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Thesis and Evidence. Sorry, today’s not a debate day. Today. Yesterday we practiced choosing a thesis and selecting some evidence to support that thesis. Today we’re going to learn how to perfect that aspect of the prewriting process. Thesis – 4 big problems we should avoid
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Thesis and Evidence Sorry, today’s not a debate day.
Today Yesterday we practiced choosing a thesis and selecting some evidence to support that thesis. Today we’re going to learn how to perfect that aspect of the prewriting process. • Thesis – 4 big problems we should avoid • Evidence – 2 types of evidence we really need
Thesis Your thesis should do two things. • Tell the reader the main topic of your essay. • Tell the reader what you have to say about that topic: attitudes, opinions, ideas, points, etc. Super simple, right?
Thesis The United States should not intervene in the Syrian civil war because the United Nations has not approved military action.
Thesis The Prime Minister of Morocco should resign because he has failed to fix the country’s education system.
Thesis More Moroccan students should study English because it could help them to find private-sector jobs.
Thesis Write Statements, Not Announcements Don’t simply introduce the topic. Make a statement that references your main point as well as your evidence. Bad Example: The subject of this essay is my parents. Good Example: Because of the various lessons they taught me, my parents made me into the man I am today.
Thesis Avoid Statements That Are Too Broad Use statements that can be supported in an essay, not a book. Bad Examples: Men and women are very different. Good Example: Men and women are treated very differently in the workplacedue to societal norms.
Thesis Avoid Statements That Are Too Narrow Don’t use statements that don’t leave room for support. Facts are “dead-end statements.” Bad Example: A hurricane hit southern Florida last summer. Good Example: Due to bureaucratic inertia, officials made mistakes in their response to last summer’s Florida hurricane.
Thesis Make Sure Statements Develop Only 1 Idea An essay is to communicate a single main point. Bad Example: Teachers have played an important role in my life, but they were not as important as my parents. Good Example: Teachers, who were essential to my education for almost twenty years, have played an important role in my life.
Evidence Evidence must be: • Specific • Adequate
Evidence Why Specific? Because we don’t want to tell. We want to show.
Evidence Why adequate? Because we need enough evidence to prove our thesis.
Evidence What counts as good evidence? • Facts • Statistics and parameters • Examples • Stories, or events • Logical reasoning • Ethical arguments • Appeals to emotion • Anything else?
Evidence Another consideration in adopting a dog is the cost. Initial fees for shots and a license might add up to $50. Annual visits to the vet for heartworm pills, rabies and distemper shots, and general checkups could cost $100 or more. Then there is the cost of food. A twenty-five-pound bag of dry food (the cheapest kind) costs around $15. A large dog can eat that much in a couple of weeks.
Evidence People can be cruel to pets simply by being thoughtless. They don't think about a pet's needs, or they simply ignore those needs. It never occurs to them that their pet can be experiencing a great deal of discomfort as a result of their failure to be sensitive. The cruelty is a result of the basic lack of attention and concern—qualities that should be there, but aren't.
Evidence If I were in charge of the night time programming on a TV network, I would make changes. I would completely eliminate some shows. In fact, all the shows that proved to be of little interest would be canceled. Commercials would also change so that it would be possible to watch them without wanting to turn off the TV. I would expand the good shows so that people would come away with an even better experience. My ideal network would be a great improvement over the average lineup we see today on any of the major networks.
Evidence A friend's rudeness is much more damaging than a stranger's. When a friend says sharply, “I don't have time to talk to you just now,” you feel hurt instead of angry. When a friend shows up late for lunch or a shopping trip, with no good reason, you feel that you're being taken for granted. Worst, though, is when a friend pretends to be listening to you but his or her wandering eyes show a lack of attention. Then you feel betrayed. Friends, after all, are supposed to make up for the thoughtless cruelties of strangers.
Evidence Giving my first shampoo and set to a real person, after weeks of practicing on wigs, was a nerve-racking experience. The customer was a woman who acted very sure about what she came for. She tried to describe what she wanted, and I tried without much success to understand what she had in mind. Every time I did something, she seemed to be indicating in one way or another that it was not what she wanted. I got more and more nervous as I worked on her hair, and the nervousness showed. The worst part of the ordeal happened at the very end, when I added the final touches. Nothing, to this woman, had turned out right.
