initially appear. He again ends a paragraph with a question, which helps propel
the reader from one paragraph to the next, which is an answer to that question.
The phrases and jargon that the author uses are important because they reveal the in your essay. For more on tone, see page 316. tone, which is something you might want to mention
—Samantha
End: In the fourth paragraph, Krumpf chooses two headlines to establish that
condemning video games is not new. The first is a standard newspaper headline,
but the second is sillier, which emphasizes his point that the idea that video
games cause kids to become violent is itself hysterical and overblown. He uses
the words “crops up” to define the discussion, as if it were a weed that sprouted
again and again. In the last paragraph, he uses parallel structure when defining
video-game challenges in order to emphasize their simplicity. He then opposes
this simplicity with the complex requirements of real-world games.
At long last, we are ready to take two minutes formulating our thesis for the
introduction and conclusion. “What?!?!” You are perhaps saying, “Write our
thesis at the end of eighteen minutes of planning? That is crazy.” No, it is very
sane. In an analytical essay, your thesis is nothing more than a hyper-reduced
version of your findings. This hyper-reducing is tough to do, unless of course
you have an incredibly helpful formula for thesis statements. Lucky for you, you
do have an incredibly helpful formula for thesis statements. Here it is:
In (author’s name)’s essay, (he/she) argues that (argument). To make (his/her)
point, (he/she) cites (describe evidence), (rhetorical choice), and (rhetorical
choice).
Here’s ours: In Krumpf’s essay, he argues that video games do not help
children develop as effectively as real-world games do. To make this point, he
cites scientific studies and uses humorous contrast, rhetorical questions, and
parallel structure.
And that’s it! Now, some of you might be objecting that 20 minutes is a long
time to plan. But here’s the deal: The Evil Testing Serpent cares about the quality
of your thinking and the organization of your essay far more than the brilliance
of your expression. In other words, you do not need to take the time to sound
fancy, brilliant, or even that polished. You need to be clear, and your thoughts
need to be developed. That means you should prioritize planning way higher
than writing.
You may be tempted to create a fancy-schmancy thesis statement. Don’t. There is no wooing the SAT graders.
—Samantha