Lesson 2 English Composition II (Assignment 4)

DO NOT write a thesis statement that's VAGUE or TOO GENERAL. For example, don't write the following:

* Some people think the the drug problem among teens is getting worse. * Having Friday chat discussions has disadvantages and advantages for both students and faculty I learned many things about college last semester. * Professional athletes are admired for the many things they do.

What to question yourself while writing your thesis?

1. Can I prove this statement with specific examples, facts, and or personal experience? If you cannot then you need to rethink and revise until you can answer that question with a "YES"

Narrative

A narrative is a story. A good story has a beginning, middle, and end. The story may make a point or offer a moral.

Process, illustration, and cause and effect

All those essays can fall into the analytical category if they aim simply to inform an audience, as opposed to expression and defending a point of view.

Analytical Essay

Sorts issues and ideas into their component parts. That is, the paper evaluates the various parts and their relationships in order to inform a reading audience.

Elyssa Tardiff and Allen Brizee

They suggested that other kinds of essays can be seen as falling into specific categories. These authors help us identify analytical, expository, and argumentative papers.

FACTS my be used as support

You can support your thesis with facts, but it shouldn't make up the thesis. For example, don't write a statement like these: * Teenagers like to spend time with their friends. * John F. Kennedy was our first Catholic president. *. The Weather Channel provides up-to-the minute weather conditions for all major regions of the country.

Effective descriptive essays

provide strong sensory images that enable us to imagine a person, a place, or an event, such as a New Orleans Mardi Gras festival.

DO NOT make unreasonable and/or unsubstantiated claims, insults, or derogatory remarks, or oversimplified statements. For example, DON'T write the following:

* Sexual misconduct among immature, underage teenagers has increased sharply in recent years. * Radical animal-rights fanatics have made hunting nearly impossible for serious, law-abiding hunters. * People who insist on puncturing and piercing every available body part are egocentric masochists.

DO NOT present a statement of fact as a thesis

A thesis should provoke debate (pro and con) about your thesis. It should be proven with examples, facts, and concrete evidence. Here's the basic idea: A statement of fact doesn't have to be proven if it's normally assumed to be true.

Elements of a Strong Thesis Statement

According to the writing tutorial service provided by Indiana University, there are four indicators of a strong thesis statement. 1. A strong thesis statement takes some sort of stand. 2. A strong thesis statement justifies discussion. 3. A strong thesis statement expresses one main idea. 4. A strong thesis statement is specific.

Argumentative paper

An argumentative paper makes a claim about some topic or other and then justifies that claim with facts, research results, or other kinds of evidence. The claim can be an opinion, a policy proposal, an evaluation, a cause and effect statement, or an interpretation.

When Formulating Your Thesis Statement

DO NOT announce the subject of your essay; such a statement usually doesn't contain the assertion required for a thesis statement. And thus, DO NOT write the following: 1. I am going to write about my high school graduation. 2. My thesis will be the skiing trip I took during the Christmas holidays. My paper will discuss the differences between jogging and walking as a form of aerobic. DO NOT make ore than one assertion. For example, don't write statements like these: 1. My high school graduation was fun, exciting, and sad. 2. My ski trip to the Canadian Rockies provided many wonderful family memories, taught me a lesson about following rules, and allowed me to improve my skiing technique. 3. The 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee is the most popular sport utility vehicle on the market and is a better buy than the For Explorer.

DO NOT include words or phrases

Don't include phrases such as I think, i believe, or In my opinion. If you state your thesis properly, the reader will know that the ideas expressed are yours.

Developing thesis Perspective on Thesis basics

Narration and descriptive essays don't, as a rule include a formal thesis statement.

The topic is not in capital letters and the assertion is in capitalized

The near tragic automobile accident Resulted In Several Significant Changes In My Lifestyle. Mr. Adkinson USES SOME BIZARRE TEACHING TECHNIQUES to help his students improve their writing. The movie cold mountain DESERVES TO SWEEP THE ACADEMY AWARDS THIS YEAR. My experience as a tutor HAS BENEFITED ME IN A NUMBER OF WAYS.

The thesis statement in review

The thesis statement is the most important line the essay. Basic guidelines to reinforce: * It clearly states the narrowed, limited topic or subject of your essay. * It clearly makes an assertion, provides a focus, and state an opinion regarding your topic; the assertion may be a single word (frightening, challenged, childish, surpasses) or phrase or clause (an atypical female character, a life changing event, shouldn't be banned) * It takes an original- as opposed to trite, common, or well-known- approach to a topic. * It makes only one assertion. * It controls the direction of the step-by-step development of your essay. * It's stated in only one sentence. * It appears at the end of the introductory (generally, within the last two sentences).

Expository or explanatory

Those types of essays explain something to the readers. Examples might include process essays that explain how bills are passed in the U.S. Congress or how bauxite ore is processed to yield aluminum.