In college one is required to write academic papers
In college one is required to write academic papers, which if not well tackled can be problematic. There exist tones of differences between academic writing and creative writing. Therefore, it is imperative first to discern the differences between the two. While both might have similar prompts, they differ significantly in structure and technical arrangement. In this paper, I will show how to organize an essay. In particular, I will look at coming up with a proper thesis, mode of arrangement, developing paragraphs, and finally supporting your idea with relevant evidence.
Thesis
The thesis is perhaps the most fundamental part of an essay. A well worked out thesis translates to a good paper overall. A weak thesis translates to a paper marred by inadequacies in the supporting pieces of evidence. The thesis answers the question of what a paper will discuss. In addition, it shows the direction to be taken by the discussion (Bailey 130). It is in the thesis where one states how he/she intends to go about presenting his/her evidence concerning the particular paper. Having shown that the thesis provides the direction a specific document will take; its importance to a paper cannot be understated. The rest of the article builds on the thesis stated.
Argument
Sketching the argument
After developing the thesis of your paper, the next step is usually preparing your arguments. The argument forms the building block of your writing. The argument gives life to the thesis, without them, the thesis is invalid. Therefore, it is essential to sketch your argument before the writing process. Sketching of the argument involves jotting down of ideas as they flow from your mind. It is writing down your thoughts on a particular article, no specific format is required; however, one can organize the ideas in a chart or pictorial format. This is essential in that it is during this phase that one will identify overlapping concepts.
Outlining the argument
After developing the main idea of the paper in the preceding steps, the next step is to determine the flow that will be taken from your article. In the prior section, we have shown how to bypass overlapping ideas. After circumventing overlapping concepts, it is critical to arrange ideas coherently. Additionally, ideas that are related should be combined. It is essential to combine them in a bid to avoid redundancy and repetition. Again, it is at this stage where one determines the relationship between the ideas in the paper. Will the arguments take a chronological order, expository or spatial form? The outline should ensure that the thesis is the one that controls the overall direction of the paper; that is the paper is a response to the thesis. Again, the main points that have been drawn should be relevant to the thesis of the paper. They would be of no use if they were not related to the thesis. Besides, the outline developed should be logical. The transitioning of ideas and the points should not appear to be in a state of the imbroglio. Keen consideration should be made to ensure that the argument is progressive and not stalling. Should there be a turn or midstream of thought, it should be anticipated by the thesis. However, it is important to note that the outline of a paper is highly dependent on the prompts of the article.
Modes of Arrangement
As earlier mentioned the structure of any paper is usually highly dependent on the prompts of a given paper. Various forms of arrangement exist. They include narration, description, process, definition, analogy, and comparison. In the case of narration, as a writer, you ought to give a narrative of a particular set of activities. In the case of the descriptive arrangement, as the writer, you give a detailed account of a said incidence. It is expository in nature. In this mode of arrangement, ideas relating to perception are expounded. In the case of the process, as a writer, you give a sequential arrangement of steps relating to a particular event. The steps should explain how the process proceeds from the initial point to the terminal end. A definition mode of arrangement entails explaining different terms. A compare and contrast mode of arrangement is all about stating the differences and similarities that exist between a set of objects.
After deciding on the mode of the arrangement based on the prompts of a given paper, the next step is usually to come up with the style of reasoning to be used in the paper. There exist two sets of thinking that can be used: inductive logic and deductive logic. Inductive logic entails working from a set of given clues to a finite conclusion. In this form, usually the evidence is presented first, and the conclusion is a result of the arguments brought forth by the evidence. In deductive logic, the evidence often comes last. They build upon what has been stated initially.
Paragraphs
If the arguments form the building blocks of a paper, then the paragraph has to be the concrete that holds the building blocks of a paper together. A paragraph is a collection of sentences that support a single point (William " Kaplam 84). All papers are made up of paragraphs: introduction, main body, and the conclusion. All of them work in tandem to support the thesis of the paper. The length of a paragraph varies. There is no set limit as to what is the standard length of a paragraph. The length of a paragraph is highly dependent on your ideas. A paragraph can be brief and short but still incorporate the main idea. On the other hand, the paragraph can be long and detailed and still capture all the ideas that the writer intended to achieve. A good paragraph should be persuasive. A strong paragraph is supported by relevant evidence. A reader of a strong paragraph will readily feel that the writer has captured all the essential facets of the argument. It should also be coherent and considerate. A coherent paragraph links well with another paragraph. It does not feel like an isolated piece of writing that is thrown in a paper. Evidently, this is important in that it contributes to the overall flow of the paper.
Topic sentence
While a thesis serves to provide the general direction for the whole paper, the topic sentence serves to show us what a particular paragraph will look. Ideally, each paragraph has one topic sentence. The topic sentence should be relevant to the thesis and be backed by supporting evidences. The topic sentence should efficiently link with the other preceding paragraphs. Note that it is the topic sentence that initiates the relationship with the preceding paragraph. It should not be merely a morass of irrelevant ideas.
Supporting evidence.
After developing the topic sentence, the next step is to come up with the supporting pieces of evidence. They should be linked to the topic sentence as well as the thesis of the paper. Simply stated, supporting evidence usually serve to expound on the topic sentence initially stated. While the topic sentence can be considered the skeleton of a paragraph, the supporting evidence is the muscles. The supporting evidence state should be coherent and flow logically.
Introduction and Conclusion
There exist different ways on how to go about writing the introduction and conclusion. However, I prefer writing the introduction and conclusion as the last items of a paper. The introduction gives a brief overview of the whole paper. It is more of a summary of the paper albeit shallow. On the other hand, the conclusion summarizes the ideas talked about throughout the paper. Besides, it can also be used to provide the writers stand on the said topic.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we have shown the process of writing is highly dependent on the prompts of a given paper. The requirements of the paper influence your decisions regarding the organization of the paper. Again, we have shown that the organization of any paper first begins with the development of the thesis. The modes of arrangement and the paragraphs come later. Lastly, the coherence of ideas is paramount for any paper to be considered good.
Works Cited
Bailey, Stephen. Academic writing: A handbook for international students. Routledge, 2017:130
Grabe, William, and Robert B. Kaplan. Theory and practice of writing: An applied linguistic perspective. Routledge, 2014:84
