English Transitional Phrases and Thesis Format Mr. McCloskey

https://writingcenter.ashford.edu/transitional-phrases

Guidelines for writing a thesis statement

Definition: SUBJECT + WRITER’S ATTITUDE + REASONS + REASON + REASON =

THESIS STATEMENT

• A thesis statement is the main idea of an essay expressed in one

sentence.

• A thesis statement is the primary controlling idea or opinion holding

your writing together, the basic message you want your writing to

express

• A thesis statement is never phrased as a question
• A thesis statement never expresses only a fact

Essay Format

Reference Sheet

1. Introductory Paragraph:     Written in funnel paragraph form that is from general to specific. The thesis is the last sentence of the introductory paragraph.

2. Body Paragraphs:                 Must be written using the following two-chunk format unless otherwise specified.

                                    TS –    Topic Sentence (Supports Thesis Statement)

                                    CD –   Concrete Detail (Specific event/incident from the novel,

etc. that you can find in the text itself; Must support/give

evidence for the TS)

CM1 – Commentary #1 (Your opinion/explanation of the concrete

detail as it pertains to the topic sentence. CMs ARE NOT

additional events/incidents from the novel. They

explain/expand upon the CD that you provided.)

CM2 – Commentary #2 (Gives more information/expands upon

             CM #1 and tells more about the CD)

CD –   Concrete Detail (Specific event/incident from the novel,

etc. that you can find in the text itself; Must support/give

evidence for the TS)

CM1 – Commentary #1 (Your opinion/explanation of the concrete

detail as it pertains to the topic sentence. CMs ARE NOT

additional events/incidents from the novel. They

explain/expand upon the CD that you provided.)

CM2 – Commentary #2 (Gives more information/expands upon

             CM #1 and tells more about the CD)

CS –    Concluding Sentence (Gives a finished feeling to the essay;

Doesn’t repeat anything you wrote about already in the

body paragraph)

3. Concluding Paragraph:        Written in reverse funnel format that is specific to general. You DO NOT recopy your thesis statement. However, you do restate it in a similar way and move toward general from there.