The Thesis Statement
A Road Map for Your Essay
Different Kinds of Writing
 We write for fun. We write letters, stories, jokes, and to share
information with our family or friends.
 Most college writing, however, is expository writing and fits
into a different category.
The essay we will be writing will work well as a five paragraph
essay
Introduction
Thesis Statements
Now that you have used a prewriting technique and you have some main ideas
of what you would like to write in your essay, you can
begin thinking about writing a thesis statement.
What’s a thesis
statement????
 Imagine that it is five years in the future.You have completed
your educational program at Kaplan University and have
been offered your dream job! The company or organization
you will be working for wants to issue a biographical essay
about you to announce that you are joining them and in what
capacity. In order to do so, they need a minimum 500-word
background essay from you.
1. One introductory paragraph that identifies who you are, where you live, the company or
organization that has hired you, and your new job title.
2. One body paragraph that gives appropriate personal details about you and your life: your
age, family, hobbies, etc. (NOTE: This is a professional essay, so you need to limit
personal details to only what is appropriate in the professional environment.)
3. One body paragraph that talks about your education.You should include high school or
your GED, any previous college experience, and your Kaplan program.
4. One paragraph that details professional experiences, including past job experiences,
honors and awards, and other related professional details.
5. One concluding paragraph that reinforces where you will be working, your job title, and
what you will be doing.
I. Introductory paragraph (general to specific ideas) – Thesis
sentence:
II. Body paragraph 1
III. Body paragraph 2
IV. Body paragraph 3
Concluding paragraph (specific to general ideas)
Definition
Thesis Statement
A thesis statement is a complete sentence
that contains one main idea. This idea controls
the content of the entire essay. A thesis
statement that contains subpoints also helps a
reader know how the essay will be organized.
Look at the introductory paragraph below. See
if you can identify the thesis statement and
subpoints.
Limiting your subject
Your attitude toward that subject
Your plan of development for the body of the essay
Limiting your subject
Your attitude toward that subject
Your plan of development for the body of the
essay
Psychologists have argued for decades about how a
person’s character is formed. Numerous psychologists
believe that one’s birth order (i.e. place in the family as
the youngest, oldest, or middle child) has the greatest
influence. Birth order can have a significant impact in the
formation of a child’s character affecting relationship
with parents, relationships with others, and how one
views responsibility as an adult.
The thesis statement
contains the main idea that
controls the content of the
essay.
Subpoints in the thesis or
nearby help the reader
know how the essay will be
organized
Limiting your subject
Your attitude toward that subject
Your plan of development for the body of the
essay
Maya Angelou is an accomplished African-American author in the
United States. While growing up, she suffered tremendous hardship.
Some of her most difficult life events are portrayed in novels and poems
such as, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and, Still I Rise. Her written
works often include strong themes such as perseverance through trials,
love for family, and passionate optimism.
Limiting your subject
Your attitude toward that subject
Your plan of development for the body of the
essay
I learned to play many
musical instruments
when I was young.
Learning to play many
musical instruments
when I was young helped
me to become a more
intelligent, patient, and
well-rounded person.
Cancun is a popular vacation
spot in Mexico.
Cancun is a popular vacation spot
in Mexico.
Cancun is one of the best vacation
spots in Mexico because of its
comfortable climate and proximity
to some well-known archeological
sites.
The large influx of people to California has had major effects on
the state.
Key Features
Subtopics
The large influx of people to California has had major effects on the state.
The large influx of people to California has had major effects on the ability of the state to
provide housing, electricity, and jobs for all residents.
Inner-city public schools grapple with some serious
problems.
Inner-city public schools grapple with some
serious problems.
Some of the most serious problems in
today’s inner-city public schools are the
overcrowded classrooms, the low percentage
of trained teachers, and the lack of resources
such as textbooks for students.
Key Features
Don’t State the Obvious
In this essay, I am going to discuss the
effects of long-term drug abuse.
Long-term drug use can have disastrous
effects on one’s marriage, career, and health.
Don’t State the Obvious
Another Example
This essay will discuss some ways teachers
can fight teenage drug abuse.
Teachers can fight teenage drug abuse by
educating young people on its dangers and by
being good role models.
Key Features
Review
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Limiting your subject--states the main idea of the essay in a
complete sentence, not in a question.
states an opinion or attitude on a topic. It doesn’t just
state the topic, itself.
lists subtopics to show the development of your essay
does not directly announce
is usually at the end of an introduction.
My Prewriting ideas
Experienced, teaching, history, parents and World War II,
writing, students, research, friendly, caring,
educated, history, refugees, campus, books, online, full-time,
degrees, past jobs, family-oriented
Thesis: Alicia’s unique family background, her extensive work
experience, and impressive academic credentials made her
the only obvious choice for this position.
Thesis: Alicia’s unique family background, her extensive work
experience, and impressive academic credentials made her
the only obvious choice for this position.
The outline process:
Thesis above
II. Alicia’s unique family background
III. Extensive work experience
IV. Impressive academic credentials
V. Closing paragraph.
I.
References
 Thesis Statement. Ruth Luman: Modesto Junior College.
a-s.clayton.edu/mwinkler/thesis.ppt