Thesis Statement

Thesis sentence

The most important sentence in your entire paper and a plan for what you will say.

Parts

Topic, claim, points

Topic

What you are writing about

This could be almost anything - it is what you are assigned to do - maybe a person (Barak Obama) a place (Bulgaria) or a thing (winter holidays.)

Fill in the Blanks

Claim

The claim is what you are saying about the topic. Maybe you are saying the topic is important, is wrong, is fun. This is where you get to put a little of your opinion in - sometimes.

Your claim should be something that you have to prove and someone could disagree with. It shouldn't be a basic fact. You could write: Dogs (topic) are a great pet (claim). You could write: Christmas in Bulgaria (topic) is rich in tradition (claim.) You couldn't write: Dogs (topic) are animals (claim.) That is just a fact that could not be disputed and would not need to be supported with more facts.

Multiple Choice

Which could not be a claim about the topic Florida?

• is a great place to visit.

• is at risk because of global warming.

• is a state.

• is too touristy.

Points

Your points are what you are going to use to prove what you said in your claim. It's what you read in the articles or found out in your research. Your points should not be your opinion. They have to be something that you have evidence to back you up. This is where you pull words (and give credit) from what someone else wrote. In your FSA writing (and all good writing), this is also where you make or lose some really important points on your score.

Multiple Choice

Points are what you are saying to support your ___

• claim

• evidence

• topic

• opinion

Multiple Choice

Let's practice.

In this thesis statement, what would be the topic?

The history of Florida is full of varied and interesting facts because of all the different influences here such as the Spanish, the Native Americans, and the British.

• history of Florida

• is full of varied ...influences here

• such as ...British.

Multiple Choice

More Practice

In this sentence, which part shows the points of the paper?

People should not be able to get cell phones until they graduate high school because they are a interrupt education in class, they are a distraction to new drivers, and they are too expensive.

• red

• green

• blue

Some Facts About How Your Thesis Statement Relates To Your Paper

The thesis is the last part of your introductory paragraph or introduction.

Your topic sentences for the body paragraphs should sound a lot like your thesis statement, but shorter - just 1 point.

Your paper is written in the same order as the points in your thesis statement.

You will restate your thesis in your conclusion.

Multiple Select

Your thesis statement should have ___ (Pick all that apply.)

• topic

• your opinion

• your claim

• points of evidence