No, Yes, and But for Formulaic Writing

[Wendy Smith <wesmith@ucsd.edu>]

Centaurs,
Wow!  I am really enjoying this exchange.  And, if you can stand it, I have
a story that made my day.  I have a student (a returning, second-language
student) who took my advice and brought his final research paper to the
college writing center.  His tutor began to read and asked where his thesis
statement was.  "At the end, " he replied, matter of fact.  The tutor
reminded him that the thesis statement should go at the beginning of his
essay.  My student explained that he was in 101 now, and ready to move on
from the 5P essay.  If he were to put his thesis statement at the
beginning, he argued, the reader would have no reason to read further.  The
tutor left and returned with a piece of paper  (I don't know what it was)
that pointed out that a reader should not have to guess the writer's point.
My student responded that of all the anthologized essays that he had to
read, not one had a thesis statement at the beginning.  They all built up
to an argument.

Anyway, the story goes on to involve another tutor, the student's telling
of the story, and, my showing him Ann Raimes's "Keys for Writers" on the
Writing Center reference shelf.  It contains a short section discussing
where a thesis can be placed and advises the student to check with the
instructor.

I think the best part of the story, and one that everyone on the list can
appreciate, is that my student argued his point instead of mumbling, "my
teacher SAID to do it that way."
Wendy