Thesis Statement

Think of a thesis statement like a formula (like in math): Your thesis statement is one sentence that sums up the argument of your essay. When you write your thesis statement, you are telling your audience what you are going to prove in the essay. Your thesis is always the last sentence of the introductory paragraph. The reason for this is because you want your audience to keep your goal in mind as they begin to read your body paragraphs (the evidence) Think of a thesis statement like a formula (like in math): Subject + Opinion = Thesis Statement

Strong Examples of Thesis Statements: Bullying in schools is a serious problem that negatively impacts student learning, puts students’ safety at risk, and could be prevented. The current rise in school violence is caused by exposure to violent media, poor access to mental health services, and easy access to firearms. Down syndrome is an autosomal genetic disease that has several symptoms, is not curable, is caused by nondisjunction and has major effects on most body systems.

Weak Examples of Thesis Statements Diabetes is a harmful disease that impacts many people. (an obvious fact) In this essay, I am going to talk about the Mexican American war and its causes and effects (an announcement). Bullying in schools is a really serious problem (too broad).

Essay Hooks

Setting the Scene Use imagery and figurative language to transport your reader to a scene that gets them involved in your topic right from the very first sentence. Example: Abraham Lincoln sample

Anecdote Use a brief personal story to introduce your reader to your topic and capture the essence of the issue or situation. Example: A small-town mother wanted to buy a pair of shoes for her child. She went out to her favorite local shoe store, only to discover that they had closed due to the popularity of discount giant, Wal-Mart. Huge stores like Wal-Mart are running the changes of small businesses to succeed.

Quotation Use a voice that is not your own to speak to the issue or topic. Example: John Kennedy once said, “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” His quote inspired every American to take initiative and do their civic duty to make the United States a better place to be. The participants of the Civil Rights movement exemplified this statement when they risked mistreatment, ridicule, and danger to right for the rights of all Americans.

News Give the reader the who-what-when- where-why of a situation or issue. Example: Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States and many want to know why. Some scientists blame fast food restaurants for the recent rise in the number of unhealthy Americans. In 2008, a few towns even made fast food illegal in their city limits! However, it may not be possible to identify just one culprit in this battle

Surprising Fact Use a fact or statistic that will immediately grab your reader’s interest because it’s so shocking. Example: Every day, one in four Americans visits a fast food restaurant. In fact, people in the United States spend more money on fast food than on education!

Hooks to Avoid - Announcement Don’t tell the reader what you are going to say in the essay. Example: In this paper, I am going to prove….My first example is…..

Hooks to Avoid - Definition Avoid using only a definition to open your essay. This is cliché and has been done too many times. Example: Dictionary.com describes conformity as….

Hooks to Avoid – Asking a Question It’s difficult to do this technique well, and question hooks tend to be too generic. Example: Have you ever known someone who had diabetes?

Hooks to Avoid – A cliché phrase Clichés are not effective because they have been overused and aren’t original. Example: We’ve all heard the expression “Better safe than sorry” But is that true of today’s airline security procedures?)

Hooks to Avoid – Unfocused Lead The reader gets lost and confused before the writer has even started the essay. Example: Adoption programs in his country have some flaws. They aren’t completely bad, but they need to be dealt with. There are a couple things I’m concerned about, even though, overall, adoption is a good thing