Transcript The Vaunted Thesis Statement and Topic Sentence

Thesis Statements
and Topic
Sentences
Making sure the beginnings of your essays
and paragraphs have focused, clear
declarative statements
Thesis Statement & Topic
Sentence
Essays need to be clear enough for a
reader to understand what they’re getting into
in the first few sentences.
Additionally, readers need to be able to
read the essay and understand what each
paragraph is going to discuss.
That’s where thesis statements and
topic sentences come into play.
Thesis Statements
O A thesis statement is a single
sentence in the introductory
paragraph that illustrates
the central idea of an essay.
It should also be re-stated
in the essay’s conclusion.
O Good thesis statements
do two things –
1.) Tell the reader the essay’s topic.
2.) Presents the writer’s attitude, opinion, idea or point about the
topic.
Thesis Statements
O Example of a thesis statement –
“Eating fast food is damaging to your health.”
-- The topic is “Eating fast food…” (This introduces
the basic subject.)
-- The writer’s main point is that it is “…damaging
to your health.” (This tells the reader what angle
of the topic the writer is going to discuss.)
Thesis Statements
O Note: Good thesis statements depend on
the paper. For example, broad, sweeping topics are too large
to adequately discuss in a 500 word essay. In this case,
narrow the topic of the thesis down to something specific
within that subject.
As well, topics
which are too narrow
won’t yield enough
information to write
a complete essay.
Thesis Statements
O Example: A thesis statement like this is too broad:
“Dogs are great pets.”
-- The subject is a general one about dogs and
would require hundreds of pages to discuss
adequately.
O Try to narrow the thesis statement down to something
more manageable for a few pages of writing:
“Dogs’ jovial nature and loyalty make them
one of the most popular pets.”
-- Now the focus is on canine loyalty and
friendliness, a much easier topic to focus on
than dogs in general.
Thesis Statements
O Example: A thesis statement like this is too narrow:
“The legal drinking age is 21.”
-- This thesis is too specific to allow any
expansion for an essay; it just states a fact
that doesn’t require much support.
O Try to specify something within the topic to expand on:
“The legal drinking age of 21 should be
lowered.”
-- Now there is an argument established which
can be elaborated on.
Thesis Statements
O Other things to remember:
-- Write statements, not announcements.
Example - Don’t write: “In this paper, I will
be discussing the war in Iraq.”
- Instead, write: “The war in Iraq
has created several
consequences for our nation.”
Thesis Statements
O Other things to remember:
-- Make sure there is only one idea in a
thesis statement.
Example - Don’t write: “American cars are
the best kind, but they sell less
than Asian cars.”
- Instead, write: “American cars
sell less than Asian cars for
many reasons.”
Topic Sentences
O A topic sentence is like the thesis of each individual
paragraph in an essay; it is a sentence which
expresses the main idea of the paragraph and the
point the author wishes to make about it.
--Note: To develop a good topic
sentence, try reading the
paragraph and it’s supporting
details and think about what
it is saying in general. The topic
sentence shouldn’t be too general
or too specific, though, just good
enough to introduce the reader to the topic and lead them
into the supporting details.
Thesis Statements & Topic
Sentences
O A good thesis statement and topic sentences will help
guide a writer through an essay. They should assist in
making sure that the essay is focused and that the
supporting details are proving
the thesis. The topic sentences
should illustrate points which
support what the thesis
statement is trying to get across,
and any supporting details should
hold up the topic sentences.
THE END