Thesis Statements
Thesis Statements
Because student writers often write only one draft, the essays they turn in
often are referred to as “discovery drafts” because the main point may
indeed come at the very end, and as a result, is not developed sufficiently.
Once you have a tentative main point (and depending on the topic, getting
to one can involve many pages of exploratory writing), you can try writing a
structured draft that focuses on presenting that point. Through subsequent
drafts, keep reconsidering whether the point you’re writing about is really
the point you want to make (you may write your way into a better, more
complex, more interesting one) and whether everything in the paper helps
develop that point.
To ensure that the readers “get” the writer’s main point, most writers state
their thesis as directly as they can at some point in the essay (most
commonly at the end of the introductory section). A thesis statement is one
or more sentences that sum up the writer's main point.
More often, a more elaborate statement is needed to cover what the writer
is really trying to say:
The power that the media has over the general population is strong,
influencing society's ideals and view of the "American Dream" through
methods equivalent to brainwashing. The wealthy continue to uphold a
destructive "American Dream," giving people a distorted perception of
success and ignoring the reality of limited opportunity that exists
today.
DON’T bog down trying to write the “perfect” thesis statement as the first
step in your writing process.
General statement:
Alcoholics Anonymous and Gamblers Anonymous are effective because
they give their members vital support in coping with difficult problems.
Detail People draw comfort from knowing that others have similar
s: problems.
Alcoholism and compulsive gambling are diseases.
The “buddy system” is an essential part of such programs; each
member has at least one other member to call on.
The group provides counseling to new members.
Members who backslide and take a drink aren’t expelled from
the group.
Gambling can ruin a person’s family life just as drinking can.
Now there are dieters anonymous groups for larger-sized people
and similar groups for child abusers.
General statement:
Many people become vegetarians because livestock are treated cruelly.
EXERCISE: Supply four supporting details for each of the following general
statements.
I never knew how many inconsiderate people existed until I lived with
housemates.
EXERCISE: Supply four supporting details for each of the following general
statements.
When I decided to move to San Francisco, I had to weigh the pros and cons
of having my dog in the city.
To succeed in school one must have self-discipline and be willing to do
things that one may not want to.
Write one of your own generalizations and give four supporting points for it.