What is a thesis? A thesis is a well-developed sentence that clearly states the main point of the essay and concisely states the main supporting details. A good thesis will predict the basic structure of the essay. For a definition paper like this, the thesis should be a formal definition. For a short paper like this, the thesis should be about one sentence long, and it should be in the first paragraph. (In longer essays, a thesis might appear in the 2nd, 3rd, or even 4th paragraph).

Thesis example A thesis is a well-developed sentence that clearly states the main point of the essay and concisely states the main supporting details. Open up to page 36. Read the “Revised Thesis Statement.” What do you expect the paper will be about?

Thesis and Structure A good thesis will predict the basic structure of the essay. Compare the thesis to the topics in the “Reordered Outline.” How does the thesis on page 36 help the reader to predict the structure of the entire essay?

Thesis and Structure: Basketball Essay A good thesis will predict the basic structure of the essay. Read the introduction to “The Basketball Bond.” Where is the thesis? Do you think this is a good thesis or not? How does the thesis help you to predict the structure?

Using a formal definition as a thesis I want your thesis to be a formal definition. See page 445. Example: (Word) (Class/ Category) (Defining Characteristics) A teacher is a community leader characterized by expert knowledge of a subject, advanced communication skills, a love for students, and dedication to being a life-long learner.

Activity: Definition of “Teacher” Thesis: A teacher is a community leader characterized by expert knowledge of a subject, advanced communication skills, a love for students, and dedication to being a life-long learner. Introduction…. ? Conclusion

Activity: Definition of “Teacher” A teacher is a community leader characterized by expert knowledge of a subject, advanced communication skills, a love for students, and dedication to being a life-long learner. If you were reading an essay based on this thesis, what would you expect the body paragraphs would be about? Imagine you are the writer: write a basic outline for a paper based on this thesis. Introduction…. ? Conclusion

Working Backwards Sometimes, you might have a strong thesis, but you have already written a lot of your paper. If you do not have a strong thesis, you can work backwards. First analyze the main topics you actually wrote about in your paper, and then write a new thesis that introduces all of those main topics.