The following sentences, however, are thesis statements. Notice how they respond directly to the ques- tion and make a clear assertion about the subject: ■ All for-profit corporations have a moral responsibility to contribute to society by supporting educa- tion, nonprofit services, or the arts. ■ For-profit corporations have much to gain by supporting education, nonprofit services, or the arts, but they do not have a moral responsibility to do so. To determine your thesis for your Analysis of an Issue essay, in most cases, you will simply need to state whether you agree or disagree with the statement in the prompt. Developing a thesis for your Analysis of an Argument prompt will be somewhat more complicated. First, you need to examine the argument and determine its main flaw or the element around which your discus- sion will focus. Your thesis should summarize your assessment of the argument. For example, notice how the Analysis of an Argument essay from the pretest presents a clear, two-part thesis that identifies the problem with the conclusion and the argument’s lack of attention to alternate possibilities: Although moving to a new location is certainly one method that could improve the restaurant’s patron base, it is not the only method, nor does it guarantee that numbers would improve. The owners must weigh the costs of moving against staying in their current location and using other techniques to improve business. As noted earlier, the writing process is not necessarily linear, and you may need to brainstorm ideas before you determine your thesis. For example, you may need to make several notes about the argument before you determine the focus of your evaluation. Step 3: Brainstorm Support for Your Thesis Once you have formulated a tentative thesis, decide how you will support your answer. On a piece of scrap paper, list at least three to five reasons, examples, or specific details to support your thesis or events to develop your story. Because you are still in the planning stage, write down whatever comes to mind. Remember, you don’t have to include everything you list in your essay. The more you put down, the more ideas you can choose from to develop and support your thesis. – GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE WRITING– 238 For example, here’s how the writer of the Analysis of an Issue essay in the pretest brainstormed support for his essay: Step 4: Create a Detailed Outline The next step is perhaps the most critical part of planning during an essay exam. Because your time is lim- ited, you will only be able to make limited revisions after you write the draft. That means your draft must be very strong from the start. Creating a detailed outline gives you the opportunity to make sure your essay will be both well organized and well developed. To ensure that you have both strong support and sufficient development of ideas, organize your ideas in a two-tiered outline. For each main supporting idea, list at least one specific detail or example. Imagine that each paragraph is a mini-essay, with its own thesis (topic sentence) and support (specific examples and details). A sufficiently detailed outline will offer a point to guide you through just about every sentence in the body of the essay. 1. Introduction 2. Support #1 a. specific reason/example b. specific reason/example c. specific reason/example Enlightened Self-Interest Good for Society Good for the Company Economic 1st Social 2nd — Those in Need Long Term Growth Volunteerism Public Relations Good Name Good Business Increased Morale Build Leadership Skills Interpersonal Skills Build Long-Term Community Relationships • Crime • Poverty • Illiteracy Healthy Community = Good/Healthy Business! – GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE WRITING– 239 3. Support #2 a. specific reason/example b. specific reason/example c. specific reason/example 4. Support #3 a. specific reason/example b. specific reason/example c. specific reason/example 5. Conclusion This basic outline has three main supporting points with room to develop each of those supporting ideas with specific reasons and examples. For example, look carefully at how the writer of the Analysis of an Argument essay outlined her essay: 1. Intro: location isn’t everything 2. Why move? a. Attract customers shopping/running errands b. Convenience c. Exposure 3. Why not move? a. Location not only factor b. Cost of move i. Packing, renting truck, etc. ii. Higher rent iii. Closing down 4. Root of problem? a. May be other causes b. Survey customers c. If location, then other options i. Advertise ii. Coupons iii. Reviews 5. Conc: check cust satisf’n 1st; if location, try other things before move O RGANIZE YOUR SUPPORT Obviously, you know where to put your introductory and concluding paragraphs. But how do you organize the ideas in the body of your essay? In the Reading Comprehension section review (pages 69–85), you reviewed the four most common organizational patterns: chronology, comparison and contrast, cause and effect, and order of importance. Most texts use a combination of these and other strategies, with one over- all organizing principle and several other strategies within individual sentences and paragraphs. – GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE WRITING– 240 Keep your essay simple and clear by following the standard three-part essay structure: • Introduction. Tell your readers what you are going to tell them. (State your thesis.) • Body. Tell them. (Develop your ideas and provide specific support for your thesis.) • Conclusion. Tell them what you have told them. (Restate your thesis.) Three-Part Essay Structure 241 The following table lists seven organizational patterns and their organizing principles. Your overall prin- ciple depends on your specific subject and purpose. Determine which pattern will best help you convey your ideas clearly. PATTERN ORGANIZING PRINCIPLE chronology time or sequence (first, second, etc.) comparison and contrast similarities and/or differences cause and effect agent of change/result of change order of importance rank (most to least important or least to most important) spatial physical location (e.g., top to bottom or front to back) analysis or classification parts, types, or groups of X problem/solution problem and solution(s) Notice how the Analysis of an Argument outline combines several organizational strategies, including problem/solution and cause and effect. Beginning with the perceived solution (moving to a new location), the writer points out flaws in that plan. Then she evaluates the cause of the problem and proposes other pos- sible solutions. Within paragraphs, examples are listed in order of importance. REVISE YOUR OUTLINE As we noted earlier, revision normally takes place after the drafting stage. However — and this is a big how- ever — the guidelines are a little different on a timed essay exam, especially when the time is so short. Because your time is so limited, some revising should actually take place before you write, while you are outlining your essay. As you outline, make sure you have a clear thesis that addresses the writing prompt, sufficient and rel- evant support, and logical organization. More important, make sure your outline addresses everything you are supposed to do in the essay. Does it address counterarguments? Have you considered the assumptions that underline the argument? Now is the time to make sure these fundamental elements are in place. Step 5: Write Your Essay Now that you have a clear, detailed outline, you can begin to write, starting with your introduction. INTRODUCTION First impressions count, and that’s why introductions are so important in writing. A good introduction does three things: ■ Indicates what the essay is about (its topic) and what the writer is going to say about the topic (its main idea) ■ Grabs the reader’s attention ■ Establishes the tone of the passage Techniques for grabbing attention include opening with one of the following: ■ a question ■ a quotation ■ a surprising fact or statement ■ an imaginary situation or scenario ■ an anecdote ■ interesting background information ■ a new twist on a familiar phrase For example, notice how the Analysis of an Argument essay from the pretest grabs the reader’s atten- tion by asking a question that calls the real estate mantra into doubt: Location is everything or is it? The owners of an upmarket restaurant are considering a proposal to move next to another store or near a transportation hub in order to expand their customer base . . . If you can quickly think of a catchy way to begin your essay, terrific. But if you can’t, don’t spend pre- cious minutes trying to come up with the perfect opening line. You don’t have the time. Remember, you only have 30 minutes for the whole essay — planning, writing, revising, and editing. You need to start writing as soon as you organize your thoughts. One good way to jump right in is to paraphrase (repeat in your own words) or summarize the argument or issue in the prompt and state your thesis. The Analysis of an Issue sample essay opens with a clear thesis that paraphrases the issue. The second and third sentences then outline the major points that will be covered in the essay: All for-profit corporations have a moral responsibility to contribute to society by supporting educa- tion, nonprofit services, or the arts. In today’s increasingly global marketplace, companies that – GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE WRITING– 242 As you write your essay, follow your outline, but be flexible. Writing is a process of discovery, and as you write, you may suddenly realize you have something else important to say. Just because it isn’t in your outline does- n’t mean you shouldn’t use it. If it adds strong support to your thesis, include it. Similarly, if, as you are writing, you realize that an idea from your outline isn’t as relevant or convincing as you thought, or that it’s in the wrong place, make the change. Your outline should guide you as you write, but it should not keep you from making effective changes. Be Flexible 243 embrace their social responsibilities and empower their leaders and employees to serve local and world communities will reap rewards now and for years to come. These companies will realize that they will reap long-term benefits in morale and bottom-line growth and sustainability by giving their personnel the opportunity to work toward higher goals (social responsibilities) and to make a difference in their lives and the lives of the people around them. If you are feeling really pressured for time, you can always simply quote from the prompt, as in the fol- lowing example: It has been argued that “true freedom is the ability to make choices based upon happiness, not neces- sity.” I agree with this statement. When you have finished your essay, you can go back and revise for a more sophisticated introduction if you have time. A standard introduction that simply rephrases the prompt and states your thesis may not win any awards for ingenuity, but it will get the job done by introducing the topic and presenting your thesis to the reader. BODY Once you have written your introduction, write the body of your essay paragraph by paragraph, following your outline. Make sure each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and specific support. (See pages 72 — 75 for a review of topic sentences.) Do not forget about transitions between paragraphs. Key words and phrases such as more important, similarly, and in addition will guide your reader through your argument. For your convenience, we have reprinted this list of common transitions from the Verbal section review: IF YOU WANT TO USE THESE TRANSITIONAL WORDS AND PHRASES introduce an example for example for instance that is in other words in particular specifically in fact first (second) of all . summarize the argument or issue in the prompt and state your thesis. The Analysis of an Issue sample essay opens with a clear thesis that paraphrases the issue. The second and third sentences then. for your thesis.) • Conclusion. Tell them what you have told them. (Restate your thesis.) Three-Part Essay Structure 2 41 The following table lists seven organizational patterns and their organizing. your essay. The more you put down, the more ideas you can choose from to develop and support your thesis. – GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE WRITING 238 For example, here’s how the writer of the Analysis