Transcript Thesis Statements

Thesis Statements
Create an Argument
What is a thesis statement?
 A thesis statement is the main idea of the essay.
 It is often a point you want to argue or support in
an essay.
 Is one concise sentence that can be argued in the
essay. It must be a statement, not a question. It can
answer your research question though.
 It is placed in the introductory paragraph, and is
strongest if it is toward the bottom of the paragraph.
 All body paragraphs and evidence can be linked
back to the thesis statement.
Thesis statements should avoid the following:
 First person (I believe, In my opinion, etc.)
 Unclear language (It seems, etc.)
 Attempting two topics at once (even if they seem related).
Pick one and stick with it.
 Just stating a fact – A thesis is something you plan to make
an argument about.
 The first polygraph was developed by Dr. John A. Larson in
1921.
 Instead, be sure to have a point:
 Because the polygraph has not been proved reliable, even under the
most controlled conditions, its use by private employers should be
banned.
Explicit v. Implicit Thesis Statements
 An implicit thesis statement implies the paper’s main idea.
 (No “I” statement)
 An explicit thesis statement announces the paper’s main idea.
 (Has “I” statement)
 Examples:
 Implicit: Working while attending college classes remains necessary
for many students, but unfortunately many problems result from the
difficulties of balancing work and school.
 Explicit: I will now discuss examples of how going to college and
working full time puts pressure on students and results in many
dropping out of school.
Be Specific!
 Your thesis should be specific!
 Examples:
 Specific: Global warming will cause ice caps and glaciers to melt, oceans
to warm, and sea levels to rise.
 General: Global warming will have many negative consequences for the
environment.
Support the statement in the body of the essay…
Thesis example:
While consumerism fuels our economy and offers us a high standard of living, it also simplifies our existence down to
only consuming, requires depleting the earth’s resources and is causing global climate change, and allows for the
mindset of profits over people.
Paragraph one:
Topic Sentence: As Americans we are seen primarily as consumers, by major companies and our government.
Paragraph two:
Topic Sentence: The harmful effects of over consuming can now best be seen around the world, through toxic waste,
resource depletion, and global climate change.
Paragraph three:
Topic Sentence: When everything has a price, the values of society shift, to that of financial gain at the cost of everything
else.
Support the statement in the body of the essay…
Example 2:
Thesis: While the United States government claimed to be attacked repeatedly and viciously, without reason during
August of 1964, Vietnam was just giving the United States a warning and the US used this to justify going to war.
Paragraph 1:
Topic Sentence: The United States’ perception of what happened in the Gulf of Tonkin, 1964, and their motives to go to
war with Vietnam were different then the US government told its citizens.
Paragraph 2:
Topic Sentence: The United States’ perception of what happened in the Gulf of Tonkin, 1964, and their motives to go to
war with Vietnam were different then the US government told its citizens.
Paragraph 3:
Topic Sentence: After bending the truth of what happened in the Gulf of Tonkin, the United States used this ‘attack’ to
justify going into full warfare with Vietnam.
Criteria for Good Thesis Statements
 Arguable – Reasonable people could disagree
 Supportable – Can be backed up with evidence, reasons
 Specific – Not vague, not too general, not too broad
 “Maps out” the paper – Gives the reader a guide to the organization
of the argument
 Third person – No “I” or “me” in the paper
Practice with Persuasive Thesis Statements
 In partners go over the thesis examples and decide which
ones meet the criteria for a good thesis.