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Essay Writing Cheat Sheet
Evidence, Thesis, and Analysis
Before even starting to think about writing an essay, you need to understand the following:
Evidence is the foundation of all argument papers. You cannot formulate a thesis until the evidence
has been studied and analyzed for its significance. Evidence for argument papers is usually found in
primary sources.
Evidence is comprised of: events, places, statistics, facts, names, theories, concepts, anecdotal
references, and more. A good starting point to learning evidence is to READ!! You will build these
nuts and bolts into something by analyzing them.
A thesis…
§ is your idea that
takes a position on a topic (IT IS DEBATABLE!).
§ is the main idea of your essay.
§ makes a claim or argument which you will then prove or support throughout the essay with
evidence and analysis.
§ helps you organize your argument by laying out analytic categories (CONCISE).
§ is supported by evidence (specific facts that prove your argument is right) and analysis.
Thesis checklist:
Does your thesis…
§ make an argument?
§ get the job done in one sentence?
§ build a roadmap (sub-points) for your essay?
§ fit the evidence you use in your essay?
***You hold the burden of proof , meaning you must prove that your thesis is correct by presenting
AND analyzing evidence.
Analysis shows how evidence helps prove your thesis, or main argument. In addition to presenting
reliable evidence, you must take it a step further. First, you need to explain the evidence. What does it
mean? Second, you must state the significance of your evidence. So what? And third, you must close
the loop on your argument. How does this evidence support (substantiate) your thesis?
§ Analysis explains your evidence.
§ Analysis ties your evidence back to your argument, “completing the loop” (shows how your
evidence proves your argument).
Words that signal analysis : as a result, thus, thusly, therefore, hence, consequently, as a
consequence, accordingly, then, this shows, so, in this way, in this manner, in this fashion…
Seven Steps of Synthesis Essay Writing
- Read and analyze the claim
- Collect and sort the data needed to answer the question
- Make sure your graphic organizer has sub-point categories.
- Brainstorm a list of factual information within your graphic organizer.
- Create your thesis statement
- The thesis is your answer to the question. It is the guiding argument of the essay.
- The thesis must fully address the question, take a position with regard to the question, and
provide organizational categories for analysis ( 2 - 4 sub-points).
Write the introduction to your essay
- OVERVIEW: taken from the claim - who, what, when, where
- Analysis statement: taken from the claim – why, how
- Thesis statement: your answer to the question (as analytical and evaluatory as you can
possibly make it, including all sub-points listed briefly)
- Write the body of the essay
- Each paragraph MUST have a topic sentence (introducing the sub-point for that paragraph
and what your argument is about it)
- Each paragraph must have evidence FROM MULTIPLE SOURCES. This is the necessary
ingredient to prove that your thesis is correct. Aim to include at least 3 supporting facts.
- Each paragraph must have analysis, which explains how your piece(s) of evidence prove
your thesis.
- You can either BLEND YOUR EVIDENCE and ANALYSIS into the SAME
SENTENCE, or, you can write ONE EVIDENCE SENTENCED FOLLOWED BY
ONE ANALYTIC SENTENCE…and repeat.
- Each paragraph MUST end with a linking sentence that directs the reader to the next
paragraph (it contains your sub-point plus argument about that sub-point for the above
paragraph and compares/contrasts it with the next paragraph’s sub-point/argument).
- Write the conclusion
- Start with a “concluding phrase”
- Restate your thesis statement a bit differently.
- The conclusion must summarize the main points of the body paragraphs.
- The conclusion must synthesize the linking sentences.
- The conclusion must address “so what?” (significance):
- End of some trend/movement/idea, etc.
- Beginning of some trend/movement/idea, etc.
- Endo of one and beginning of another
- Do NOT end on the note that this is the reason we are where we are today!
- Proofread your essay
- Eliminate grammatical errors and contradictions between the thesis and the body.
- Try to add in any further details (NAMING specific facts, people, events, phenomena…).
