paragraph structure. an assertion must: indicate the specific topic you are going to discuss (what...
Post on 04-Jan-2016
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Paragraph Structure
An Assertion must:
Indicate the specific topic you are going to discuss (What an author is doing)
Indicate what your observation or conclusion about the topic is
All paragraphs must contain an assertion.Assertion is another term for Topic Sentence or Thesis Statement.
Sample AssertionsStrong Assertion
In a brilliant effort to encourage her readers to agree with her challenging argument, Mairs establishes strong ethos early in the essay.
Weak Assertion Nancy Mairs is
disabled, which establishes her ethos for her essay.
Check your Assertion!
Examples are specific
Quotes should be kept short
Choose examples that clearly demonstrate your assertion
The Next Step: ExamplesExamples come from the text
Sample Examples
Strong example In the first
paragraph, Mairs introduces herself to her audience in blunt terms: “I am a forty-three year old woman crippled with MS.”
Weak example She tells us she is
disabled when she says “I am a forty-three year old woman crippled with MS.”
Check your example(s)!!
Commentary connects the example to the assertion
Commentary should elaborate on what you learned in SOAPStone
Commentary reveals your understanding of the piece
The Final Step: CommentaryCommentary may be called analysis or explanationCommentary reveals the effect of the author’s choice
Commentary
Strong commentary
This direct approach immediately puts the reader at ease; the author is not going to try to make her audience feel badly about her condition.
Weak commentary
Her use of the word “crippled” reminds us that she is disabled, which is the topic of her essay.
Check your commentary!!
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