History Essay
As you write your paper, please pay attention to the following stylistic issues and read them carefully: Title (Is it generic? Or does it reflect the central argument of the essay?) Introduction (Is it a good road map? Does it set up the piece clearly? Does it give the reader a clear sense of the topic and its significance?) Thesis statement (Does the introduction end in a clear and specific main argument, aka the central point that will run through the piece? Does the reader have a clear understanding of exactly what is being communicated when s/he gets to the end of the introduction?) Topic sentences (Topic sentences are the thesis statements for each paragraph. They introduce the main point of the paragraph as well as tie the paragraph back to the thesis statement (main/central point) so that the reader can continue to follow the flow of the argument. Do the topic sentences introduce the main point of the paragraph? Do they relate back to the thesis?) Body paragraphs and evidence Each paragraph should have a single idea that supports the main point of the paper. Paragraphs provide evidence from a variety of sources to support the point the author is making. (Do the body paragraphs do this effectively? Is there a good balance between the author’s analysis and the examples s/he provides to back up each point? Are the paragraphs coherent? Well developed?) Evidence and citations Quotes are not effective when simply dropped into the essay. They need to be introduced, contextualized and integrated. They also need to be selected thoughtfully. (Does the author use thoughtful examples? Are they simply dropped into the body? Or they introduced and contextualized as to provide enough information for the reader to understand exactly why a certain example is being used? Are proper citations (MLA with page numbers and/or time stamps) provided for the examples? In other words, does the reader know exactly where to find the information if s/he wants to look up the evidence?)
