THE THESIS STATEMENT

?? THESIS STATEMENT ?? Introductory paragraph Contains an expression of attitude, opinion, or idea about a topic. Expresses the controlling idea for the entire essay.

W HY S HOULD Y OUR E SSAY C ONTAIN A T HESIS S TATEMENT ? to test your ideas by distilling them into a sentence to better organize and develop your argument to provide your reader with a “guide” to your argument

T HESIS S TATEMENT : P OINTS TO R EMEMBER 1. Complete Sentence 2. Expresses an opinion, attitude, or idea. 3. Opinion, not a fact 4. One idea on one topic.

1. A C OMPLETE S ENTENCE Main statement for the entire essay. Express a complete thought- expressed in a complete sentence.

Not a thesis statement: My fear of the dark Thesis Statement: My fear of the dark has made my life miserable

2. OPINION, ATTITUDE, OR IDEA Expresses an opinion, attitude, or idea. Does not simply announce the topic the essay will develop

Not a thesis statement: I am going to discuss the effects of procrastination. Thesis Statement: The effects of procrastination are often negative.

Not a thesis statement: ‘Twilight’ is my favorite movie. Thesis statement: The movie ‘Twilight’ has an interesting storyline.

3. O PINION, NOT A FACT The thesis statement is a statement that someone could disagree with. The thesis statement needs to be explained or proved.

Not a thesis statement: Cows produce milk Thesis statement: The milk cows produce is not always fit for human consumption.

The Simpsons represents the greatest animated show in the history of television. The Simpsons treats the issues of ethnicity, family dynamics, and social issues effectively.

4. O NE IDEA ON ONE TOPIC If a thesis statement contains two or more ideas, the essay runs the risk of lacking unity and coherence.

Not a thesis statement: Going to college in the Midwest can be fun, and I have found that living in a suburb of a large city is the best way to live while at college. Thesis statement: Going to college in the Midwest can be fun.

There are many advantages and disadvantages to going to college. The advantages to going to college far outweigh the disadvantages.

L ET ’ S MAKE THIS SIMPLE Specific topic + Attitude/Angle/Argument = Thesis What you plan to argue + How you plan to argue it = Thesis

N OW, LET ’ S PLAY : IS IT A THESIS STATEMENT ? The advantages of majoring in Business Studies. I would like to discuss my views on the Olympic Games. Students should be allowed to manage bookstore. When I first came to the United States, I wasn’t used to eating in fast food places, and I was amazed at the shopping centers.

Why do I want to be a lawyer? The differences between Mandarin and Hunan dialects. Knowing a foreign language can be beneficial to anyone.

This advertisement attempts to appeal to the reader’s sense of patriotism. I am going to describe my home. There are many similarities and differences between New York and Hong Kong.