R&W

WEEK 1

"If you have a goal, write it down. If you do not write it 7. Reflects a tone and point-of-view appropriate
down, you do not have a goal-you have a wish." to the identified purpose and audience.

- Steve Maraboli GUIDELINES ON WRITING THESIS STATEMENTS YOU

CAN MAKE YOUR THESIS STATEMENTS MORE
Thesis Statement
EFFECTIVE IF YOU KEEP THE FOLLOWING GUIDELINES
- the central idea of an essay, around which all IN MIND:
other ideas revolve. It is not just the most
1. Avoid making overly-opinionated stands
important idea;
2. Avoid making announcements
- controls the essay by determining what your
3. Avoid stating only facts
should or should not include in your work.
- In one sentence, it reveals and summarizes
the argument you intend to develop and
defend.
- comes as a result of pre-writing.
- product of thinking about your ideas, seeking
evidence, and looking for relationships
between these.
- At times a potential thesis statement may
become clear to you, especially if an
interesting angle on an issue catches your
attention.

Other times, you may need to ask the following

questions to help you find out a thesis statement:

 What main idea does most of my pre-writing

support?
 What are the relationships that exist among
my ideas?
 Which aspect of the topic seems to be given
the most detail?
 Where does my stand seem to be the most
consistent?
 What is the focus of the most interesting and
significant points of my pre-writing?
 What ideas should I do more research on?

CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EFFECTIVE THESIS

STATEMENT:

1. Responds to the assignment by following

instructions.
2. Expresses the main idea in one to two
sentences.
3. Focuses on a specific issue.
4. States a stand on the topic.
5. Says something meaningful by answering the
questions: "So what?" "How?" "Why?"
6. Previews the rest of the essay by being placed
in the introduction