the criminology majors – but as an illustration of how to think in terms of ...

The major claim of the essay is complex, insightful, and unexpected. The thesis responds to a true question, tension or problem. It is stated clearly at the outset and evolves throughout the paper.

As a teaching tool, these arguments are often about students learning to support claims with evidence. Intro: Hook and thesis Point One: First claim & support Point Two: Second claim & support Point ...

The dreaded blank page. It’s a familiar scene for anyone who’s ever tried to write an essay. The ideas are swirling, but organizing them can feel like untangling a bowl of spaghetti. Two methods often ...

Extended "discourse," such as class presentations or essays written as school assignments, has a particular structure arising from particular expectations and standards. Such structure, expectations, ...

You know the feeling. You open a blank document, reread the assignment for the fifth time, and somehow an hour disappears ...