Writing a Thesis Statement

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Writing a Thesis Statement

• Definition A thesis statement is the main point
  or idea a writer wants to prove and support in an
  essay.

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Four Formulas for Writing a Thesis Statement
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Formula 1

• Claim Scope Thesis
• Claim the writers opinion or position on an
  arguable topic or issue
• Example Capital punishment should be made
  illegal.
• Scope a summary of your supporting evidence
  The scope answers the question why do you make
  this claim and how will you prove this claim?
• Example because it does not effectively
  deter violent crime.
• Sample Thesis Statement
• Capital punishment should be made illegal
  because it does not effectively deter violent
  crime.

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Formula 2

• Specific topic Attitude/Angle/Argument
• Thesis
• Specific topic E-coli contamination
• Attitude/Angle/Argument should not happen.
• Thesis statement E-coli contamination should
  not happen.

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Formula 3

• What you plan How you plan
• to argue to argue
  it
• Thesis
• Example Downloading music on the Internet
  should be legal because it helps promote new
  artists and makes it easy for consumers to sample
  new music.

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Formula 4

• An interesting The special part
  subject to emphasize
• Thesis
• Example Donna Shirley, who had been told,
  Girls cant be engineers, went on to lead
  NASAs Mars exploration program.
  

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Other examples of well-written thesis statements

• Capital punishment should be kept legal because
  it effectively deters violent crimes.
• Because many Connecticut citizens cannot afford
  health care, the state legislature should
  increase its low-income health care programs.

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Examples continued

• The causes of the Civil War were economic,
  social, and political.
• The Simpsons represents the greatest animated
  show in the history of television.
• The Simpsons treats the issues of ethnicity,
  family dynamics, and social issues effectively.

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Things to Know About Writing Thesis Statements

• It is typically located in the opening paragraph
  (The opening paragraph serves to set the context
  for the thesis.)
• It is clear, strong, and easy to find.
• Is developed after topic is researched and
  studied thoroughly (may be a refining of the
  statement of controlling purpose (controlling
  statement))

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Helpful websites for writing a thesis statement

• http//www.sdst.org/shs/library/samplethesis.html
  
• http//webster.commnet.edu/grammar/composition/the
  sis.htm
• http//mciu.org/spjweb/thesis.html
• http//www.hamilton.edu/academic/resource/wc/Intro
  Thesis.html

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Websites continued

• http//uhaweb.hartford.edu/rlc/refiningthesis.html
  
• http//owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/579/01/
  
• http//uhaweb.hartford.edu/rlc/questiontothesis.ht
  ml