4The Unfocused Student
  
 


Questions to Help the Student Move Toward the Thesis

Does the student need more help at this point? She may now have a more focused direction for her paper, but she needs a good thesis statement.

Handbooks and writing teachers agree that the main idea or thesis of a piece of writing is critically important. Most would agree that, especially for beginning writers, the thesis and the map or plan for the essay should be discernible in the introductory paragraph.

The rhetorical situation, an awareness of the audience and purpose for a piece of writing, dictates whether the thesis is a fact or opinion and how much information the thesis should contain. One schema detailed on Margaret Oakes's website is outlined below. Another list of qualities of a good thesis statement taken from Smalley and Reuten's book Refining Composition Skills, is outlined in Module 5.
 


Key Idea
The purpose of a thesis statement is to state the overall point of the paper.  

Ask her to consider her research and prewriting thus far and to answer the following questions: 

1.  Is there an arguable point you can make related to your topic? (An arguable point has more than one side that you could take.) (Oakes)

For example, you might argue that Morisot was the most important influence on Edward Manet as an artist.

2.  Are there ideas about your topic that create a comparison or contrast? Is there a conclusion you could make by comparing and contrasting (Oakes)? 

For example, you could compare Manet’s art before and after he met Morisot.

3.  Could you explain an idea, show a cause and effect relationship, or show a problem and solution related to your topic (Oakes)? 

For example, you could explain how Manet’s painting changed after he met Morisot.

4.  Can you think of a question someone might have about your topic? Your answer to this question might be a good thesis statement (Oakes). 

For example, you might explain how Manet portrayed Morisot in his paintings of her.  

 
 

 
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© 1999, 2000, 2002 Virginia Bower (Mars Hill College), Charlene Kiser (Milligan College), Kim McMurtry (Montreat College), Ellen Millsaps (Carson-Newman College), Katherine Vande Brake (King College). All rights reserved. This manual was made possible by a Culpeper grant from the Appalachian College Association; click here for information. If you encounter difficulties with these web pages, please notify kmcmurtry@montreat.edu.