1. Chapter 3 – Models for Writers Reading: “Be Specific”
Thesis
Chapter 3 – Models for Writers
Reading: “Be Specific”

2. What is a thesis statement?
The thesis of an essay is its main or controlling idea, the point the writer is trying to make.
It is a claim made about a debatable issue that can be supported with evidence.

3. A thesis statement should be
the most important point you make about your topic
more general than the ideas and facts used to support it
appropriately focused for the length of your paper

4. Where does the thesis appear in an essay?
Usually the thesis is presented early in the essay
When writing a multi-paragraph essay the thesis is found in the introduction
When writing a single paragraph response, the thesis is often referred to as the “CLAIM” and is either the first or second sentence of the paragraph.
(when writing single paragraph we will refer to the thesis as the claim,
following the CEEC paragraph model)

5. Here are some thesis statements that begin essays:
One of the most potent elements in body language is eye behavior.
–Flora Davis
Americans can be divided into three groups — smokers, nonsmokers, and that expanding pack of us who have quit.
–Franklin E. Zimring
Clutter is the disease of American writing. We are a society strangling in unnecessary words, circular constructions, pompous frills, and meaningless jargon.
–William Zinsser

6. What makes a these examples good thesis statments?
Each of these sentences does what a good thesis statement should do: it identifies the topic and makes a strong statement (claim) about it

7. Are thesis statements ALWAYS needed in an essay? NO
Some kinds of writing do not need thesis statements. These include:
Descriptive essays
Narrative essays
Personal writing such as letters and diaries.

8. What kinds of essays REQUIRE a thesis statement?
Any essay that seeks to explain or prove a point has a thesis that is usually set forth in a formal thesis statement.
Argument essays
Expository/informative essays