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WordinessThesis Statements
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A thesis statement contains the main idea or message of a composition.
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To find the thesis, look for the sentence that best explains what the essay will be about. Which sentence in this paragraph provides that information?
The invention of the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell in
1876 changed the way people communicate. Before that,
people had to rely on telegraphs or letters to communicate
with each other. Moreover, the telegraph was limited by its
use of Morse code, a system of dots and dashes, that could
send and receive only one written message at a time.
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A thesis statement contains the main idea or message of a composition.
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This is the thesis sentence. It indicates the topic of the essay and the writer’s opinion about that topic.
The invention of the telephone by Alexander Graham
Bell in 1876 changed the way people communicate.
Before that, people had to rely on telegraphs or letters to
communicate with each other. Moreover, the telegraph was
limited by its use of Morse code, a system of dots and
dashes, that could send and receive only one written
message at a time.
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Thesis Statements
A thesis statement contains the main idea or message of a composition.
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A successful thesis statement
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•is usually one sentence•is a statement, not a question•identifies the subject of the essay or composition•takes a stand rather than simply announcing a subject•is narrow and specific enough to be fully supported
A thesis statement may also preview the main ideas of the essay and set the tone.
Thesis Statements
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Which of these sentences are successful thesis statements?
Recycling is one of the best ways ordinary people can help save resources.
Recycling is a program to help the environment.
Recycling saves millions of tons of garbage from ending up in landfills every year.
To recycle, separate papers, cans, bottles, and plastic.
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Recycling is one of the best ways ordinary people can help save resources.
Recycling is a program to help the environment.
Recycling saves millions of tons of garbage from ending up in landfills every year.
To recycle, separate papers, cans, bottles, and plastic.
These two thesis statements are successful because they express specific ideas and suggest the direction the essay will take.
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When you revise your writing, be sure your thesis statement is as strong as it should be.
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When you write thesis sentences, you should avoid the following common errors. Click on the error you want to explore.
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Thesis Statements
When you revise your writing, be sure your thesis statement is as strong as it should be.
•Simple statements of fact•Simple announcements
•Broad, general opinions
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Simple Statements of FactStatements of fact cannot be thesis statements because they do not take a position or suggest a direction for the writing.
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Simple Statements of Fact
How would you change this statement of fact into a thesis?
Recycling is a way to save resources.
Click to see a revision
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Statements of fact cannot be thesis statements because they do not take a position or suggest a direction for the writing.
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Simple Statements of Fact
The revised thesis expresses an opinion about the topic, rather than just stating a fact. It also previews the main ideas of the essay.
Recycling is a way to save resources. ORIGINAL
REVISED
Recycling is a good way to save resources because it gets
ordinary people involved in caring for the environment.
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Statements of fact cannot be thesis statements because they do not take a position or suggest a direction for the writing.
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Simple AnnouncementsA simple announcement doesn’t express a point of view or preview the main ideas of the composition.
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Simple Announcements
How would you rewrite this statement to make it an effective thesis?
In the following paper, I am going to write about recycling.
Click to see a revision
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A simple announcement doesn’t express a point of view or preview the main ideas of the composition.
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Simple Announcements
This revised thesis expresses a point of view and previews the main ideas. It does not mention the paper and avoids the first person reference.
Many people think they can’t do anything about environmental
problems, but recycling is one way everyone can make a
difference.
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A simple announcement doesn’t express a point of view or preview the main ideas of the composition.
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Broad, General OpinionsThe statement of an opinion should be specific and narrow enough to be fully supported.
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How would you revise this broad statement?
Recycling is an effective way to reduce waste.
Broad, General Opinions
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The statement of an opinion should be specific and narrow enough to be fully supported.
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Broad, General Opinions
Thesis Statements
How would you revise this broad statement?
Recycling is an effective way to reduce waste.
The statement of an opinion should be specific and narrow enough to be fully supported.
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Broad, General Opinions
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The statement of an opinion should be specific and narrow enough to be fully supported.
Recycling is an effective way to reduce waste. .
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Broad, General Opinions
Thesis Statements
Recycling is an effective way to reduce waste
The statement of an opinion should be specific and narrow enough to be fully supported.
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Broad, General Opinions
Thesis Statements
The statement of an opinion should be specific and narrow enough to be fully supported.
because lessgarbage ends up in landfills and more products are made from recycled materials.
Recycling is an effective way to reduce waste
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Broad, General Opinions
This thesis statement gives specific reasons that can be supported with evidence.
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The statement of an opinion should be specific and narrow enough to be fully supported.
because lessgarbage ends up in landfills and more products are made from recycled materials.
Recycling is an effective way to reduce waste