Your Thesis Statement:
The Only Sentence Worth More
Than A Thousand Words
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Setting the Tone-Your Introduction Paragraph
Think of your introduction paragraph like a funnel.First, grab you readers attention with a general
statement about your topic .
End your introduction with a strong statement/claim that tells your reader what you intend to prove to them
about your topic.Attention Grabbing Opening
Brief
Explanation
of to
pic
Thesis
Then, give your reader a brief explanation (2-5 sentences) of what you will be explaining about your
topic.
Today’s Focus-Your
THESIS
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First, let’s look at what a Thesis Statement
is NOT!
Thesis Statements Are Not
As Hard As You May Think…
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What a Thesis Statement is Not:
Your topic tells your reader what you are talking about. For Example:
I will compare marijuana usage over the last 5 years.
This is not a thesis, it is only
A Topic.
Your Thesis Statement is NOT Your Topic!Your thesis
tells your reader your position on your topic. For Example:
Marijuana usage has decreased over the past five years due to the successful “War on Drugs.”
This is a Successful
Thesis Statement
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What a Thesis Statement is Not:
Surprisingly, your thesis should be an arguable OPINION - NOT A FACT!
WHY? Because that is what makes your paper interesting to your reader!Your thesis should always be a statement that demands PROOF!
If not, what will you do for the next 2-10 pages???
You Thesis Statement is NOT A Fact About Your Topic!You spend the
rest of your paper CONVINCING your reader of why YOUR OPINION is TRUE!Your thesis prepares your reader for the facts that will prove your opinion about your topic to be true-it can not be a fact itself.
Your Thesis Should Take A
STAND!
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What a Thesis Statement is Not:You Thesis Statement is NOT A
Fact About Your Topic!
That is a fact, not a strong thesis!
Now, that is
a strong thesis!
Let’s Look At An Example
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What a Thesis Statement is…
It is the sentence that answers your readers
biggest question:
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By telling your reader your point in the first paragraph, you set the tone and make sure they are not frustrated and confused
for the rest of your essay.
What a Thesis Statement is…
Now That You Know What A Thesis Statement Is,
Let’s Look At What Makes A Strong Thesis Statement…
It Tells your Reader Your Topic It Tells the Reader a Fact About Your Topic
It Tells the reader your Point
Which of the following is TRUE about your THESIS STATEMENT?
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Requirements For a Strong Thesis:
1. It should not be TOO BROAD!
2. It should not be TOO NARROW!
3. It should not be TOO VAGUE!
There Are Three (3) Requirements For A
Strong Thesis Statement.
Let’s look at each of these requirements
a bit closer…
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Requirements For a Strong Thesis:A Strong Thesis Should Not Be Too Broad!
You may find yourselfdrowning in information,
unable to prove your point!
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Requirements For a Strong Thesis:A Strong Thesis Should Not Be Too Broad!Let’s Look At An ExampleThe death penalty should be banned
in the United States.That would definitely leave you drowning:
TOO BROAD!
The death penalty in Alabama has been ineffective in deterring crime and
should be replaced with more efforts to reform criminals and not murder them.
Much Better!That definitely is an opinion
narrow enough to be proven in a
college essay!
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Requirements For a Strong Thesis:A Strong Thesis Should Not
Be Too Narrow Either!You may find
yourselfTrying to stretch the small amount of information that you find to fit your
essay!
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Requirements For a Strong Thesis:
Let’s Look At An ExampleIn Lord of The Rings, the sward given to Frodo by his uncle represents the passing down of a legacy.
Though this may be
interesting, it would take
some tugging to stretch it
into an entire essay!
In Lord of the Rings, the
author carefully chose a weapon
for each character that was symbolic, and revealed
something about them to the
reader.
That looks like a thesis statement
we wouldn’t have to stretch
for!
A Strong Thesis Should Not Be Too Narrow!
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Requirements For a Strong Thesis:A Strong Thesis Should
Not Be Vague!
You may find your reader
Dazed and Confused!
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Requirements For a Strong Thesis:A Strong Thesis Should
Not Be VagueLet’s Look At An ExampleGetting rid of welfare in the United States is a horrible idea.
The word HORRIBLE is
hard to define! It
makes this thesis
Too VAGUE!
If the United States were to get rid of welfare, it would
aggravate an already severe
homeless problem, cause a rise in
crime, and remove the only safety net
that our country has in place.
To Fix ItDefine the term
“horrible idea” for your reader. Outlining the
major points of your essay would
also help.
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Where To StartStart Off With Your Topic!
Usually, your instructor will provide your topic: – It may be a general topic such as
family.–Or something more specific like
• The role that biological age played in Romeo and Juliet or
• Comparing and contrasting the philosophies of Descartes and Plato.
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Before trying to decide on a thesis, gather all of the
information available on your topic!
Where To Start
Why?1. How can you have an educated opinion about something that you know little
about? o The more that you know about your topic, the easier it will be to form a
provable opinion (thesis) about it.2. It is easier to write a thesis statement that explains what you have found in your
research, than to find research that explains what you have written in your thesis!3. You want the opinion that your thesis states to be provable by facts that you have
gathered. If you gather the facts first, you KNOW that it can be proven!
REMEMBER: Your Thesis and Your Topic are NOT the same. You must choose your topic before beginning your research.
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Where To Start
Depending on your topic, the research that you do will be different.
Your Family
The role that biological age played in Romeo and Juliet
Comparing and contrasting the philosophies of
Descartes and Plato.
Use your own memories & those of family members. **Be sure to
write the memories down to organize your research. **
Use notes from class and your text book. Then, use the Internet or
texts from the library to discover what experts have said on the
topic.
Use notes from class as well as you course text book. Then, find other pieces of writing from each person and expert commentaries on them.
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Where To StartOnce you have gathered
your information, Ask Yourself a Few Questions:What
would my reader want to know
about my topic?
What is the most important thought
that I have about my
topic?
What will be the point of my paper?
What has my research shown
me about my topic?
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Before You Write Your Thesis…
First Write A WORKING
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A Working ThesisA Working Thesis is Made Up of Two Parts:
AND
may mean different things to different people, but it is an important part of every culture.
Family
For Example:
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2. Is it TOO NARROW?
3. Is it TOO VAGUE?
Refining Your Working ThesisTo turn your Working Thesis into a Final Thesis Statement, compare it to the requirements for a strong thesis statement:
Family may mean different things to different people, but it is an important part of every culture.
1. Is it TOO BROAD?
This Working Thesis needs to be made more specific.
It is too BROAD!
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Refining Your Working Thesis
Family may mean different things to different people, but it is an important part of every culture.
Possible Revisions To Make The Broad Statement More Specific:
A. As in many countries, family has a huge impact on American culture.• This is more narrow because we have reduced it to one specific culture.
B. The strength of the family unit impacts each individual regardless of their society.• This is more narrow because family is reduced to the family’s strength
and society is reduced to the individual. This can be more easily proven in a collegiate essay.
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So…How Do You Write A Thesis Statement?
1. Start off with your TOPIC!2. Before trying to decide on a thesis, gather all of the
information available on your topic!3. Once you have gathered your information, Ask
Yourself a Few Questions:• What is the most important thought that I have about
my topic? • What has my research shown me about my topic?• What would my reader want to know about my topic? • What will be the POINT of my paper?
4. Use your answers to write a Working Thesis.5. Turn your Working Thesis into a Final Thesis
Statement by comparing it to the requirements for a strong thesis statement:
Is it too broad? Is it too narrow? Is it too vague?
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Need More Help Writing Thesis Statements?Visit the
LRCOr ask for tutoring!
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