Writing | Main Idea, Thesis Statement, and Topic Sentences - Lesson
In the first section of , you determined your purpose for writing and your audience. You then completed a freewriting exercise about an event you recently experienced and chose a general topic to write about. Using that general topic, you then narrowed it down by answering the 5WH questions. After you answered these questions, you chose one of the three methods of prewriting and gathered possible supporting points for your working thesis statement.
Now, on a separate sheet of paper, write down your working thesis statement. Identify any weaknesses in this sentence and revise the statement to reflect the elements of a strong thesis statement. Make sure it is specific, precise, arguable, demonstrable, forceful, and confident. Remember: A thesis statement consists of at least one complete sentence; you cannot use a phrase or sentence fragment. Usually, the first sentence indicates the general thesis assertion, and additional sentences indicate the major support for this assertion. (An assertion is any statement that can be either true or false.) As readers, we may not know whether it is true or false or even have any way of determining whether it is true or false, but the logical response to an assertion is either, “Yes, I believe that to be true” or “No, I do not believe that to be true.” Some sentences do not make assertions. Commands, exclamations, intentions, obvious facts, and questions are considered sentences, but they do not make direct assertions and cannot be used as thesis statements. In your career you may have to write a project proposal that focuses on a particular problem in your company, such as reinforcing the tardiness policy. The proposal would aim to fix the problem; using a thesis statement would clearly state the boundaries of the problem and tell the goals of the project. After writing the proposal, you may find that the thesis needs revision to reflect exactly what is expressed in the body. Using the techniques from this chapter would apply to revising that thesis. If your thesis gives the reader a road map to your essay, then body paragraphs should closely follow that map. The reader should be able to predict what follows your introductory paragraph by simply reading the thesis statement. If your thesis gives the reader a roadmap to your essay, then body paragraphs should closely follow that map. The reader should be able to predict what follows your introductory paragraph by simply reading the thesis statement. How do you identify the stated main idea of a paragraph or passage? Most of the time when you read in real life, you are reading pieces that are longer than a paragraph. Most of the time when you are taking a test of your reading comprehension, you are reading paragraphs. A paragraph is a unit of writing that is longer than a sentence and shorter than an entire essay or story. Paragraphs vary in length and style, but most paragraphs contain a sentence (called the main idea sentence by some, and more confusingly the topic sentence by others) that states the main idea of the paragraph.
A sentence that clearly states the main idea of an essay is_
If you make an assertion and include the reason or reasons which support your assertion, and it is broad enough in scope, yet specific enough to be unified and to serve as a substantial generalization of your essay, you have written a closed or final thesis statement. The evidence can take many forms: facts, opinions, anecdotes, statistics, analogies, etc., but the essential relationship between the thesis and the major points of support is one of conclusion to reason:
A thesis statement summarizes the main idea of a paper or an essay ..
There are several places that a stated main idea can be located in a paragraph or short piece. More often than not, the main idea sentence is the first sentence of a paragraph. It can sometimes be the last sentence, and occasionally it is in or near the middle. Since the main idea sentence states what the paragraph is about, the rest of the sentences expand the topic by giving details, reasons, examples, etc., to flesh out the paragraph.
The topic sentence is the main idea of the paragraph
2. A good thesis asserts one main idea. Many essays get into trouble because the writer tries to explain two different large issues in one essay. Pick one main idea and explain it in convincing detail.
clearly states the main idea or argument of your essay
A joke means many things to many people. Readers bring all sorts of backgrounds and perspectives to the reading process and would need clarification for a word so vague. This expression may also be too informal for the selected audience. By asking questions, the writer can devise a more precise and appropriate explanation for joke. The writer should ask himself or herself questions similar to the 5WH questions. (See for more information on the 5WH questions.) By incorporating the answers to these questions into a thesis statement, the writer more accurately defines his or her stance, which will better guide the writing of the essay.
Essay Writing Flashcards | Quizlet
Remember to look first at the beginning sentence of a paragraph to see if it sounds like a statement that covers the main point of the piece. Remember, the main idea sentence will be a statement that covers the entire paragraph. It has to be broad enough to encompass the entire paragraph, yet focused enough to be about the real point of the paragraph. If the first sentence does not sound like the main idea sentence, then look at the other sentences in the paragraph.