Here are some hints about how to get a fix on an argument and its structure: Each part of a well-crafted argument serves a purpose for the larger argument. When reading, try to determine why the author has spent time writing each paragraph. What does it “do” for the author's argument? Identify “signposts,” the basic structural cues in a piece of writing. Is the reading divided into chapters or sections? Are there subheads within the reading? Subheads under subheads? Concentrate on topic sentences, which are usually the first sentences of each paragraph, and which usually are miniature arguments. Important topic sentences function as sub-points in the larger argument. (They also should tell you what the paragraph that follows will be about.) When reading, try to identify how topic sentences support the larger argument. When you see evidence being used, try to identity the part of the argument it is being used to support. Evidence is the building blocks of historical arguments. Pay careful attention to transitions. In the best writing, transitions provide vital pieces of the argument by explaining the relationship between points or by suggesting the hierarchy of points in the argument. Identify explicit references to rival scholarly positions. Moments when a scholar refers directly to the work of another scholar are important in understanding the questions at stake. Focus on “strategic concessions.” Often authors seem to be backtracking, or giving ground, only to try to strengthen their cases. Examine such instances in your readings closely. Often, these signal moments where authors are in direct conversation with other scholars. Such moments may help steer you toward the argument. Remember that incoherence also is a possibility. Sometimes it is difficult to determine how a section of a piece is structured or what its purpose might be. Remember that authors do not always do their jobs, and there may be incoherent or unstructured portions of essays. Trust yourself to have the ability to know when a writer fails to make sense.
Above all, assume that you are writing for a general audience and not one that is familiar with the text you are discussing. Why? What does this assumption force you to do? Typically, there are three parts to a paper: The introduction is usually one paragraph, or perhaps two. Its purpose is to: (1) set out the problem to be discussed; (2) suggest the structure of the argument; and (3) CLEARLY STATE THE THESIS. To succeed in writing a strong introduction, you will need to establish the issue your paper confronts. Where and when are we? What are we examining? It is especially important to clearly define the limits of your exploration. You also will need to set the tone of your paper. And make sure you convey that the topic is of vital concern. Above all you must let your reader know where you are headed – how you plan to tackle the subject – without giving away your best and most dramatic ideas. The body usually takes up several pages, and constitutes the bulk of your paper. Here is where you offer support for your argument. You therefore will need to ask yourself, "What (evidence) do I need to support my argument?" The general movement in the body is from the general to the specific. Start with general statements, such as: “U.S. federal policy toward native peoples aimed at either assimilating or exterminating them.” Then, move on to specific statements which support your general statement, such as “The origins of the policy of assimilation can be traced back to George Washington’s aide, Henry Knox.” In writing paragraphs, remember that each one requires a topic sentence, and that a key job of the topic sentence is to tell the reader what the paragraph will be about. As the body of the paper