WRITING INTRODUCTIONS,
CONCLUSIONS AND
THESIS STATEMENTS
Changing the Terror…
…INTO SOMETHING
TERRIFIC
THE INTRODUCTION
 Your introductory paragraph should do the following:
• Be a minimum of 4-6 sentences
• Tell the audience what to expect from your discussion (thesis)
• Move from general to specific, with the thesis as the last sentence in
the intro
• Get the reader’s attention
• Set the tone for the rest of the essay
STRATEGIES FOR WRITING
INTRODUCTIONS
• Providing background information
• Telling a personal anecdote
• Beginning with a quotation
• Asking a question
THE CONCLUSION
The concluding paragraph should
• Contain a minimum of 4 sentences
• Refer back to the main point, but not simply
repeat the thesis
• Make an observation on what is written
• NOT introduce any new ideas
• Create a sense of closure
WHAT IS A THESIS
STATEMENT
 It is a one- or two- sentence statement that explicitly outlines the
purpose or point of your paper.
 It is generally a complex, compound sentence
WHERE DOES IT GO?
 A thesis is normally placed at or near the end of the introductory
paragraph.
CHARACTERISTICS
 The thesis sentence must contain an arguable point.
 A thesis sentence must not simply make an observation -- for
example, "Writer X seems in his novel Y to be obsessed with lipstick."
 Rather, it must assert a point that is arguable:
 “Writer X uses lipstick to point to his novel's larger theme: the
masking and unmasking of the self."
MORE
 The thesis sentence must control the entire argument.
 Your thesis sentence determines what you are required to say in a
paper.
 It also determines what you cannot say.
 Every paragraph in your paper exists in order to support your
thesis.
 Accordingly, if one of your paragraphs seems irrelevant to your
thesis you have two choices: get rid of the paragraph, or rewrite your
thesis.
A THESIS STATEMENT IS A
TEMPLATE
 The thesis sentence should provide a structure for your
argument.
 A good thesis not only signals to the reader what your
argument is, but how your argument will be presented.
 In other words, your thesis sentence should either directly
or indirectly suggest the structure of your argument to your
reader.
 Say, for example, that you are going to argue that "Writer
X explores the masking and unmasking of the self in three
curious ways: A, B, and C.”
 In this case, the reader understands that you are going to
have three important points to cover, and that these points
will appear in a certain order.
TAKE A STAND
 it takes a side on a topic rather than simply announcing that the
paper is about a topic (the title should have already told your reader
your topic). Don't tell readers about something; tell them what about
something. Answer the questions "how?" or "why?”
 it is sufficiently narrow and specific that your supporting points are
necessary and sufficient, not arbitrary; paper length and number of
supporting points are good guides here.
AN EQUATION
 thesis statements are basically made up of your topic and a specific
assertion about that topic, therefore,
 THESIS = TOPIC + SPECIFIC ASSERTION
WHAT IS NOT A THESIS
STATEMENT
A thesis is never a question: “Have you ever thought
about the Alamo?”
A thesis is not an announcement of purpose: This
paper is about How Global Warming Is Affecting the
Planet.
A Thesis is not a Laundry List: “California has many
problems such as air pollution in Los Angeles, traffic on
I-5, earthquakes in San Francisco, high cost of living in
San Jose and the government has a lot of debt.”
It is not a topic.
 A thesis is not a fact!
WHAT DOES A STRONG
THESIS LOOK LIKE?
Surprises readers with new information
Challenges the reader
Changes your reader’s perspective
See a theme going?
THREE RULES
1) Answers the question.
• Be specific.
2) Takes a position.
• The reader should be able to agree or disagree with your position.
3) Mentions the topics for your supporting
paragraphs.
• Tell how your paper is going to be organized.
MORE IDEAS FOR A GOOD
THESIS
 Don’t use first or second person – I, you, we
 Don’t use qualifiers that make you sound uncertain such as might, maybe,
perhaps, etc.
 Don’t use absolute qualifiers that mean everything, all, none, always, never.
These are too hard to prove!
 Don’t use “to be” verbs – am, are, is, was, were, be, being, been. They aren’t
descriptive enough.
 Do use relative qualifiers which show real-world variation such as often,
primarily, frequently, too often, regularly, some, many, most. These are much easier
to prove!
Question: How are deserts of the world the same and
different?
Thesis 1: I am going to tell you about the deserts of
the world.
Thesis 2: Deserts of the world, including ones in
North and South America, Antarctica, Africa,
Australia, and Asia are the same and different.
Thesis 3: Although the deserts of the world have
many similarities, they are vastly different in terms of
temperature, vegetation, and size.
Question: Why did the North and South fight the
Civil War?
Thesis 1: The North and South fought the Civil
War for many reasons, some of which were the
same and some different.
Thesis 2: While both Northerners and Southerners
believed they fought against tyranny and oppression,
Northerners focused on the oppression of slaves
while Southerners defended their own right to selfgovernment.
BEFORE AND AFTER
STATEMENTS
 Jot down a before and after statement about the subject of health
care in America.
 I thought about health care this way ________
 Now I think about health care this way ________.
A THESIS WITH TENSION
 Moving your reader from the familiar to the unfamiliar
 “Surprising reversal” – contrast your surprising answer to a
question with your targeted audience’s common answer.
 Many believe X (commonly held view), but lately there has been
discussion about how we can examine this. I will show Y (this new
and surprising view)
GIVE YOUR READER THE “SO
WHAT?”
GOOD OR BAD?
What causes violence in children?
GOOD OR BAD?
Advertising has bad effects on all of society.
GOOD OR BAD?
Toy ads on television teach children to
be greedy, competitive, and snobbish.
GOOD OR BAD?
I would like to discuss how teachers and
students can develop better relationships.
GOOD OR BAD?
Honesty and trust play an important role in
successful teacher-student relationships.
EXERCISE
Question: How did Christopher Columbus’ trip to the Americas change
the world?
Thesis: The life of Christopher Columbus had a lasting impact on the
world.
Does the thesis:
1)
Answer the question?
2)
Take a position?
3)
Give topics for supporting paragraphs?
The End