Transcript Personal Thesis Statements personal_thesis

Essay Writing:
Thesis Statements
What is a thesis statement?
A thesis statement is a general sentence
with a subject and an opinion (also called
commentary [CM]).
A thesis statement organizes and states
the focus of your paper.
A thesis statement can be found in your
introductory paragraph (usually at the
end).
How does one craft a thesis?
Subject:
– Summer vacation
– School dances
– Horror films
Opinion:
– Too short
– Risqué
– Predictable
Some Examples (personal)
Summer vacation is relaxing, but it is too
short.
School dances can be fun, but are often
risqué.
Horror films are predictable and are
therefore not as scary as they could be.
Australia is the best country of all for a
vacation.
Review
A thesis is a general sentence with a
____________ and an _________ (also
called __________).
Practice
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
For each of the following thesis statements,
underline the subject once and the opinion
(commentary) twice.
Example: West Hills is a wonderful place to go
to school.
Fishing is fun to do when I’m with my dad.
English is my favorite class.
It’s exciting going to a new school.
Tacos are my favorite food.
I like radio station Q106 the most.
Review
What are the two parts of a thesis?
– _______ and _______ (also called ________)
Descriptive Words
Do NOT use vague words in your thesis
that do not explain how you feel.
E.g., lame, stupid, awesome, cool, etc.
Use more descriptive words to convey
your feelings:
– Disgusting, uninteresting, expensive,
mysterious, cruel, embarrassing, brave,
proud, selfish, satisfying, thankful,
unsuccessful, victorious, etc.
Practice
Now you will practice writing thesis
sentences of your own. First you need to
think of some subjects you know
something about.
Here are some ideas:
– Getting braces
– Bicycling
– Homework
Write your subject in your notes
Practice (cont’d)
Next , write a thesis for your subject.
Here is an example:
– Getting braces was one of the best things that could
have happened to me.
Notice the subject and opinion (commentary) in
this thesis.
Now think of a thesis for the subject you chose
and write it in your notes.
Underline your subject once and your opinion
twice.
Your Turn
Create a thesis statement for each of the
following subjects:
– Dress codes
– Rap music
– The Internet
Be ready to share with the class.
Now, create 2 thesis statements with
subjects of your own choosing.
– Underline each subject once and each
opinion (commentary) twice.
Final Review
A thesis is a general sentence with a
_______________ and an __________
(______________).
Homework
Write a thesis for our prompt “The 3 Most
___ Things About the First Day of School”
Look at what you wrote in your journal
entry. What kinds of things did you write
about?
– Were they: scary, exciting, new, boring,
overwhelming…etc?
Review
Identify the sentences Mrs. Drake will
show you as thesis statements or not.
Number 1 to 10 in your notes.
For each sentence you see, write “Yes” if it
is a thesis statement and “No” if it is not.
Remember that a thesis is a general
sentence with a ________ and an
_______ (_______)