What is a thesis
statement?
The MOST IMPORTANT
SENTENCE in your paper!
What is a thesis statement?
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A road map for the rest of the paper
Lets the reader know the main idea of
the paper
Answers the question: “What am I
trying to prove?”
Not a factual statement, but a claim
that has to be proven throughout the
paper
The engine that drives the car
Role of the Thesis Statement:
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The thesis statement should
guide your reader through
your argument.
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The thesis statement is
generally located in the
introduction of the paper.
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A thesis statement may also
be located within the body of
the paper, depending upon
the purpose or argument of
the paper.
Which thesis statement is the most
effective for an argument about the
need for V-chips in television sets?
1. Parents, often too busy to watch television shows with
their families, can monitor their children’s viewing
habits with the aid of the V-chip.
2. To help parents monitor their children’s viewing
habits, the V-chip should be a required feature for
television sets sold in the U.S.
3. This paper will describe a V-chip and examine the
uses of the V-chip in American-made television sets.
How do I know if my thesis
is strong?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Do I answer the prompt question?
Have I taken a position others would oppose?
Does my thesis pass the “SO WHAT” test?
Does my essay support my thesis specifically
and without wandering?
Does my thesis pass the “HOW or WHY” test?
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Choose the best thesis statement from the list
below, and explain why you feel it answers
questions 2, 3, and 5 from the previous slide.
1. The North and South fought the Civil War for many reasons,
some of which were the same and some different.
2. While both sides fought the Civil War over the issue of
slavery, the North fought for moral reasons while the South
fought to preserve its own institutions.
3. While both Northerners and Southerners believed they
fought against tyranny and oppression, Northerners focused
nobly on the rights of others and the oppression of slaves
while Southerners defended only their rights to own property
and to be self-governing.
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Choose the best thesis statement from the
list below, and explain why you feel it
answers questions 2, 3, and 5 from the
previous slide.
1. Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is a great American novel.
2. In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a contrast
between life on the river and life on the shore.
3. Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain’s
Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of
American democratic ideals, one must leave “civilized”
society and go back to nature.
THESIS STATEMENT REVIEW
Using the information you have learned in this
PowerPoint, create a thesis for a paper on the
following essay prompt:
In the following excerpt from Sophocles’s Antigone, Teresias, the
blind prophet, states,
“Think: all men make
mistakes,
But a good man yields when he knows his
course is wrong,
And repairs the evil: The only crime is
pride” (5.33-35).
Think about the implications of the quotation. Then, write a carefully
reasoned essay that explores the validity of the assertion; use
examples from your reading and observation to develop your
position.