Thesis Statements and Outlines

22 What is a thesis statement?  A thesis statement is a concise statement of the purpose of your paper.  A thesis statement states the main idea that you will prove in your paper.  Your thesis statement should be specific. It should cover only what you will discuss in your paper and should be supported with specific evidence.

33 Your Thesis Statement  The thesis statement needs to be in your introduction and is sometimes the final sentence of this paragraph, but it is not required to be the final sentence.  Keep in mind that your topic may change as you research and as you write, so you may need to revise your thesis statement to reflect exactly what you have discussed in the paper.

44 More on Thesis Statements  A thesis should not be a simple statement of fact because there are no controlling ideas that need development  Not a good thesis statement: Christmas is a holiday.  In the example above, there is nothing to prove; there is no argument.

55 Even more...  A thesis should not offer a simple personal opinion; the controlling idea in “I like” or “I think” is difficult to support.  Not a good thesis statement: I think Christmas is fun.

6 Even more...  A thesis should not be a statement of personal preference.  Not a good thesis statement: Cats are better than dogs.  This is not something that you can prove through researched evidence. 6

77 A simple formula:  a specific topic  + a particular feature or stand  + (a list of reasons)***  = an effective thesis statement  ***A specific list of reasons is not necessary. In fact, more sophisticated thesis statements will provide a broad, overall reason that you will expand on in the body of the essay

88 Example  Task: Write about high school  The first year of high school (specific topic)  is the most important year (particular stand)  because it builds academic  foundations, establishes  important relationships and  introduces new activities (a list of reasons)

9 Example  Task: Write about high school  The first year of high school (specific topic)  is the most important year (particular stand)  because it allows students to develop in many important ways. (an overall/broad reason) 9

1010  Another example:  Prompt: Are zoos helpful or harmful? Choose an opinion and support it.  Sample thesis: "Zoos are good in some ways, but not so good in others.”  Comment: This thesis is vague in terms of both its position and direction. It takes a fence-sitting position in that it's unclear whether or not the writer favors the abolition of zoos.

1111  Sample thesis: "Zoos provide an invaluable service and therefore should not be abolished.”  Comment: This thesis establishes a position on the topic, but it could be clearer in terms of direction. What is the "invaluable service" provided by zoos? Is this invaluable service unique to zoos, thereby supporting the view to keep them?

1212  A better thesis:  “While captive surroundings can never fully mimic life in the wild, zoos should not be abolished because they provide an invaluable service to society through the medical and wildlife research their facilitates provide.”

1313 Other resources  The OWL (online writing center) at Purdue  Writesource.com

14 Your Thesis  Now, take a few minutes and draft a thesis statement, remembering that it will probably change, at least a little bit, as you work through the rest of the research process. 14

15 A Good Outline  Has clear body paragraphs  The topic sentence of each paragraph is written in full  The topic sentence of each paragraph links back to the thesis  Each paragraph has multiple pieces of evidence (quotations or paraphrases) from your research  Has a clear explanation for each piece of evidence (remember the PEE format)--you must clearly explain how each piece of evidence supports the idea you are trying to prove. 15

16 Starting an Outline  Write your thesis statement on a piece of paper.  Brainstorm a list of reasons why you agree with your thesis statement.  Write each reason as a complete sentence. 16

17 Example  Thesis: Although it can be stressful and difficult, teaching is a rewarding profession. (The thesis implies the question, “Why is it a rewarding profession?”)  Reasons why I think this: The job is exciting because working with students is unpredictable. The job is exciting because working with students is unpredictable. Teaching is interesting because teachers work with a subject that they are passionate about. Teaching is interesting because teachers work with a subject that they are passionate about. Teachers have the opportunity to impact the lives of their students. Teachers have the opportunity to impact the lives of their students. Teachers constantly have opportunities to grow personally and professionally. Teachers constantly have opportunities to grow personally and professionally. 17

18 Creating the Outline  Each of the reasons that you wrote is a topic sentence--see how easy that was?  Each topic sentence will be one paragraph in your paper.  Below each topic sentence, list your points, evidence (from research) and explanations (of how the evidence proves each point). 18

19 Formatting the Outline  Type your thesis statement at the top of the page.  I. Topic sentence Point supporting or explaining topic sentence Point supporting or explaining topic sentence Evidence from your research supporting or proving the point (make sure that you indicate which source the information comes from, and include the entire quotation you will use)Evidence from your research supporting or proving the point (make sure that you indicate which source the information comes from, and include the entire quotation you will use) Explanation of how the evidence supports or proves the point (this does not have to be in complete sentences, but the more thorough the explanations, the easier it will be to write the paper later) Explanation of how the evidence supports or proves the point (this does not have to be in complete sentences, but the more thorough the explanations, the easier it will be to write the paper later)  Repeat this until you have filled in information beneath each topic sentence. 19