Re-read these suggestions frequently!

Your goal is to develop an argument, which consists of the following components: a claim, reasoning to support that claim, evidence to support it, conclusion about the claim.

• Try for a strong opening, the better to lure the reader.

• Situate particular statements or points from the book within the author's overall argument. This serves to contextualize your focus (i.e., to avoid taking the arguments out of context).

• Support your argument with some examples from the text (and other relevant materials) to illustrate what you mean to say.

• Briefly identify the work(s) and author(s) under discussion within your text, so we'll know what you're addressing (underline or italicize Book Titles, put quotations around "Article Titles").

• Locate quotations (give page number; if unclear from context, give author and title).

• As a rule, put punctuation inside quotations: "xxxxx." "xxxx," "xxxx?" "xxxxx" (p. x).

• Do you make a point? Avoid leaving your readers in confusion, or in "so-what?" land.

• Push your analysis and explore the implications of your argument (for anthropology, for everyday life, themes in the course, etc.).

• Wrap up the end of your paper by tying it back to your starting point. This will confirm your thesis point, remind the reader of what you aimed to address, and show how far your argument has taken you.

• Proofread your essay. Try having someone else read it aloud to you and listen for clarity, persuasiveness, awkward sentence structure or poor grammar, etc.