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【Fundamental Course of Writtng】基础写作每日一讲(6)thesis statement 大牛文章 要仔细阅读~~~学习学习~~~~ 文章的主题-Thesis: 一、什么是主题句?
注意全文所说的主题就是开头段中的全文主题句,不是各个分论点段的段TS.
要区分Thesis statement和Topic sentence!前面简称T,后面简称TS.
What is a thesis?
A thesis statement declares what you believe and what you intend to prove. (主题句说明你的观点和要论证的论点)A good thesis statement makes the difference between a thoughtful research project and a simple retelling of facts.(事实和论据不是主题句!要有概括性才能区别)
A thesis statement is a sentence (or sentences) that expresses the main ideas of your paper and answers the question or questions posed by your paper. It offers your readers a quick and easy to follow summary of what the paper will be discussing and what you as a writer are setting out to tell them. The kind of thesis that your paper will have will depend on the purpose of your writing.
A good tentative thesis will help you focus your search for information. But don't rush! You must do a lot of background reading before you know enough about a subject to identify key or essential questions. You may not know how you stand on an issue until you have examined the evidence. You will likely begin your research with a working, preliminary or tentative thesis which you will continue to refine until you are certain of where the evidence leads.
The thesis statement is typically located at the end of your opening paragraph. (The opening paragraph serves to set the context for the thesis.) 注意,这里明确的指出了,主题句(thesis statement)必须出现在开头段(opening paragraph)的最后!
主题句一般出现在开头的最后一两句.这个规定我搜索了不下20个网站,都是这样要求的,可见,这个规定大家最后遵守,我想,阅卷人一定会在你的Introduction里边的最后一两句找你的Thesis,你就是要确保他在这里找到!
Remember, your reader will be looking for your thesis. Make it clear, strong, and easy to find.使主题句清晰!
对于AW,主题句属于:
Argumentative Thesis Statements
In an argumentative paper, you are making a claim about a topic and justifying this claim with reasons and evidence. This claim could be an opinion, a policy proposal, an evaluation, a cause-and-effect statement, or an interpretation. However, this claim must be a statement that people could possibly disagree with, because the goal of your paper is to convince your audience that your claim is true based on your presentation of your reasons and evidence. An argumentative thesis statement will tell your audience:
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your claim or assertion
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the reasons/evidence that support this claim
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the order in which you will be presenting your reasons and evidence (不仅仅有assertion 还有 reason 我写的时候就老实忘记加reason 就一个结论 下次要加上一个概括性的原因啊!切记)
Example: Barn owls' nests should not be eliminated from barns because barn owls help farmers by eliminating insect and rodent pests.
A reader who encountered this thesis would expect to be presented with an argument and evidence that farmers should not get rid of barn owls when they find them nesting in their barns.
Questions to ask yourself when writing an argumentative thesis statement:
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What is my claim or assertion?
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What are the reasons I have to support my claim or assertion?
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In what order should I present my reasons?
二、什么是好的主题句的属性?
Attributes of a good thesis:
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It should be contestable, proposing an arguable point with which people could reasonably disagree. A strong thesis is provocative; it takes a stand and justifies the discussion you will present.
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It tackles a subject that could be adequately covered in the format of the project assigned.
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It is specific and focused. A strong thesis proves a point without discussing “everything about …” Instead of music, think "American jazz in the 1930s" and your argument about it. (注意,主题不要假,大,空,要具体针对问题!)
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It clearly asserts your own conclusion based on evidence. (我记得是谁又曾经说过assert是个贬义??所以说,有了根据,再发表意见!)Note: Be flexible. The evidence may lead you to a conclusion you didn't think you'd reach. It is perfectly okay to change your thesis!
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It provides the reader with a map to guide him/her through your work.
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It anticipates and refutes the counter-arguments
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It avoids vague language (like "it seems").
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It avoids the first person. ("I believe," "In my opinion") (强烈注意,不要使用第一人称!!!!)
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It should pass the So what? or Who cares? test (Would your most honest friend ask why he should care or respond with "but everyone knows that"?) For instance, "people should avoid driving under the influence of alcohol," would be unlikely to evoke any opposition. (不要说那些大家都知道的废话,要有可质疑性,可辩论性.)
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附:什么是the So what? or Who cares? test:
The "So What?" Test
Whenever you plan on writing a research paper, there is an extremely important point that you must constantly keep in the forefront of your mind--even English teachers frequently mention it as something students fail to do time and time again. What is it? To be sure to choose a topic worth arguing about or exploring. This means to construct a thesis statement or research question about a problem that is still debated, controversial, up in the air.
So arguing that drinking and driving is dangerous-- while you could find a ton of evidence to support your view --would be pretty worthless nowadays. Who would want to read something they already knew? You wouldn't be persuading them of anything and all your work would be pretty meaningless.
What this means is that during the topic-formulating stage and again now, always keep asking "SO WHAT?", "WHO CARES?" or to paraphrase the famous Canadian journalist Barbara Frum: "Tell me something new about something I care about."That will automatically make your paper significant and interesting both for you to write and the reader to study.
总结一下:
主题句的dos and don’ts
Dos:
表明立场,具体,并且中心明确,表明自己的观点和结论,出现在开头段的末尾,同时提示读者作者的行文思路.
Don’ts:
不要说废话,说空话,说大话,不要出现第一人称,不要含糊不清.
公式: Specific topic + Attitude/Angle/Argument = Thesis What you plan to argue + How you plan to argue it = Thesis
三、如何检验自己写好的主题句是否合格?
Try these five tests:
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Does the thesis inspire a reasonable reader to ask, "How?" or Why?" 吸引读者思考
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Would a reasonable reader NOT respond with "Duh!" or "So what?" or "Gee, no kidding!" or "Who cares?" 避免出现so what问题
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Does the thesis avoid general phrasing and/or sweeping words such as "all" or "none" or "every"? 避免绝对的论调
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Does the thesis lead the reader toward the topic sentences (the subtopics needed to prove the thesis)? 主题句是否引导了下文的分论点或者段主题?
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Can the thesis be adequately developed in the required length of the paper or project? 主题句是否可以适合被展开论述?
If you cannot answer "YES" to these questions, what changes must you make in order for your thesis to pass these tests?
下面是一些好的主题句的例子:
E-coli contamination should not happen.(为什么没有原因呢???)
The causes of the Civil War were economic, social, and political.
The Simpsons represents the greatest animated show in the history of television.
The Simpsons treats the issues of ethnicity, family dynamics, and social issues effectively.
Often dismissed because it is animated, The Simpsons treats the issue of ethnicity more powerfully than didthe critically praised All In The Family.
Although many parents of teens struggling with body image may blame television models and other such stars, these body issues and their disorders stem back to their daughters' younger days of pigtails and Barbies.
Despite their high-tech special effects, today's graphically violent horror movies do not convey the creative use of cinematography or the emotional impact that we saw in the classic horror films of the 1940s and 50s.
四、如何写出好的主题句?(思维的步骤)
1.Rank with justification 考虑重要性
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Most important to least important
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Least important to most important
2.Contrasts (of perspectives of sources) 对比,考虑流行和反对观点
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Although newspapers at the time claimed ……, the most significant cause/explanation/reason, etc. is ……
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While Sb. and Sb. maintains that ................, more accurately/importantly, etc, # 2's position is the stronger one. (Substitute "most historians" for So and So and the appropriate person or view or source for #2.)
3.Perception versus reality; 感觉与现实
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Although Turner himself may have believed X, the real causes were Y and Z.
4.Good versus bad reasons:
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Historians generally list six reasons as the cause for X, but among these are four that are valid and two that are not.
5. Cause and Effect: 因果关系
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Certainly, X was the cause and Y was its effect, but between the two are two other factors of equal importance.
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Separately the causes would have not necessarily led to a rampage; however, together their effect was inevitably murderous.
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Although the effects of the rampage were . . ., the causes were understandable/justifiable/inevitable.
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The more important effects of Nat Turner's rebellion went beyond those of the local rampage.
6.Challenge:质疑,否定
Nat Turner's rebellion not a righteous response to the injustice of slavery; it was motivated purely by disturbing psychological issues.
7.提出系列问题:
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What should the audience/reader do/feel/believe?
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Who are the major players on both/each side and how did they contribute to?
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Which are the most important?
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What was the impact of?
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Can I compare? How is X like or unlike Y?
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What if? Can I predict?
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How could we solve/improve/design/deal with?
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Is there a better solution to?
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How can you defend?
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What changes would you recommend to?
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Was it effective, justified, defensible, warranted?
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Why did this happen?
Why did it succeed?
Why did it fail?
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What should be? What are/would be the possible outcomes of?
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What are the problems related to?
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What were the motives behind?
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Why are the opponents protesting?
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What is my personal response to?
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What case can I make for?
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What is the significance of?
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Where will the next move(s) occur?
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How is this debate likely to affect?
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What is the value or, what is/are the potential benefit(s) of?
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What are three/four/five reasons for us to believe?(这么多问题记不住啊
。。。)
五、对于主题的头脑风暴:
Thesis Brainstorming
注意下面的三点:
As you read look for:
- Interesting contrasts or comparisons or patterns emerging in the information
- Is there something about the topic that surprises you?
- Do you encounter ideas that make you wonder why?
- Does something an "expert" says make you respond, "no way! That can be right!" or "Yes, absolutely. I agree!"
Example of brainstorming a thesis:
Select a topic: television violence and children
Ask an interesting question: What are the effects of television violence on children?
Revise the question into a thesis: Violence on television increases aggressive behavior in preschool children.
Remember this argument is your “preliminary” or “working” thesis. As you read you may discover evidence that may affect your stance. It is okay to revise your thesis!(可以修改自己原来设定的主题,就是说通过对题目的理解和论据的权衡,修改主题以利于论证)
论据:As you write and revise your paper, it's okay to change your thesis statement -- sometimes you don't discover what you really want to say about a topic until you've started (or finished) writing! Just make sure that your "final" thesis statement accurately shows what will happen in your paper.
Create a list of sample questions to guide your research:
- How many hours of television does the average young child watch per week?
- How do we identify a "violent" program?
- Which types of programs are most violent?
- Are there scientific research studies that have observed children before and after watching violent programs?
- Are there experts you might contact?
- Which major groups are involved in investigating this question?
六、主题示例:注意下面的例子中前一个不是Thesis而后一个是! How to Tell a Strong Thesis Sentence from a Weak One.1. A strong thesis takes some sort of stand.明确表明立场!Remember that your thesis needs to show your conclusions about a subject.
2. A strong thesis justifies discussion.留给大家质疑和讨论的余地.Your thesis should indicate the point of the discussion. A good strategy for creating a strong thesis is to show that the topic is controversial. Readers will be interested in reading the rest of the essay to see how you support your point.
3. A strong thesis expresses one main idea.表达一个主要观点Readers need to be able to see that your paper has one main point. Hint: a great many clear and engaging thesis statements contain words like “because,” “since,” “so,” “although,” “unless,” and “however.”
4. A strong thesis statement is specific.具体而不抽象A thesis statement should show exactly what your paper will be about, and will help you keep your paper to a manageable topic.
This is a strong thesis because it narrows the subject to a more specific and manageable topic and it also identifies the specific causes for the existence of hunger. |