THESIS STATEMENTS H. Fleming English IV

WHAT IS A THESIS STATEMENT?  The “hardest working” sentence in essays.  Identifies the focus of your essay. Function or Purpose: prepares your audience to think about what you plan to fully discuss or prove OVERALL.

Where is the thesis statement located? Your thesis statement should almost always be the last sentence of your introductory (first) paragraph.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD THESIS A good thesis:  is a complete sentence  is a statement rather than an announcement  specific  takes a position  is written in third person

A COMPLETE SENTENCE NO Fragment  Monte Cristo who was really Edmond Dantes seeking revenge against those who had betrayed him. Question  Was Edmond Dantes right to seek revenge? YES Complete Sentence Edmond Dantes, as Monte Cristo, was justified in taking revenge against those individuals who wronged him. Edmond Dantes, as Monte Cristo, was not justified in seeking revenge against those individuals who wronged him.

A STATEMENT RATHER THAN AN ANNOUNCEMENT NOYES In my essay, I will discuss the impact of revenge on Monte Cristo’s personality. The subject of my paper is duality in The Count of Monte Cristo. In The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, all of the characteristics that made Edmond Dantes the man that he was were slowly destroyed by his desire for revenge.

SPECIFIC STATEMENTS Not Too BroadNot Too Narrow The Count of Monte Cristo is a book about revenge. In The Count of Monte Cristo, Edmond Dantes lost his love because of Danglars’ letter.

TAKES A POSITION X There are many reasons why Edmond Dantes takes revenge. Edmond Dantes, as Monte Cristo, was justified in taking revenge against those individuals who wronged him.

FORMING YOUR THESIS STATEMENT: TWO FORMULAS

EXAMPLES: Formula 1: Writing to inform Formula 2: Writing an argument

PRACTICE: