HOY IN CLASS

Today' assignment is to write a thesis statement. Today's assignment is to produce a document which contains:

1. A short introduction to your topic
2. A research question
3. A thesis statement and 2-3 supporting sentences.
4. An explanation or discussion of what type of thesis statement you have written and why it is appropriate
5. Challenges you face doing this assignment (OPTIONAL)

Turn in your assignment at the end of class; it should be numbered 1-4 /5 and consist of the components listed above. Don't forget to include your name.

A Thesis Statement
Whenever writing to explain something to the reader or to persuade the reader to agree with your opinion, there should be one complete sentence that expresses the main idea of your paper. That sentence is often called the thesis, or thesis statement. (Some other names it goes by are "the main idea" and "the controlling idea.") Based on everything you've read, and thought, and brainstormed, the thesis is not just your topic, but what you're saying about your topic.

Another way to look at it is, once you've come up with the central question, or organizing question, of your essay, the thesis is an answer to that question. Remember, though, while you are still writing your paper, to consider what you have to be a "working thesis," one that may still be "adjusted." As you continue to write, read, and think about your topic, see if your working thesis still represents your opinion.

A research thesis is your proposed answer to your research question, which you finalize as you completing the research. (It's acceptable to modify and revise the working thesis as you research more about the topic or issue.)

Make sure your thesis is in the form of a statement, not a question. "Can we save the Amazon rain forest?" is an ear-catching question that might be useful in the introduction, but it doesn't express an opinion or perspective as the following statements do:

"We can save the Amazon rain forest by limiting tourist presence, boycotting goods made by companies that deplete the forest's resources, and generally educating people about the need to preserve the rain forest in order to preserve the earth's ecological systems."

"We cannot save the Amazon rain forest since the companies that deplete its resources in their manufacturing are so widely-spread throughout the world, so politically powerful in their respective countries, and wealthy enough to fight the opposition fully."

Make sure your thesis expresses your true opinion and not an exaggerated version of it. Don't say "Computers are wonderful" or "Computers are terrible" if what you really believe is "Computers do more good than harm" or "Computers do more harm than good." Why commit yourself to an extreme opinion that you don't really believe in, and then look like you're contradicting yourself later on?

Make sure your thesis covers exactly the topic you want to talk about, no more and no less. "Drugs should not be legalized" is too large a thesis if all you want to talk about is marijuana. "Boxing should be outlawed" is too small a thesis if you also want to discuss wrestling and football. Bite off as much as you can chew thoroughly--then chew it!

Shape your thesis to fit the question you wish to answer. A thesis can come in many forms, including the following:

Simply stating an opinion
"Langston Hughes was a master stylist."
Indicating categories or reasons
"Langston Hughes was a master stylist because of his vivid imagery, surprising metaphors, and effective alliteration."
Showing two aspects of a topic and emphasizing one (in this sample, the 2nd topic in the sentence is emphasized)
"While Langston Hughes was a master stylist, as a critic he had several blind spots."

April 8th Assignment

Short In-Class Essay Question


Topic: If the author(s) of the work that you have chosen to review wanted you to get one idea from the book, what would it be? How does this idea compare and / or contrast with the world that you know? What does your assessment of the book's relationship to your own experience suggest about the books strengths and accomplishments?


Assignment: Write a short 3 paragraph essay in which you respond to the above topic. At the end of class mail it to yourself AND to expositorywriting@gmail.com. Use your copy as a resource for writing your book review.

Guidelines for Writing a Book Review

1. The review should offer a description, not a summary, of the book.
2. The review should interweave your commentary / evaluation with a description of the book.
3. The review should take into consideration the genre to which the work reviewed belongs (e.g., novel, short story, biography, poetry)
4. The review should include the research question addressed by the book.
5. The review should present the main idea of the book. The main idea is probably an answer to the author’s research question.
6. The review should state for whom the book is intended. Who is the assumed audience? (e.g., specialists, undergraduates, North Americans, persons with knowledge of US history, persons familiar with the subject at hand, readers familiar with the author’s prior work)
7. The tone of the review should describe how different parts of the book: shape the author’s methodology and contribute to answering the author’s research question.
8. The tone of the review should be professional and academic. It should be written in clear and precise languages.
9. The review should be an “independent document.” It should make sense as a document that is read alone.
10. The review should contain 2-3 quotes from the text being reviewed.
11. The review should not discuss your research paper. In fact the reader should not know that you are writing the review in conjunction with a research paper for this class.
12. The review should not assume that the reader has read the book you are reviewing.
13. The review should not focus on only 1 or 2 chapters of the book.
14. The review should not be a “long annotation.” The reference here is to the annotations done for the annotated bibliography.
15. The book review should not contain irrelevant biographical information about the author.
16. The review should probably briefly point out the goals that the author has in writing the book (i.e., what does the book aim to achieve). In evaluating the book, the review should state how successful the author is in achieving these goals. In offering an evaluation, you should provide evidence for any positive and negative remarks that you offer. In offering appraisal, you should keep in mind the aims and purpose of the author; as discussed in class, we want to evaluate the book on what it aims to do.
17. The book review may describe how the book is organized. Often this can help organize the review.
18. The review should be 2-3 long and double-spaced.
19. The review may comment on the wider significance of the book.
20. The review may compare the book briefly to similar, relevant works.
21. The title of the review should be “Review of ________” This title should not be in quotes, nor should it be underlined. It should be centered at the top of the review.
22. The review should include the MLA citation in bold and single-spaced at the top of the page (one space below title). After the citation there should be one line space, then the first word review. It is not necessary to include a paragraph indent on the first line of the review. It should be flush left. Subsequent paragraphs should be indented.
23. Consult the MLA Handbook for guidelines on how to quote and citation forms.