Tutor profile: Lindsey S.

How can I craft a good thesis statement?

A strong thesis statement usually contains an independent clause (often an opinion) and a dependent clause (the reasons). It foreshadows the topic (and sometimes stance) of the paper; therefore, it belongs at the beginning of your assignment and should be a single sentence about 30 to 40 words long, within the last two or three sentences of the introduction. If you are unsure on how to write a powerful thesis statement, a good formula is: (insert your subject) + (insert an opinion about the subject) + (insert 1 to 2 reasons for that opinion). For example, suppose my topic was the American Dream for people of minorities… My thesis statement could be something like: The American Dream for many minorities is to provide a more stable lifestyle with the added benefit of financial stability (subject); however, some families will find grievances throughout the process (opinion) because despite the theory that “all men” are equal, Americans still treat minorities as outsiders, which hinders personal growth (reason). Need more help? Message Me!

What is rhetoric?

According to Aristotle, rhetoric is the art of persuading your audience to believe that your ideas are valid, or more valid than someone else’s, through the use of three different appeals known as Ethos, Pathos, and Logos. While the names of the appeals sound sophisticated, the techniques behind them are not. Ethos, also known as the ethical appeal, displays certain facts that convince the audience that the author is credible, such as stating that he/she is an experienced figure in the field or even a popular celebrity. Pathos, the emotional appeal, draws on the emotions of the audience through the use of images or powerful storytelling; for instance, the sad animals you see on the ASPCA commercials asking for donations. Logos, or the appeal of logic, uses facts and figures with proper citations to support the author’s argument. Need more help? Message Me!

How do I write a summary of written material?

Summarizing is just a fancy way of saying, “pick out the author’s key points and restate them using your own words.” The primary goal of a summary is to give readers a clear understanding of what the original text is about without them actually having to read it. So how should you begin? After reading the material, go back to the first paragraph. Reread the first paragraph and write 1-2 sentence(s) about the paragraph’s fundamental idea. Continue this step until you have completed each paragraph. Next, identify the most important details that support each of the key ideas. Finally, combine the data collected in the first two steps and write your summary in your own words; avoiding copying phrases and sentences from the article unless they’re direct quotations. Need more help? Message Me!