Research Guides: Your Learning Commons: Writing & Speech: Writing

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Steps in the Writing Process

How to Organize a Compare and Contrast Essay
From NROC. Explains subject-by-subject vs. point-by-point comparison.

Classic Outline for Researched Argument
Valencia College
3 Sample Outlines from Student Papers
Austin Community College
Outlining from a Working Thesis Statement
Three parts of a thesis and creating an outline from there.
UNT Dallas Learning Center
Outlining
Purdue OWL
Outlining
Video from UNC

Argument Slideshow Version

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How to Create an Opening Paragraph
Explains how an essay's opening paragraph narrows down from beginning to end in the shape of a funnel.

Thesis Statements
Definition and examples of a thesis statement.
Developing a Thesis Statement
Quick Reference Guide
Thesis and Introductions
Step-by-step for writing a thesis for various types of papers with examples.
Structure of an introduction.

Outlining from a Working Thesis
UNT Dallas Learning Commons
Three parts of a thesis and creating an outline from there

Paragraph Development
Accessible Version
Section 1: Thesis and Paragraph Development
Section 2: Qualities of a Good Paragraph
Section 3: 5-step Process for Paragraphs
Section 4: Troubleshooting Paragraphs
Creating Flow in College Writing
Clarity, Cohesion, Concision
Transitions
Transitions
Quick Reference Guide
Summarizing
Integrating Sources
How to incorporate sources by summary, paraphrase, quotation.
Integrating Sources
The Sandwich Method
Signal Phrases
Accessible Version

Write without fear, edit without mercy

Academic Titles
This document was created by Deborah Moore and used with permission (September 2020).
The Parts of an Essay
Includes a checklist for Introduction, Body, and Conclusion.
Shows how PIE fits in with the entire essay.
Paragraphs
The parts of a paragraph. Types of paragraphs. How to organize sentences within a paragraph.
PIE Paragraph Structure (body paragraphs)
A detailed analysis of the PIE structure.
Includes examples.

Wonder why writing always feels so difficult? Watch this!

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College Writing eBook Version

College Writing
Accessible Version
Step-by-step for writing a collegiate introduction, thesis, body, and conclusions, with examples.
The College Essay: Beyond the Five-Paragraph Essay
Discusses the function of collegiate essay paragraphs.
Basic Essay Structure
This is a graphic showing the parts of an essay and how they function together.
Understanding Assignments
Accessible Version