THESIS & DEVELOPMENT

The overall success of any persuasive piece of writing relies

on a STRONG thesis

CLEAR

LOGICAL

SPECIFIC

WEIGHS SEVERAL FACTORS

ARGUMENTATIVE (PROVE YOUR POINT!)

SHOWING YOUR SIDEYOUR WRITING SHOULD REFLECT THAT YOUR SIDE IS THE BEST SIDE!

Your thesis should be….

What is a THESIS?

A thesis is NOT the hook/grabberThe hook/grabber sentence is the FIRST sentence in your introduction and GRABS the readers attention

A thesis statement does not JUST tell the reader about the topic

It addresses the point you will be making

A thesis is an ARGUMENT

A thesis takes a stand rather than announcing a subject

It contains THREE points to support your argument

A thesis is the last sentence in your introduction paragraph

Thesis Construction

Logically constructed

Contains the main points of your ARGUMENT

You should have THREE points

Helpful Hints…A thesis is never a question

A question (“Why did communism collapse in Eastern Europe?”) is not an argument, and without an argument, a thesis is dead in the water

A thesis should be as clear and specific as possibleAvoid overused, general terms and abstractions

An effective thesis has a definable, arguable claim

This thesis makes a definite, arguable claimThe reader would react to this statement by thinking, “Perhaps what the author says is true, but I am not convinced. I want to read further to see how the author argues this claim.”

Thesis & Writing Construction

Argument of thesis statement present AND proved throughout the piece of writing

Each point included in your thesis becomes its own paragraph

Do not just tell about your topicIt is about the WHYWhy do these points matter

Focus on arguing the points of your thesis

Basic Examples

Duxbury, Massachusetts is the best town in New England because it is close to the beach, has historical houses and buildings, and is centrally located between Northern and Southern New England.

Duxbury has the best public school system in the United States because our testing scores are high, our athletic and music programs are successful, and we have just built a brand new school.

More Examples

The European Union is a successful union of European countries because it established a single market among all member countries, extended democracy throughout the continent, and established a single currency.

The Treaty of Maastricht is the most important treaty established by the European Community because it established the European Union, it put a plan in place to create a single currency, and it further unified the European countries.

The political landscape in Europe drastically changed and the world saw Europe unify because of the collapse of the Berlin Wall, the fall of the Soviet Union, and the advancements of the European Union.