Thesis Statement

THESIS STATEMENT

OBJECTIVE Today, I will develop skills of argument

by creating a thesis statement for my TCAP practice ECR.

WHAT IS A THESIS STATEMENT?

A thesis statement expresses your opinion about a topic.  It is the basis of the introductory paragraph of your essay.

It should be a single complete sentence.

You must be sure you can support the opinion in your thesis.

THESIS RULES

A thesis statement should: Never be an open-ended question Be limited to mentioning only those points you plan to discuss in your essay

Never be so broad that it’s difficult to discuss all relevant information

Only present one specific idea; not multiple ideas

HOW TO WRITE A THESIS STATEMENT

To create a thesis statement simply follow this formula:

TOPIC  +  OPINION  =  THESIS STATEMENT

EXAMPLE 1 Big inventions have a greater impact on our

daily lives. Missing Components:

Opposing sideThree points

RevisionBig inventions have a greater impact on our daily

lives because they alter the way we function, provide us with new insights and experiences, and allow us to quickly access a variety of information even though it can be argued that small inventions have a great impact as well since they facilitate the creation of big inventions.

STEP 1 Identify whether big inventions or small inventions have a greater impact on society.

STEP 2 Select three main points that support why you believe big inventions OR small inventions have a greater impact on society

Write those three ideas in your notes

STEP 3 Introduce the opposing argument

STEP 4 Write the rough draft of your thesis

using your three ideas: Sentence Stem-

____________________(small, big) inventions have a greater impact on society than (opposite) inventions because _______________(point 1), __________________(point 2), ___________________(point 3).