Chapter Twenty

Personal Reaction: I found chapter twenty to be interesting, with ideas and concepts that I have been exposed to in the past. Even though I have been exposed to these ideas and concepts, it is not nearly as in depth as the book goes. I am someone that struggles with writing clear and concise theses, so I really enjoyed learning about different tools that could help improve this critical writing skill. I usually do not write outlines, but I may use their formal outline for when I write my research essay. I believe that having an outline for this extensive paper will be very beneficial.

Professional Reaction: Chapter twenty is all about planning and creating an effective thesis. There are two types of theses, explicit and implicit. An explicit thesis is exactly what it says, a thesis that is directly stated while an implicit thesis is one that is indirectly suggested. There is a formula to create a working thesis: Topic + Slant or Attitude or Point = Working Thesis. Once you have a working thesis, you must refine it by following these tips: make sure that the thesis is exact, that is has one central idea, that it is stated in positive manner and is a limited statement that you can effectively demonstrate. After you refine your thesis, it is time to improve it. The chart on page 406 gives you the step by step instructions on how to effectively revise and edit your working thesis. Once you have refined and improved your thesis, it is at its final form. With your thesis done, it is time to sort your ideas into groups. There are three groups that your ideas can fall into: spatial, chronological or logical. Once the groups are determined, it you must arrange them in sequences. There are six type of sequences: rainbow connections, emphasizing ideas, linking, solitaire, slide show and cluster. Once these two steps are completed, you must formally or informally outline your ideas. The outline that you will chose will depend on the type of essay that you are writing.  

Clayton Peppler

Photo From: http://blogs.msbcollege.edu/2013/03/15/8-tips-for-constructing-an-amazing-thesis-statement/