Page 125 - Wordsmith A Guide to College Writing
P. 125
The writer’s thesis, or main idea, is that fishing relaxes him,
challenges him, and occasionally feeds him. Notice that the thesis
also conveys the writer’s attitude toward his subject: He enjoys fishing.
Even without the word enjoy, the positive nature of the points conveys
the writer’s attitude. Also, note the parallel structure of the thesis
points. Each point follows the same pattern.
relaxes me
challenges me
(occasionally) feeds me
Although perfect parallel structure will not be possible in every thesis,
try to make thesis points as parallel as possible.
Points listed at the beginning of the thesis
statement.
Listing points first is a bit out of the ordinary. With this technique, you
can create a thesis that will not look like everyone else’s.
Example of Points at the Beginning of a
Thesis Statement
point 1 point 2 point 3 thesis
Too little time, money, and self-confidence made me postpone
my college education.
