2. A Thesis statement is the central idea of an
essay, around which all other ideas revolve. It
is not just the most important idea; it also
controls the essay by determining what
should you include in your work. In one
sentence, it reveals and summarizes the
argument you intend to develop and defend.
Defining the Thesis Statement
3. The thesis statement reflects your purpose for writing.
It is a constant reminder of your main point and your
stand, directing the entire flow of your writing. It should
be clear that the thesis statement is not the subject or
topic itself, but an interpretation of the topic. A strong
thesis statement usually contains an element of
uncertainty, risk, or challenge (Ramage, Bean and
Johnson 2006:34). This means that your thesis
statement should offer a debatable claim that you can
prove or disprove in your essay.
4. Formulating a Thesis Statement
The thesis statement comes as a result of pre-
writing. It is the product of thinking about your
ideas, seeking evidence, and looking for
relationships between these.
Example: "High school seniors who join the
Reserve Officers Training Corps program develop
better leadership skills because of the discipline
instilled in them by the program."
5. Characteristics of an Effective Thesis Statement
1. Responds to the assignment by following
instructions Going back to the instructions can
assure you that your thesis statement is relevant and
addresses what your teacher has prescribed.
2. Expresses the main idea in one to two sentences
A thesis statement should be comprehensive yet
concise because you will be spending the rest of the
paper proving your point.
6. 3. Focuses on a specific issue
Your thesis statement should only discuss one or a
few related issues.
4. States a stand on the topic
It must reveal your attitude toward the topic.
5. Says something meaningful by answering the
questions:" So what?" *How?" "why?"
Your thesis statement should be able to substantiate
your claims by providing the reader evidence, or an
idea of how you intend to support your stand.
7. 6. Previews the rest of the essay by being placed
in the introduction.
7. Reflects a tone and point-of-view
appropriate to the identified purpose and
audience
8. More guidelines on Writing Thesis Statements
1. Avoid making an overly-opinionated stands.
While a thesis statement needs to reveal your
attitude toward the topic, be careful not to go to the
extremes and write a thesis statement with an
exaggerated claim. This is because you need to
prove your thesis statement first, and avoid
imposing your opinion on the reader.
9. Ex. The officers of the Reserve Officers Training
Corps are merciless slave drivers who abuse their
fellow students. (Opinionated)
The officers of the Reserve Officers Training
Corps should exercise more responsibility
toward their authority by being sensitive to
how they lead their fellow students. (correct)
10. 2. Avoid making announcements.
Sometimes, it is just easier to tell your reader what
they intend to write about. You might say, "In this
essay, I will be discussing the benefits of joining the
Reserve Officers Training Corps." The problem with
this statement is that it does not specify what those
benefits are or what your attitude toward the subject
is.
11. 3. Avoid stating only facts.
Do not rely on facts in your thesis
statements because you will not have
much room for discussion. Remember that
facts are generally not debatable as
opinions. It must contain a position that
your readers can oppose.
12. Defining an Outline
The word "outline" can be intimidating, especially to
the students. But if you know that a writer uses an
outline for an essay the way an architect uses a
blueprint for a building, then you will have an easier
time understanding its purpose in the writing
process.
13. An outline reveals the coherence and complexity of
an essay. It requires the ability to locate the main
ideas of the text. In the same manner, it involves
knowing how to distinguish ideas according to their
level of importance in the text. It is a summary that
gives the essential features of a text. It shows how
the parts of a text are related to one another as parts
that are of equal importance or sections that are
subordinate to a main idea. It is usually done before
you write the first draft of your essay. However, you
can only outline something if you understand it.
14. 1. Read the entire text first. Skim the text
afterwards. Having an overview of reading's content
will help you follow its structure better.
2. Locate the main idea or thesis of the whole essay.
•Look at the title of the text.
•Look for heading, if any.
•Look for information that answers the question,
"What is the text talking about?"
15. 3. Look for key phrases in each paragraph of the
essay.
4. Locate the topic sentence of the paragraph.
5. Depending on the length of the text, look at
the topic sentences and group them with
related ideas together. See if they describe a
process or are examples.
16. 6. To logically organize information, the contents of
the reading are arranged according to levels. A
level refers to the number of ranks in the hierarchy
of information in the reading. Provide a general
group name for each group of topic sentences.
These will be the main divisions of your outline, or
the first level. Label these with a Roman numeral.
The topic sentences will be the subtopics, or the
second level. Label these with capital letters.
17. 7. Evaluate the supporting details provided.
8. Go back to the text after you have finished your
outline.
18. Example
Antigone and Her Morality
Thesis: Antigone is a tragic heroine who believes in
her moral duty to the gods over her duty to the state
and is willing to suffer the consequences in order to
do what is morally right.
19. I. Antigone's justification of action
A. Her defiant speech against law of man
B. Her argument through Divine Law
II. Hamartia Theory
A. Antigone's tragic flaws
B. Human responsibility for action
C. Chorus points out character flaws
III. Divine injustice and the moral problem
A. Action involves suffering
B. Acknowledging moral order of the gods
IV. Divinity in man is morality
