thesis

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THESIS SENTENCE TEMPLATES
A thesis sentence is a sentence in the introduction that tells the reader what the topic or argument of the essay is. Experienced writers have little difficulty writing thesis sentences. This is because they have read and written thousands of them.
You, the emerging writer, don’t have it so easy. So, you have to accelerate the process. You do this via thesis sentence templates. A thesis sentence template is the basic machinery of a thesis sentence, what makes it work. It is like a car minus the hood, the doors, the engine, the side panels, the wheels, and the air conditioner. On that basic structure, thousands of different cars can be built. From a thesis sentence template, thousands of thesis sentences can be constructed.
The introduction for any piece of writing is very important. This is where you establish a relationship with the reader. The introduction will always be read, while the body of the paper might sometimes be glossed over (not carefully read) by graders of standardized tests like the SAT® or
TOEFL®.

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HOW THE THESIS SENTENCE TEMPLATES WORK

Each type of thesis sentence presented in this section is followed by two or three examples of how very different thesis sentences can be written using the template. Then you will write two or three thesis sentences of your own using the template. If you find the template difficult, just do one sentence on your own. But the more you practice, the better you will be at writing templates. Note that when suggestions for filling in the blanks are supplied, the small list represents just a fraction of the thousands of possible words you could use, as long it’s the same part of speech.
By the time you finish writing your versions of all of the template sentences, the syntactic models that native speakers have in their heads will be more firmly implanted in your head. Any time you write an essay, review the templates. Keep a favorite in mind, one that you can use whenever you need it, especially when writing under the pressure of time constraints.
You are not expected to be able to use all of the thesis sentence templates successfully. The idea is for you to find a few that you can use and reuse with confidence. In preparation for a writing test, memorize a couple of them, and use the one that seems to fit the topic best.
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If you cannot write your own variation of a template, that’s FINE! It just means that that template is not for you. Forget about it. Concentrate on templates that you are comfortable with. Finding the right template is like finding the right pair of pants. You try them on until some fit.

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I. COMPARISON/CONTRAST THESIS SENTENCES
These templates can be used for essays where you are instructed to compare and contrast.

Comparison/Contrast Template 1
The differences [similarities] between ___________ and ___________ are __________, and they ______________ pronounced striking

deserve merit ______________ ______________. thorough rigorous

investigation scrutiny examination

Examples
The differences between college and high school are pronounced, and they deserve thorough investigation.
The similarities between R-rated movies and PG-rated movies are pronounced, and they merit rigorous scrutiny.

Your Thesis Sentences
1.
2.
3.

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Thesis Sentence Templates 13

Comparison/Contrast Template 2
__________________ some ______________ similarities,
Although they bear
Despite bearing

superficial minor the differences between _____________ and _____________ are ______________. clear remarkable striking pronounced

Examples
Although they bear some superficial similarities, the differences between Athens and Sparta are clear.
Despite bearing some minor similarities, the differences between
Pele and Ronaldinho are pronounced.

Your Thesis Sentences
1.
2.
3.

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Comparison/Contrast Template 3
While some differences between ______ and _____ are
_______________, the similarities are ______________. evident noticeable

striking pronounced salient

Examples
While some differences between Japan and the United States are evident, the similarities are salient.
While some differences between high school and college are evident, the similarities are striking.

Your Thesis Sentences
1.
2.
3.

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II. PROPOSITION THESIS SENTENCES
The next eight templates are for use in responding to a proposition. A proposition is a statement that establishes the truth or falsity of something. This sentence not only clarifies your position—it establishes your mastery of some sophisticated syntax. These templates begin with noun clauses. A noun clause is a group of words that acts just like a noun, serving as a subject, an object of a verb, or an object of a preposition. Using a noun clause correctly will make a good impression on your reader.
Proposition:
Proposition Example:

X is Y
Democracy is the best form of government.
X
Y

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Proposition Template 1 (Agreement)
This template can be used when you agree with the proposition.

X
Y
The __________ that __________ is _________ is a ________ one, notion1 belief thought idea proposition fascinating2 an interesting thought-provoking provocative

and one that I believe in.

Examples
The notion that democracy is the best form of government is a fascinating one, and one that I believe in.
The thought that world peace will be3 attained in the next decade is an interesting one, and one that I believe in.

Your Thesis Sentences
1. (proposition: Secrecy* is bad.)

2. (proposition: America is a melting pot.**)

*Secrecy means keeping secrets.
**Melting pot is a common metaphorical description of the United States and its history, meaning that immigrants eventually melt into society so that one nationality can’t be distinguished from another. This was especially popular in the early 1900s.

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3. (Write your own sentence.)

Notes
1. Of the alternatives in the first blank of the template, I prefer the word notion. It is a more abstract word than the others and sounds a bit more sophisticated.
2. There are thousands of adjectives that can be used in the last blank. 3. In the second example, will be is used instead of is. You can change tenses like this to fit your thesis.