Effective expository writing teachers begin by teaching students
how to write a declarative sentence called a thesis statement.
That single sentence becomes a seed writers can can grow into
a paragraph, an essay, a research paper, or a best-selling nonfiction
book.
Some thesis terminology
Since the term thesis is often used in reference to
an academic
dissertation that may run hundreds of pages, it's not wise
to use the stand-alone term with beginning writers. You never
know if a student has a sibling or parent agonizing over "writing
a thesis."
Instead of using the term thesis as a noun, use it as an adjective
modifying either the word statement or the word sentence.
Not only does the change draw some of the venom from the distressing
thesis, but it underscores what you are trying to teach: the word
statement implies "not a question" and the word
sentence implies "not a sentence fragment."
Those subtle distinctions will be lost on most students until you
point them out. However, if you watch your terminology you may be
able to get away with teaching the distinctions only 17 times instead
of 37.
Questions about thesis sentences
In order to teach students how to write a
thesis sentence/statement and make sure they can—and
do—use that knowledge, you have to know a few basics yourself.
I've outlined the information on this page, with links to more
detailed explanations. However, if you have questions you can
post them to the teachers'
thesis statement forum.
What is a thesis sentence/statement?
A thesis statement is a single-sentence
summary of the main idea of a piece of writing. Unfortunately,
that definition is worthless unless writers know how and when
to write that sentence.
How do I make a thesis?
Writing teachers who are lazy or brilliant either include
a thesis or
suggest one in their writing prompts.
By using a thesis from a prompt, students learn the value of a
thesis before the teacher introduces the thesis-builder
for turning topics into thesis sentences. If teachers use
authentic writing prompts, students can often
guess an assertion about a topic that will make a decent working
thesis.
What makes a thesis good?
A good thesis sentence is one complete,
concise, declarative sentence. Through trial and error, students
learn that phrasing the sentence clearly, in active voice, and
debatable terms makes an even better
thesis sentence.
When should I write a thesis?
Efficient writers know not only how to write a thesis sentence
but also when. Writing a
working thesis sentence early in the writing process leaves
plenty of time to write another if the first turns out to be a
dud. Writing sentences takes much less time than writing entire
papers.
What kinds of papers need a thesis?
All nonfiction writing needs a thesis.
Where should I place the thesis in my essay?
Until they are competent writers, students can place their theses
as the last sentences of their introductions,
just before the first body paragraph of any essay built on the
thesis-and-support pattern.
