Writing a Good Thesis Statement

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Presentation transcript:

Writing a Good Thesis Statement STEP 1 Begin with a Point or Thesis

Understanding Thesis Statements A good thesis statement does two things in an essay: It tells the reader the essay’s topic. It presents the writer’s ATTITUDE, OPINION, IDEA, OR POINT about that topic. Examples: College life is very stressful for first year students. (give 3 reasons why) Burger King is much better than McDonalds. (give 3 reasons why) Celebrities are often poor role models. (Give 3 reasons why) Each reason is the topic of its own paragraph! Your essay is done!

The Don’ts of Thesis Statements 1. Write statements, not Announcements! Examples of what not to do when starting an essay: The subject of this paper will be… I want to talk about … In this essay I want to express… My opinion of fast food restaurants is… This essay is about… I want to explain the… 2. Avoid statements that are too BROAD! Example – Men and women are very different. 3. Avoid statements that are too NARROW! Example – In Canada, a person must be 18 yrs old in order to vote in the federal elections. 4. Write statements that contain only ONE IDEA! Example - Group work has many advantages, but at the same time it brings many difficulties. Don’t do this! Ever! Bad…very bad!!

Writing a Good Thesis Limit your topic until you can control it: GENERAL TOPIC LIMITED TOPIC THESIS Video Games Grand Theft Auto The GTA video game is too violent for children. Ways to limit your topic: 1. specific items (persons, aspects, things) 2. specific locations (place) 3. specific time periods (1970s, WWII, Roman Empire) 4. classifications and categories (newspapers, TV, internet, swimming, soccer training—ball juggling)

STEP 2 Support Thesis with Specific Evidence The second basic step is to support the thesis with specific reasons or details. In a standard academic essay, you should advance (3) three main supporting details. Example Thesis: Going to the movies is a real problem. Support: 1. Inconvenience of going out 2. Tempting and expensive snacks 3. Behavior of other moviegoers Thesis statement: The hazards of going out, the expensive snacks, and the behavior of other movie goers are some of the problems of going to the movies.

Practice Exercises Directions: Limit the following topics and then provide a good thesis statement for each one by using three supporting details. First one Is done for you. GENERAL TOPIC LIMITED THESIS STATEMENT Sports Bike racing BMX racing is better than mountain bike racing Universities Education Festivals Expensive Cars Hospitals Camping Vacations Teenagers Fashion Trends