This handout describes what a thesis statement is‚ how thesis statements work in your writing‚ and how you can discover or refine one for your draft. INTRODUCTION Writing in college often takes the form of persuasion—convincing others that you have an interesting‚ logical point of view on the subject you are studying. Persuasion is a skill you practice regularly in your daily life. You persuade your roommate to clean up‚ your parents to let you borrow the car‚ your friend to vote for your favorite
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ESSAYS BEGIN WITH A THESIS STATEMENT What is a thesis statement? A single sentence that summarizes your main idea How do you create a thesis statement? Two Parts: (1) Topic + (2) Opinion = Thesis Statement The good‚ the bad‚ the ugly… Good thesis statements are clear‚ to the point sentences with enough detail to make the main idea of the essay unmistakable and the writer’s opinions obvious. Bad thesis statements may make the main idea and writer’s opinion obvious‚ but the
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How Do I Write a Thesis Statement? What is a thesis statement? A thesis statement is a very specific argument that guides your paper. Generally‚ a thesis statement consists of two parts: 1. a clearly identifiable topic or subject matter‚ and 2. a succinct summary of what you have to say about that topic A thesis functions like the case a lawyer has to make to the judge and jury in a courtroom. An effective thesis statement explains to your reader the case you are going to make and how you are going to make it
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A thesis statement proposes an idea‚ the central idea that you will be exploring in your paper. It does not just state the facts; it also takes a position on the facts. A thesis statement includes an idea‚ opinion‚ or theory which the paper will defend or question. Note how the following two thesis statements include a clear position. Further‚ the order of points in the thesis statements (in bold text) will help structure the logical development of the entire paper. Thesis example one: "Cigarette
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provide a thesis statement. Typically‚ these two tasks should be accomplished using only one paragraph for a short paper‚ but can be longer for longer papers. First‚ introduce your topic. The introductory paragraph(s) should briefly orient the reader to the topic and provide a conceptual map of the rest of the paper. Your thesis statement is the main point of your paper and should address the paper topic assigned by your instructor. Second‚ provide a thesis statement. Your thesis statement is the
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on "The Story of Stuff‚" write a well-organized and well-supported essay in which you identify the three most important issues the video addresses. A well-organized essay has a beginning‚ middle‚ and an end. The beginning‚ or introduction‚ should include an opening sentence to grab your reader’s attention. Follow the opening sentence with a brief background on the topic or situation. In this case‚ it would be brief summary of the video. The last sentence of the introduction is the thesis statement
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LITERARY ANALYSIS CONSTRUCTION THESIS There are two aspects that must be present in any thesis statement that is worthy of being written: 1. Textual Evidence 2. Specific Argument Your thesis should include both textual evidence (some description of the text and what you think is important or interesting in it) and a specific argument (the argumentative context in which you are making some claim about what you have seen). The argument should always answer the question “So what?” regarding the
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A FEW MORE TOPICS & THESIS EXAMPLES TOPIC: body piercing BAD: Body piercing is popular among kids nowadays. BETTER: Body piercing among contemporary youth represents the latest form of rebelling against authority that previous generations manifested in smoking‚ getting tattoos‚ and wearing mini-skirts. TOPIC: female musicians BAD: Female musicians are getting more popular. BETTER: During the past five years‚ musical artists like Sheryl Crow‚ Alanis Morisette‚ and Jewel have solidified a place
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HOW TO WRITE A STRONG THESIS STATEMENT A WRITING CENTRE HANDOUT 1. UNDERSTAND THE ACADEMIC WRITING TASK You can begin to formulate a good thesis statement only after you have got a solid grasp of the purpose of the assignment. If you’re asked to write a paper in response to a specific assignment question‚ then your first task is make sure that you clearly understand the academic writing task. Determine which of the following critical thinking skills you are primarily being asked to apply to your
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WTG 7a: The Thesis Statement and Topic Sentences The thesis statement concisely expresses your main idea to your audience and is supported by the body of the essay. Your thesis statement should do more than state a fact; rather‚ it should make an assertion based on your own ideas. ( Bad: iPods are devices that transport and play music. ( Good: iPods are the best source for transporting and playing music not only because they are compact and user-friendly but also because they store
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