ENG 1100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: National Cathedral School, Breakfast Cereal, Thesis Statement

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

Document Summary

A topic is a narrow branch of a subject. Topic comes from the greek word topos for place. The narrow topic limits the content of your essay. > specific topic: how commercials manipulate their audience. 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. Begin with a narrow topic before singling out your thesis statement. Use several techniques to find a narrow focus. Narrow essays are always more interesting to an academic audience than sweeping, encyclopaedic papers. (except in exam essay questions, your work should be precise, not general. ) Find some motivation for research by controlling the topic. Indicate in your personal notes why you intend to choose this topic.