Transcript Document 7307723

Thesis Statements
•Definition
of a Thesis Statement
•How
to Construct a Strong Thesis
Statement
•How
to Tell a Strong Thesis Statement
from a Weak One
What is a Thesis Statement?

What is a thesis statement?

Most important sentence in your paper

The single sentence that __________,
_________, and / or ________ the topic of your
essay and your approach to the topic

Lets readers know your ____________

Answers: What am I trying to _________ through
the research / points in my paper?
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 _________.

A thesis statement should show exactly what your
paper will be about, and will help you keep your
paper to a manageable topic.
Thesis Statements Should:

Be ______________
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What does this mean??
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Thesis statements should not contain pre-established
_______________. Why?
Thesis statements should present information and
your _____________________to the information.
Even though you don’t say, “_____________” or
“________________,” your thesis is your
________________________ based on the
_________________and __________________
you’ve made as you’ve _____________for your paper.
Thesis Statements Should:
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Take your essay’s purpose and audience into
account
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Contain action verbs, strong adjectives, and
specific, illustrative vocabulary

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Avoid- “________,” “______,” “________,” etc.
Avoid- “___________” or other vague,
generalized statements
Ideas for
Stronger Verbs…
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Instead of “is / are” use _________________
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
__________________
Instead of “have” use ___________________
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
Or _________________
Or ________________
___________________
Instead of “show” use___________________

Or ________________
___________________
Constructing a Strong Thesis
Statement


How do you write a good
thesis statement?
Magic Formula:
________________+
___________________ +
________________________ =
Strong Thesis Statement
Formula Example for Literature
Specific Topic + Active Verb + Point You are
Proving (your approach) = Strong Thesis
Statement
Even though it was written more than two
thousand years ago, Homer’s epic The
Odyssey + presents + a hero that today’s
audiences can respect.= Strong Thesis
Statement
Let’s Observe and Reflect…
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Literature Example: Even though it was
written more than two thousand years ago,
Homer’s epic The Odyssey + presents + a
hero that today’s audiences can respect.=
Strong Thesis Statement
What do you notice about this thesis
statement?
How does it differ from past thesis
construction ideas you may have learned?
Is anything missing?
Formula Example for Science
Specific Topic + Active Verb + Point You are
Proving (your approach) = Strong Thesis
Statement
Nuclear power + provides + the cleanest
source of energy to meet the demands of the
twenty-first century. =Strong Thesis
Statement
Two Different Approaches

There are two ways to construct a strong
thesis statement (and include your supporting
details).
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Using the same magic formula, you can
construct:
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A ________ Pronged Thesis
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A _______ Part Thesis
aka. “the fork”
aka. “the knife and
the fork”
A Three Pronged Thesis
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This is the common ______ approach to writing
thesis statements.
Your thesis includes your ___________, your
____________________, and the
_________________________you will use to
prove and discuss your topic in the body of your
essay.
You may have more or less than 3 points
depending on the size of your essay.
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

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
______________________________ 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.”
A Two Part Thesis
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As you grow as a writer, you should expand into
the two part thesis approach.
Here, you state your thesis and approach to topic
in one sentence.
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This is actually the true definition of a thesis
statement… one sentence with topic and approach.
Following your “thesis sentence” you must then
write a “____________________” statement.
You will put forth the main points of your
paper (3 aspects / topics) in the
“ __________________” statement.
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A Two Part Thesis
Example for Social Studies
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THESIS- When compared, the United States
and the Philippines exhibit similar governing
characteristics.
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DETAILS STATEMENT- Their federal
branches, formal legal systems, and rules of
cultural decorum correspond.
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Examine how the same formula is used. The thesis is clear, so
are the 3 points that will help prove the thesis.
A Two Part Thesis
Example for Science

THESIS- Nuclear power provides the
cleanest source of energy to meet the
demands of the twenty-first century.

DETAILS STATEMENT- It emits no
greenhouse gasses, causes no atmospheric
pollution, and harms no water or aquatic life.

Examine how the same formula is used. The thesis is clear, so
are the 3 points that will help prove the thesis.
A Two Part Thesis
Example for Literature

THESIS- Literary contemporaries William
Shakespeare and Ben Jonson possess
similar writing styles.
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DETAILS STATEMENT- They exhibit
comparable word usage, character
development, and plot execution.
Thesis Statement Construction
in Terms of Grammar
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The __________ of your paper should be the
__________ of your sentence.
Your ______________ (approach to topic)
should come in the predicate part of your
sentence.
Your __________ __________ _________ or
make the assertion about the subject (topic).
Let’s Practice #1Literature Example
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Here is a weak thesis example:
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Authors, James Hurst and Ray Bradbury, use
symbolism in many ways.
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What’s wrong?
What’s missing?
How can we make this thesis better?
You can create either a two part or a three
pronged approach.
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Practice Answers #1…
Literature Example
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The thesis is ______________. “In many
ways” tells the reader nothing.
The Fix____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
Let’s Practice #2…
Science Example
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Here is a weak thesis example:
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My paper is about earthquakes. In this paper I
will explain that earthquakes are caused by the
movement of the Earth.
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What’s wrong?
What’s missing?
How can we make this thesis better?
You can create either a two part or a three pronged
approach.
Practice Answers #2…
Science Example
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Problem_____________________________.
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Remember, ____________________________
________________________. A strong thesis
will stand on its own.
The “statement of details” or “forecast” statement
is a ________________________.
Practice Answers #2…
Science Example
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Possible Fixes:
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
What did we change? Why?
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

The Purdue OWL Family of Sites. The Writing
Lab and OWL at Purdue and Purdue University.
26 Aug. 2005. Web. 18 Aug. 2009.
Independent Thesis Practice
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Directions: Please identify the errors and
correct the following thesis statements using
the information provided and the notes you
took in class.
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You are allowed to add your own information.
Make sure to be specific.
Write your answers directly on this handout in the
spaces provided.
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
#1: Correct this thesis statement
using the 3 Pronged approach.
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Shakespeare influenced his culture in many
ways. (*Create your own 3 points)
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
What’s Wrong? _______________________
Your Revised Thesis: ______________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
#2: Correct this thesis statement
using the 3 Pronged approach.

I think that public safety education represents
the best way to save lives during an
earthquake.
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What’s Wrong? _______________________
Your Revised Thesis: ______________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
#3: Correct this thesis statement
using the 3 Pronged approach.
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In high school, teachers assign homework.
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What’s Wrong? _______________________
Your Revised Thesis: ______________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
#4: Correct this thesis statement
using the 3 Pronged approach.
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Irony is shown in the following three stories,
“The Most Dangerous Game,” “The
Interlopers,” and “The Necklace” through
character development.
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What’s Wrong? _______________________
Your Revised Thesis: ______________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
#5. Correct this thesis statement
using the two part thesis approach.
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Chocolate cake are easy to bake in three
steps. First you add eggs to the batter.
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What’s Wrong? _______________________
Your Revised Thesis: ______________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
#6. Correct this thesis statement
using the two part thesis approach.
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This essay is about China’s economy. China
has many important natural resources.
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What’s Wrong? _______________________
Your Revised Thesis: ______________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
#7. Correct this thesis statement
using the two part thesis approach.
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Wind energy is an alternative to fossil fuels.
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What’s Wrong? _______________________
Your Revised Thesis: ______________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________