Patterns of Development

The patterns of development we have been using in this course has been a great help for me. The way it has been laid out over the length of the course allowed me to have a greater understanding of each topic.

I have learned that the introduction should be at least three sentences and that the thesis statement is included in the introduction. The thesis statement should be no more than two sentences and it tells the reader what the paper is about. It also helps in guiding the writer in keeping the paper focused on the argument. Whenever I get stuck, I refer back to my thesis statement to stay on track.

The annotated bibliography is also a great tool to help with the body of your essay. It challenges the writer to research all sources and to really understand how that resource will contribute to the story. Basically, you are explaining the relevance of the source. This was not easy for me and I am still working on it. Also, once the annotated bibliography is complete, you can use it as your resource section for you rpaper.

You should restate the thesis statement in your conclusion, just in case the reader has forgotten the focus of the argument. Also the main points of each paragraph should be contained in the thesis statement. Finally, you should summarize your argument explaining how you proved your thesis.

If you break down your essay using these patterns of development, I believe it makes it a lot easier to provide a well developed argument. In my opinion, it is imperative to develop a strong thesis that will drive your argument and present a variety of resources to support your argument.