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APA Sample Paper

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How to Write a Research Paper: Thesis Statement

• Anatomy of a Research Paper
• Developing a Research Focus
• Background Research Tips
• Searching Tips
• Scholarly Journals vs. Popular Journals
• Thesis Statement
• Annotated Bibliography
• Citing Sources
• Evaluating Sources
• Literature Review
• Academic Integrity
• Scholarship as Conversation
• Understanding Fake News
• Data, Information, Knowledge

What is a Thesis Statement?

What is a Thesis Statement?  

A thesis statement is a concise statement of an academic work's main point. The thesis statement should identify both what the paper is about (the topic) and what you are saying about it. Your thesis statement should be as specific as possible. For a short essay, the length of your thesis statement should be one or two sentences. If you are writing a dissertation or book, your thesis statement should be about a paragraph in length. A thesis should avoid saying "This paper is about..." Your thesis statement should be as specific as possible. 

A basic pattern to follow is "An analysis of (insert topic here) will show that (point one), (point two), and (point three)." Keep in mind this is only an example, there is no one-size-fits-all formula. 

Who Needs a Thesis Statement?

All academic writing, from a short essay to a dissertation or a monograph, should have an identifiable thesis statement somewhere in it. The longer or more complicated an academic work is, the easier is becomes to get bogged down in details and lose sight of the overall argument, and the more important it is to clearly state the central point. 

Where Should I Put My Thesis Statement? 

Thesis statements are most commonly located near the beginning of the academic work, usually towards the end of the introduction. This strategic placement allows the reader to quickly understand specifically what the essay is about and be able to follow the arguments as they are presented. 

Tips for Writing Your Thesis Statement

Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements: Purdue Owl 

This resource from Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL) provides tips for creating a thesis statement and examples of different types of thesis statements. 

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• Last Updated: Apr 4, 2024 5:51 PM
• URL: https://libguide.umary.edu/researchpaper

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How do I write a strong thesis statement?

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Answered By: Matt Stevons Last Updated: Sep 03, 2020     Views: 90

One reason strong thesis statements are an essential element of both writing and research is that the better your thesis statement is, the more focused your research questions will be.  Focused research questions will allow you to develop effective keywords and search strategies.  Watch the video below from Credo InfoLit for tips on writing a thesis statement.

For additional help, visit the PG Writing Center for assistance with any writing questions.  

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Handouts and hyperlinks.

Sometimes, you just need a quick reference guide. The following documents and links serve that purpose—for a variety of topics. Save them, print them, share them—we’ve put them together to help you whenever and wherever you need the information.

If you’d like to recommend additional handout topics, please email us at [email protected] .

The following handouts should be used only as general guidelines; please use your professor or departmental guidelines when they conflict with those used on these references.

Academic Writing

Use these guides to build up your writing:

• Analyzing Your Assignment
• Analysis vs. Synthesis
• Annotating a Text
• Audience Analysis
• Evaluating Sources: The CRAAP Test
• Guide to Writing In-Class Essay Exams
• Guidelines for an Annotated Bibliography
• How to Organize an Academic Paper
• How to Write an Analysis
• How to Write a Literature Review
• How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis
• How to Write a Summary
• How to Write a Synthesis
• How to Write a Thesis Statement
• Key Strategies for Effective Revision
• Tips for Writing College Papers

Grammar and Usage

Grammar can be confusing; use these handouts as a guide:

• Colons, Semicolons, and Dashes
• Combining Clauses
• Formatting Microsoft Word Documents
• Signal Verbs and Phrases
• Transitions

Helpful Links

These additional links can help with other writing and style questions you may have:

• The Draft, the PFW Writing Center Blog
• Ask a Librarian and Schedule an Appointment with a PFW Librarian
• Purdue's OWL (Online Writing Lab)
• Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing
• Chicago Style
• International Writing Centers Association
• East Central Writing Centers Association
• Judging Sources: Is Your Journal Scholarly?
• Judging Sources: Is Your Book Scholarly?

Sources and Citations

The Writing Center recommends using the Purdue Online Writing Lab or the style organization's website for the most up-to-date information on citations and formatting. If you need assistance with Purdue OWL, please visit the Writing Center during our business hours. Please note, though we are a Purdue University campus, we have no control or impact on the content of the Purdue OWL. It’s run entirely through the Purdue West Lafayette campus, with a separate staff.

• Purdue Online Writing Lab
• Last Updated: Sep 5, 2024 12:52 PM
• URL: https://library.pfw.edu/writing

Scaffold the Argument Paper: Thesis Statements and Outlines

• Using This Guide
• What is an Argument?
• Topics and Research Proposal
• Choosing and Using Sources
• Thesis Statements and Outlines

Best Practices and Guidelines for Thesis Statements

After conducting some initial research, it’s time to start refining the student’s initial research question into a thesis statement. It's also important to stress that your thesis should be the product of the initial research you've conducted. The thesis is not the research question that drove the student's initial searches. Instead, the research should inform their argument paper's position. Below are some links and handouts about thesis development you can share with your students.

• How to Write a Thesis Statement From the Indiana University Bloomington Libraries. Details the characteristics of a good thesis, the importance of research in thesis development, and examples of good thesis statements.
• Parts of a Thesis Sentence From the Excelsior Online Writing Lab. Lots of great information on thesis development, including a checklist, common problems, the statement and angle approach and plenty of examples.

If your students need more guidance in creating a strong thesis, you can utilize a prewriting activity to get your students generating ideas for their topic. Prewriting can help student transform their research into workable ideas for an argument paper by allowing them to explore what they've gleaned from their research. Below are some helpful links about prewriting. A couple of these activities have also been developed into an in-class critical thinking activity (which includes a follow-up assignment) or just an assignment.

• Prewriting Strategies - Excelsior From the Excelsior Online Writing Lab. Even more prewriting strategies, including a good discussion on the role of the 'messy creativity' stage of writing.
• Prewriting Strategies - KU From the University of Kansas Writing Centers. A description of several prewriting methods.

Best Practices and Guidelines

Best practices and guidelines for outlines.

An outline is a good way to organize to help your students organize thoughts before writing the argument paper. An outline is a plan of attack, and having one can make the process of writing seem less daunting. Below are some helpful resources to share with your students about how to outline and what a completed outline might end up looking like.

• Components of an Outline from the Purdue OWL. Discusses four things to think about when creating an outline.
• Outline - UNC A video from the UNC Writing Center . Shows different ways to get started with an outline, including some more visual-based methods.
• Sample Outline From the Purdue OWL. A helpful example of what a student's completed outline could look like.

Possible Assignment

Listing worksheet - thesis statement assignment.

Listing is a prewriting method where you first list terms from your research, then group them, and label those groups. Students write about the groups and labels, which becomes a draft of a possible thesis statement. This should be assigned after students have conducted substantial research and are ready to begin the writing process.

It's recommended that use this assignment or the freewriting critical thinking activity, but not both. 

• Listing Assignment An easily customizable assignment template.

Assignments for Outlines

Assigning an outline.

Assigning an outline is a great way to ensure your students are prepared and organized for the actual process of writing the argument paper.

• You can simply discuss some of the best practices detailed above, including the sample outline from Purdue OWL, and have students create their own as an assignment.
• If you're pressed for time, this could be a good opportunity to utilize a peer review.

Critical Thinking Activity

Freewrite thesis statement think-pair-share.

• This activity should be conducted after students have conducted some substantial research on their topics. Before class, have students read their research articles. 
• In-class: set a timer for five minutes (Googling 'timer' will bring up a helpful free stopwatch from Google). Instruct students to write about their topics. They should not stop for the entirety of the five minutes, nor should they worry about grammar or spelling.It's ok to write 'I don't know, I don't know' while they gather their thoughts. It might be helpful to show an example of a freewrite . 
• After the five minutes are up, have students pair up and trade their freewrites with a partner. The partner reads it, and highlights or marks down whatever ideas stand out. Think your partner has a great idea, or should elaborate more? Make a note on their freewrite. Spend a couple minutes doing this, then have the partners 'share' with each other what they marked down, and why.
• You can repeat the freewriting activity if you have enough time in class - this is called 'looping'. On the second freewrite, the students should focus their freewrite on some of the concepts that stood out on their initial freewrite. They can trade with a different partner to get a new set of eyes on their thoughts.
• As a follow-up, students can take their freewrites and draft a possible thesis statement from the ideas that emerged during the activity.
• << Previous: Choosing and Using Sources
• Last Updated: Mar 1, 2022 11:28 AM
• URL: https://belmont.libguides.com/scaffold

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Writing Effective Thesis Statements

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A good thesis statement can be the difference between making an argument about something, and simply re-stating what someone else has already said. In your thesis statement, you want to make a claim that you will continue to develop throughout the paper. It should represent your own ideas–perhaps in response to something someone else has said–but ultimately, it is your argument. As such, a good thesis statement should have 3 main traits. A good thesis:

• Can be developed with evidence throughout your paper. In other words, you should be able to say it in 1-2 sentences, but that shouldn’t be all that there is to say on the topic.
• Is argumentative, not in a negative sense, but in that it can be supported and may have counter-arguments. Test this by asking “Could I argue the reverse of this?”
• Should explain what, why, and how. What are you arguing? Why are you arguing that? And how will you show it? Think of the “what” as your basic position, the “why” as your reasoning, and the “how” as your evidence (theories, sources, etc.)

In all, the thesis is the backbone of your paper. In the rest of your paper, something in each paragraph should directly relate back to the paper. If you get lost in the writing process, you’ll want to be able to come back to your thesis and say, “this is what I’m arguing.” And remember, thesis statements can evolve with the paper. Once you’ve got your draft written, read through and make sure that what you’re saying in your paper matches up with what your thesis statement says you’re going to be saying.

H ere are a few helpful links to get you started:

• https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/545/01/

The Purdue OWL (Purdue University) is a great source for writing, and this page goes into detail on the different types of thesis statements.

• http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/thesis-statements/

Here’s another great source from the University of North Carolina with some tips and examples of strong thesis statements.

It can be useful to play around with and see examples, but DO NOT use it to create your actual thesis, as this may be considered plagiarism!

Best of luck with your writing endeavors!

–Your friends at the PLU Writing Center

How to Write a Thesis: Home

• Getting Started
• Choosing a Topic
• Creating an Outline
• Conducting Research
• Drafting a Thesis
• Revising a Thesis
• Creating Citations

Header Image

This guide features information and resources for each step of the research and writing process. You'll find material on how to:

• chose a topic
• create an outline
• craft a thesis statement
• draft all the components of a typical thesis (introduction, literature review, analysis, conclusion, etc.)
• revise a thesis for better clarity, structure, and organization
• create accurate citations and avoid plagiarism

General Resources

Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)   The Purdue OWL contains a wealth of articles on research, writing, and citation. They are especially well-known for their citation guides.

• Next: Getting Started >>
• Last Updated: Aug 30, 2022 12:14 PM
• URL: https://paperpile.libguides.com/writing-thesis

Topic Sentence and Paragraph Organization

Paragraph organization refers to the way sentences are structured and ordered to create a unified and cohesive body of text.

The principal features to consider in paragraph organization are the topic sentence and controlling idea, supporting details, organizational patterns, and signal words. Together, these features develop a topic and connect ideas from one point to the next, logically and fluidly. This resource explains these features and provides numerous examples of paragraph organization.

The Topic Sentence and Controlling Idea

Similar to a thesis statement, which establishes the central focus or point of a whole piece of writing, a topic sentence works at the paragraph level to express the focus and general point of an individual paragraph. A topic sentence has two parts: 1) the topic that is being discussed throughout the paragraph and 2) a controlling idea that limits the focus on the topic to one point or idea. Each additional sentence in the paragraph then develops or expounds on that point with supporting details. The example topic sentence below is from a body paragraph in an informative essay.

Example Topic Sentence and Controlling Idea

The economy also plays a role in an increase in prescription pain reliever addiction.

The example topic sentence suggests the paragraph topic is “the economy,” and the controlling idea about the economy is how it “plays a role in an increase” in opioid addition. The signal word “also” connects this topic as an additional example or contributing factor to the opioid epidemic, the focus of the paper. The example below shows the topic sentence in the context of the complete paragraph.

The economy also plays a role in an increase in prescription pain reliever addiction. According to Jungeun Olivia Lee, a social work professor at University of Southern California, “The relationship between joblessness and substance abuse is strongest among people from low socioeconomic brackets, who might not be able to afford healthier ways to relieve their stress” (2017, as cited in Khazan, 2017, para. 8). Additionally, every point the unemployment rate rises, opioid-related death rates rise by almost 4 percent (Khazan, 2017). Unemployment makes it not only difficult for those suffering from pain to afford medication or healthy alternatives, but it can also contribute to depression and varying degrees of self-medication and addiction.

Supporting Details

In a paragraph, the topic and controlling idea are developed with supporting details. Listed here are some types of supporting details found in paragraphs along with an example of each in a sentence.

Facts: statistics or evidence from research that can be verified

• The office sold seven million dollars of real estate during the boom years.

Opinions: statements, quotes, or paraphrases from subject matter experts

• According to expert tea maker, Millie Stoff, there are three easy steps to making tea.

Definitions: explanations of what a term or concept means

• A crossover is a family vehicle with the features of a sedan, a mini-van, and an SUV.

Examples: parts, pieces, instances, traits, or specimens that illustrate the essence or character of a greater whole.

• Mario is a shy, introverted young man. For example, he has few friends and mostly keeps to himself.

Anecdotes: narrative accounts of one time or recurring events

• When I visited the Washington Monument, I enjoyed the 180-degree view the most.

Descriptions: a visual or sensory depiction of a person, place, event, activity, or idea

• Frostbit leaves crunched beneath our winter boots on the path through the snow-frosted trees.

Example Paragraph and Analysis of the Supporting Details

Hiking can be exhilarating during snowy winter months. When my friend and I visited North Carolina last January, we hiked in the Blue Ridge Mountains near the highest peak, Mount Mitchell, which is6,684 feet above sea level. We first crossed a foot bridge over a rapidly moving, ice-cold river and then followed a wooded trail up to a waterfall. Frostbit leaves crunched beneath our winter boots on the path through the snow-frosted trees. We saw deer and rabbits as we trekked up the path. I assure you that nothing feels better than inhaling crisp mountain air, but the neatest part of hiking in winter, besides the beauty of the mountain, is exhaling and seeing my breath turn to frost when it hits the cold air!

The topic sentence in the example paragraph indicates that the paragraph is on “hiking,” and the focus is that hiking is “exhilarating” during winter. The sentences in the paragraph support and develop this idea with an anecdote of the writer’s experience hiking up a mountain during winter. An anecdote is a narrative account that helps a reader understand an event or situation. Had the writer said hiking was “dangerous” instead of “exhilarating,” the anecdote in addition to the visual and sensory details, facts, and opinions about the experience would have been different. Additionally, while the sample paragraph is a personal account, writers in many professions use anecdotal evidence to report events from an objective point-of-view, where the writer is not a participant but rather a witness or observer.

Paragraph Organization

Along with having topic sentences and supporting details, paragraphs are also organized to achieve a certain purpose. However, just as a paragraph can contain different types of supporting details, a paragraph may also include more than one organizational pattern. Listed here are some common patterns for organizing a paragraph:

• Cause and Effect for showing how one thing leads to another
• Chronological Order for narrating events that occurred over time
• Classification for grouping things together according to their features
• Comparison and Contrast for showing how things are similar or different
• Definition and Example for defining a term or idea and then expanding it with examples
• Description for listing details
• Episode for presenting details or information about a specific event or anecdote
• General/Specific Order for presenting a general idea followed by specific examples
• Generalization/Principle for making a general statement or applying a broad principle to explain the supporting details
• Listing for presenting ideas from least to most important
• Order of Importance for building up to or leading away from the most important point.
• Problem and Solution for presenting an issue and a way to address it
• Process/Cause for explaining what or how something happens and then why
• Spatial Order for ordering details directionally

Signal Words

Signal words are signposts or clues to a paragraph’s organization. If the word “type” is used in a sentence, for example, it signals that the ideas involve types or classification, which is an organizational pattern. Signal words are context clues that hint at what the paragraph is about and how it is organized.

Listed here are signal words associated with different types of paragraph organization.

• Cause and Effect : because, consequently, for this reason, hence, and on account of
• Chronological Order : after, at last, at (time), as long as, at the same time, as soon as, before, during, eventually, finally, in (month or year), later, meanwhile, next, on (day or date), since, second, subsequently, then, until, and whenever
• Classification : categories, classes, classifications, elements, features, groups, kinds, methods, types, varieties, and ways
• Comparison and Contrast : another, both, however, likewise, one difference, on the other hand, on the contrary, similarity, similarly, unlike, and while
• Definition and Example : concept, defined as, described as, e.g., for example, for instance, i.e., illustrates, is, is called, is stated, known as, means, refers to, specifically, such as, term, and that is to say
• Description : above, across, along, appears to be, as in, behind, below, beside, between, down, in back of, in front of, looks like, near, onto, on top of, outside, over, such as, to the right/left, and under
• Episode : a few days/weeks later, around the same time, as a result of, as it is often called, because of, began when, consequently, for this reason, just, lasted for, led to, shortly thereafter, since then, subsequently, this led to, and when
• General/Specific Order : for example, for instance, indeed, in fact, in other words, like, namely, such as, and that is
• Generalization/Principle : additionally, always, because of, clearly, conclusively, first, for instance, for example, furthermore, generally, however, if…then, in fact, it could be argued that, moreover, most convincing, never, not only…but also, often, second, therefore, third, truly, and typically
• Listing : additionally, also, and, as well as, besides, furthermore, in addition, in fact, moreover, or, plus, and too
• Order of Importance : central, chief, ending with, finishing with, key, lastly, least, main, major, finally, primary, principal, and significant
• Problem and Solution : answer, challenge, difficulty, dilemma, enigma, indicate, improve, issue, need, plan, problem, propose, resolve, respond, solve, and suggest
• Process/Cause : accordingly, as a result of, because, begins with, consequently, effects of, finally, first, for this reason, how to, how, if…then, in order to, is caused by, leads/led to, may be due to, next, so that, steps involved, therefore, thus, and when…then
• Spatial Order : above, below, behind, beside, down, east, feels, highest, looks, lowest, next to, north, smells, sounds, south, tastes, under, and west

Sample Paragraphs and Analyses of the Organization

The sample paragraphs in this section illustrate topic sentences, supporting details, organizational patterns, and signal words in context. Read each paragraph to identify the type of paragraph organization on your own, and then proceed to the analysis to check your comprehension.

Sample Paragraph 1

• In 1995, Lawrence started his real estate business, and it has since become a huge success. When Lawrence Real Estate opened its door in Oviedo, Florida, it sold seven million dollars of real estate during the first few boom years. By 2000, Lawrence decided to open two branch offices: one in Tampa in 2003 and one in Miami in 2004. By 2007, the home office and both the branch offices had survived the economic slowdown, so Lawrence and his associates expanded their business to the Carolinas and opened a branch office in Charlotte in 2020. It can be safely said that Lawrence Real Estate has become a model for success despite economic struggles and real estate devaluation.

Analysis of Paragraph 1: According to the topic sentence, which contains two coordinating clauses and therefore two subjects and two topics, this paragraph is about Lawrence and his real estate business, and the controlling idea is that they have been successful.

To understand how the supporting details are organized to present information about this topic and idea, the reader can consider the supporting details. To do this, they look at the way the sentences begin and at any signal phrases that lead readers along a certain line of thinking. Here are some key signal words: “in 1995,” “By 2000,” “By 2007,” and “in 2020.” These dates make a pattern. They go back to 1995 and then in a chronological order, they move forward to when the success of the business happened.

This paragraph uses chronological order . The reader will notice too that the last sentence returns to the beginning idea of 15 years ago. In this sentence, a final comment about the time period overall is given with respect to the new information

Sample Paragraph 2

• Making a great cup of tea is easy if you follow these three steps. First, heat a cup of water to the boiling point. Then put the tea bag in the hot water, and let it steep for at least three minutes. Finally, add creamer and sugar to taste. There is nothing tastier than a strong cup of tea early in the morning.

According to the topic sentence, which is the first sentence of the paragraph, making a cup of tea is the topic, and the controlling idea is that it’s easy to do if you follow three steps. Signal words open the following sentences: “first,” “then,” and “finally.” These indicate a sequence of steps, not times or dates as in a narrative story, but steps that happen in a specific order as in the process of doing something or informing others how to do something.

This paragraph uses process order (or process/cause). In the last sentence of this paragraph, the process is completed with a return to the original topic—a cup of tea—and a new comment about it—that a strong cup is tasty in the morning, making those three steps not only easy but also worthwhile.

Sample Paragraph 3

• The Washington Monument is divided into three main areas. The lowest section of the building houses the entrance, a gift shop, and a restaurant. The middle section consists of elevators and stairways to the top. The top section of the monument includes an observation deck with a spectacular view of the Washington D.C. area. When I visited the Washington Monument, I toured every section but enjoyed the spectacular 180-degree view the most.

Based on the topic sentence at the beginning of the paragraph, the topic is the Washington Monument, and the controlling idea is that it is divided into three main areas. The paragraph presents information about the lowest section first, the middle section second, and the top section third. The last sentence makes a remark about the most enjoyable of all the sections. This is an example of spatial organization . The information is given in the order you might see it if you were there.

Sample Paragraph 4

• There are three types of family vehicles made in the United States. The first type is the minivan. All American car manufacturers make a version of the minivan. Some say that the comfort and amenities of the minivan compare to none. The second type of family vehicle is the SUV. Some SUVs offer four-wheel-drive to navigate tough terrains, and they also offer seating for a large crowd. A third type of family vehicles is called the crossover. These vehicles supposedly have the best features of the sedan, minivan, and SUV. They are easy to maneuver, look much like a regular sedan, and sit up to six people. All of these vehicles are family friendly; they offer safety, roomy comfort, and many extra features to accommodate the special needs of families.

This paragraph shows another way to organize the details of a topic. The topic sentence of this paragraph is structured differently than the previous ones. Typically, the topic of a sentence is also the grammatical subject, but the subject in this sentence is “there,” a pronoun, and the topic that tells what the paragraph is about, “family vehicles,” is in the predicate of the sentence. The controlling idea is that there are three types made in the U.S.

The paragraph is organized according to those three types: the first type, the second type, and the third type. To conclude, there is a comment about “all of these vehicles” or all of these types of vehicles. When information is organized by types or features, the information is classified. This type of organization is classification .

Sample Paragraph 5

• Although the twin brothers share many physical characteristics, they handle themselves differently in social situations. Mario is a shy introverted young man. He has few friends and mostly keeps to himself. On the other hand, Gino is outgoing and the life of the party. Unlike Mario, Gino has many friends and feels totally at ease among big crowds. The best way to tell these identical twins apart is to invite both to a party and observe how differently they interact with the other guests.

When the topic sentence is complex (having more than one clause) as in this paragraph, there may be two subjects and therefore two topics; however, here, the subject of the first clause is “the twin brothers” and the subject for the second clause is “they,” so both subjects refer to the same topic—the twin brothers. The controlling idea is that the twin brothers share many physical characteristics but handle themselves differently socially.

The paragraph then progresses with descriptions of these similarities and differences. Contrast is created by signal phrases and words such as “although, “on the other hand,” and “unlike.” Words such as “apart” and “differently” also indicate that the organizational pattern of this paragraph is comparison and contrast .

Sample Paragraph 6

• There are many reasons why I enjoy walking tours when visiting new cities. For starters, walking through a city allows the visitor to see the details of an area without having to hurry. This often results in meeting locals and experiencing their lives and traditions first hand. Furthermore, walking tours are flexible and inexpensive because there are no strict schedules or transportation expenses. Travelers taking walking tours are rewarded with firsthand experiences in the places they visit and the opportunity to personally interact with the people who live there.

Because the first sentence begins with “there are,” the reader must move beyond the subject and verb to find the topic. Additionally, this is a complex sentence with an independent and dependent clause connected by “why,” so there may be two topics. Looking at the objects of both clauses, the reader finds “many reasons” and “walking tours.” These two topics are linked together by the controlling idea: the writer enjoys walking tours while visiting new cities for many different reasons.

The signal words build on this idea of “why” with terms such as “results” and “because.” The last sentence then sums up the ultimate effect of walking tours: Travelers are rewarded. This is an example of cause and effect organization.

Sample Paragraph 7

• Hiking can be especially exhilarating during snowy winter months. When my friend and I visited North Carolina last January, we hiked in the Blue Ridge Mountains near the highest peak, Mount Mitchell, which is 6,684 feet above sea level. We first crossed a footbridge over a rapidly moving, ice-cold river and then followed a wooded trail up to a waterfall. Frostbit leaves crunched beneath our winter boots on the path through the snow-frosted trees. We saw deer and rabbits as we trekked up the path. I assure you that nothing feels better than inhaling crisp mountain air, but the neatest part of hiking in winter, besides the beauty of the mountain, is exhaling and seeing my breath turn to frost when it hits the cold air!

In the first sentence, the topic of the paragraph is “hiking,” and the comment or main idea is that it “can be especially exhilarating during snowy winter months.” Based on this, the reader can expect supporting details to illustrate this exhilaration, but they do not know how it is organized until they look at the signal words that help progress the topic from one idea to the next.

Taking inventory of the signal words, the reader will find several time markers: “When” and “last January” set the narrative in the past while “first” and “then” develop a chronological order of events. The final summarizing sentence about hiking “in winter” reminds the reader of the season.

Within this chronology , signal words are associated with spatial organization: “over,” “up,” “beneath,” “through,” “crunched” (sounded), “saw,” “feels,” and “seeing.” Narratives typically include descriptive elements about the setting. Additionally, the concluding thought contrasts “inhaling” to “exhaling.” The reader can thus conclude that this paragraph has multiple patterns of organization that are intricately connected.

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