How to Write an Essay Part II The Thesis Statement A thesis statement is a sentence that clea rly identifies the purpose of the paper. It is usually found at the end of the introductor y paragraph. 1. Thesis statements are assertions, not facts or observations: * Fact or observation: Many people are fan s of the Maple Leafs. * Thesis: People will continue to support the Toronto Maple Leafs despite their lackluster performance over the past 42 years. 2. A thesis takes a stand rather than ann ouncing a subject. * Announcement: The thesis of this paper is the difficulty of solving the Maple Lea fs coaching problems. * Thesis: Solving the Maple Leafs coachin g problems is more difficult than many fans believe. 3. A thesis is the main idea, not the title. It must be a complete sentence that exp lains in some detail what you expect to write abo ut. * Title: The Montreal Canadiens and Ret irement * Thesis: Continuing changes in the Social Security System makes it almost impossible for the Canadiens to plan inte lligently for their retirement. 4. A thesis statement is narrow, rather than broad. If the thesis statement is sufficiently narrow, it can be fully supported. * Broad: The Maple Leaf hockey team has many problems. * Narrow: The primary problem of the Ma ple Leaf hockey team is the lack of coachin g commitment required to reinvent an out dated franchise and re-inspire talented but frustrated players. 5. A thesis statement is specific rather than vague or general. * * Vague: The Toronto Maple Leafs are very good. Specific: The Toronto Maple Leafs will win the Stanley Cup by employing an aggressive offence, balanced defence, and experienced goaltenders. 6. A thesis statement has one main point rather than several main points. More than one point may be too difficult for the reader to understand and the writer to support. * More than one main point: The inability of the Toronto Maple Leafs to win a Stanley Cup has not prevented them from becoming the richest franchise in NHL history, and their failures haven’t resulted in lower ticket sales. *One Main point: The inability of the Toronto Maple Leafs to win a Stanley Cup has not prevented them from becoming the richest franchise in NF-IL history. Which is the Better Thesis Statement? 1. Early on in life, people develop an admiration for heroes. In a well developed essay, discuss a person you admire and why you chose this person. a) One person I admire is Wayne Gretzky, who played hockey in the NHL from 1979 to 1999. b) One person I admire is Wayne Gretzky, the greatest hockey player of all time. 2. Discuss the social, political, and economic effects of World War II on Canada. a) World War II was a costly war that had a major impact on the economy of Canada. b) World War II not only affected the economy of Canada, but also altered the international role of the Canadian government and the Canadian people forever. 3. Describe three physical features of Thunder Bay and their importance to the region. a) Lake Superior, Mount Mckay, and the Sibley Peninsula are the three most significant features in Thunder Bay. b) Three physical features found in Thunder Bay are Lake Superior, Mount Mckay, and the Sibley Peninsula. c How to Write an Essay Part Ill The Body Paragraphs In the “body” of the essay, the topic you have chosen will now be explained or argued. The point of having body paragraphs in your pape r is to develop the points that you made in your introductory paragraph and your thesi s statement. Each main idea that you wrote down in your web chart will become one of the body paragraphs. If you had three main ideas, you will have three body para graphs. 1. Write down one of your main ideas in sentence form. For example, if your thesis statement is “8-7 is the best class in Pope John Paul H because they are motivated, enthusiastic, and have a great sense of humour” , the first sentence of your first body paragraph should be similar to: “8-7 is an extremely motivated class” 2. Write down each of your supporting points for the main idea, along with proofs or further elaboration/discussion/clarification. Point 1: Point 2: Point 3: 3. Create a transition that will lead into the following para graph. Using transitions helps create an essay that flows smoothly and feels unified. motivated class” to “8-7 is Question: How would you transition from “8-7 is an extremely always enthusiastic”? graph, put it together into Okay, so now that you have all of the elements of a body para motivated”. Remember to a complete paragraph that proves your thesis point “8-2 is ), and transition. include your main idea, supporting points (with proofs/elaboration Please write out your paragraph on a lined piece of paper. How to Write an Essay Part IV The Conclusion The conclusion brings closure to the read er, summing up your points or providing a final perspective on your topic. Your introdu ction and body of the essay can be gre at, but if you stumble when it comes to the con clusion, you essentially undermine everyth ing that has come before it. You want to leave the reader with a positive impression, convinced that you have proved your thesis. 1. Begin the conclusion with a rephra sing of your thesis statement. 2. Focus on the strongest parts of you r essay and argument. 3. Don’t add new information or raise new questions. 4. Connect the conclusion to the introdu ction. Make sure that the argument and ideas in the introduction and conclusion are in agreement. 5. Keep it short. The conclusion should be only one paragraph. All the conclusion needs is three or fou r strong sentences which do not need to follow any set formula. Simply review the mai n points (being careful not to restate them exactly), briefly describe your feeling s about the topic, and reaffirm your thesis statement. CD U
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