The Thesis/Claim Statement A Sentence Worth More Than a Thousand Words

Thesis/Claim Statements Is a complete sentence that contains the main idea AND your opinion. The Thesis/Claim will provide the road map for the entire essay.

A Thesis/Claim Statement is NOT A question A sentence fragment A statement of fact Something obvious

Location English readers want to know what they are reading about. Thesis/Claim statements must be located in the last sentence of the first paragraph.

The Magic Thesis/Claim Formula A Thesis/Claim statement includes three main things. 1. The Thesis/Claim must have a SUBJECT. 2. The Thesis/Claim must contain your ATTITUDE about the topic. 3. Your Thesis/Claim will explain your REASONS for your attitude.

The Magic Thesis/Claim Formula Thesis/Claim = Subject + Attitude + Reasons

A Good Thesis/Claim Will contain three elements: subject, attitude, and reasons. Will be located in the last sentence of the first paragraph Will not state the obvious Will not be a question Will be a complete sentence Will serve as the road map for the entire essay… EVERYTHING goes back to the Thesis/Claim!

Practice: Can You Spot a Good Thesis/Claim? Why I became a teacher. – Not a good Thesis/Claim: not a complete sentence, missing reasons. Looking back, there are three main reasons I became a teacher: my love of literature, my desire to help people, and my interest in how people learn. Reason(s) Attitude Subject A Good Thesis/Claim Statement

Practice: Can You Spot a Good Thesis/Claim? The sport of cross country running. – Not a good Thesis/Claim: has subject but not reasons or attitude, is not a complete sentence. Cross country running is a sport for everyone: you can meet new people and get in better shape. – Good Thesis/Claim: has all three elements, is not a question, is a complete sentence.

Practice: Can You Spot a Good Thesis/Claim? Why should marijuana be legalized? – Not a good Thesis/Claim: question, no reasons or attitude. Marijuana should be legalized because it would lessen the strain on our prisons and help to alleviate chronic pain in chemotherapy and glaucoma patients. OR Marijuana should not be legalized because it is a gateway drug that leads to harder drugs and higher crime rates. – Either is a good Thesis/Claim: all three elements, arguable, complete sentence.

Practice: Can You Spot a Good Thesis/Claim? Cancun is a popular vacation spot in Mexico. – Not a good Thesis/Claim: states the obvious Cancun is a destination that you should consider visiting because of its beautiful scenery and impressive resorts. OR Cancun is a popular Mexican destination, but because of high crime rates outside of the resorts, there are better locations for tourists, such as La Playa del Carmen. – Either is a good Thesis/Claim: all three elements, arguable, complete sentence.

Practice: Can You Create a Good Thesis/Claim? The problem of pollution in large cities. This is not a Thesis/Claim… How can you make it into one?

Practice: The Pollution Problem First, ask yourself questions about the topic: – Why is pollution in large cities a problem? – Do I have a solution? – What is the cause of the problem? – Can the government do anything to help the problem of pollution? – How can we, as citizens, help the problem? – Should these solutions be made into laws?

Practice: The Pollution Problem Next, take the information you know and begin to form an opinion about the topic: – Pollution is a major problem in large cities because it affects health as well as the beauty of a city. – Pollution can be eased by: taking public transportation, recycling, being less wasteful. – Pollution is a major problem, and people who litter or waste resources should be punished by laws.

Practice: The Pollution Problem From your opinion, fill in the space after this: In my paper, I will prove that… People that do not take steps to prevent pollution by recycling or taking public transportation should be punished by law because their actions have a negative effect on the health and well being of others.

Practice: The Pollution Problem People that do not take steps to prevent pollution  TOPIC by recycling or taking public transportation should be punished by law  ATTITUDE because their actions have a negative effect on the health and wellbeing of others.  REASONS

Practice: The Pollution Problem A sample outline of the paper with the Thesis/Claim we made would be: – Introduction: why pollution in large cities is a problem – Paragraph 2: how the actions of some people affect the health of others and the beauty of the city – Paragraph 3: suggestions of laws that should be passed – Paragraph 4: suggestions of penalties for breaking these laws – Paragraph 5: Closing

Practice: The Pollution Problem Another sample outline: – Introduction: why pollution should be a government- regulated problem and needs severe punishments – Paragraph 2: studies of how another city cleaned up by using this method – Paragraph 3: people would be more likely to use more environmentally friendly products if there were heavy fines – Paragraph 4: explain how this will make the city a better place to live – Paragraph 5: Closing

Thesis/Claim Statement Q&A If you don’t ask, you’ll never know.