Download Thesis Statements

Thesis Statements
•Definition
of a Thesis Statement
•How
to Construct a Strong Thesis
Statement
•How
to Tell a Strong Thesis Statement
from a Weak One
What is a Thesis Statement?

What is a thesis statement?

Most important sentence in your paper

formulates
The single sentence that ___________,
________,
and / or _________
states
sums up the topic of your
essay and your approach to the topic

purpose
Lets readers know your ___________

prove through
Answers: What am I trying to ________
the research / points in my paper?
Four Characteristics of Strong
Thesis Statements

1. A strong thesis statement takes
some sort of stand.


2. A strong thesis statement justifies
discussion.


A thesis must show your conclusions about a
topic.
Your thesis should indicate the point of the
discussion.
(Quoted Source: Writing Tutorial Services, Indiana University- current and
following slide)
Four Characteristics of Strong
Thesis Statements

3. A strong thesis statement expresses
one main idea.


Readers need to be able to see that your paper
has one main point. If your thesis statement
expresses more than one idea, then you might
confuse your readers about the subject of your
paper.
4. A strong thesis statement is specific.

A thesis statement should show exactly what your
paper will be about, and will help you keep your
paper to a manageable topic.
Thesis Statements Should:

Be provable
________

What does this mean??



Thesis statements should not contain pre-established
facts
______.
Why?
Thesis statements should present information and
“take” or approach to the information.
your ________________
Even though you don’t say, “________”
or
I think
I believe your thesis is your
“________,”
__________
based on the ________
opinion
research and
___________
conclusions you’ve made as you’ve __________
prepared
for your paper.
Thesis Statements Should:

Take your essay’s purpose and audience
into account

Contain action verbs, strong adjectives, and
specific, illustrative vocabulary


is
are
have
Avoid- “___,”
“___,”
“_____,”
etc.
many ways or other vague,
Avoid- “___________”
generalized statements
Ideas for
Stronger Verbs…

Instead of “is / are” use
_________________


__________________
Instead of “have” use
___________________


Or _________________
Or ________________
___________________
Instead of “show”
use___________________
Constructing a Strong Thesis
Statement


How do you write a good thesis
statement?
Magic Formula:
Specific Topic
________________+
______________
+
Active Verb
Point You are Proving (your approach)
_________________________________
= Strong Thesis Statement
A Three Pronged Thesis



This is the common ______
PSSA approach to writing
thesis statements.
Your thesis includes your ______,
topic your
approach to the topic and the
___________________,
three aspects / main points you will use to
_______________________
prove and discuss your topic in the body of your
essay.
You may have more or less than 3 points
depending on the size of your essay.
A Three Pronged Thesis
Example for Literature:

3

Literary contemporaries William Shakespeare
and Ben Jonson exhibit 1 similar styles of
language, 2 character development, and
plot execution. = Strong Thesis!
Topic + active verb + 3 prongs / main points /
the approach that you use to prove your topic
= strong thesis
A Two Part Thesis


As you grow as a writer, you should expand into
the two part thesis approach.
Here, you state your thesis and approach to topic
in one sentence.


This is actually the true definition of a thesis
statement… one sentence with topic and approach.
Following your “thesis sentence” you must then
details
write a “_______”
statement.
You will put forth the main points of your
paper (3 aspects / topics) in the
“ ______”
details statement.

A Two Part Thesis
Example for Social Studies

THESIS- When compared, the United States
and the Philippines exhibit similar governing
characteristics.

DETAILS STATEMENT- Their federal
branches, formal legal systems, and rules of
cultural decorum correspond.

Examine how the same formula is used. The thesis is clear, so
are the 3 points that will help prove the thesis.