Utah Valley handout entitled œThesis Statements.
1. Create a focused thesis that responds to the assignment and that is assertive and specific. Use the Utah Valley handout entitled œThesis Statements.
2. Create topic sentences that are assertive and specific and that reflect the content and organization established in the thesis.
Use the Utah Valley handouts entitled œBasic Essay Format and œBasic Paragraph Format.
3. Boldface your thesis and topic sentences.
4. Develop each body paragraph with quotations, summary, or paraphrases from Pollan’s essay. This material must be documented with signal phrases and correct MLA in-text citations. Also include examples from your own experience.
5. Provide a Works Cited page at the end of your essay.
6. Include the author’s full name on first mention. In the body of the essay, use the author’s last name without a title. In the conclusion, include the author’s full name as a reminder to the reader.
8. Create an introduction that provides background and grabs the reader’s attention. Create a conclusion that refers back to the thesis. The conclusion should sum up the meaning of the essay and be memorable to the reader. Don’t use the phrase œin conclusion. Encourage the reader to keep reading until the last word.
9. Proofread your essay. Read your paper from the last sentence to the first sentence, looking for errors. Do not rely on your computer’s spelling and grammar checker.
10. Double Space
11. Quote the source a few time
