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What is a good thesis statement for a personal essay?
The elements of a thesis statement The main idea of your paper in a simple sentence. A reason why you support this idea. A counterargument to your claim, if there is one. A valid piece of information that supports your position. 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. It’s normal to revise your thesis statement throughout the writing process. Common kinds of claims: opinions, policy proposals, evaluations, a cause-and-effect statement, or an interpretation. For example, if you wrote the aforementioned thesis statement about yoga, then your topic sentences would be: 1) Yoga increases flexibility and stamina. 2) Yoga reduces stress. 3) Yoga can heal common aches and pains. Examples: If you are writing a narrative about a great one-day trip you took with friends, the thesis could be: Spending time with close friends gives memories that can last forever, even if the trip is just one day.
How do you write a good short thesis statement?
A good thesis has two parts. It should tell what you plan to argue, and it should telegraph how you plan to argue—that is, what particular support for your claim is going where in your essay. First, analyze your primary sources. Look for tension, interest, ambiguity, controversy, and/or complication. The best thesis statement is a balance of specific details and concise language. Your goal is to articulate an argument in detail without burdening the reader with too much information. A thesis statement is your interpretation of the subject, not the topic itself. A strong thesis is specific, precise, forceful, confident, and is able to be demonstrated. A strong thesis challenges readers with a point of view that can be debated and can be supported with evidence. A thesis statement generally consists of two parts: your topic, and then the analysis, explanation(s), or assertion(s) that you’re making about the topic. The kind of thesis statement you write will depend on what kind of paper you’re writing. It DOES need a thesis! Even a reflection paper needs a guiding theme or a main topic to keep it grounded. This can be written in an argument summary sentence called a thesis. This does not have to be stated explicitly (although it is often helpful for professors when it is.)
What is a good example of a thesis statement?
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. A weak thesis statement is vague (identifies a topic but does not specify an argument), offers plot summary or is a statement of fact, is un-provable, or does not give the reader a sense of why the argument is important. There is no exact word count for a thesis statement, as the length depends on your level of knowledge and expertise. It usually has two sentences, so between 20-50 words. Generally, the thesis sentence comes at the end of the introduction. In fact, most readers (and professors) will look for it there. However, the thesis sentence may come at a different place, particularly when writing narratives. In narrative writing, the thesis is usually at the end of the paper. How to Start a Personal Essay. Start your paper with a statement about your story, while at the same time catching the reader’s attention by making use of a hook sentence. It may be a suitable quotation, definition, fact or even an intriguing question.
What 3 things should a thesis statement have?
Parts of a Thesis Statement The thesis statement has 3 main parts: the limited subject, the precise opinion, and the blueprint of reasons. The thesis statement is the sentence that states the main idea of a writing assignment and helps control the ideas within the paper. It is not merely a topic. It often reflects an opinion or judgment that a writer has made about a reading or personal experience. A thesis statement briefly states the purpose of your paper and why it is important. It is found usually at the end of an introduction and acts as a roadmap for the rest of your paper. Most thesis statements are only one sentence, but it can be two or three sentences if you feel it is necessary. Consider the first sentence in a body paragraph a mini-thesis statement for that paragraph. The topic sentence should establish the main point of the paragraph and bear some relationship to the essay’s overarching thesis statement. A personal essay consists of three main parts: introduction, body and conclusion, and it differs from formal essays in their length, tone and purpose.
How do you write a thesis for a personal reflection essay?
The thesis statement: In a reflective essay, the thesis statement will usually include a brief statement of what your essay is about as well as how the specific person, place, or experience has influenced you. You will expand on this later, so don’t give away too much in the beginning. You probably should aim for a single sentence that is at least two lines, or about 30 to 40 words long. Position: A thesis statement always belongs at the beginning of an essay. This is because it is a sentence that tells the reader what the writer is going to discuss. Your thesis should be stated somewhere in the opening paragraphs of your paper, most often as the last sentence of the introduction. Often, a thesis will be one sentence, but for complex subjects, you may find it more effective to break the thesis statement into two sentences. A good thesis should be narrow, and not too broad or too vague. If the topic is too broad, you won’t be able to cover the entire topic in your paper. If it’s too narrow, you might not be able to find research, and your paper probably won’t be long enough. A personal narrative essay uses the components of a story: introduction, plot, characters, setting, and conflict. It also uses the components of argument, thesis, and conclusion. In a personal narrative essay, we tell our readers a story to make a larger argument.
Does a personal essay need a thesis?
These essays are sometimes written in response to very specific questions; sometimes, they’re written in response to a generic prompt. In both cases, the good personal statement carefully balances its author’s history and aspirations. Unlike much academic writing, personal statements are not necessarily thesis-driven. The thesis statement expresses the central idea of the essay; i.e., it unifies the content of the essay by stating the main idea of the paper. EXAMPLE: Increasing the state tax on cigarettes will adversely affect not only the nicotine addict but his or her family as well. After a brief introduction of your topic, you state your point of view on the topic directly and often in one sentence. This sentence is the thesis statement, and it serves as a summary of the argument you’ll make in the rest of your paper. The primary essay for your college application, often called a personal statement, is typically around 400-600 words. The Common App personal statement — which is used as the primary application essay by more than 800 colleges — must be 250-650 words. So, an example three-point thesis statement (if you were making an argument about school uniforms) would be: School uniforms should be required because they make school safer, promote school spirit and save parents money. Better: Saving the whales will have a positive effect on Earth’s biological diversity, therefore maintaining our planet’s health and ecosystems. Bad: Drinking too much alcohol is bad for your health.
What are examples of good and bad thesis statements?
Better: Saving the whales will have a positive effect on Earth’s biological diversity, therefore maintaining our planet’s health and ecosystems. Bad: Drinking too much alcohol is bad for your health. Bad: Saving the whales should be a top priority. Better: Saving the whales will have a positive effect on Earth’s biological diversity, therefore maintaining our planet’s health and ecosystems. Bad: Drinking too much alcohol is bad for your health. Bad: Saving the whales should be a top priority. Better: Saving the whales will have a positive effect on Earth’s biological diversity, therefore maintaining our planet’s health and ecosystems. Bad: Drinking too much alcohol is bad for your health.