1. WRITING A THESIS AND TOPIC SENTENCES Courtesy of the Writing Center

2. What is a thesis statement?  A thesis statement identifies the main idea of your essay. The rest of the essay will be organized around supporting your thesis statement. Thesis statements are usually placed in the introduction to the essay, often appearing as the last sentence in the introductory paragraph.

3. Tentative thesis statements  As you begin to draft your essay, it is a good idea to work with a tentative thesis statement. This statement will help focus your ideas, but may change as you research your topic and write your drafts. Review your tentative thesis statement and revise it accordingly as you work.

4. Characteristics of effective thesis statements  1. Effective thesis statements clearly state the essay’s main idea.  Beyond simply stating your topic, your thesis statement should state what you will say about your topic. For example:  Although the stories “Panacea” and “Ground Zero” both use descriptive language, the authors differ greatly in the effect their language has on the reader.  Here, we see that the topic is two stories, but also know that the writer will focus on how the language affects the readers.

5. Characteristics of effective thesis statements  2. Effective thesis statements communicate your essay’s purpose.  Depending on the assignment, your essay will likely have a specific purpose. For instance, some essays are informative while others are persuasive. Your thesis statement should convey your purpose to the reader. For example:  In order to prevent violence in schools, conflict resolution should be a mandatory class for all high school students.  Here, it is clear to the readers that this essay will attempt to convince them of a certain point of view.

6. Characteristics of effective thesis statements  3. Effective thesis statements are clearly worded.  Use specific wording in your thesis statement; avoid vague language, irrelevant details, and confusing terminology when introducing your essay’s main point. The thesis statement should give an accurate preview of what you will discuss and indicate the essay’s direction and scope. In this way, your essay and thesis statement will share a sharp focus. For example:  While enacted with good intentions, immigration laws often create more problems than they solve.  Here, the clear wording signals what will be discussed and highlights the focus of the essay.

7. What to avoid when writing a thesis statement  1. Announcements of intent:  Statements like “I will discuss…” or “The thesis of this essay is…” are stylistically distracting and informal in tone.

8. What to avoid when writing a thesis statement  2. Statements of fact:  Simply stating a fact is a dead end that cannot be developed into an essay. For example, “Hybrid cars are more efficient than cars with standard gasoline engines” is a fact that has already been established and leaves the writer nowhere to go.

9. What to avoid when writing a thesis statement  3. Thesis statement as the title:  Titles are not detailed enough to properly preview your essay and communicate its purpose.

10. Examples of effective thesis statements  Because second-hand smoke poses danger to school- age children, smoking should be banned with 1000 feet of a school. This statement clearly states the main idea of the essay.  Students should be required to take a course on time management skills before graduating high school. This statement clearly conveys the essay’s persuasive purpose.  Community colleges differ from universities because they offer quality instructors, financial savings, and career-oriented classes. This statement clearly and concisely previews the main points of the essay.

11. Examples of ineffective thesis statements  Smoking is hazardous to your health. This statement simply states a fact; it cannot be developed into an effective essay.  This paper will discuss the consequences of poor time management for college students. The announcement of intent in this statement has an informal tone and distracts the reader.  When it comes to considering what type of institution to attend, it is beneficial to consider that community colleges have many positive attributes; these include (but are not limited to) instructors who are dedicated to their fields, financial savings to the student, and classes which are focused on careers, while universities don’t always share these focuses. This statement has overly complex wording.

12. TOPIC SENTENCES

13.  The main idea of each paragraph should be stated in a topic sentence  The topic sentence should appear as the first sentence in each paragraph Topic sentences

14.  The topic sentence acts as a guidepost for your readers, making it easy to follow your discussion  Each detail in the paragraph should work to support or develop this topic sentence  Any details which do not support topic sentences should be moved or deleted Topic sentences

15.  A topic sentence should never be a statement of fact; just like a thesis, it should contain an original idea  A topic sentences should never simply summarize information we already know  A topic sentence should never offer a vague introduction or preview of your idea; it should state it outright Common mistakes:

16.  Effective: While surgical and labor/delivery nursing are similar in their basic skills, both require differing specialized expertise.  Specific and identifies main idea  Ineffective: Many types of nursing have similarities and differences.  Non-specific and no clear main idea given

17. Examples:  Effective: Jackson’s use of rich symbolism, especially that of the black box, underscores her message that traditions can be dangerous.  Ineffective: Jackson uses a black box in the story.

18.  Effective: One effect of global warming is rising sea levels.  Ineffective: People don’t always realize the effects of their actions. Remember: specific is terrific!

19. Finally…  Remember this formula:  Topic sentence +Topic sentence +Topic sentence = Thesis statement

20. Example:  Topic sentence: Community colleges offer quality instructors, while many universities employ researchers with little interest in classroom teaching. +  Topic sentence: The financial savings of a community college are significant compared with universities. +  Topic sentence: Community colleges offer specific career-oriented classes, while universities may not be as focused on these courses. =  Thesis statement: Community colleges differ from universities because they offer quality instructors, financial savings, and career-oriented classes.

21. Activity 1  First, read this blog post comparing two apps for cooking.this blog post comparing two apps for cooking.  Why does Rothman feel the iPad will be an “indispensible tool” in the kitchen?  According to Rothman, how do the two apps compare with regard to recipe collections?  Are there any features that these two apps have in common? Which features?  In what ways do these apps differ?  Which app does Rothman feel is the better bet for the user? How does he conclude his comparison?  Then, take out your own phone, and choose two apps to compare. Create a Venn diagram comparing the two. You may work with a partner.  Finally, we'll share possible topic sentences for an essay on this subject and create a thesis statement.

22. Activity 2  First, we'll watch an old music video called "Brenda's Got a Baby". old music video called "Brenda's Got a Baby  Next, freewrite for a few minutes about the causes and effects of Brenda's teen pregnancy.  Then, create a graphic organizer that shows how your ideas are connected. Education Oasis offers a great set of graphic organizers you might use--just click to enlarge the documents.great set of graphic organizers  Finally, we'll share possible topic sentences for an essay on this subject and create a thesis statement.