Transcript Thesis Statements

Thesis Statements
•Definition
•How
of a Thesis Statement
to Construct a Strong ThreePronged Thesis Statement
Four Characteristics of Strong
Thesis Statements
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1. A strong thesis statement
______________________________.
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2. A strong thesis statement
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A thesis must show your conclusions about a
topic.
Your thesis should indicate the point of the
discussion.
(Quoted Source: Writing Tutorial Services, Indiana University- current and
following slide)
Four Characteristics of Strong
Thesis Statements
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3. A strong thesis statement
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Readers need to be able to see that your paper
has one main point. If your thesis statement
expresses more than one idea, then you might
confuse your readers about the subject of your
paper.
4. A strong thesis statement _________.
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A thesis statement should show exactly what your
paper will be about, and will help you keep your
paper to a manageable topic.
Constructing a Strong Thesis
Statement
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How do you write a good
thesis statement?
Magic Formula:
________________+
___________________ +
________________________ =
Strong Thesis Statement
A Three Pronged Thesis
Example for Literature:
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3
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Literary contemporaries William Shakespeare
and Ben Jonson exhibit 1 similar styles of
language, 2 character development, and
plot execution. = Strong Thesis!
Topic + active verb + 3 prongs / main points /
the approach that you use to prove your topic
= strong thesis
A Three Pronged Thesis
Example for Science:
Because it 1 emits no greenhouse gasses,
2 causes no atmospheric pollution, and
3 harms no water or aquatic life, Nuclear
power + provides + the cleanest source of
energy to meet the demands of the twentyfirst century. =Strong Thesis Statement
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3 prongs / main points + Topic + active verb
+ the approach that you use to prove your
topic = strong thesis
Grammar Connection:
A Note about Parallel Structure
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The 3 points in your thesis must be written in
parallel structure.
“Parallel structure means using the same
pattern of words to show that two or more
ideas have the same level of importance.
This can happen at the word, phrase, or
clause level. The usual way to join parallel
structures is with the use of coordinating
conjunctions such as ‘and’ or ‘or.’”
Examples:
Parallel Words and Phrases
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“With the -ing form (gerund) of words:
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Parallel: Mary likes hiking, swimming, and
bicycling.
With infinitive phrases:
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Parallel: Mary likes to hike, to swim, and to ride a
bicycle.
OR
Mary likes to hike, swim, and ride a bicycle.”
Keep Your Sentence Structure
Parallel- “Don’t Mix Word Forms”
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“Example 1- Not Parallel:
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Parallel Fix:
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Mary likes hiking, swimming, and riding a bicycle.
Example 2- Not Parallel:
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Mary likes hiking, swimming, and to ride a bicycle.
The production manager was asked to write his
report quickly, accurately, and in a detailed
manner.
Parallel Fix:
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The production manager was asked to write his
report quickly, accurately, and thoroughly.”
Work Cited
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Four Characteristics of Strong Thesis
Statements (Quotations)
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Writing Tutorial Services, Indiana University,
Bloomington, IN
Parallel Structure Quotations and Examples
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The Purdue OWL Family of Sites. The Writing
Lab and OWL at Purdue and Purdue University.
26 Aug. 2005. Web. 18 Aug. 2009.
Remember to look out for:
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Vague, weak verbs- use action verbs
Vague, weak, or generalized language
Missing points (3 aspects the paper will cover)
Incorrect format- Use of “I” or “This essay is about…”
Lack of parallel structure / Inconsistent ordering within the 3prong list
 (keep your nouns, adjectives, etc. in similar form)
Facts- remember a thesis needs to be provable, not an already
proven fact
 (facts go in the body of your essay)
Disorganized approaches to the topic
 remember to stay focused and organized