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3. Compose a draft thesis statement
If you are writing a paper that will have an argumentative thesis and are having trouble getting started, the techniques in the table below may help you develop a temporary or "working" thesis statement.
| Technique |
Description |
Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Purpose statement | Begin with a purpose statement that you will later turn into a thesis statement. | Assignment: Discuss the history of the Reform Party and explain its influence on the 1990 presidential and Congressional election. Purpose Statement: This paper briefly sketches the history of the grassroots, conservative, Perot-led Reform Party and analyzes how it influenced the economic and social ideologies of the two mainstream parties. |
| 2. Question-to-Assertion | If your assignment asks a specific question(s), turn the question(s) into an assertion and give reasons why it is true or reasons for your opinion. | Assignment: What do Aylmer and Rappaccini have to be proud of? Why aren't they satisfied with these things? How does pride, as demonstrated in "The Birthmark" and "Rappaccini's Daughter," lead to unexpected problems? Beginning thesis statement: Alymer and Rappaccinni are proud of their great knowledge; however, they are also very greedy and are driven to use their knowledge to alter some aspect of nature as a test of their ability. Evil results when they try to "play God." |
| 3. Main idea | Write a sentence that summarizes the main idea of the essay you plan to write. | Main idea: The reason some toys succeed in the market is that they appeal to the consumers' sense of the ridiculous and their basic desire to laugh at themselves. |
| 4. List ideas | Make a list of the ideas that you want to include; consider the ideas and try to group them. | A. nature = peaceful B. war matériel = violent (competes with A?) C. need for time and space to mourn the dead D. war is inescapable (competes with C?) |
| 5. Formula | Use a formula to arrive at a working thesis statement (you will revise this later). | A. Although most readers of _______ have argued that _______, closer examination shows that _______. B. _______ uses _______ and _____ to prove that ________. C. Phenomenon X is a result of the combination of __________, __________, and _________. |
As you work on your thesis, remember to keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times. Sometimes your thesis needs to evolve as you develop new insights, find new evidence, or take a different approach to your topic.
To learn more about crafting arguments, take a look at our class on thesis statements.
