Alyssa Pruitt

Dominika Szybisty

English Lab

Tracking My Challenges in Writing

I struggle with writing a clear and concise thesis statement. I sometimes can not figure

out exactly what I want to say and how to say it. I sometimes make my thesis statement too long

as well. The thesis is the main point of my paper, so I would really like to figure out better

strategies on how to write a better thesis. A thesis statement should only be one to two sentences

long. The thesis should show what I am going to talk about in my paper and my position on my

topic. A thesis helps organize the paper and helps the reader understand what the paper is going

to be about. Depending on the paper, the thesis should be in either the first or second paragraph.

When writing a thesis, I should be as clear and as specific as possible, indicate the point of your

paper, and avoid burying a great thesis statement in the middle of a paragraph or late in the

paper. In addition, I should avoid just stating the topic rather than being specific. Also, I need to

avoid making universal or pro/con judgments that oversimplify complex issues. Furthermore

when I make a judgement, I need to back up what I am stating.

http://www.cws.illinois.edu/workshop/writers/tips/thesis/

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/545/01/

I also struggle with how to cite my in-text citations throughout my paper. I always cite

my sources the same ways which get redundant. So, I want to explore my other options for citing

a source. One way I can cite the authors in my paper is to introduce the author in the sentence.

For example, According to Jones, or A study by Smith. Another way to cite an author is

paraphrasing. In order to paraphrase, I would use the author's idea and cite his name in
parentheses in order to credit the author for his ideas. For example, This premise is false (Jones,

25). Another way to cite is to use a colon. For this you would write the statement you have

evidence for an put a colon at the end of the sentence, then put your quote. For example, Nelly

Dean treats Heathcliff poorly and dehumanizes him throughout her narration: Inquiries were

made as to how it got there; I was obliged to confess, and in recompense for my cowardice and

inhumanity was sent out of the house. (Bronte 78).

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/03/

https://www.wikihow.com/Write-In%E2%80%90Text-Citations

I struggle with writing an introduction as well. I need to learn what should and shouldn't

be included within my introduction paragraph. When writing an introduction, I should start with

a sentence that grabs the reader's attention. Some examples of attention grabbers are startling

information, anecdote, dialogue, and summary information. The start of an introduction should

be broad but not too broad. Also, the introduction should consist of a brief background of the

information that is going to be explored throughout the paper. At the end of the paragraph should

be a thesis statement that tells the reader what the paper is about and your stance on the topic. A

good alternative to starting with your introduction is to write the introduction last. It might be a

bit easier to write the introduction once youre more comfortable with the essay as a whole rather

than struggling to get through the introduction first.

http://lklivingston.tripod.com/essay/intro.html

http://writing.msu.edu/how-to-write-a-good-introduction/

Another thing I struggle with is writing my conclusion. I need to learn how to not be so

repetitive in my conclusions. It is important to have a strong conclusion, since this is the last

chance you have to make an impression on your reader. The goal for the conclusion is to
reinforce what has already been said. When writing a conclusion, I need to restate the main idea

of your essay(or your thesis statement), summarize the three subpoints of your essay, and leave

the reader with an interesting final impression. I need to make sure I include a brief summary

of the papers main points, but dont simply repeat things that were in your paper. So I need to

challenge myself by restating my points without repeating myself and boring the reader. I need to

think of more creative ways to restate my main arguments.

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/engagement/2/2/60/

http://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/conclusions/

Lastly, I struggle with my transitions and organization throughout my paper. Sometimes

when I transition from paragraph to paragraph it is not as smooth as I would like it to be. Also, I

sometimes struggle how to organize my paper. Since the effectiveness of transitions depend on

how well the paper is organized, you may want to evaluate your papers organization before

working on transitions. The organization of a paper depends on the order in which you have

chosen to present the different parts of your discussion or argument and the relationships you

construct between these parts. There a few different kinds of transitions. There can be transitions

between sections, transitions between paragraphs, and transitions within paragraphs. In addition

to transitions, there are transitions words that help. Some transitions words are also, but,

however, furthermore, finally, etc. Organizing a paper consists of determining what should be

discussed and when it should be discussed. For example, finding out where the thesis should go

or where certain arguments should be brought up in your paper.

https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/transitions/

https://www.lynchburg.edu/academics/writing-center/wilmer-writing-center-online-writing-

lab/the-writing-process/organizing-your-paper/