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!!