Professional tricks: how to write a critical thinking paper

When writing a critical thinking paper it is important that you understand what is required of you. When you are assigned an essay, you need to ensure you make a clear argument. But to do that you need to first define your argument. Your reader will expect you to make a clear statement that showcases your position right from the start. This is normally where a summary statement or thesis statement comes into play. Your thesis statement needs to be contained in the first paragraph of your essay, but you have control over where in the first paragraph. You might want to include it right as the first sentence, or perhaps you want to wait until later and end your first paragraph with it.

• You want your thesis statement to:

Make a definite assertion which you will explain and support later.

Consider the difference between these two thesis statements.

“Hemingway was the world’s greatest poet.”

This sentence is quite trite and irrelevant. It is not good.

“The success of the final line in his last poet comes from the subtle linguistic references to the politics of the time period.”

This sentence is much better because it is intriguing.

• Emphasize the methodology that will be used to make your argument.

Consider the examples below.

“This essay will show that the North American Free Trade agreement brought the end of the furniture industry in Canada."

This sentence is emotional and quite vague.

“Data related to the employment, productivity, and profits related to the Canadian furniture industry from 1988 until 1994 are closely correlated to the changes which took effect during this period after the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement.”

This sentence is definitely worth the reader’s attention.

• Demonstrate an awareness of disagreements.

Consider the two examples below.

“An official government policy related to euthanasia only causes issues, as the Dutch case shows.”

This sentence is quite vague.

“Dutch laws regarding euthanasia have been praised for the attention to self-determination but recent cases demonstrate that the government has been unable to adequately deal with issues related to the technological intervention for patients who are unconscious. The question of the assignation of rights can be solved by Hamarckian strategies."

This sentence demonstrates complexity.

Aim for the most attention worthy and complex thesis sentence if you are faced with a few options. Make sure your final product emphasizes your methodology well.