The document discusses thesis statements. It defines a thesis statement as a sentence that introduces the main idea or focus of a writing. Good thesis statements are specific, purposeful, and guiding. The document provides examples of strong and weak thesis statements. It also discusses how to identify a thesis statement and provides tips for writing a good thesis statement, such as taking a stance and justifying the discussion. Examples are used to illustrate strong and weak thesis statements.

1. Identify & write a
thesis statement
Hery Yanto The
Wiziq online class
English 3.0 series, spring 2012
February 3, 2012
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2. What is a thesis statement?
• A sentence uses to introduce the focus of
writing.
• This sentence tells readers what they will
found in writing if they continue read it.
• It is a road map for readers to follow the
writer story, argument, interpretation, or
description.
• Some writings have implied thesis
statements, especially narrative writings.
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3. Examples
• An analysis of the college admission
process reveals one challenge facing
counselors: accepting students with high
test scores or students with strong
extracurricular backgrounds.
• The life of the typical college student is
characterized by time spent studying,
attending class, and socializing with peers.
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4. Examples (Continue)
• High school graduates should be required
to take a year off to pursue community
service projects before entering college in
order to increase their maturity and global
awareness.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/54
5/1/
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5. How can I identify a thesis statement
form a writing?
• It is usually a single sentence somewhere
in the first paragraph. [essay, short report,
newspaper article, student’s paper]
• It is usually a single sentence somewhere
in the last paragraph of the introduction
section. [journal article, book, research
report]
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6. How can I identify a thesis statement
form a writing? (continue)
Attention!
• Some writings do not have explicit thesis
statement.
• Some writings used more than one
sentence to propose thesis statement.
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7. Practice #1.1:
Identify the thesis statement
Math and science strategies for English Language
Learner (ELL) students with disabilities include learning
centers, instructional games, and techniques to develop
conversational language, academic
language, scaffolding, concrete materials, and visual
learning. Teachers can use these techniques to provide
best practices in math and science instruction integrated
with modifications for teaching ELL students with
disabilities.
[Johnson & Showalter. (2012). Math & Science Strategies
for ELL with Disabilities, HIEC 2012 proceedings]
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8. Practice #1.2:
Identify the thesis statement
• Our plane touched down on the tarmac
in Juliaca, Peru. At 13,000 feet
elevation, this is one of the world’s
highest airports. The DC-3 was
unpressurized and we sucked on oxygen
tubes as the flight took us onto the
altiplano. I was in the first group of
Peace Corps volunteers sent to this
remote region in the southern Peruvian
highlands. [Anthropology
News, December 2011, p.4]
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9. Practice #1.3:
Identify the thesis statement
(1st paragraph) The lives of Indonesian Chinese
communities before the Reformation, the era of
democratic government, was not as good as today. …
(2nd paragraph) In fact, the assimilation policy did not
successfully eliminate Chinese culture from Indonesia.
This article will analysis three important questions
related with the unsuccessful of assimilation policy.
Those questions are: 1) … 2) … and 3) …
[The. (2009). Indonesian Chinese & Assimilation
Policy, Univ. of Hawaii at Manoa]
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10. What is a good thesis statement?
• Specific: propose dominant
idea, explanation, evaluation, or
recommendation used to impress readers
• Purposeful: provide question and answer
• Guiding: use as a road map to navigate
readers to understand the purpose
• Tentative: open to change during the writing
process
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11. What is a good thesis statement? (continue)
• Takes some sort of stand
Weak:
There are some negative and positive aspects
to the Banana Herb Tea Supplement.
Good:
Because Banana Herb Tea Supplement
promotes rapid weight loss that results in the
loss of muscle and lean body mass, it poses a
potential danger to customers.
http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/thesis_statement.shtml
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12. What is a good thesis statement?
(continue)
• Justifies discussion
Weak:
My family is an extended family.
Good:
While most American families would view
consanguineal marriage as a threat to the
nuclear family structure, many Iranian
families, like my own, believe that these
marriages help reinforce kinship ties in an
extended family.
http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/thesis_statement.shtml
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13. What is a good thesis statement?
(continue)
• Expresses one main idea
Weak:
Companies need to exploit the marketing
potential of the Internet, and Web pages can
provide both advertising and customer support.
Good:
Because the Internet is filled with tremendous
marketing potential, companies should exploit
this potential by using Web pages that offer both
advertising and customer support
http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/thesis_statement.shtml
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14. What is a good thesis statement?
(continue)
• Specific
Weak:
World hunger has many causes and effects.
Good:
Hunger persists in Glandelinia because jobs are
scarce and farming in the infertile soil is rarely
profitable.
http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/thesis_statement.shtml
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15. Practice #2
Which one is weak and which one is good?
• The North and South fought the Civil War for
many reasons, some of which were the same
and some different.
• While both Northerners and Southerners
believed they fought against tyranny and
oppression, Northerners focused on the
oppression of slaves while Southerners
defended their own right to self-government.
http://writingcenter.unc.edu/resources/handouts-demos/writing-the-paper/thesis-
statements
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16. Practice #2 (Continue)
Which one is weak and which one is good?
• In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops
a contrast between life on the river and life
on the shore.
• Through its contrasting river and shore
scenes, Twain's Huckleberry Finn
suggests that to find the true expression of
American democratic ideals, one must
leave "civilized" society and go back to
nature.
http://writingcenter.unc.edu/resources/handouts-demos/writing-
the-paper/thesis-statements
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17. Topic, Purpose, & Thesis
Reid (2003, p. 23) The Prentice Hall Guide for College
Writing
No Topic Purpose Thesis
1 Childhood To express your The relentless competition
experiences feelings and explain between my sisters and me
how one childhood distorted my easygoing
experience was personality
important
2 Heart disease To inform readers about Type A personalities do not
relationships between necessarily have an
Type A personalities abnormally high risk of
and heart attacks suffering heart attacks
3 The death To persuade readers Despite our belief that killing is
penalty that death penalty wrong, a state-administrated
should be used death penalty is fair, just, and
humane
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18. Practice #3
Use the thesis statement for improving your
reading skill
• The main purpose of reading: constructing
meaning from a text
• Prior knowledge + Expectation + Meaning
making (synthesize)
• Identify a text thesis statement and question your
self:
– What main idea and purpose support the
thesis?
– Do you agree or disagree with the idea?
– Based on what you know, does the thesis
statement rational or not?
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19. Write a thesis statement
• Indicate the topic
• Indicate the point to write
Topic Point to write
Chinese’s dim sum has varieties of breakfast meals to
restaurant choose with low prices
Many people in India because they do not have a British
failed to get a job in the or American accent
call center
Japan business system Is highly influenced by the culture
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20. Practice #4
• Complete these thesis statements!
– The most important day in my life is …
– Some regulation of the Internet used is
necessary …
– High school graduates should have
additional skill beside content
knowledge …
• Write a thesis statement for your own
writing!
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21. Conclusion
• Determine the topic and the purpose
• Based on the topic, indicate the point to
write
• Specific, purposeful, guiding, tentative
• Improve writing skill
• Review – Read – Identify – Practice
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22. I love to hear from you
• Write on my WizIQ comment box
• Send me an email.
• Join and participate in the FWF
• Is this course help you to improve your writing
skill and self confidence to write in English?
• What do you expect to learn later from this
course?
• What do you want me to improve from this
course?
•
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23. Thank You
English 3.0 Project
Hery Yanto The
http://www.wiziq.com/uhmherythe
herythe@hotmail.co.uk
http://freewriting.ning.com
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