Writing a Strong Thesis Statement
Every
thesis statement is an argument to be proved and supported by the body of the
essay. Remember, if your essay doesn’t support your thesis statement, you have
two choices: change your essay or change your thesis statement.
Weak
THESIS: I learned that if I
procrastinate, my essays will not come out as good.
Strong
THESIS:
Say why:
For many
student writers, procrastination is based on fear; this fear keeps students
from improving their writing because they do not take the time to fully develop
their ideas.
Say why we should care:
Students
should understand that worrying about grammar and spelling too early in the
writing process will actually lead to a less analytical essay.
Say how:
English
teachers often overwhelm students by giving them too many things to think about
when writing essays: thesis statements, grammar, spelling, organization,
audience, etc.
Make specific comparisons:
The key
difference between writing in high school and writing in college is that your
ideas become more important than your form. Therefore, college freshman have to
learn a new way to write.
Make an evaluation:
My high
school teacher’s insistence on teaching me the 5-paragraph essay has actually
hurt my writing skills.
Consider the consequences:
If
students do not take time to write many drafts and revise thoroughly, they will
never learn to fully develop their ideas.
Apply previous/other knowledge:
Knowing
your audience is important; nevertheless, after realizing how much easier it is
to write informally, I am convinced that students should just get their ideas
out when writing a first draft without worrying about grammar.
Questions
to Ask Yourself:
·
Have
I said something specific and meaningful? Have I used specific names, examples,
dates, facts, etc., and said something about them?
·
Have
I said something arguable? What’s the point if everyone will agree with you or
if everyone already knows this?
·
Can
I support my thesis? Can I think of specific examples and evidence? Does every
point I bring up support my thesis or do I need to revise my thesis statement?
·
Is
it specific enough to write about in the required number of pages? Or would
someone have to write a book (or a set of encyclopedias) to fully support my
thesis?
·
Is
my thesis relevant to the assignment? Does it do what my teacher asks (i.e.
argue, summarize, compare/contrast)?
·
Does
it show my ability to think critically about the subject? Does it answer one or
more of the 5 Ws?
·
Can
I combine any of the above strategies to make my thesis even stronger and still
answer “yes” to the above questions?
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