Project 2: Last Minute Hints
You should not assume that your readers are familiar with the work you have chosen to analyze, nor
can you assume that they are familiar with the issue the author raises. Therefore, part of your task
involves briefly reviewing the contents of each work and suggesting to your audience why they, too,
should be interested in the issue and the authors’ treatment of it.
However, you need to extend beyond a review of the texts. In an analysis, you are expected to
explain the reasons for the effectiveness of the author's treatment of the issue at hand; you need to
help your readers see how the argument works (or doesn't work).
Each paragraph should focus on one topic, but you need to fully explain the topic to your reader;
paragraphs should be about 1/3 of a page or 7-10 college level sentences.
Intro paragraph: Think A, B, Cs

Attention-getter: Your first sentence should hook your reader. Use a startling statistic,
interesting quotation, pithy quote.

Background information: Introduce your reader to the issue within your articles

Claim (thesis): this should be one of the final sentences in the first paragraph:
o
Make a claim that one essay is stronger than the other; therefore, I should
incorporate it within a course packet next semester.
Organization:
Select either a subject-by-subject pattern or point-by-point pattern; however, make sure you
effectively balance your comparison points. Here’s a sample
Point by point organization

Intro graph

Article one Summary-- List author, title, when, and where published

Article two Summary-- List author, title, when, and where published

analysis of issue


o
quote or paraphrase from article 1 – leading the reader to know how the treatment
of this topic is better
o
quote or paraphrase from article 2 – leading the reader to know how the treatment
of this topic is inferior to other article
analysis of evidence
o
quote or paraphrase from article 1 – leading the reader to know how the treatment
of this topic is better
o
quote or paraphrase from article 2 – leading the reader to know how the treatment
of this topic is inferior to other article
analysis of language, style
Mooty -- ENG 1510 – Summer 2013

o
quote or paraphrase from article 1 – leading the reader to know how the treatment
of this topic is better
o
quote or paraphrase from article 2 – leading the reader to know how the treatment
of this topic is inferior to other article
Conclusion -- Use one of the strategies within the text to make a strong final point
Works Cited: Your last page should list the two sources you analyzed.
Subject-by-subject:

Intro graph

Article one


o
Summary -- List author, title, when, and where published
o
analysis of issue -- quote or paraphrase – leading the reader to know how the
treatment of this topic is better
o
analysis of evidence -- quote or paraphrase – leading the reader to know how the
treatment of this topic is better
o
analysis of language -- quote or paraphrase – leading the reader to know how the
treatment of this topic is better
Article two
o
Summary -- List author, title, when, and where published
o
analysis of issue -- quote or paraphrase – leading the reader to know how the
treatment of this topic is better
o
analysis of evidence -- quote or paraphrase – leading the reader to know how the
treatment of this topic is better
o
analysis of language -- quote or paraphrase – leading the reader to know how the
treatment of this topic is better
Conclusion -- Use one of the strategies within the text to make a strong final point
Works Cited: Your last page should list the two sources you analyzed.
Mooty -- ENG 1510 – Summer 2013