THESIS STATMENTS

ANSWER TO THE PROMPT (because clause) TWO MAIN POINTS/REASONS Writing an effective THESIS STATEMENT

Write a thesis statement explaining your favorite drink of all time. Explain why. My favorite beverage of all time is good old fashioned iced tea because it has a refreshing flavor and the caffeine gives me an energy boost.

A Thesis Statement is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader exactly what you will write about and what to expect from the rest of the paper. directly answers the question asked of you and makes a statement or claim that others might dispute. is usually a single sentence somewhere in your first paragraph that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.

A Thesis Statement should be specific—it should cover only what you will discuss in your paper and should be supported with specific evidence. usually appears at the end of the first paragraph of a paper. may change as you write, so you may need to revise your thesis statement to reflect exactly what you have discussed in the paper.

In your WRITER’s NOTEBOOK Write a thesis statement explaining your favorite drink of all time. Explain why. Color code your response by writing in or underlining in the appropriate color. – Answer to the prompt/restate the question – Because clause – First reason/main point to support your answer – Second reason/main point to support your answer

Topic Sentences Going BEYOND the thesis

Write a thesis statement explaining your favorite drink of all time. Explain why. My favorite beverage of all time is good old fashioned iced tea because it has a refreshing flavor and the caffeine gives me an energy boost. Let’s look back at our thesis statement.

Identify the TWO reasons you gave. Reason #1: it has a refreshing flavor Reason #2: the caffeine gives me an energy boost Your topic sentences will be based off of these two reasons/ideas.

Thesis: Thesis: My favorite beverage of all time is good old fashioned iced tea because it has a refreshing flavor and the caffeine gives me an energy boost. Topic Sentence 1: The refreshing flavor of old fashioned iced tea quenches my thirst, leaving me with a feeling of satisfaction. Note how the topic sentence goes beyond the thesis statement.

Thesis: Thesis: My favorite beverage of all time is good old fashioned iced tea because it has a refreshing flavor and the caffeine gives me an energy boost. Topic Sentence 2: The caffeine in iced tea also provides me with a spark of energy that helps to keep me going when I am feeling fatigued. Note how the topic sentence goes beyond the thesis statement.

Now, write your own two topic sentences. Write your sentences on the same page or next page of your writer’s notebook. Write your sentences on the same page or next page of your writer’s notebook. Label them “Topic Sentence 1” and “Topic Sentence 2.” Label them “Topic Sentence 1” and “Topic Sentence 2.”