I. Write T if the statement is true; write F if false.
____ 1. A thesis statement must express a complete thought.
____ 2. A summary must contain only the most important information stated in the original.
____ 3. A summary should change the meaning of the original text.
____ 4. A thesis statement does not present or describe the point of an essay.
____ 5. Summarizing is important because it helps you learn to identify relevant information or
key idea/s.
____ 6. A thesis statement is a road map for a paper; it tells the reader what the paper will
focus on.
____ 7. A strong thesis statement is vague.
____ 8. You are not summarizing when you write down ideas that are not stated in the text.
____ 9. A thesis is a question.
____ 10. You are summarizing when you write down everything.
Answers
Answer:
thesis statement clearly identifies the topic being discussed, includes the points discussed in the paper, and is written for a specific audience. Your thesis statement belongs at the end of your first paragraph, also known as your introduction. Use it to generate interest in your topic and encourage your audience to continue reading.
You can read chapter four of Schaum's Quick Guide to Writing Great Research Papers an eBook in our online collection, click the title to open: "How Do I Write a Thesis Statement?".
Another option is to think of a thesis statement as one complete sentence that expresses your position.
Narrows the topic down to a specific focus of an investigation.
Establishes a direction for the entire paper.
Points forward to the conclusion.
Always stated in your introduction. (Usually at the end of the first paragraph).
Always take a stand and justify further discussion.
A thesis statement is not a statement of fact.
Your readers—especially your instructors—want to read writing that engages them. Consequently, you must write thesis statements that are arguable, not factual. Statements of fact seem easy to write about because, well, they are easy to prove. After all, they’re facts. The problem is that you cannot write engaging papers around statements of fact. Such theses prevent you from demonstrating critical thinking and analytical skills, which you want to show your instructor. If you were to write a paper around the next two statements, your writing would probably be quite dull because you would be restating facts that the general public already knows.
Thesis Statements always take a stand and justify further discussion.
In order to make your writing interesting, you should develop a thesis statement that is arguable. Sometimes you will be writing to persuade others to see things your way and other times you will simply be giving your strong opinion and laying out your case for it.
Take a look at the following examples:
Statement of fact:
Small cars get better fuel mileage than 4x4 pickup trucks.
Arguable thesis statement:
The government should ban 4x4 pickup trucks except for work-related use.