OK now that we've talked about outlining most of you probably would think that the net.
The next natural step would be to talk about introductions.
But what I'm going to do is talk about thesis statements.
Now the thesis statement is a part of the introduction.
It is the last sentence of the introduction.
There is a specific reason why we're talking about the thesis statement first because the thesis statement
is the most important sentence in the entire essay.
The most important sentence in the entire essay did not stutter did not hesitate.
If you cannot do a good thesis statement then it's going to be a challenge for you to get a really high
score.
That's how important that's how important the thesis statement is that beat the beat.
The thesis statement it controls and directs the entire essay The entire essay is based around the thesis
statement.
So it's vitally important that you write it correctly.
I think a lot of students think about the thesis statement as a throwaway sentence and a lot of people
try to use a template to do a thesis statement or they make some general thesis the general thesis statement
that can apply to any type of question that is a horrible horrible horrible mistake a horrible mistake
because then your your essay has no direction no foundation to sit on the thesis statement is like the
foundation of a house is the foundation of a house and if you know anything about house building you
can't have a strong house with a weak foundation.
OK.
So here are the basics of a thesis statement.
The thesis statement.
You know it comes in the first paragraph.
It comes in the introduction it contains the main idea or your position that you're going to expand
throughout the rest of the paper.
So if you have just a generalized thesis statement that has no main idea position and no blueprint then
what are you expanding your essay is a mystery and the worst kind of essay to write is an essay where
it's a mystery where later on the greater has to figure out what the heck you're talking about a thesis
statement is a specific claim that your essay supports a specific position right and answers the question
and also would say as how you're going to answer the question the blueprint
right.
So that's why again I talked about this earlier.
Why are we why are we starting with a thesis statement.
I told you this earlier the entire essay is based around the thesis statement.
It's the most important sentence all right is the most important sentence.
A lot of students don't don't realize that they don't realize that and they don't.
When when you when you read an essay one of the first things if I'm grading an essay one of the first
things that I'm looking at is the thesis statement because if this person can't write a thesis statement.
I don't I don't know how I actually lose hope that they're going to actually write a really good essay.
Because there is no foundation so how do you know how.
How do you know when you're writing a really good thesis right.
When you write a thesis statement this is what you have to assume.
You have to assume that the reader can read only this one sentence and know exactly what your paper
will be about and the position that you have.
That's how you know if you have a good thesis statement.
I can look at just one sentence and know exactly what your paper is about the position you have and
how you're going to explain that position.
Do you see why that sentence is so important why it's so so powerful.
Right.
Is extremely extremely powerful.
It should be clear.
It should make a choice and it should have predictors predictors meaning what are you going to talk
about your controlling ideas
here's how you write the thesis statement.
There are three parts you have the limited subject or the subject.
The general idea you have your precise opinion or position and the blueprint of your reasons.
OK.
Always those same three elements and of course if you want to read more and read more detail just stop
the video.
Stop the video and you can read at your own pace.
Ok
there are two ways of writing a thesis statement there there that there are other ways too but these
are the two main ways.
My favorite way is to combine everything into one sentence right.
So here we have the biography of Malcolm X challenges the stereotype of a civil rights activist with
his attention to cultural detail religion and direct quotes from those who knew him best.
The limited subject is the biography of Malcolm X..
The position is that it challenges the stereotypes of civil rights activists the blueprint of how I'm
going to talk about how a challenge is how I'm going to talk about how it challenges the stereotype
is in regards to cultural detail religion and direct quotes.
That's a thesis statement in one sentence.
Then we have the thesis statement where everything is combined or I'm sorry it's separated.
We will examine three main points of his biography
cultural detail religion and direct quotes from those who knew him best.
These main points support the position that the biography of Malcolm X challenges the stereotype stereotype
of a civil rights activists right.
So is the same thing as before except we separated the blueprint and the subject position.
We separated them so it could be done both ways.
It could be done both ways.
So normally when you think about Jesus take a normally when you think about a thesis statement it normally
breaks down in this kind of simple way something does something because of something because of.
Because of these reasons something does something.
Although the opposing evidence the reasons show something does something right.
I'm trying to give it to you.
And as in as I'm trying to give it to you in as simple simplest fashion that I possibly can.
OK.
So here's the review three parts.
Limited subject.
The general idea position blueprint.
If I read your thesis statement I should be able to read that one sentence I should be able to know
what the essays about I should be able to know your position and I should be able to know your blueprint
or road map of how you're going to support your position or explanation if I can't do that by reading
your one sentence then you have not written a very good thesis statement.