Your_Thesis_Statement English IELTS Barron

Your_Thesis_Statement English IELTS Barron

1. Your Thesis
Statement:
The Only Sentence Worth More
Than A Thousand Words
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2. How to Navigate Through a
PowerPoint Workshop
•This PowerPoint Presentation is
designed to be experienced as a
workshop.
•To ensure that you do not miss
important information, only use your
mouse at this prompt:
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3. Setting the Tone-
Your Introduction Paragraph
Think of your introduction paragraph like a
funnel.
First, grab you readers attention with a general statement
about your topic .
End your introduction with a strong statement/claim that tells your
reader what you intend to prove to them about your topic.
Attention
Grabbing
Opening
Thesi
s
Then, give your reader a brief explanation (2-5 sentences) of
what you will be explaining about your topic.
Today’s
Focus-
Your
THESIS
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4. First, let’s look at
what a Thesis Statement
is NOT!
Thesis Statements Are Not
As Hard As You May Think…
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5. What a Thesis Statement is
Not:
Your topic tells
your reader what
you are talking
about. For
Example:
I will compare
marijuana usage
over the last 5
years.
This is not a thesis, it
is only A Topic.
Your Thesis Statement is NOT
Your Topic!
Your thesis tells
your reader your
position on your
topic. For Example:
Marijuana usage
has decreased over
the past five years
due to the
successful “War on
Drugs.”
This is a Successful
Thesis Statement
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6. What a Thesis Statement is
Not:
Surprisingly, your
thesis should be an
arguable OPINION -
NOT A FACT!
WHY?
Because that is
what makes your
paper interesting
to your reader!
Your thesis
should always be
a statement that
demands
PROOF!
If not, what
will you do
for the next
2-10 pages???
You Thesis Statement is NOT AFact
About Your Topic!
You spend the
rest of your
paper
CONVINCING
your reader of
why YOUR
OPINION is
TRUE!
Your thesis prepares
your reader for the
facts that will prove
your opinion about
your topicto be
true-it can not be a
fact itself.
Your Thesis
Should Take A
STAND!
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7. What a Thesis Statement is
Not:
You Thesis Statement is NOT AFact
About Your Topic!
That is a
fact, not a
strong
thesis!
Now,
that is
a strong
thesis!
Let’s Look At An Example
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8. What a Thesis Statement is…
It is the sentence that answers
your readers biggest question:
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By telling your reader your point in the first
paragraph, you set the tone and make sure they are
not frustrated and confused for the
rest of your essay.

9. What a Thesis Statement is…
Now That You Know What A Thesis
Statement Is,
Let’s Look At What Makes A Strong Thesis
Statement…
It Tells your Reader Your Topic
It Tells the Reader a Fact About Your Topic
It Tells the reader your Point
Which of the following is TRUE about your THESIS
STATEMENT?
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10. Requirements For a Strong
Thesis:
1.It should not be
TOO BROAD!
2.It should not be
TOO NARROW!
3.It should not be
TOO VAGUE!
There Are Three (3)
Requirements For A
Strong Thesis
Statement.
Let’s look at each of
these requirements a
bit closer…
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11. Requirements For a Strong
Thesis:
A Strong Thesis Should Not Be
Too Broad!
You may find
yourself
drowning in
information,
unable to prove
your point!
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12. Requirements For a Strong
Thesis:
A Strong Thesis Should Not Be
Too Broad!Let’s Look At An Example
The death penalty should be
banned
in the United States.
That would
definitely
leave you
drowning:
TOO
BROAD!
The death penalty in Alabama has been
ineffective in deterring crime and should be
replaced with more efforts to reform
criminals and not murder them.
Much Better!
That definitely
is an opinion
narrow enough
to be proven in
a college essay!
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13. Requirements For a Strong
Thesis:
A Strong Thesis Should Not Be Too
Narrow Either!
You may find
yourself
Trying to stretch the
small amount of
information that you
find to fit your
essay!
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14. Requirements For a Strong
Thesis:
Let’s Look At An ExampleIn Lord of
The Rings,
the sward
given to
Frodo by his
uncle
represents
the passing
down of a
legacy.
Though this
may be
interesting, it
would take
some tugging to
stretch it into
an entire essay!
In Lord of the
Rings, the author
carefully chose a
weapon for each
character that was
symbolic, and
revealed something
about them to the
reader.
That looks like a
thesis statement
we wouldn’t have to
stretch for!
A Strong Thesis Should Not Be Too
Narrow!
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15. Requirements For a Strong
Thesis:
A Strong Thesis Should Not Be
Vague!
You may find
your
reader
Dazed and
Confused!
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16. Requirements For a Strong
Thesis:A Strong Thesis Should Not Be
VagueLet’s Look At An Example
Getting rid
of welfare
in the
United
States is a
horrible
idea.
The word
HORRIBLE is
hard to define!
It makes this
thesis
Too VAGUE!
If the United States
were to get rid of
welfare, it would
aggravate an already
severe homeless
problem, cause a rise
in crime, and remove
the only safety net
that our country has
in place.
To Fix It
Define the term
“horrible idea” for
your reader.
Outlining the major
points of your essay
would also help.
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17. Where To Start
Start Off With Your Topic!
Usually, your instructor will provide
your topic:
–It may be a general topic such as family.
–Or something more specific like
•The role that biological age played in
Romeo and Juliet or
•Comparing and contrasting the
philosophies of Descartes and Plato.
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18. Before trying to decide on a thesis,
gather all of the information available
on your topic!
Where To Start
Why?
1.How can you have an educated opinion about something that you know little
about?
oThe more that you know about your topic, the easier it will be to form a
provable opinion (thesis) about it.
2.It is easier to write a thesis statement that explains what you have found in your
research, than to find research that explains what you have written in your thesis!
3.You want the opinion that your thesis states to be provable by facts that you have
gathered. If you gather the facts first, you KNOW that it can be proven!
REMEMBER: Your Thesis and Your Topic are NOT the same.
You must choose your topic before beginning your research.
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19. Where To Start
Depending on your topic, the research that you do will be
different.
Your Family
The role that
biological age played
in Romeo and Juliet
Comparing and
contrasting the
philosophies of
Descartes and Plato.
Use your own memories & those of
family members. **Be sure to
write the memories down to
organize your research. **
Use notes from class and your text
book. Then, use the Internet or
texts from the library to discover
what experts have said on the topic.
Use notes from class as well as you
course text book. Then, find other
pieces of writing from each person
and expert commentaries on them.
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20. Where To Start
Once you have gathered your
information, Ask Yourself a
Few Questions: What would
my reader
want to
know about
my topic?
What is the
most
important
thought that
I have about
my topic?
What will be the
point of my
paper?
What has my
research shown me
about my topic?
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21. Before You Write Your
Thesis…
First Write
AWORKING
THESIS
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22. A Working Thesis
A Working Thesis is Made Up of Two
Parts:
AND
may mean different things to different
people, but it is an important part of every
culture.
Family
For Example:
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23. 2.Is it TOO NARROW?
3.Is it TOO VAGUE?
Refining Your Working
Thesis
To turn your Working Thesis into a Final
Thesis Statement, compare it to the
requirements for a strong thesis statement:
Family may mean different things to different
people, but it is an important part of every culture.
1.Is it TOO BROAD?
This Working Thesis needs to be
made more specific.
It is too BROAD!
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24. Refining Your Working
Thesis
Family may mean different things to different
people, but it is an important part of every culture.
Possible Revisions To
Make The Broad Statement More Specific:
A.As in many countries, family has a huge impact on American culture.
•This is more narrow because we have reduced it to one specific culture.
B.The strength of the family unit impacts each individual regardless of their
society.
•This is more narrow because family is reduced to the family’s strength
and society is reduced to the individual. This can be more easily
proven in a collegiate essay.
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25. So…How Do You Write A
Thesis Statement?
1.Start off with your TOPIC!
2.Before trying to decide on a thesis, gather all of the
information available on your topic!
3.Once you have gathered your information, Ask
Yourself a Few Questions:
•What is the most important thought that I have about
my topic?
•What has my research shown me about my topic?
•What would my reader want to know about my topic?
•What will be the POINT of my paper?
4.Use your answers to write a Working Thesis.
5.Turn your Working Thesis into a Final Thesis
Statement by comparing it to the requirements for a
strong thesis statement:
Is it too broad? Is it too narrow? Is it too vague?
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26. Need More Help
Writing Thesis Statements?
Visit Us on Campus
at:
The Learning Center
Room 100
Educational Services
Building
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