(You are not required to use this format, but it may help you. )
Title
-- A must have.
An easy way to do an informative yet grabbing title is to use a colon. The first half is your “grabber” section; the second half, after the colon, is your “explainer” section.
ie. “To Be or Not to Be: An Exploration of Viewers’ Reactions During the 2000 Presidential Elections”
Introduction (paragraph/page one)
-- Grabbing intro sentence
(You have to persuade your reader to read your paper. What would make you want to read something??)
-- Context
This could be a few things. For example, you can give the educational background of the writers, an short narrative to draw the reader in, or ask the readers relevant, thought-provoking questions that you then answer for yourselves.
-- Thesis statement
(This is your topic and argument in one sentence, sometimes two. It lets the reader know exactly what you will write about in this paper and what stance you will be taking. For a five-page paper, you need a relatively small topic. “Students are responsible for their education” is too big. The more narrow the topic, the more detailed you have to be. The more detailed you are, the better the paper becomes. Say WHY students are/are not responsible, what LEVEL of responsibility they have, and WHAT EFFECT their being/not being responsible has on the students or classroom. Try for AT LEAST TWO of those in your thesis statement. A decent paper will NOT write about anything besides what is in the thesis statement.)
Body (paragraphs/pages two through four)
Most academic argumentative papers have 3-5 main points.
For each point you have, you need at least one paragraph in the five-paragraph format. Considering the length of your papers, I’d say at least three paragraphs, with each point being approximately one page in length.
The easiest way to write each individual point is to use the PIE format.
Think of each letter taking up approximately one paragraph each—though sometimes they may take more.
-- P = point
(Give your topic sentence for this section. You may need to define terms and/or give contextual information. Explain how your point relates to your thesis and/or the previous point.)
I = inference
(Here’s where you interpret the information in ‘P.’ For instance, if your point is that Gore should have asked for recounts in the whole state of Florida, part of your inference could be what would have happened if he had. Your inference is also where you give your argument. Say why and how your point is important and what effect the information has.
E = example
(This is where you will most likely use your research materials. Quotes are one way, but not the only way, to bring in an example. But don’t just slap down a quote. Introduce it. Explain why you’re giving this particular example. Give a little context to it. Afterwards, use it. Relate it to your point and to your thesis. An example is like a pen. If you just pick it up, if you just slop it on the page, it’s not going to do anything for you. You need to USE it.
-- Details
Your body is where you give all of your information. You need TONS of details here. Details are not only where the information lies, but they also do two other things.
They 1) are the nuts and bolts of your paper. Think of your paper as a house. The thesis is the foundation. The four walls are your points. The purpose/conclusion is your roof. Without the details (the nails, nuts, and bolts), everything falls apart and the only thing that stays together is your knowledge, which the reader can’t see.
Details are also what keep the reader reading. A detail can change a walk from a saunter to a stroll, can change a smile from a smirk to a grin. Think of chick flicks. You don’t cry because some guy said “I love you” to some girl. You cry because Harry and Sally have known each other for more than ten years, have hated each other and been best friends, and she’s loved him for quite some time. You cry because of the details.
Conclusion (paragraph/page five)
For this paper, it should be at least three-fourths of a page long. That means it needs to be at least two paragraphs.
-- Wrap Up
(Explain why the information is important to the reader. Explain the implications of the information you have given.
Emphasize why your argument is valid.)
-- The final word
(Your last sentence should be a doozy. Do you remember Rhet Butler’s final words in Gone with the Wind? “Frankly,
Scarlet, I don’t give a damn.” Considering how much he’d loved her throughout the movie, these were powerful words.
Make your last words powerful. That’s what you’ll be leaving the reader with.)
-- A Warning
DO NOT INTRODUCE NEW INFORMATION IN YOUR CONCLUSION
(Doing this will leave your reader hanging and will not give you ample time to summarize and wrap up. If you realize you’re doing this, either move it to the body or remove it completely.)