Introductions and Thesis
Statements
Writing Both Effectively
Thesis Statements
A thesis is a sentence (one only!) that
presents the main idea of a paper—an idea
that every fact and detail should support.
Thesis Statements
 A good thesis statement should have two
qualities:
– It should state the paper’s topic
– It states a specific point of view concerning that
topic
Thesis Statements
 Your purpose for your Type IV essay is to inform.
The following sample thesis statement is a great
example of an informative thesis:
To complete the law school admissions process
successfully, students need to give adequate time
to choosing schools, preparing for the LSAT exam,
and completing the applications.
(Topic: The law school admissions process)
Thesis Statements
 The previous thesis statement lets us know
that the essay will discuss the time it takes
to:
– choose possible law schools
– prepare for the LSAT
– complete applications
Thesis Statements
Here is an example from the last essay we
did:
The boys and teachers at Helton faced
multiple man vs. man, man vs. self, and
man vs. society conflicts, helping to develop
the movie’s plot.
Bad & Better Thesis Statements
Bad:
College can teach students so many lessons.
Better:
Our sociology department’s new requirement of three hours of community
service allows students to apply lessons they learn in their classes.
*The first thesis is too big and vague to develop in a short paper. A
narrower choice might work better.
Bad:
I like the new movie version of Hamlet.
Better:
The new Hamlet movie succeeds by portraying Hamlet as a tentative and
tortured member of Generation X.
*The writer should pick a more arguable viewpoint—one that will involve
readers.
Bad & Better Thesis Statements
Bad:
Skateboarding is an excellent hobby.
Better:
Skateboarding is an excellent hobby because it gives teenagers a chance
to form their own groups, have their own parks, and feel free.
*The writer might choose a more specific focus.
Bad:
This paper is about capital punishment in our state.
Better:
Our state should substitute the sentence of life without parole for capital
punishment.
*The writer’s viewpoint is unclear
Bad & Better Thesis Statements
Bad:
The women’s soccer team has strengths and weaknesses.
Better:
Key changes in personnel and institutional support will make the women’s
soccer team the best in our conference this year.
*Everything has strengths and weaknesses—the writer must have a more
specific focus!
Bad:
More than eight million children are taking Ritalin; prescriptions have
quadrupled in the United States since 1990.
Better:
Ritalin is being over prescribed to American elementary school children.
*The first statement is nothing but facts; the writer needs to state a
viewpoint concerning the facts!
Introductory Paragraphs
 An introduction should bring your readers
into your text, spark their interest, and
acquaint them with your topic.
 Your Type IV essay must:
– give the author
– give the title
– Give an overview of the story
Introductory Paragraphs
 Some introductory paragraphs describe a general topic, problem, or
solution and then move to a thesis concerning it:
By August 15, many college students have finally finished that guelling
summer chemistry class or construction job. They see those back-toschool ads in newspapers across North Carolina as indicators that all
those children and their parents are easing into their school-year
regimens. These college students might conclude that the last weeks
of August would be the perfect time for a beach trip before their own fall
term begins. But they might do better heading for the mountains or
lakes. Because of enviornmental changes that have occurred in the
past three years, tourists should avoid the North Carolina beaches in
late August.
Introductory Paragraphs
 Many authors introduce the thesis through a relevant
quotation or paraphrase:
“To be, or not to be: that is the question.” When you go to see
a movie of Hamlet, you expect to hear this famous line. In
the new version out this year, directed by Michael
Almereyda, Ethan Hawke utters the line while walking
through the action section of a Blockbuster Video store.
He records his own subsequent inaction on video and
computer as he finds himself unable to begin a campaign
against his uncle’s corrupt corporate empire, called
Denmark. In this film, the portrayal of Hamlet as a tentative
and tortured member of Generation X gives the famous
question and the entire story new meaning.
Introductory Paragraphs
 Here’s an example from one of your peers:
In the film The Dead Poets’ Society,” a variety
of conflicts are presented. Two such
conflicts are man versus man and man
versus self. These conflicts help to build the
plot of the story.