1) INTRODUCTIONS: prepare readers to understand and engage with your work by telling them what to expect. They introduce readers to your topic, question, and answer (your thesis). Your introduction should include a map of your paper. It should tell that reader what you will argue and how you will do so.
Introductions include your thesis statement. That statement should start with the words “I will argue that …” Yes, literally write those words into your paper (this is not required but it works). Then give a brief list of your reasons for thinking that you are correct. (List them but do not explain them or fill them in yet.) Then state your objection. (Do not simply tell me that you will include an objection. i know that. Tell me what objection you will consider.) You can say, “I will consider the following objection: that …”).
After your first paragraph, it is a good idea to briefly define any of the concepts or terms you will be using. E.g. By “friendship” I will mean …”
2) EXPOSITIONS: explain the arguments in, or content of, another author’s work. An exposition is “a comprehensive descriiption and explanation of an idea or theory.” The purpose of your exposition is to inform readers about the content of the positions, arguments, or concepts from other people’s work that you are using or evaluating. Your exegesis should be accurate, relevant, and concise. If you are writing on Plato, for example, your exposition assumes that readers are not familiar with his work and explains the parts of it that are important for the purpose of your essay. You are doing this to put you in a position to give your own reasons for agreeing or disagreeing with that author, or to use their arguments, concepts, or analysis for your own purpose.
3) ARGUMENTS: give reasons for thinking that your thesis is correct. These reasons should be ones that you think other people will also find reasonable or compelling. They are not your personal reasons or the story of why you happen to believe what you believe. They are supposed to be justifications (good ones) for other reasonable people to think the same things that you do.
4) OBJECTIONS: show that you understand your topic and to strengthen your own argument. Here, you explain why someone else might think your argument or thesis is wrong. When you reply to that objection and defeat it, you show that your argument or thesis holds up and survives a challenge, making it more likely to be correct. Only strong, plausible, reasonable objections can strengthen your argument when you show them to be incorrect. Showing that something obviously false is false does nothing to help you. So, explain your objection fully and make it sound as reasonable as you can before you explain why you did not change your mind in response.
The objection you choose should be to your own thesis or argument. Do not object only to the position of the author you are writing about. Choose a strong, reasonable objection and develop it before you reply. Why might someone have good reason to think that your argument or thesis is wrong? Don’t stop there. Explain why you haven’t changed your mind even though you are aware of the objection. Why aren’t you wrong?
Do not, however, lose sight of the fact that there are many other possible objections that you have not considered. Our knowledge is rarely final or complete. Try to remain open to thinking about other possible answers to your question.
5) CONCLUSIONS: review what you started out to do, what you have done, and how you have done it. They tie the paper together as a whole and help readers to understand what they have read by giving an overview of the project. Conclusions are also good places to point out what you have not done or what remains to be done. You may choose to point to questions for future research here, though this is not necessary.
I hope I can get this same writer to complete the rough draft and final powerpoint as soon as the teacher posts her instructions. This part was great! Thank you so much.
James Raphael
This is exactly what I needed and the confidence that I am heading in the right direction to finish the assignment. Thank you so much.
Idalia Michael
