1. Writing Thesis Statements:
A Formulaic Process

2. The Formula: Topic or Title and Author Preview of Support Verb
Theme/Cause/Argument

3. Step One: Topics or Title/Author
Topics Title/Author
Censorship Elie Wiesel’s Night
Holocaust Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men
High school Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet College Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado”
French Revolution Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird
Firemen
Catholicism
The Dust Bowl

4. Step Two: Preview of Support What is the author using or showing
to make his/her point?
“uses imagery and symbolism to…”
“employs foreshadowing, characterization, and
imagery to…”
“portrays female characters negatively to…”
“conveys a contrasting opinion of the necessity of war to…”

5. Choose a verb that accurately portrays what the author is doing…
Step Three: Verb
Choose a verb that accurately portrays what the author is doing…
Argues Depicts Proves
Attempts Develops Portrays
Characterizes Displays Questions
Compares Enhances Recounts
Contrasts Expresses Reveals
Conveys Identifies Ridicules
Defends Implies Shows
Demonstrates Makes Suggests

6. Step Four: Theme/Argument
What is the author trying to prove?
What is the message he/she is trying to convey?
“love conquers all.”
“War has devastating effects on soldiers.”
“The American Dream is unattainable
for some individuals.”

7. Put all four steps together to create a well-written thesis statement…

8. Step 1: In The Tragedy of Romeo and
Juliet, William Shakespeare…
Step 2: …uses imagery and symbolism…
Step 3: …to prove…
Step 4: …that love conquers all.

9. Step 1: The events of the Holocaust…
Step 2: …are proof that a dictatorship…
Step 3: …produces…
Step 4: …negative effects on a society.

10. Step 1: In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird…
Step 2: …the author uses both Boo
Radley and Tom Robinson…
Step 3: …to portray…
Step 4: …the fact that social inequality was very prevalent during the 1930s.

11. Now it’s your turn…
Using this formula, create your own thesis statement using the prompts given to you on the handout.