Writing a Strong Thesis Statement

The Three “P’s” A good thesis statement includes three “P’s.” It is a… Three-Pronged Parallel Preview …of your essay.

Example of a Thesis with the Three “P’s” It is important for good friends to have excellent moral character; they should have a sense of loyalty, kindness, and dependability. NOT: The most important qualities of a good friend are sense of humor, being kind, and someone I can depend on.

Three Prongs The three prongs are your three examples from your “Examples of the Big Picture” column. Example: “Television can be educational; It helps people learn, It helps people remember, and it gives people information from all over the world.”

Parallel It is written in parallel form, which means they have the same grammatical structure. Example: “Television can be educational; It helps you learn, it helps you remember, and it gives you information from all over the world.”

Preview Gives readers an idea of what the essay will be about (Your big picture). Example: “Television can be educational; It helps you learn, It helps you remember, and it gives you information from all over the world.”

Practice! Your prompt: Write a letter to parents about the effects of students working while finishing high school. Your Question: What are the effects of work on students finishing school? Your top three brainstormed answers (your example column in quote dissection): Your three “P” thesis:

Extra Practice: 1. Media violence is harmful to society. 2. Technology has changed lives.

Sources: Backman, Brian. Thinking in Threes: the Power of Three in Writing. Fort Collins, CO: Cottonwood, 2005. Print.