ENG 1100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Independent Clause, Breakfast Cereal, Thesis Statement

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: English
• Course: ENG 1100
• Professor: Elaine Bailey

Document Summary

Topic is a narrow branch of a subject: comes from the greek word topos for place , narrow topic limits the content of your essay. Avoid broad sweeping statements: the larger the area you have to defend, the more difficult it is to keep everything intact , begin your essay to a focused narrow topic and move towards an even more descriptive thesis. Funnel your topic: you must be willing to sharpen your focus to have a detailed thesis statement. General subject: media: narrowed topic: commercials. As your research and writing progresses, continue to narrow further. How breakfast cereal commercials manipulate primary school children into eating sugary foods: as your research continues, you will eventually form a thesis statement. The topic determines what area you will discuss, but not the argument (or position) you will pursue: arguments will determine a good opinion from a great opinion, must have a distilled argument (i. e. a thesis statement)