Thesis Statements, Introductions, and Conclusions

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Thesis Statements, Introductions, and Conclusions

• Techniques for Variety

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Thesis Statement

• Just as a paragraph has a topic sentence that
  expresses its central point, an essay also has a
  main idea called a thesis. This is the most
  important sentence of your essay!

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More on the Thesis

• Like a topic sentence, a thesis can be stated or
  implied.
• In most student essays the thesis is stated.
• In most essays, the thesis presents the authors
  opinion sets forth an argument.

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Characteristics of a Thesis Statement

• Presents the focus or central idea of the essay
• Uses specific language
• States a generalization demanding proof. It is
  not a statement of fact.
• Gives major subdivisions of the topic (list) or
  remains more general (umbrella).

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Thesis Placement

• Last sentence of intro paragraph preferred

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Final Comments on the Thesis

• A thesis statement is the central message of an
  essay.
• It should reflect the content of the essay and
  guide your writing.
• As you are writing, if you discover that the
  content of your essay and the thesis do not
  match
• Revise one or the other
• or both!

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Introductory Paragraphs

• Introductions hook the readers interest, provide
  a bridge to the thesis, and present the thesis to
  the reader, which should frame your argument.
• Hooks you may want to consider are citing a
  quotation, raising a question, providing relevant
  statistics, challenging a common perception.

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Citing a Quotation

• If you use a quotation to begin your essay, be
  sure to include the source.
• You must also show your reader the connection
  between the quote and and the subject of your
  paper.
• Otherwise, it will seem tacked on.

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Quotation Example

• World War I aviator, Eddie Rickenbacker, once
  motivated
• young pilots by saying that Courage is doing
  what youre
• afraid to do. There can be no courage unless
  youre scared
• (qtd. in Smith 12). If fear is necessary for
  courage, then many
• students starting their college careers are
  certainly courageous.
• Two types of college students are the recent
  high school
• graduate and the returning student who seeks a
  new
• profession.
• __________________________________________________
  __
• QUOTATION BRIDGE
  THESIS

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Techniques for Conclusions

• Redeliver your thesis without using exactly the
  same words (you may want to use the list and
  umbrella techniques)
• Return to the approach you used in your intro
  citing a quotation, raising a question, providing
  statistics, giving background information,
  challenging a common perception.

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Conclusion for Intros with Quotes

• Refer to the opening quotation
• Both the recent high school graduate and the
• returning student play important roles in the
• college classroom. With motivation and
• perseverance, they, like Eddie Rickenbacker,
• can overcome their fears and achieve their
• dreams.

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Raising a Question

• Make sure that the question is clearly tied to
  your topic.
• Remember to provide a bridge to the thesis or it
  will seem tacked on.
• Second person pronoun you is generally accepted
  (although in the rest of a formal essay it should
  be avoided).

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Example of a Question

• Do you remember what it was like the first day
  of your
• first college class? Were you surprised to find
  so many
• students of varying ages and backgrounds? Many of
  
• todays college classrooms feature an
  intergenerational
• student population. Two types of college
  students are
• the eighteen-year-old who just graduated from
  high
• school and the returning student who seeks a new
• career.
• QUESTION BRIDGE
  THESIS

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Conclusion Answer the Question or Predict an
Outcome

• Both the recent high school graduate and the
  returning student have important contributions to
  make in any college class. Eventually, however,
  age diversity will not be as surprising because
  returning students will outnumber
  eighteen-year-olds in many classrooms. As the
  economy becomes more diverse and increasingly
  international, more workers will return to the
  classroom for retraining, and the average age of
  a college student will continue to climb.

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Providing Relevant Statistics

• A statistic, particularly one that may be
  surprising, is often an effective way to open an
  essay.
• When you use a statistic, you should provide its
  source just as you do with a quotation.
• Make sure you do not use misleading statistics.

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Example of Use of Statistics

• According to this years college admissions
  booklet,
• the average student age at FIU is 28.3 years,
  which means that many students in FIUs
  classrooms are over the age of 30. Most of these
  mature students have discovered that they need to
  upgrade their job skills if they are to compete
  in an increasingly technological society.
  Consequently, they find themselves in classes
  with younger students. Two types of college
  students are the recent high school graduate and
  the returning student who seeks a new career.
• STATISTIC
  BRIDGE
  THESIS

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Conclusion Referring to Statistics

• As the demands on the workforce continue to
• take a technological turn, universities will
  see a climb in the average age of their students.
  Because so many individuals in their late 20s
  seek to enhance their professional lives through
  education, the average FIU student can look
  forward to sharing his/her university experience
  with peers who already know what its like in the
  real world.
• Reference to Statistic

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Challenging a Common Perception

• This type of intro entices the reader to learn
  something new by challenging the readers
  preconceived ideas.
• Think about what beliefs your readers might hold
  and what ideas you might use to counter these
  beliefs.

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Example of Challenging Perceptions

• When thinking of a freshmen classroom, many
  people envision rows of eighteen-year-olds eager
  to begin their college experience. However, the
  average age of a freshman at most colleges and
  universities is well above eighteen. Many men
  and women are coming back to the classroom after
  an absence of many years. Some want to learn a
  new skill while others pursue a particular
  academic interest alongside the younger students.
  Two types of college students are the recent
  high school graduate and the returning student
  who seeks a new career.

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Citing Sources pg. 1235-1240 1247-1248

• If the writing is not your original ideas
  and/or interpretations, that is plagiarism.
• Cite your sources
• Print Sourcebefore they were hoisted onto their
  crosses (Smith 95).
• Smith authors last name 95 page number
• . outside of ( )
• Online, no author - the most famous writer of
  them all (Shakespeare).
• Shakespeare shortened name of website used
  for this information

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Citing Sources pg. 1247-1248

• Online, author Caesar could be kind, forgiving
  and witty (Cross, Private).
• Cross authors last name
• Private shortened name of website used for
  this information
• Bottom lineshould be able to find your sources
  in Works Cited page
• Plagiarism pg. 1245 0 on paper and contact
  home

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Conclusion Challenging Perception

• Clearly, the recent high school graduate is
  not the only type of student in the university
  classrooms today. As the workforce demands more
  technological skills, the traditional
  eighteen-year-old students will find themselves
  studying side by side with those who have
  returned to build up their career credentials.
• _________________________________________
• New Perception Thesis

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Review

• Your thesis statement is essential (list or
  umbrella)
• Not all of the techniques work for every topic
• Often, writers combine techniques
• Intros have a hook, bridge, and thesis statement
• Accept that your intro paragraph is subject to
  change as your essay develops
• Make sure your conclusion addresses the hook
  (quote, question, stats, perception) you used in
  your intro.

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Sources Consulted

• Campbell Martha. Focus Writing Paragraphs
• and Essays. New Jersey Prentice Hall,
  
• 1999.
• Hacker, Diane. A Writers Reference.
• Boston Bedford, 2003.
• Troyka, Lynn. Quick Access. New Jersey
• Prentice Hall, 2000.