Would you rather?
0 Grab a writing utensil.
0 Quickly answer the question on the slide
0 Write down three primary reasons to support
your answer.
0 There are 3 slides total.
1
Would you rather watch 5 hours of
music videos or 5 hours of cartoons?
2
Would you rather fight a 1 ton polar
bear or a pack of 100 house cats?
3
Would you rather live a year without
the internet or a year without your
cell phone?
What is a Thesis Statement?
0 It’s the road map for your paper.
0 It presents the paper’s central argument and
previews the evidence that will be presented
later on within the body paragraphs.
How Does it Look?
There are FOUR parts to a thesis statement:
1.) Narrowing statement
2.) Author/title
3.) Argument or stance
4.) Three prongs
Narrowing Statement
0 A limiting or narrowing statement that
begins with words like “although,” “despite,” or
“even though.”
0 It acknowledges different possibilities that
exist, but at the same time, begins to limit the
forthcoming argument.
Example: Although there are many characters
Author & Title
0 When writing about a work of literature,
acknowledge the work and its creator.
Example: in J.R.R Tolkien’s novel The Hobbit,
Argument/Stance
0 The heart of the thesis statement!
0 Answers the prompt question directly.
0 Reveals your opinion using third-person POV. “I
think” and “I feel” are not acceptable in academic or
analytical writing.
0 Is arguable—others might disagree with your
argument, but it’s going to be up to you to provide
strong evidence and be convincing.
Example: the most important character is Bilbo,
Prongs
0 Your three reasons or points that support your
argument.
0 These three reasons connect to your topic
sentences.
0 The prongs need to be parallel in structure
(phrasing and syntax).
Example: because he drives the plot, he
discovers his potential, and he steals the gem.
Parallel Prongs
he drives the plot,
Subject + verb
Present tense
he discovers his potential
Subject + verb
Present tense
he steals the gem.
Subject + verb
Present tense
The Finished Product
Although there are many characters in J.R.R
Tolkien’s novel The Hobbit, the most
important character is Bilbo, because he
drives the plot, he discovers his potential,
and he steals the gem.
We must write thesis driven
arguments!