December+12-13

=Bellwork: = Finish body paragraph outlines.

=Add an intro and thesis statement: = At the beginning of your intro you should have an attention getter: question, quote, example, etc. Next, add your thesis sentence!

1. A strong thesis statement takes some sort of stand.
Remember that your thesis needs to show your conclusions about a subject. For example, if you are writing a paper for a class on fitness, you might be asked to choose a popular weight-loss product to evaluate. Here are two thesis statements: > **There are some negative and positive aspects to the Banana Herb Tea Supplement.** This is a weak thesis statement. First, it fails to take a stand. Second, the phrase //negative and positive aspects// is vague. > **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.** This is a strong thesis because it takes a stand, and because it's specific.

2. A strong thesis statement expresses one main idea.
Readers need to be able to see that your paper has one main point. If your thesis statement expresses more than one idea, then you might confuse your readers about the subject of your paper. For example: > **Companies need to exploit the marketing potential of the Internet, and Web pages can provide both advertising and customer support.** This is a weak thesis statement because the reader can’t decide whether the paper is about marketing on the Internet or Web pages. To revise the thesis, the relationship between the two ideas needs to become more clear. One way to revise the thesis would be to write: > **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.** This is a strong thesis because it shows that the two ideas are related. Hint: a great many clear and engaging thesis statements contain words like //because//, //since//, //so//, //although//, //unless//, and //however//.

3. A strong thesis statement is specific.
A thesis statement should show exactly what your paper will be about, and will help you keep your paper to a manageable topic. For example, if you're writing a seven-to-ten page paper on hunger, you might say: > **World hunger has many causes and effects.** This is a weak thesis statement for two major reasons. First, //world hunger// can’t be discussed thoroughly in seven to ten pages. Second, //many causes and effects// is vague. You should be able to identify specific causes and effects. A revised thesis might look like this: > **Hunger persists in Glandelinia because jobs are scarce and farming in the infertile soil is rarely profitable.** This is a strong thesis statement because it narrows the subject to a more specific and manageable topic, and it also identifies the specific causes for the existence of hunger. //Produced by Writing Tutorial Services, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN// =Add your conclusion = Revisit your main points. What do you want your audience to remember about your essay? Give me a lasting impression or something to think about after I finish reading.