The Thesis Statement and Outlining

The Thesis Statement

The Heart of Your Essay: GPS for the Reader

The_Thesis_Statement_Basics (1).pdf - Google Drive

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Multiple Choice

What is a thesis statement?

• A question or prompt
• A 1-2 sentence claim
• A piece of evidence
• A conclusion
• A topic for an essay

Multiple Choice

What does a thesis statement do?

• Previews the key evidence to be discussed
• States your central argument or position
• Answers a question or prompt
• All of the above
• None of the above

Multiple Choice

What is the first step to write a strong thesis?

• Analyze the prompt and determine your position
• Write the conclusion
• Gather evidence
• Write the introduction
• None of the above

Multiple Choice

Where should you put the thesis/claim in your essay?

• At the start of your intro paragraph
• At the end of your intro paragraph
• In the middle of your essay
• At the end of your essay
• None of the above

Multiple Choice

What does a distinguished thesis statement do?

• Clearly and concisely states a claim/position on the topic
• Directly addresses all parts of the prompt
• Makes a sophisticated, nuanced central argument
• All of the above
• None of the above

Multiple Choice

What does a formal outline use to organize main ideas?

• Roman numerals
• Capital letters
• Arabic numbers
• All of the above

Multiple Choice

What is the purpose of an essay outline?

• To keep the essay organized
• To make writing the essay easier
• Both A and B
• None of the above

Multiple Choice

What does a basic thesis statement do?

• Attempts to make an argument or claim but it is vague
• Does not fully address all parts of the prompt
• Claim lacks focus or is too broad to support
• All of the above
• None of the above

Multiple Choice

When should you develop the thesis statement?

• Before outlining
• While outlining
• After outlining
• Doesn't matter

Multiple Choice

What does an unsatisfactory thesis statement do?

• Does not make a clear argument or claim
• Does not properly address the prompt
• No clear focus or supporting evidence
• All of the above
• None of the above

Multiple Choice

What ensures outline points relate to the thesis?

• Checking points against thesis
• Putting thesis first
• Researching details
• Having an introduction and conclusion

Multiple Choice

What is a common feature of basic thesis statements?

• They attempt analysis but lack depth
• They reduce complex themes to a basic dichotomy
• They lack use of evidence
• All of the above
• None of the above

Multiple Choice

What is a common feature of exemplary thesis statements?

• They make nuanced claims
• They use clear focused language
• They take a sophisticated interpretive stance grounded in textual evidence
• All of the above
• None of the above

Outlining Your Essay

How to Outline Your Essay

Multiple Choice

What is a topic sentence?

• A fact
• A main idea
• A detail
• A transition

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Outlining Your Essay Studysync Transcript (1).pdf - Google Drive

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Multiple Choice

What should you think about when outlining?

• Sentence structure
• Quality of ideas
• Logical order
• All of the above

Multiple Choice

What is a common feature of unsatisfactory thesis statements?

• They do not make any clear argument
• They vaguely reference the topic without establishing a coherent position
• They lack focus or direction
• All of the above
• None of the above

Multiple Choice

Outlines help identify problems where?

• In the middle of writing
• During prewriting
• Before writing
• While researching

Multiple Choice

What is included in a detailed outline?

• Major ideas
• Supporting details
• Sub-points
• All of the above

Multiple Choice

Outlines are required for what?

• Most college essays
• Timed writing exams
• Long research papers
• None of the above

Multiple Choice

Formal outlines use what numbering system?

• Roman numerals, letters, numbers
• Letters and numbers
• Roman numerals and letters
• Numbers only