The Thesis Statement

The Thesis Statement

• The thesis sentence is the most important sentence in any essay.

• It must be clear

• Properly structured

• In the correct place.

What does the abbreviation, “AP,” mean?

Address the Prompt!

Addressing the Prompt• Read the whole prompt

• Divide it into its elements

• Answer all elements of the prompt in a simple sentence.

• Then turn that simple sentence into a complex one

Addressing the Prompt

• Example

• How successful was organized labor in improving the position of workers in the period from 1875 to 1900? Analyze the factors that contributed to the level of success achieved.

Addressing the Prompt

Were labor unions of the late 19th Century successful?

Addressing the Prompt• We’ll say this was not a period of labor

success.

• Then write a simple statement that addresses the prompt.

• The last 30 years of the 1900s nearly destroyed organized labor.

• Or. . . These years were a period of extreme struggle for organized labor.

Although…• Now that you have a simple answer, you

need to write a sentence that is both complex and specific.

• One way of doing this is to begin your thesis sentence with the word “although.”

• “This will force you to address the complexity of the question.

Addressing the Prompt• Get your thinking clearly into a simple answer

to the prompt.

• Do not restate the wording of the prompt.

• Rather than saying “the time period 1875 to 1900,” say “the last decades of the 19th century” or “the three decades following the Civil War.”

• Rather than saying “organized labor,” refer to labor unions.

Although…

• Although the last decades of the 19th century were periods of intense labor organization, they nearly destroyed the labor unions.

• Although the post-Civil War period saw increased labor organization, it was also a time of government persecution of labor unions.

Give a Little, Take A Lot

• Notice that a basic structure is formed with the use of although.

• This structure is referred to as “give a little, take a lot.”

• “Give a little”-the opposing viewpoint to your opinion.

• “Take a lot”-your opinion

Give a Little, Take A Lot

Although_____________________, Give a little element

_____________________________. Take a lot element

Give a Little, Take A Lot• For example, if the prompt asks:

• To what extent was Andrew Jackson the president of the common man?

• If you believe he was the president of the common man, you might respond with:

• Although some of President Jackson’s policies hurt average Americans, his presidency was indicative of greater participation in the political process.

Give a Little, Take A Lot• If, on the other hand, you believe he was not

the president of the common man, you might respond with:

• Although his presidency was indicative of greater participation in the political process, many of President Jackson’s policies hurt average Americans.

Lists• If you are given a list of factors to evaluate or

the prompt requires you to create a list, the “give a little, take a lot” structure works as well.

• Assess the relative influence of THREE of the following in the American decision to declare war on Germany in 1917: German naval policy, American economic interests, Woodrow Wilson’s idealism, Allied propaganda, and America’s claim to world power.

• Which factor was most important in the US decision to enter WWI?

• Let’s say German naval policy.

• Unrestricted submarine warfare drove the US to declare war on Germany.

Lists

Practice

• Which factors were most important in differentiating these two areas?

• Climate, geography, the types of colonists, or belief systems

• Create a simple answer to the prompt.

• Remember, do not restate the language of the prompt.

• Place “although” and the less important factors in front of your simple answer (the most important factors).

Practice

• Now let’s make it complex.

• Although trade with the Allies and Wilson’s principles were influential, unrestricted submarine warfare drove the US to declare war on Germany.

• Notice that I was careful not to restate the language of the prompt.

Lists

Although New England and the Chesapeake region were both settled by people of English origin, by 1700 the regions had evolved into two distinct societies.” Why did this difference in development occur?

Practice

Give a Little Take a Lot

Divide the Factors

More important

less important

The End