Write your argument on paper to help you to organize your thesis in clear and logical terms. Concentrate on why you offer the proposal -- or the end result you want to achieve -- at the beginning of your exploration.
Outline a rough draft of an introduction. Revise this paragraph later. Summarize the main points that support your argument in your introduction. Introduce any background information important to the reader. Define any key terms you will use in your paper. Place your thesis or argumentative statement at the end of the introductory paragraph.
Formulate reasonable counter-arguments -- arguments meant to prove false the opposing view(s) -- in the essay's body.
Diagram on paper in logical order the reasons that your argument is valid. This shows the essay's shape of ideas to organize thoughts that represent your argument's foundation and your paper's direction. Write your thesis statement in the middle of the paper and draw 3 to 5 lines extending from it. At the end of those lines write down your main reasons. Draw more lines off the main reasons to illustrate how bits of information relate. Each main reason drawn on the diagram indicates a separate section within the body of your paper.
Organize every body paragraph with a similar basic structure by using one of your argument's main reasons as the paragraph's first sentence. Then compose all of the supportive ideas in sentence format, omitting a few lines in between each main point.
Fill in reason points with related support to connect smaller thoughts together. Each individual body paragraph should make sense if it stands alone, but it should also -- with all other paragraphs -- relate to the thesis.
Inspect paragraph order to ensure that the strongest points lie in the first and last paragraphs, with other supportive paragraphs in the body's middle section. Add phrases to connect thoughts, ideas and accentuate sentence flow. Order of difficulty, order of significance and time order remain basic and logical ways to shape thoughts that help the reader follow your flow of ideas.
Restate your argument in a compelling manner in the first sentence of your conclusion to reinforce your paper's focus. Your summary should be short and offer no new points. Remind the reader of your issues' strengths in a small number of persuasive words.
Tie up loose ends to bring the entire paper together, and think about the last impression you want to leave with the reader.