Transcript Lecture 2.1- Thesis StatementsAUD

Chapter 3
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• Identify Strong and Weak Thesis
Statements
• Support the thesis with specific evidence
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 The
first two steps:
1. Begin with a point, or thesis
2. Support the thesis with
specific evidence
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
Write your point in a single sentence

While a thesis statement can be longer than
one sentence, you might find it helpful to ask
yourself, “What am I trying to say?” in one
succinct sentence.
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 Rule 1: A thesis is not an announcement
 Rule 2: A thesis is more than a general
statement (broad)
 Rule 3: A thesis is more than a specific
detail (narrow)
 Rule 4: A thesis develops only one idea
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 Ex.: I want to talk about the
crime wave in our country.
The sentence above merely tells the
subject of the paper.
A thesis statement must advance a
point about a limited subject.
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
A good thesis is neither too broad nor too
narrow:
too
broad
Crime is a major concern of everyone in our country.
too
narrow
My parents had only one child.
JUST RIGHT
A honeymoon is perhaps the worst way to begin a
marriage.
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 When
deciphering whether or not
a thesis is too broad or too narrow,
consider the breadth of the
assignment and whether or not
you have enough material for the
required length, or perhaps too
much material.
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My parents helped me grow in
important ways, although in other
respects I was limited.

In the statement above, the reader is asked to
focus on two separate points, each of which
more logically belongs in an essay of its own.
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



Write down a brief version of your thesis
and then jot down the three points that will
support it.
Develop your supporting points with specific
details.
WHY?
Because
•details excite the reader’s interest.
•details serve to explain a writer’s point.
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enough specific details to
fully support the point in a body
paragraph.
 Provide

In the organization of an essay, the thesis
should flow through the:
◦ Introduction
◦ Body
◦ Conclusion

If a paragraph doesn’t support the thesis, it
shouldn’t be there!
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
A working thesis is a tentative statement
made about your topic early in the writing
process.
◦ Directs your thinking early
◦ This thesis is likely to change or to be
abandoned altogether as you move
through the writing process, so it is best not
to become too attached to it.
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 There
are three components of
a thesis statement:
◦Topic
◦Attitude
◦Controlling Idea
 A fourth, optional, component is
a blueprint
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
The topic of the thesis statement is what
you are going to be talking about.

Ex.:“Media Violence is harmful to
society.”

In the above example, Media Violence
is the topic.
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
The attitude is the one or two words in the
thesis that reflect judgment on the controlling
idea:

Ex.:“Media Violence is harmful to society.”

Here, “is” is the attitude
Other attitude words:

◦ Should/should not
◦ Will/will not
◦ Can/cannot
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 The
controlling idea (CI) is the main
idea that controls the topic within
your paper.
 In our example, “harmful to
society.” is the controlling idea.
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

You can also choose to add a blueprint or
essay map to your thesis statements.
The blueprint includes the main topics of your
body paragraphs within your paper.
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




Media Violence is
harmful to society.
What is meant by
Media?
What is meant by
violence?
What is harmful?
What society is the
writer referring to?
Weak Thesis Statement

Video games, such as firstperson shooters, are
psychologically harmful to
children and teens under
eighteen because they
increase social isolation,
cause confusion between
fantasy and reality, and
increase aggressive
thoughts, feelings, and
behaviors.
Strong Thesis Statement
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Topic
CI

attitude
Video games, including first-person shooters,
are psychologically harmful to children and
teens under eighteen because they increase
social isolation, cause confusion between
fantasy and reality, and increase aggressive
thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Blueprint
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2013-2014. All Rights Reserved.