Author Topic: Any English or History Teachers/Majors out there? (Read 260 times)

Vudak · « **on:** April 23, 2006, 09:05:51 PM »

Hey there, simple, stupid question.

Is it ok to have your thesis come in the 11th paragaph of a term paper? Pretty much every preceeding paragraph is constructed so as to keep hooking the reader until they get to it, and each (IMO) is necessary to build towards the thesis.

The question is, if you're a professor, would you accept that, or would it have to come sooner? I feel that the paper would suffer if I did this, but I'd rather have a suffering paper than a suffering grade...

It's just that I've never really read an essay that didn't have the thesis in the first paragraph or two, but then again I've never read a book that did have it in this place. I'm sort of shooting for the latters "feel."

Thoughts?

lasersailor184 · « **Reply #1 on:** April 23, 2006, 09:13:17 PM »

Your misconception is that the thesis comes at the end of the first paragraph. Not true. It comes at the end of the introduction.

Most position papers are the standard 5/7 paragraph pieces. Intro Para, supporting Paras, Conclusion. But who wants to be boring and do this?

Hangtime · « **Reply #2 on:** April 23, 2006, 09:19:30 PM »

He's gotta read it. enjoy yer captive audience; sell it your way.

I'm not a history major... but i did stay at a holiday inn express last night.

Vudak · « **Reply #3 on:** April 23, 2006, 09:22:01 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by lasersailor184
Your misconception is that the thesis comes at the end of the first paragraph. Not true. It comes at the end of the introduction.

Ah HA!!!

Yeah, I sure did have that misconception. It's was pretty much drilled in my head (no doubt falsely) for many years!

Alright, well, I guess that takes care of it then, many thanks!:aok

Rolex · « **Reply #4 on:** April 23, 2006, 09:38:55 PM »

Undergraduate papers and graduate theses vary by school and discipline.

Generally, the introduction should state your purpose, the problem, any background of the problem (citing other work), your thesis and general approach you used, and your criteria for measuring a valid conclusion.

I think the best advise would come directly from the professor. Ask them how they would format it, or how they prefer it organized.

Vudak · « **Reply #5 on:** April 23, 2006, 10:02:00 PM »

I would ask the professor, but he's one of "those" professors that makes everyone in the class just kinda blink their eyes and stare at each other after he turns his back. Often we just blink while he's looking right at us.

He's a kind old man, but he gets lost in his thoughts often.

It took us the better part of the semester to figure out if he was or was not allowing quotations.

At any rate, I think laisersailor's advice will work. The papers on Rome's response to the Varus disaster in the Teutoberg Forest, so I have a long intro describing how the massacre came about, who betrayed whom and who was a moron, etc.

My main thesis is that whereas Rome's power was checked, her pride humbled, and her illusion of invincibility shattered in that forest, Germanicus Caesar restored these things and became a beloved hero in the process.

Of course, he comes into the picture five years after the Varus disaster. Thus, the relatively long intro.

Gunslinger · « **Reply #6 on:** April 23, 2006, 10:15:14 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Vudak
I would ask the professor, but he's one of "those" professors that makes everyone in the class just kinda blink their eyes and stare at each other after he turns his back. Often we just blink while he's looking right at us.

He's a kind old man, but he gets lost in his thoughts often.

It took us the better part of the semester to figure out if he was or was not allowing quotations.

At any rate, I think laisersailor's advice will work. The papers on Rome's response to the Varus disaster in the Teutoberg Forest, so I have a long intro describing how the massacre came about, who betrayed whom and who was a moron, etc.

My main thesis is that whereas Rome's power was checked, her pride humbled, and her illusion of invincibility shattered in that forest, Germanicus Caesar restored these things and became a beloved hero in the process.

Of course, he comes into the picture five years after the Varus disaster. Thus, the relatively long intro.

I have VERY little college and by little I mean I took an HTML design course cause it got me out of work and I could surf on a T1 line while a prof taught stuff I read out of the book that I bought the previous semseter.

With that said why don't you just have your intro be 11 paragraphs long?

Debonair · « **Reply #7 on:** April 23, 2006, 10:53:18 PM »

It should come just before the 1st commercial bnreak

RTSigma · « **Reply #8 on:** April 23, 2006, 10:56:59 PM »

It does vary from prof to prof in colleges. The professors here want a "clearly stated thesis". Basically, within the intro, which is where you begin and state the object of the paper itself. It should fit fine in there.

WHY WON"T FACEBOOK LOAD COME ON

Maverick · « **Reply #9 on:** April 23, 2006, 11:32:32 PM »

Keep in mind the purpose of your paper. You are not writing for entertainment, you are writing for purpose. Keep it within the norm for papers of that type. Later on if you want to write for entertainment you can experiment with construction of your document. Your professor won't be reading the papers because he's bored, he's reading to ensure you have the concepts and have gained the education he's putatively providing.