Unit 9 -From formulating to

developing a thesis

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 Học phần: Viết 2
1 Giới thiệu chung về môn học
2 Chương 1: Starting with Inquiry: Habits of Mind of Academic Writers
3 Chương 2: From Reading as a Writer to Writing as a Reader
4 Chương 3: From Writing Summaries and Paraphrases to Writing Yourself into
Academic Conversations
Assignment 1: Write a summary.
5 Chương 4: From Identifying Claims to Analyzing Arguments
6 Chương 7: From Finding to Evaluating Sources
7 Kiểm tra giữa kỳ
Assignment 2: Write a rhetorical analysis essay
8 Chương 5 From Identifying Issues to Forming Questions
9 Chương 6 From Formulating to Developing a Thesis
10 Chương 8 From Synthesis to Researched Argument
11 Chương 9 From Ethos to Logos: Appealing to Your Readers
12 Chương 11 From Introductions to Conclusions: Drafting an Essay
Assignment 3. Writing an argumentative essay
13 Chương 12 From Revising to Editing: Working with Peer Groups
14 Chương 13: Other methods of inquiry
15 Peer editing
Ôn tập tổng kết và giải đáp thắc mắc

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 Introduction
(Thesis)
1st claim and supporting evidence
Diagram of an
argumentative essay
2nd claim and supporting evidence

3rd claim and supporting evidence

…

Counter-argument + Refutation
Source:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesiz
e/guides/zpdwwmn/revision/2
Conclusion

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Step-by-step instruction
Observation: Many returning veterans are
unemployed.
Problem: Economic condition and the
challenges of reintegrating into civilian life
have worked against veterans’ efforts to
secure employment.
Questions?

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Observation: Many returning veterans are unemployed.
Problem: Economic condition and the challenges of reintegrating
into civilian life have worked against veterans’ efforts to secure
employment.

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Choose a question that interests you and is
appropriate for your writing situation

Conduct a research

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 Source’s Link Summary Key quotes Reference
title
Source 1 Veterans are more likely to be ………
unemployed than nonveterans.
Source 2 Employers, employees and local and …………
state governments all bear responsibility
for seeking out and hiring veterans in
need of employment
Source 3 Many green jobs put veterans in familiar
situations and make use of their
physical and mental skills.
Source 4 Veterans employed by conservation
groups often work in the wilderness on
risky, large-scale operations, much as
they did in the military.

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Working thesis: Government, business and nonprofit
organizations should address the problem of
unemployment among veterans by creating programs
that prepare returning veterans for green jobs.

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Working thesis: Government, business and nonprofit
organizations should address the problem of unemployment
among veterans by creating programs that prepare returning
veterans for green jobs.

More refined thesis: Government, business and nonprofit

organizations should address the problem of unemployment
among veterans by creating programs that prepare returning
veterans for green jobs that both benefit our country and
those who have served in its name.

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 A thesis statement
•A statement of the issue
•An assertion that academic writers make at the
beginning of their writing and then support with
evidence throughout their essay.
•Purpose: to focus and announce the argument
Clarify and focus the direction of the paper

Help readers understand the points made throughout the essay

Help writers think through the issue and present thoughts in a systematic way

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 A thesis
statement is like
a skewer that
holds the other
components of
the essay
together

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3 parts of a thesis statement

Context Subject Claim

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 3 parts of a thesis statement
The topic of the
paper’s discussion

Context Subject Claim

The area of discussion, the A point of view about the

outer limit of the paper’s topic/ an interpretation of
exploration the topic

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The poor food served on the campuses of most
universities across the nation represents campus
administrators’ privileging of profit over student health.
The topic of the
paper’s discussion

Context Subject Claim

The area of discussion, the A point of view about the

outer limit of the paper’s topic/ an interpretation of
exploration the topic

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 The poor food served on the campuses of most
universities across the nation represents campus
administrators’ privileging of profit over student
health.

Context Subject Claim

Campus life, student support system

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It is vital for the United States to mandate stronger fuel
efficiency standards to preserve the ecosystem for
human life.

Context Subject Claim

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It is vital for the United States to mandate stronger fuel
efficiency standards to preserve the ecosystem for
human life.

Context Subject Claim

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Although viewed by many as a work-
saving addition to modern life,
computers have, ironically, increased
rather than decreased the amount of
time people spend at work.

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Government, business and nonprofit
organizations should address the problem of
unemployment among veterans by creating
programs that prepare returning veterans for
green jobs that both benefit our country and
those who have served in its name.

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 Problems with the subject

1. The subject is too broad.

2. The subject is too narrow.
3. The subject is too vague.

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 Three essentials for effective claims
1. A claim is something that can be objectively supported.
2. A claim should be debatable.
3. A claim should reveal a perceptive point.

E.g., Although viewed by many as a work-saving addition to

modern life, computers have, ironically, increased rather
than decreased the amount of time people spend at work.

great enough for you to notice it

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 Give comments on the following theses
1.A. In Shakespeare's corpus of work, the play Romeo and Juliet is a
tragic love story.
B. Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet presents the view that love has
the power to reform a community.
2. A. Cell phones have changed our society.
B. Although cell phones make communication easier, they in fact
have brought about a society where people are increasingly isolated
from one another.
3. A. It is vital for the United States to mandate stronger fuel efficiency
standards to preserve the ecosystem for human life.
B. There is a heated debate in the United States today over whether
or not to mandate greater fuel efficiency.

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 Give comments on the following theses
1.A. In Shakespeare's corpus of work, the play Romeo and Juliet is a
tragic love story.
B. Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet presents the view that love has
the power to reform a community.
2. A. Cell phones have changed our society.
B. Although cell phones make communication easier, they in fact
have brought about a society where people are increasingly isolated
from one another.
3. A. It is vital for the United States to mandate stronger fuel efficiency
standards to preserve the ecosystem for human life.
B. There is a heated debate in the United States today over whether
or not to mandate greater fuel efficiency.

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Observation: College tuition fee is rising.
Problem: Many students have to take out
loans to pay for college education.

Questions?

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Observation: College tuition fee is rising.
Problem: Many students have to take out loans to pay for college
education.
Questions?
1. Why have college administrators been unable (or unwilling) to control
tuition hikes?
2. What can the government do to help reduce tuition costs?
3. What can students do to manage tuition costs?
4. What are the benefits of a college education?
5. Should the government pass law to control tuition costs?
6. Should college education be free in Vietnam?
7. Should students go to vocational schools instead of colleges? …
…

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8. Should students take a gap year to earn money
for their education?
9. Should students attend vocational schools
instead of college?
10. Should students follow labor export trend
instead of studying at university?

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Choose a question that interests you and is
appropriate for your writing situation

Conduct a research

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Developing a working thesis

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Recently, the increase in the use of so-called study drugs has become a hotly
debated subject. Many students now routinely take prescription medications such
as Ritalin or Adderall to improve their academic performance(). On the one hand,
students who take these medications say that they help them concentrate and
improve their ability to study and to get high grades (). On the other hand,
medical professionals warn that the effects of prolonged exposure to these drugs
can be harmful and, in some cases, even fatal (). Unfortunately, these warnings
have not stopped an ever-increasing number of students — both in high school
and in college — from taking such drugs. They argue that parental pressure and
the need to succeed have forced them to take extreme measures(). In the final
analysis, however, the risks that these drugs present far outweigh their supposed
advantages.

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 References
• Moore, K., & Cassel, S. L. (2010). Techniques for college
writing: the thesis statement and beyond. Cengage Learning.

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