Thesis Statements

1. Thesis Statements Guided Notes

2. What is a thesis statement? • Author’s argument and thesis statement are closely related, if not totally synonymous. • The term thesis is derived from the Latin/Greek term tithenai, which means to put or to lay down. • A thesis statement puts forth or lays down your position and reasoning about a particular topic. • A thesis statement is typically one strongly worded sentence.

3. What is a thesis statement? • All thesis statements follow the same basic formula: TOPIC + OPINION + REASONING = THESIS STATEMENT

4. Why are thesis statements important? • A thesis statement serves as the guiding force of analytical, persuasive, and expository essays. • The body paragraphs of an essay and the evidence incorporated within the body paragraphs of an essay must develop aspects of the thesis. • No information should be included in an essay that does not relate to the thesis.

5. Where can I find an author’s thesis statement? • In academic writing (writing for school), the thesis statement is included as the last sentence of the introduction paragraph. • In newspaper, magazine, academic journal, and other nonfiction writing, the thesis is usually located in the beginning 1/3 of the text, though sometimes for effect, the thesis might be located toward the end of the text or in the conclusion.

6. Where can I find an author’s thesis statement? • In academic writing, the thesis will always be explicit, which means the author specifically states his position about a specific topic. • In other types of writing, the thesis is sometimes implicit, which means the author merely implies, or suggests, his or her position through the use of examples and supporting points. When a thesis statement is implicit, it’s up to the reader to decide the author’s position on the topic—it will not be stated within the text.

7. Can you show me a few examples of thesis statements? Because Banana Herb Tea Supplement promotes rapid weight loss that results in the loss of muscle and lean body mass, it poses a potential danger to customers.

8. Can you show me a few examples of thesis statements? Because the Internet is filled with tremendous marketing potential, companies should exploit this potential by using Web pages that offer both advertising and customer support.

9. Can you show me a few examples of thesis statements? Hunger persists in Zimbabwe because jobs are scarce and farming in the infertile soil is rarely profitable.

10. Food for Thought What observations can you make about the above thesis statements? Do you notice any patterns? Do you notice anything about the voice of the verbs (active or passive)?