Academic Writing: From Assignment Brief to Revised Draft

Write a provisional answer

A topic identifies the subject; an argument says something about it. The UNC Writing Center's guidance on thesis statements explains how a central claim directs a paper. Write a provisional answer that you can test through reading rather than treating your first idea as a conclusion you must defend at any cost.

Hypothetical example: 'online learning' is a topic. 'A course's feedback arrangements should be considered alongside its delivery format when evaluating students' learning experience' is a claim to investigate. It still needs evidence and a clearly defined context; it is not a research finding.

Build paragraphs around reasons

Give each paragraph a job. State the point, introduce the evidence needed for that point, explain how the evidence bears on it, and connect the discussion to your answer. This is a revision prompt rather than a rule that every paragraph must contain four sentences.

Keep your source notes separate from your draft. Record citation details as you read and distinguish exact quotations from your own notes. When two sources disagree, examine their questions, methods or contexts instead of choosing whichever conclusion suits your draft.

• What claim does this paragraph make?
• What source or example supports it?
• What does that evidence establish, and what does it leave uncertain?
• How does the paragraph advance the answer?

Revise the argument before the sentences

Write a one-line summary beside each paragraph. Read those summaries in order. Repeated points, missing steps and unrelated sections become easier to spot when you can see the argument without the full prose.

Then edit sentences for precision. Replace vague references such as 'this shows' with the actual implication where needed. Check citations and formatting last, after the structure is stable. Keep uncertainty where the evidence requires it.

• The introduction identifies the question and direction of the answer.
• Each main section contributes a distinct reason or necessary context.
• Evidence is explained rather than left to speak for itself.
• The conclusion follows from the discussion.
• Citations and the reference list match.

Your working copy

Copy the prompts below into your own document, or download the editable text file.

Assignment question:

Provisional answer:

Reason 1:
Evidence and citation:
What the evidence supports:
Limitation or counterargument:

Reason 2:
Evidence and citation:
What the evidence supports:
Limitation or counterargument:

Paragraph summaries in draft order:

Changes needed before sentence editing:

Final answer after reviewing the evidence:

Sources and further guidance

• UNC Writing Center: thesis statements

  Guidance on developing and testing the central claim of a paper.