Page 3 Cue: Developing Unity

Unified writing focuses on one idea throughout.

It ensures every sentence is related to the subject. A strongly focused thesis statement with no unnecessary details provides unity. It makes evident the relationships between the main idea in the introduction and following paragraphs. Every sentence in each paragraph must relate to the topic sentence, which explains one aspect of your subject. If a sentence does not relate, eliminate it.

Sample Introductory Paragraph without Unity

My friend is a jock.  I’m a nerd.  Then there is the school debating team.  I didn't used to label myself a nerd because of the bad name people gave us. I've recently gotten over this. Being called a nerd didn't change my life much; it just made me mad.

It is unclear how the school debating team relates to the main topic, labeling.  Eliminate the sentence and focus on directing the discussion to name-calling.

The personal story works as a hook; however, use an objective tone to provide credibility to your essay.

Write a thesis statement to guide the remainder of the essay.

Example illustrating better unity: 

I'm a nerd. I can't help it. I like school. But what does this name mean to others? One Internet dictionary defines me as "a person who lacks social skills or is boringly studious". Another defines me as "a single-minded expert in a particular technical field".  Names can provide definitions; but what about when people completely change who they are and stop doing the things they love just to avoid a bad label? Although it is normal to care about what others think, some young people care too much, and it needs to be toned down.

Self-Assessment: Developing Unity Click here  to practice developing unity.