The Thesis Repair
Question: Which is a "Strong" thesis?
A) Social media is bad for kids.
B) Social media is a popular thing today.
C) Social media harms teens by reducing attention spans and causing sleep deprivation.
D) I think social media is not good.
C) Social media harms teens by reducing attention spans and causing sleep deprivation.
What does the "I" in the ICE method stand for?
Answer: Introduce (the speaker or the context).
Replace the "Dead Word" GOOD with a better academic word
Answer: Beneficial, effective, or advantageous.
"I love my phone it is cool." What is the easiest way to fix this run-on?
Answer: Add a period (I love my phone. It is cool).
In a formal essay, you should never use First Person. Name two forbidden words.
Answer: I, Me, My, or Us.
Question: A thesis statement should focus on these two "W" words to be specific.
Answer: How and Why
True or False: You should always put quotation marks around someone else's exact words.
Answer: True.
Replace the "Dead Word" BAD with a better academic word.
Answer: Detrimental, harmful, or negative.
What punctuation mark looks like a period on top of a comma and fixes run-ons?
Answer: The Semicolon (;).
Words like "don't," "can't," and "it's" are called what? (Hint: Avoid them!)
Answer: Contractions.
Question: True or False: A thesis statement should be a simple fact that everyone agrees on.
Answer: False (It must be an arguable claim).
What is "Quote Bombing"?
Answer: Dropping a quote into a paragraph without an intro or explanation.
"Social media has a lot of stuff on it." Replace both dead words.
Answer: A multitude / abundance of content / information.
What is a "Comma Splice"?
Answer: Improperly joining two full sentences with only a comma.
Why should you avoid "LMAO," or "bruh" in an essay?
Answer: They are slang/informal and ruin your academic voice.
A strong thesis must be "Arguable." What does that mean?
Answer: It is an opinion that someone could reasonably disagree with.
What is the "E" in ICE and why is it the most important part?
Answer: Explain; it tells the reader how the quote proves your thesis.
Level up the word KIDS for a formal essay.
Answer: Adolescents, youth, or students.
Fix this using a conjunction: "I was on my phone all night I am tired today."
Answer: "I was on my phone all night, so I am tired today."
What does the "L" in PEEL stand for?
Answer: Link (connect the paragraph back to the thesis).
Question: Identify the primary flaw in this thesis: "While many believe social media is purely for entertainment, it actually has several negative impacts on the brain."
Answer: It lacks specific claims (it doesn't name what the impacts are, such as "reduced dopamine regulation" or "sleep deprivation").
Question: Identify the two mistakes in this quote integration: Jane Smith says, "Social media is addictive." (Smith) This shows that apps are bad for kids today.
The Intro is weak: It uses the "Mid" word "says" instead of a strong verb like "argues" or "illustrates."
The Explanation is "Mid": It uses dead words like "bad" and "kids" instead of academic terms like "detrimental" and "adolescents."
Rewrite this sentence: "It makes people feel bad because they see stuff that isn't real."
Answer: "Platforms diminish user well-being by promoting fabricated content."
Question: Identify all three grammatical errors in this sentence:
"Social media is addictive, it makes people feel bad because they see stuff that isn't real 'The short-term loops are destroying society' Which shows why the internet is bad."
The Comma Splice: Joining "Social media is addictive" and "it makes people feel bad" with only a comma. (Fix: Use a semicolon or period).
The Fused Sentence (Run-on): Shoving the quote directly after "real" without any punctuation or introduction. (Fix: Add a colon or a "bridge" word like "stating").
The Sentence Fragment: "Which shows why the internet is bad" is a dependent clause sitting alone. (Fix: Connect it to the previous sentence with a comma).
Rewrite this to be formal: "I don't think kids should use insta because it's trash bruh."
Answer: "Social media use should be restricted for adolescents due to its low quality/detrimental nature."