This document provides guidance for writing an argumentative thesis statement and essay for an AP Language class. It instructs students to clearly state their position without personal pronouns, answer "why it's important," and avoid "cutesy" styles. Students should post thesis statements to a wiki for feedback and provide detailed feedback to classmates to improve their arguments and ensure their stance is clear to unfamiliar readers. The goal is for students to thoughtfully incorporate peer feedback into a revised thesis before final submission.

1. AP Language
Ms. Shimmy

2.  Make your argument clear
 Be concise
 State your position but NOT mention personal
pronouns
 Answer the “so what?” question
◦ Why is this important?
 Avoid “cutesy” writing styles
◦ No questions
◦ No vague statements

3.  Green landscaping not only prevents issues such
as water run-off and pollution, but can also
conserve water and add to the beauty of a yard
easily.
 College athletes sacrifice a lot in pursuit of their
sports, but allowing them to take money from
sponsors offers too many problems such as the
possibility of throwing games, taking away from
what the game is truly about, and blurring the
line between amateur and professional.
 The death penalty should be abolished in all
cases where there is not irrefutable DNA evidence
of guilt in order to avoid executing innocent
people

4.  Compound sentences are fine, just avoid run-
ons:
◦ State your topic
◦ State your stance
◦ Make sure you answer why this is important

5.  Think ahead: a strong intro will help you
create your outline and guide your research
 Thesis Statement
 Outline the rest of your paper
◦ Briefly mention the topics you’ll mention in your
paper
◦ Example: Green Landscaping
 Issues it can prevent
 Cons of traditional landscaping
 Sample steps to take
 Environmental impact, bonuses

6.  You will post your thesis statements to the wiki
 You need to provide detailed feedback to your
classmates
◦ They will not be familiar with your topic, so they are a
great “test” audience as to whether your argument is
clear
◦ Listen to their feedback
◦ In your feedback, make sure you are detailed in how they
can improve
 Don’t submit your final thesis until you’ve
revised with your classmates’ feedback in mind