Thesis Statements InQuizitive

Below are recommended steps for developing a tentative thesis statement. Place the steps in order, starting with the step that should come first.

1-State your topic as a question. 2-Turn your question into a position. 3-Narrow your thesis. 4-Qualify your thesis.

A thesis statement for a report typically takes an ________ stance.

objective

On the right are three newspaper article headlines, each of which functions as a thesis statement, and each of which suggests a different genre. Match each genre on the left with the appropariate headline.

Amazon's new rotating, follow-you camera is useful—and invasive. evaluation Teenage brains may be especially vulnerable to marijuana and other drugs. report No amount of detention is safe for a child. Here are better solutions for migrant kids. proposal

Every college writing assignment will require a thesis statement.

False

The expectations for thesis statements are the same regardless of the academic discipline you're writing in.

False

Watch the video below, and then respond to the prompt that follows. Aiko found that she was able to use the same thesis statement in three different genres.

False

Imagine that Aiko decides to write a proposal related to her topic of tone indicators. Which of the following thesis statements would be most appropriate for that genre?

Interpreting tone correctly has sometimes been difficult for the members of our Facebook group. To solve this problem, we should consider learning about and using tone indicators in our posts.

Imagine that Carlos decides to write a report about the Elam Ending. Which thesis statement would be most appropriate for that genre?

The Elam Ending is a new scoring system designed to make the final minutes of a basketball game more competitive and fast-paced.

At what point in the writing process is it too late to adjust your thesis?

when you've already turned in your assignment

Click on any words or phrases that Carlos uses to limit his thesis statement. Adopting the Elam Ending could make college basketball more exciting for fans, with minimal impact on players.

minimal impact on players. could college

Fill in the blanks to complete the following statement. Qualifiers_____ a thesis in some way. Some examples of qualifiers are "in some cases," "nearly," and "___."

limit "usually"

Is the following thesis effective for an essay that argues a position? Cigarette smoking is bad for people's cardiovascular health.

No, the thesis is not effective.

Identify the sentence in the passage below that best represents the writer's argumentative thesis statement. The community college system is America's hidden public service gem. If I were a candidate for office I would campaign from every campus. Not to score political points, but to make sure that anyone who is looking to go to college in this country knows where to find a community college. Show Clickable Areas

The community college system is America's hidden public service gem

Who benefits from the inclusion of a thesis statement in a piece of writing?

--Benefits-- The writer The reader --Does not benefit-- N/A

Which of the following strategies might be useful in developing a thesis statement, and which are probably less useful?

--Useful-- freewriting about what interests you about your topic reviewing your assignment prompt reviewing your notes for key concepts looking for patterns in the research you've done on your topic thinking about what your audience would find most interesting --Less useful-- choosing a thesis before doing any research and deciding to stick with it no matter what

Match each of the following genres to the appropriate statement.

A thesis for this genre indicates the significance of a personal story you're sharing. -memoir A thesis for this genre concisely states your overall reaction to a text whose ideas you've summarized. -summary and response essay A thesis for this genre presents a fair and balanced assessment of a particular subject. -evaluation

Match each of the following genres to the appropriate statement.

A thesis for this genre summarizes the main details or findings you'll share with your readers. report A thesis for this genre asserts an arguable claim based on your interpretation of a piece of literature. literary analysis A thesis for this genre asserts a clear position on a debatable topic. position paper

You should have your thesis statement fully developed before you begin drafting a piece of writing.

False

You're writing a literacy narrative about learning to speak a new language. Should you include an explicit thesis statement in your text?

Maybe

A writer has drafted the following thesis for an essay that analyzes car advertisements Car ads create and perpetuate a stereotype that women are inferior drivers. Should the writer consider adding a qualifier to this thesis?

Yes, the writer should add a qualifier

A student has been given an assignment to write a literary analysis. Which of the following statements about the student's thesis are accurate, and which are inaccurate?

--Accurate-- The thesis should make an arguable claim about the meaning or purpose of the text. The thesis should be supported with evidence from the text --Inaccurate-- The thesis should summarize what others have said about the text. The thesis should tell readers whether the writer liked or disliked the text. The thesis should make a factual claim about the text.

Which of the following sentences are accurate, and which are inaccurate?

--Accurate-- An effective thesis statement can be more than one sentence. --Inaccurate-- An effective thesis statement is always explicitly stated. An effective thesis statement always stakes out a position on a controversial topic. An effective thesis statement always forecasts the supporting points. An effective thesis statement always appears at the end of a text's introduction.

Which of the following statements about qualifiers are accurate, and which are inaccurate?

--Accurate-- Qualifiers can make it easier to provide adequate support for a thesis. Qualifiers can make a thesis seem more reasonable to readers. Qualifiers can help you appear more open-minded. --Inaccurate-- Qualifiers always make readers think you don't know what you're talking about.

After watching the video below, identify additional activities that might help Carlos develop a tentative thesis statement.

--Helpful activities-- Carlos could talk with teachers, tutors, or peers about his research and brainstorming. Carlos could jump right into drafting—and not worry about a thesis until later. Carlos could give feedback to his peers about their working thesis statements. --Not helpful activities-- Carlos could make his thesis more emphatic, eliminating any qualifying words.

A student is writing an argument about financial literacy classes. After turning his topic into a question, he brings the following tentative thesis statement to a peer-review workshop: Schools should offer financial literacy classes because they're beneficial for students. Which of the following of his peers' comments might be helpful for him as he works on his thesis?

--Helpful-- It might be good for readers to know what kinds of schools you're referring to. High schools? Middle schools? Colleges? I'm wondering if financial literacy classes are always beneficial for all students. Maybe you could qualify your statement? Your overall position is clear, but "beneficial for students" seems vague. Could you be more specific about why financial literacy classes are beneficial? --Less helpful-- N/A

Which of the following best defines a thesis statement?

A statement that communicates the topic and main point of a piece of writing

Identify the words or groups of words in the passage below that help qualify the writer's thesis. For certain schools, majors, occupations, and individuals, college may not be a smart investment.

certain schools, majors, occupations, and individuals may not

A student has drafted several possible thesis statements for a rhetorical analysis of magazine ads. Which of his thesis statements need revision, and which do not?

--Needs revision-- The Dove Men+Care ad campaign is very interesting. Dove's latest ads feature men taking care of children. Advertising's portrayal of men is changing. --Does not need revision-- Two recent ads for men's grooming products challenge traditional media representations of masculinity by portraying men as nurturing, emotional, and vulnerable.

A student plans to write an argument on the topic of children and social media. To focus her research and work toward a tentative thesis, she's generated some questions about her topic. Which of the following questions would likely be most useful in helping her to develop an arguable thesis statement?

--Useful-- How do children's versions of popular social media apps compare to the regular versions? Is it okay for children to be social media influencers? --Less useful--- Has the number of children using social media increased in recent years? At what age do most children start using social media?

The following are thesis statements for an evaluation essay. Rank the thesis statements from most effective to least effective, starting with the most effective one.

1. The Park of Roses may be small, but its fountains, walking paths, and dozens of rose beds make it one of the gems of the city's park system. 2. The Park of Roses is the best park in the city because it has more rose varieties than any of the other parks. 3. The city's park system has plusses and minuses. 4.The Park of Roses is located in the middle of the city

A tentative thesis statement is a _______ thesis that will most likely_______ as you work through your writing process.

1st preliminary 2nd evolve

Which of the following parts of the writing process can you begin before having a well-developed thesis statement, and which are best left until after you've developed a thesis?

Before developing a thesis-- brainstorming outlining revising getting feedback drafting reading and researching After developing a thesis-- N/A

A thesis statement is sometimes called a central idea, a controlling idea, or a main claim.

True

Aiko decides to transform—or remix—her report on the history of tone indicators into an infographic that she'll share online. Here is the thesis she wrote for her report: Tone indicators are relatively new communication tools, but they're part of a long history of attempts to make tone more understandable in written forms of English. Aiko wants to include her thesis in the headline of her infographic. Should she consider adjusting her original thesis for the medium and genre of an online infographic?

Yes, she should consider adjusting her thesis for the new medium and genre.

In academic contexts, a thesis is typically expressed in the form of a ________________.

declarative sentence

if no reasonable person would disagree with your thesis, then your thesis is______ for an argumentative essay

not appropriate

Match each of the following genres to the appropriate statement.

A thesis for this genre presents your interpretation or judgment of how—or how well—a written or visual text achieves its purposes. rhetorical analysis A thesis for this genre indicates the particular angle you're capturing in your portrait of a person, place, event, or object. profile A thesis for this genre concisely puts forward a solution to a problem. proposal