From the book Writing to the Point by William J. Kerrigan & Allan A. Metcalf

Write a short, simple, declarative sentence

that makes one statement.

Step 1: The Thesis

Examples:

Colors affect mood.George W. Bush was a misunderstood leader.Power corrupts.Being organized makes work easy.The Olympics promote world peace.

Step 1: Advice/Cautions

Keep your thesis short & simple.

Be sure it is a statement, not a question or a command.

Make only one statement, not two or more

Example: Smoking is dangerous and expensive. (2)

Step 1: Advice/Cautions

Avoid description (how something looks),

narration (what happened), and process

(how something works or how to make or

do something).

Be sure your thesis is something you can

say more about.

Step 2: The Topic Sentences

Write three sentences about the thesis

statement (Step 1)– clearly and directly

about the whole thesis, not just

something in it.

Step 2: Example 1

Thesis: Studying

requires teaching

yourself.

Topic sentences:TS 1: It requires setting a schedule for yourself.TS 2: It requires explaining the lesson to yourself.TS 3: It requires testing yourself.

Step 2: Example 2

Thesis: Dodge City looms large in the American imagination.

Topic sentences:TS 1: Its history symbolizes the exciting conflicts in the Old West.TS 2: Its surroundings match the romantic locations of many Western movies.TS 3: Its rugged appearance represents the tough cowboy spirit.

Step 2: Advice/Cautions

Be sure that the 3 topic sentences fit the

thesis. Ask yourself, “What single point do the TSs

support?”

If the subject of your thesis is the topic of

your paper, writing the topic sentences will

be easier. “Studying requires teaching yourself.” vs.

“Teaching yourself is what studying is all about.”

Step 2: Advice/Cautions

Is this a good or bad example? Thesis: I want a compact car for three

reasons. TS 1: The original cost is low. TS 2: It is inexpensive to maintain. TS 3: It gets good gas mileage.

Better thesis: A compact car is economical to own.

Step 3: The ideas within the paragraph

Write at least four or five

sentences about the three topic

sentences in Step 2 – clearly

and directly about the whole of

the TSs, not just parts of them.

Step 3: Example

Thesis: Soccer is a fitness sport. TS 1: It builds endurance. Step 3: The players are in motion for 45

minutes. They must be able to run to their opponents’ end of the field and then run right back to their end to defend their goal. Each team is allowed only two substitutions per game, so players seldom can leave the field. There are no time outs.

Step 3: Advice/Cautions

Step 3 sentences do not need to be short and simple.

Their structure does not need to be parallel to that of the thesis and the topic sentences.

They need to be organized so that they flow from one idea to the next. Similar ideas are grouped together.

Step 3: Another Example

TS: Soccer establishes agility. Step 3 sentences: Players often fake out

their opponents, so they can beat them. They must jump over their opponents when they fall down. Goalkeepers dive to one side to block a shot and must get right back up before an opponent shoots again. They leap over all the players to grab the ball from a corner kick.

Step 4: Concrete details & examples

Develop each sentence in Step 3 with specific, concrete details and examples.

Step 4: Further Explanation

Specific: more particular, more narrow, the

opposite of “general” Plant is more specific than living thing.

Tree is more specific than plant.

Oak is more specific than tree.

Concrete: the opposite of “abstract,” can be

touched, smelled, tasted, seen, heard, etc. A tree, a child, but not life, growth, and goodness.

Step 4: Further explanation

Don’t ask, “What will I say next?” Instead, write more about what you have

just said (relate to Topic Sentence) Goal: Say a lot about a little, not a little

about a lot. Evaluate the quality of examples/anecdotes

used Long examples can distract focus

Step 5: Connections between paragraphs

Connect each

paragraph to the

preceding paragraph

with an explicit

reference.

Step 5: Examples

Thesis: I dislike winter. TS 1: I dislike the winter cold. TS 2: I dislike having to wear the heavy

winter clothing that cold weather requires. TS 3: I dislike the colds that, despite

dressing for the cold weather, I always get in the winter.

Step 5: Examples of connectors Also In addition, Finally, Another (A) second (reason) Note: commas follow introductory phrases

& clauses

Step 5: Advice/Cautions

Note: the connector does NOT need to be the first word in the paragraph

Examples: TS 1: Following the six steps results in unified

writing. TS 2: Using the six steps also results in

detailed writing. TS 3: Finally, using the steps results in well

organized writing.

Step 6: Connections within paragraphs

Connect each sentence in a paragraph

to the preceding sentence with an

explicit reference.

Step 6: Examples

S1: Believing that in order to buy American products workers had to have the money to pay for them, Henry Ford raised his automotive workers’ wages to five dollars a day.

S2: At first, this unprecedented raise for workers shocked and angered many other manufacturers throughout the country.

Step 6: Ways to make connections Step 5 adds something to each new TS. Step 6 does not require that something be

added to every sentence. Instead, check each sentence to be sure a

connection exists. Add or reword something when you do not

find a connection.

Step 6: Ways to make connections Repeat a word

workers

Use a synonym Wage & salary

Use an antonym Angered & pleased Employer & employee

Use a pronoun Henry Ford and he

Step 6: Ways to make connections

Use a related word coffee & tea door & window

Use a conjunction/connection phrase but, therefore, for, also, however, as a result,

for instance Note: Conjunctions do not have to be the first

words of the next sentence.

Using the Steps

Using the Six Steps will

give you a foundation

for unified, well

developed, coherent,

well organized writing

in English.