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The Thesis Statement

Learn how to generate a strong thesis statement for your research paper by asking questions, providing clear support, and taking a stand. Improve your writing skills today.

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The Thesis Statement

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  1. The Thesis Statement

  2. Generating a thesis statement. • Think of a question to answer. • Generate a response to that question.

  3. What is a thesis statement? • The sentence, sometimes two, that tells exactly what your research paper is about. • It is the same idea as the term “conclusion” that we have been using regarding logical fallacies.

  4. Four Attributes of a good thesis. • take on a subject upon which reasonable people could disagree • deal with a subject that can be adequately treated given the nature of the assignment • express one main idea • assert your conclusion and reasons for that (premises) about a subject

  5. Don’t Laugh • Let’s see how to generate a thesis statement for a social policy paper. • Brainstorm the topic.Problems with drug addiction Mothers with addiction

  6. You start out with a thesis statement like this: • Crack babies. • This fragment isn’t a thesis statement.

  7. Themes • On top of your thesis statement, your paper also has a theme to it. Like, “Fossil fuels need to be done away with.” • Here is an example of a theme.

  8. A Theme Song

  9. Narrow the topic • Your readings about the topic, however, have led you to the conclusion that not only do these babies have a difficult time surviving premature births and withdrawal symptoms, but their lives will be even harder as they grow up because they are likely to be raised in an environment of poverty and neglect. You think that there should be programs to help these children.

  10. You change your thesis to look like this: • Programs for crack kids. • This fragment not only announces your subject, but it focuses on one main idea: programs. Furthermore, it raises a subject upon which reasonable people could disagree.

  11. Take a position on the topic. • After reflecting on the topic a little while longer, you decide… • You want the government to have more programs available.

  12. You revise your thesis to look like this: • More attention should be paid to the environment children addicted to crack grow up in. • This statement asserts your position, but the terms more attention and the environment are vague.

  13. Make an assertion based on clearly stated support. • Because half of all crack babies are likely to grow up in homes lacking good cognitive and emotional stimulation, the federal government should finance programs to supplement parental care for these children.

  14. Notice how the thesis answers a question. • What should be done for children born addicted to crack? • It also asserts a position. • Developed as more research is done.

  15. Just to keep you awake

  16. How to Tell a Strong Thesis Sentence from a Weak One. • A strong thesis takes some sort of stand. • Remember that your thesis needs to show your conclusions about a subject.

  17. Hint: a great many clear and engaging thesis statements contain words like “because,” “since,” “so,” “although,” “unless,” and “however.”

  18. Don’t be illogical • Write a good thesis statement and follow it to the end.

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