논지 문장 작성법

논증 / 정책 논문:

[구체적 증거] 때문에, [누가]는 [통상적 대안]이 아니라 [구체적 행동]을 해야 한다.

문학 또는 출처 분석:

[텍스트]에서 [저자]는 [해석]을 위해 [X를 한다]. 이것이 중요한 이유는 [그 작품의 읽기가 어떻게 달라지는지]이다.

연구 논문(목적. 수업용 논지가 아님):

이 연구는 [집단]에서 [변수 A]가 [변수 B]를 [증가시키는지 / 감소시키는지 / 영향을 주지 않는지] 검증한다. 이유는 [이 설계가 메울 수 있는 공백]이다.

tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.

is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.

A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel.

makes a claim that others might dispute.

Your thesis is the central claim in your essay—your main insight or idea about your source or topic.

A strong thesis is arguable, which means a thoughtful reader could disagree with it and therefore needs your careful analysis of the evidence to understand how you arrived at this claim.

You arrive at your thesis by examining and analyzing the evidence available to you, which might be text or other types of source material.

A strong thesis will be arguable rather than descriptive, and it will be the right scope for the essay you are writing.

Almost all of us—even if we don’t do it consciously—look early in an essay for a one- or two-sentence condensation of the argument or analysis that is to follow.

Almost all assignments, no matter how complicated, can be reduced to a single question.

Every paper requires one. Assignments that ask you to write personal responses or to explore a subject don’t want you to seem to pre-judge the issues. Essays of literary interpretation often want you to be aware of many effects rather than seeming to box yourself into one view of the text.

A thesis statement must come at the end of the first paragraph. This is a natural position for a statement of focus, but it’s not the only one. Some theses can be stated in the opening sentences of an essay; others need a paragraph or two of introduction; others can’t be fully formulated until the end.

A thesis statement must be one sentence in length, no matter how many clauses it contains. Clear writing is more important than rules like these. Use two or three sentences if you need them. A complex argument may require a whole tightly-knit paragraph to make its initial statement of position.

You can’t start writing an essay until you have a perfect thesis statement. It may be advisable to draft a hypothesis or tentative thesis statement near the start of a big project, but changing and refining a thesis is a main task of thinking your way through your ideas as you write a paper. And some essay projects need to explore the question in depth without being locked in before they can provide even a tentative answer.

A thesis statement must give three points of support. It should indicate that the essay will explain and give evidence for its assertion, but points don’t need to come in any specific number.

Do I answer the question?

Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose?

Is my thesis statement specific enough?

Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test?

Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering?

Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test?

Is the thesis truly arguable? Does it speak to a genuine dilemma in the source, or would most readers automatically agree with it?

Is the thesis too obvious? Again, would most or all readers agree with it without needing to see your argument?

Is the thesis complex enough to require a whole essay's worth of argument?

Is the thesis supportable with evidence from the text rather than with generalizations or outside research?

Would anyone want to read a paper in which this thesis was developed? That is, can you explain what this paper is adding to our understanding of a problem, question, or topic?

Social media impacts public awareness in both positive and negative ways.

Because not every voice on social media is reliable, people have become much more critical consumers of information, and thus, more informed voters.

논지가 아님(감상):

Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is a great American novel.

관찰. 아직 반박 가능성이 부족함:

In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a contrast between life on the river and life on the shore.

논지(그 대비의 해석):

Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain’s Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of American democratic ideals, one must leave “civilized” society and go back to nature.

서술적(반박 불가):

While Sandel argues that pursuing perfection through genetic engineering would decrease our sense of humility, he claims that the sense of solidarity we would lose is also important.

넓음(반박 가능하나 뒷받침하기 어려움):

Michael Sandel’s arguments about genetic engineering do not take into consideration all the relevant issues.

반박 가능한 분석적 주장:

While Sandel argues persuasively that our instinct to “remake” (54) ourselves into something ever more perfect is a problem, his belief that we can always draw a line between what is medically necessary and what makes us simply “better than well” (51) is less convincing.

반박 가능한 규범적 주장:

Given Sandel’s argument against genetic enhancement, we should not allow parents to decide on using Human Growth Hormone for their children.

주제. 논지가 아님:

Sugar consumption.

더 좁은 주제. 아직 주장 없음:

Reducing sugar consumption by elementary school children.

모호한 입장:

More attention should be paid to the food and beverage choices available to elementary school children.

구체적 사실. 아직 논지가 아님:

Experts estimate that half of elementary school children consume nine times the recommended daily allowance of sugar.

논지(주장 더하기 뒷받침):

Because half of all American elementary school children consume nine times the recommended daily allowance of sugar, schools should be required to replace the beverages in soda machines with healthy alternatives.

약함(입장 없음. 교실 제품):

There are some negative and positive aspects to the Banana Herb Tea Supplement.

강함(입장 + 메커니즘):

Because Banana Herb Tea Supplement promotes rapid weight loss that results in the loss of muscle and lean body mass, it poses a potential danger to customers.

약함(관찰만):

My family is an extended family.

강함(경험 대 널리 받아들여진 견해):

While most American families would view consanguineal marriage as a threat to the nuclear family structure, many Iranian families, like my own, believe that these marriages help reinforce kinship ties in an extended family.

약함(이어지지 않은 생각 둘):

Companies need to exploit the marketing potential of the Internet, and Web pages can provide both advertising and customer support.

강함(둘째 생각이 첫째를 돕는다):

Because the Internet is filled with tremendous marketing potential, companies should exploit this potential by using Web pages that offer both advertising and customer support.

진부함:

Shakespeare was the world’s greatest playwright.

흥미를 끔:

The success of the last scene in Midsummer Night’s Dream comes from subtle linguistic and theatrical references to Elizabeth’s position as queen.

예고 + 평결:

This essay will show that the North American Free Trade agreement was a disaster for the Canadian furniture industry.

주장 + 방법 + 연대:

Neither neo-protectionism nor post-industrial theory explains the steep reversal of fortune for the Canadian furniture industry in the period 1988-1994. Data on productivity, profits, and employment, however, can be closely correlated with provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement that took effect in the same period.

포괄적이고 모호함:

Having an official policy on euthanasia just causes problems, as the Dutch example shows.

적절히 복잡함(Toronto의 문구, “Hamarckian” 포함):

Dutch laws on euthanasia have been rightly praised for their attention to the principles of self-determination. Recent cases, however, show that they have not been able to deal adequately with issues involving technological intervention of unconscious patients. Hamarckian strategies can solve at least the question of assignation of rights.

너무 넓음:

World hunger has many causes and effects.

IU 교수 예시(가상 국가):

Hunger persists in Glandelinia because jobs are scarce and farming in the infertile soil is rarely profitable.

약함(and로 이은 중심 생각 둘):

Healthcare reform must be addressed because so many Americans are uninsured or without adequate coverage, and politicians must work together to ensure new legislation is passed.

강함(생각 하나):

Politicians must work together to reform healthcare because too many Americans are without sufficient coverage.

Banning cigarette smoking in public places is an effective intervention to improve the public’s health by helping to reduce the dangers of second-hand smoke on non-smokers, encouraging current smokers to quit, and reducing healthcare costs.

• 과제가 실제로 물은 질문에 답한다(UNC)
• 사려 깊은 독자가 반대할 수 있다(Harvard / UNC)
• 해석이며 주제 이름이 아니다(UNC의 World War II / Moby Dick 검증)
• 이 분량에서 증명할 수 있을 만큼 구체하다(Indiana)
• 중심 생각 하나를 표현하며, 이어지지 않은 주장 둘이 아니다(Indiana / Purdue Global)
• "so what?"과 "how and why?"를 통과한다(UNC)
• 예고, 질문, 또는 사실이 아니다(Toronto / Indiana)
• 필수 세 점 목록이 아니다(Toronto)
• 본문 각 절이 그 일부를 벌어들인다(UNC)
• 초고 뒤에 문장이 여전히 논문과 맞다(UNC)
• IMRaD 논문이라면 대신 목적 또는 가설을 썼다