Lecture 2.1- Thesis StatementsAUD
Chapter 3
Copyright © Concorde Career Colleges
2013-2014. All Rights Reserved.
• Identify Strong and Weak Thesis
Statements
• Support the thesis with specific evidence
Copyright © Concorde Career Colleges
2013-2014. All Rights Reserved.
The first two steps:
1.
Begin with a point, or thesis
2.
Support the thesis with specific evidence
Copyright © Concorde Career Colleges
2013-2014. All Rights Reserved.
Write your point in a single sentence
While a thesis statement can be longer than one sentence, you might find it helpful to ask yourself,
“What am I trying to say?” in one succinct sentence.
Copyright © Concorde Career Colleges
2013-2014. All Rights Reserved.
Rule 1: A thesis is not an announcement
Rule 2: A thesis is more than a general statement (broad)
Rule 3: A thesis is more than a specific detail
(narrow)
Rule 4: A thesis develops only one idea
Copyright © Concorde Career Colleges
2013-2014. All Rights Reserved.
Ex.: I want to talk about the crime wave in our country .
The sentence above merely tells the subject of the paper.
A thesis statement must advance a point about a limited subject.
Copyright © Concorde Career Colleges
2013-2014. All Rights Reserved.
A good thesis is neither too broad nor too narrow: too
broad
Crime is a major concern of everyone in our country.
too
narrow
My parents had only one child.
JUST RIGHT
A honeymoon is perhaps the worst way to begin a marriage.
Copyright © Concorde Career Colleges
2013-2014. All Rights Reserved.
When deciphering whether or not a thesis is too broad or too narrow, consider the breadth of the assignment and whether or not you have enough material for the required length, or perhaps too much material.
Copyright © Concorde Career Colleges
2013-2014. All Rights Reserved.
My parents helped me grow in important ways, although in other respects I was limited.
In the statement above, the reader is asked to focus on two separate points , each of which more logically belongs in an essay of its own.
Copyright © Concorde Career Colleges
2013-2014. All Rights Reserved.
Write down a brief version of your thesis and then jot down the three points that will support it.
Develop your supporting points with specific details.
WHY?
Because
• details excite the reader’s interest.
• details serve to explain a writer’s point.
Copyright © Concorde Career Colleges
2013-2014. All Rights Reserved.
Provide enough specific details to fully support the point in a body paragraph.
In the organization of an essay, the thesis should flow through the:
◦
Introduction
◦
Body
◦
Conclusion
If a paragraph doesn’t support the thesis, it shouldn’t be there!
Copyright © Concorde Career Colleges
2013-2014. All Rights Reserved.
A working thesis is a tentative statement made about your topic early in the writing process.
◦
Directs your thinking early
◦
This thesis is likely to change or to be abandoned altogether as you move through the writing process, so it is best not to become too attached to it.
Copyright © Concorde Career Colleges
2013-2014. All Rights Reserved.
There are three components of a thesis statement:
◦
Topic
◦
Attitude
◦
Controlling Idea
A fourth, optional, component is a blueprint
Copyright © Concorde Career Colleges
2013-2014. All Rights Reserved.
The topic of the thesis statement is what
you are going to be talking about.
Ex.:“Media Violence is harmful to society.”
In the above example, Media Violence is the topic.
Copyright © Concorde Career Colleges
2013-2014. All Rights Reserved.
The attitude is the one or two words in the thesis that reflect judgment on the controlling idea:
Ex.:“Media Violence is harmful to society.”
Here, “is” is the attitude
Other attitude words:
◦
Should/should not
◦
Will/will not
◦
Can/cannot
Copyright © Concorde Career Colleges
2013-2014. All Rights Reserved.
The controlling idea (CI) is the main idea that controls the topic within your
paper.
In our example, “ harmful to society .” is the controlling idea.
Copyright © Concorde Career Colleges
2013-2014. All Rights Reserved.
You can also choose to add a blueprint or essay map to your thesis statements.
The blueprint includes the main topics of your body paragraphs within your paper.
Copyright © Concorde Career Colleges
2013-2014. All Rights Reserved.
Media Violence is harmful to society.
What is meant by
Media?
What is meant by violence?
What is harmful?
What society is the writer referring to?
Weak Thesis Statement
Video games, such as first-person shooters, are psychologically harmful to children and teens under eighteen because they increase social isolation, cause confusion between fantasy and reality, and increase aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Strong Thesis Statement
Copyright © Concorde Career Colleges
2013-2014. All Rights Reserved.
Topic
CI attitude
Video games , including first-person shooters, are psychologically harmful to children and teens under eighteen because they increase social isolation, cause confusion between fantasy and reality, and increase aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors .
Blueprint
Copyright © Concorde Career Colleges
2013-2014. All Rights Reserved.
