Student Name______________________________________________Date_____________Period_____
Writing a Thesis
Use this format to create a thesis below. On the next page, I have a detailed step-by-step process of
how to fill in each box and use your theory accordingly.
Simple Sentence
Add an adjective and adverb
Add a prepositional phrase
Add an appositive phrase
Add a subordinate clause
Add a triad of absolute phrases
An example is provided on the next page.
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Example of a Thesis
Step 1: Simple Sentence
The theory identifies.
Step 2: Add an adjective and adverb
The literary theory universally identifies.
Step 3: Add a prepositional phrase
During the medieval times, the literary theory universally identifies into the legends of men that existed.
Step 4: Add an appositive phrase
During the medieval times, the literary theory, immortality of warrior and hero, universally identifies into
the legends of men that existed.
Step 5: Add a subordinate clause
During the medieval times, the literary theory, immortality of warrior and hero, universally identifies into
the legends of men that existed whether or not they lived up to the expectations of virtues and new found
knowledge.
Step 6: Add a triad of absolute phrases
During the medieval times, the literary theory, immortality of warrior and hero, universally identifies into
the legends of men that existed whether or not they lived up to the expectations of virtues and new found
knowledge of self-discovery, obstacles, and self-awareness which can be seen in the quests of literary
heroes such as Odysseus, Beowulf and Gilgamesh who were symbolic of the time period that displayed
the expectations of what true men should display.
Step 7: Underline what each body paragraph will be.
During the medieval times, the literary theory, immortality of warrior and hero, universally identifies into
the (BP #1) legends of men that existed whether or not they lived up to the expectations of virtues and
new found knowledge of self-discovery, obstacles, and self-awareness which can be seen in the quests of
(BP #2) literary heroes such as Odysseus, Beowulf and Gilgamesh who were symbolic of the time period
that displayed (BP #3) the expectations of what true men should display.
BP #1 Topic Sentence: Men during the medieval times found that the living up to the expectations of
what a true immortal or hero displayed in literature was a newfound knowledge and self-awareness that
men were not truly immortal but could live a life of true immortality through a list of performed heroic
deeds.
BP #2 Topic Sentence: Literary heroes, such as Odysseus, Beowulf, and Gilgamesh were symbolic of the
immortal heroic warrior who seemed to constantly outperform other warriors, monsters and battles which
prove the theory that a mortal man can live immortally simply with the mere existence of words.
BP #3 Topic Sentence: Ironically, the expectations of man throughout the medieval times did not seem to
deliver many heroes since the time period in itself was brutal.
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Completing a Thesis
1. Find an article, subject and verb.
The argument made.
2. Next, add adjectives and adverbs.
The central argument poignantly made.
3. Next, add prepositional phrases.
In “The Allegory of the Cave,” the central argument is poignantly made throughout the passage.
4. Add an appositive clause.
Appositive clause.
In “The Allegory of the Cave,” the central argument, man has always lived in a cave, is poignantly made
throughout the passage.
5. Add a subordinate clause.
Subordinate clause.
In “The Allegory of the Cave,” the central argument, man has always lived in a cave, is poignantly made
throughout the passage as a statement that man has been limited in his way of being educated.
6. Add a triad of absolute phrases (this is your basic analysis or elaboration) In “The Allegory of the Cave, the central argument, man has always lived in a cave, is poignantly made
throughout the passage as Socrates states “human beings living in an underground den . . . from their
childhood, [having] their legs and necks chained” learning from puppets displayed on a wall makes the
point that men are taught to be ignorant and when man breaks free from his chains; he escapes his cave
and enters into the outside world into the “sunlight” only then can he understand his gain of a new found
understanding and perspective of learning, tearing away from the shadow of ignorance.
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Article
The
a/an
Subject
The subject of the sentence is that part about which something is being said.
Examples:
Faculty and students planned a new class schedule.
At the end of the day comes our activity period.
These two main parts may consist of single words or many words.
Verb
A verb is a word that expresses action or otherwise helps to make a statement.
All verbs help to make a statement. Some help to make a statement by expressing an action.
Adjectives
An adjective is a word used to modify a noun or a pronoun. To modify means “to limit,” or to make more
definite the meaning of a word. Adjectives may modify nouns or pronouns in any one of three different
ways.
Examples:
By telling, what kind:
Blue eyes, large city, strong wind
By point out which one:
This man, that suggestion
By telling how many:
Several reasons, ten players
Adverbs
An adverb is a word used to modify a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. The adverb is used most
commonly as the modifier of a verb. It may tell how, when, where, or to what extent (how often or how
much) the action of the verb is done.
Examples:
He is an unusually good driver. [Unusually modifies the adjective good, telling
how good or to what extent he is good at driving.
The Prepositional Phrase
A prepositional phrase is a group of words usually beginning with a preposition and usually ending with a
noun or a pronoun.
For Peg and you
in the classroom
After the exam
to bed
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about
above
across
after
against
along
amid
among
around
at
before
behind
below
beneath
beside
besides
Commonly Used Prepositions
between
beyond
but (meaning “except”)
by
concerning
down
during
except
for
from
in
into
like
of
off
on
over
past
since
through
throughout
to
toward
under
underneath
until
unto
up
upon
with
within
without
A group of words may act as a prepositional:
 on account of
 in spite of
Appositive Phrases
An appositive is a word placed after another word to explain or identify it. The appositive always
appears after the word it explains or identifies. It is always a noun or a pronoun, and the word it
explains is also a noun or pronoun.
Examples:
My uncle, a lawyer, is visiting us.
My teacher, Miss Marshall, is very strict.
Our house, a brick bungalow, is on Oak Street.
An appositive phrase consists of the appositive and its modifiers which may themselves be phrases.
Examples:
My radio, an old portable, is in the repair shop.
The boys climbed the mountain, one of the highest in the West.
Subordinate Clauses
Subordinate clauses, which cannot stand alone as sentences, are used as nouns or modifiers in the
same way as single words and phrases. A subordinate clause is always combined in some way with
an independent clause.
Subordinate clauses are sometimes are called dependent clauses.
Common subordinating conjunctions
After
As though
Although
Because
As
Before
As if
If
As long as
In order that
Provided that
Since
So that
Than
Though
Unless
Until
When
Whenever
Where
Wherever
Whether
While
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Triad of Absolute Phrases
An absolute phrase is composed of a noun plus an adjective or a participle, plus any modifiers that
describe the noun or adjective. An absolute phrase is really a tool of concision, allowing the writer to
embed full thought into a phrase that is almost a clause. Basically, to make the absolute phrase, the
writer just removes a “to be” verb from the clause.
Absolute phrases expand the meaning of a noun or a noun phrase.
Absolute phrases provide descriptive details or express causes or conditions.
Examples:
The baby duck ran toward its mother, its tiny wings outstretched, its little voice
peeping urgently, its orange feet pattering through the muddy grass.
The baby duck, its tiny wings outstretched, its little voice peeping urgently, its orange
feet pattering through the muddy grass, ran toward its mother.
Note: a subordinate clause is a group of words that has both a subject and a verb, but it begins
with a subordinating conjunction like “because,” “although,” or “since,” and so it cannot stand
alone as a sentence.



Because Alex is a good writer, he writes vividly about his experiences.
Although Poindexter broke his glasses, he was still able to complete the test.
Although the elephant had lost its tooth, it still ate Albert.
Insert a comma after two or more consecutive prepositional phrases.
In the castle of the monster with the enormous shoes, a beautiful goldfish wept bitterly.
Insert a comma after an introductory participial phrase.
Shivering with anticipation, Poindexter entered the palace of video games.
Insert a comma after a long introductory element of any kind!
Bibliography
http://www.sinclair.edu/centers/tlc/pub/handouts_worksheets/grammar_punctuation_writing/phrase_
appositive.pdf
The Hodges Harbrace Handbook: Seventeenth Edition, 2010.
Warriner’s English Grammar and Composition: Completed Course: Revised Edition. 1965.
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