HOW TO WRITE POWERFUL THESIS STATEMENTS 1

Theseus vs. Thesis Theseus, a mythical hero of ancient Greece, found his way out of the Cretan Labyrinth by following a thread. Copyright 2012 Dianne Mason2

A thesis statement allows both the writer and the reader to find their way through a labyrinth of ideas by following a thread of thought. Copyright 2012 Dianne Mason3

Academic writing requires a thesis statement. Most academic writing should contain a sentence that states the controlling idea of the essay, the central message. Copyright 2012 Dianne Mason4

That central message, the thesis statement, is the string that guides the reader from the introductory paragraph, through the supporting ones, to the conclusion. (Remember Theseus and the Minotaur.) Copyright 2012 Dianne Mason5

A thesis statement is not a subject. “The two most famous generals of the Civil War” is not a thesis statement. Copyright 2012 Dianne Mason6

A thesis statement is not a question. “Was Robert E. Lee a better general than Ulysses S. Grant?” is not a thesis statement. Copyright 2012 Dianne Mason7

A thesis statement is not a statement of fact. A fact is something true or indisputable; something that exists or happens. Copyright 2012 Dianne Mason8

Facts Many Americans are overweight. Nowadays, many movies and video games are violent. Some people doubt that global warming is real. Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant are two famous Civil War generals. Copyright 2012 Dianne Mason9

A thesis statement is not a statement of intent. A statement of intent announces what the reader intends to say (the goal) and is not a claim. Copyright 2012 Dianne Mason10

Statements of Intent ◦I am going to explain the importance of a father in a daughter’s life. ◦My essay will discuss whether performance enhancing drugs should be allowed in professional sports. ◦The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast Generals Grant and Lee. Copyright 2012 Dianne Mason11

What is a thesis statement? A claim: an assertion of the truth of something A one or two sentence summary of a paper’s main point An unproved statement which is assumed to be true and from which a conclusion can be drawn Copyright 2012 Dianne Mason12

A thesis statement does the following: Requires you to give reasons for your claim and to show that it is worth proving - Although Lee was a better tactician than Grant, he lost the war because Grant was the better strategist. Copyright 2012 Dianne Mason13

5 Traits of an effective thesis 1. It states a claim. 2. It is focused. 3. It contains one main point. 4. It may provide a blueprint for the essay. 5. It must be well-supported. Copyright 2012 Dianne Mason14

A thesis statement is adequately focused. It is not too broad. It is not too narrow. Copyright 2012 Dianne Mason15

Examples of thesis statements that are too broad. Video games today have many advantages over the first generation ones. There is too much money in politics. The lifestyle of women today is very different from that of women during the American Revolution. Copyright 2012 Dianne Mason16

An effective thesis statement contains one main point. Ineffective: “There are advantages and disadvantages of making English the official language of the United States. Effective: “English should be the official language of the United States.” Copyright 2012 Dianne Mason17

Ineffective: Limiting free speech has both advantages and disadvantages. Effective: The Supreme Court has rightly limited freedom of speech when such speech jeopardizes national safety, justice, or personal safety. Copyright 2012 Dianne Mason18

An effective thesis may provide a blueprint for the essay One way to show the reader your plan is to create a thesis with a topic part and a comment part. Copyright 2012 Dianne Mason19

Examples of topic/comment thesis Human beings do not need to eat meat because they can get all of their nutritional needs met from eating meatless products. Copyright 2012 Dianne Mason20

Cell phones and the internet have made communication faster and easier than ever but at the expense of important face-to-face contact. Copyright 2012 Dianne Mason21

Sometimes the comment comes first and the topic second Rising crime rates, increasingly overcrowded conditions, and growing expenses make living comfortably in a modern city difficult. Copyright 2012 Dianne Mason22

A thesis statement must be well-supported. No matter how well-constructed and thoughtful your thesis statement is, it is only effective when supported by evidence. Copyright 2012 Dianne Mason23

You must have adequate information, examples, details, personal experiences, reasons, etc. to convince your reader that you know what you’re talking about. Copyright 2012 Dianne Mason24