Thesis Statements 1
These are the three kinds of college essays that we read about for today
Analytical, Expository, Argumentative
WHERE does your thesis statement go?
At the END of the Introduction.
According to the Purdue OWL, your argumentative thesis "needs to be narrow." WHY?
So you can support it convincingly! The more general the thesis, the less you will be able to support it convincingly.
Where do Topic Sentences go?
At the BEGINNING of each paragraph.
This kind of thesis statement tells your reader that your paper will be EXPLAINING something
Expository
Should your thesis statement be general or specific, and why?
Specific, so you can support it it with evidence. "Evidence" sounds like an argumentative paper, but in fact even explanatory or analytical essays need to provide evidence (illustrations from sources) to support their explanation or analysis.
Narrowness (that is, super specificity), and debatability.
Which paragraphs should have topic sentences?
ALL of them (except the Intro).
This kind of thesis statement tells your reader that you will be taking something apart or breaking something down to discuss how it works
Analytical
What is the point of even having a thesis statement?
To TELL YOUR READER WHAT YOUR PAPER BE DOIN', YO!
Good or bad argumentative thesis, and why: I like ice cream.
Bad: it's not debatable. For our purposes, consider "debatable" to mean PROVABLE WITH EVIDENCE.
What is even the point of Topic Sentences?
To tell your reader what will be in the paragraph.
This type of thesis statement tells your reader that you will be pursuing a claim
Argumentative
Why do you even have to have a thesis statement tell your reader what your paper be doin’? Can’t you just do it, and yo reader knows from reading it?
Cuz that's how we do in the academic or college essay, yo! Get wit it
Good or bad argumentative thesis, and why: Slavery is bad.
Bad: not debatable. (No one would argue against it.)
What makes a paragraph a paragraph?
The sentences within it are related by a topic. Purdue OWL says: "A paragraph is a collection of related sentences dealing with a single topic."
Before creating your thesis statement, you should...
...decide what kind of paper you want to write
Imagine: a paper. It has no thesis statement. What else might it lack?
Several things, including: Clarity (your reader might not know what it is you're doing); Focus (YOU might not know what it is you're doing); Organization (you might be ramblin' and meanderin'!); Purpose (you might not know WHY you're doing what you're doing). The thesis provides ALL THESE THINGS! WOAH!
Good or bad argumentative thesis, and why: education is good.
Bad: too general. What kind of education? Good in what way?
It's the writer telling the reader what to expect!