【Fundamental Course of Writtng】基础写作每日一讲（6）thesis statement

miki7catUID：2533330

lA thesis statement should---
  ndeclares what you believe and what you intend to prove. A good thesis statement makes the difference between a thoughtful research project and a simple retelling of facts.
  nexpresses the main ideas of your paper and answers the question or questions posed by your paper.
  noffers 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.
  nis typically located at the end of your opening paragraph.
  nclear, strong, and easy to find
lAn argumentative thesis statement will tell your audience:
  nyour claim or assertion
  nthe reasons/evidence that support this claim
  nthe order in which you will be presenting your reasons and evidence(?)
lQuestions to ask yourself when writing an argumentative thesis statement:
  nWhat is my claim or assertion?
  nWhat are the reasons I have to support my claim or assertion?
  nIn what order should I present my reasons?
l主题句的dos and don’ts
  nDos: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
  nDon’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。
l公式：
  nSpecific topic + Attitude/Angle/Argument = Thesis
  nWhat you plan to argue + How you plan to argue it = Thesis
l检验自己的主题句是否合格
  n是否吸引读者”How?”&”Why?”
  n是否出现了so what问题？
  n是否存在绝对的论调：all/none/every？
  n是否引导了下文分论点？
  n主题句是否可以充分展开论述？
l如何写出好的主题句
1.Rank with justification：most important -> least important / least important -> most important
2.Contrasts of perspectives of sources：Although … the most significant cause/explanation/reason is…
3.Perception versus reality
4.Good versus bad reasons
5.Cause and Effect
6.Challenge
7.提出系列问题
lThesis Brainstorming
lA Strong Thesis Sentence:
n明确表明立场
n留给大家质疑和讨论的余地
n表达一个主要观点：because/since/so/although/unless/however
n具体而不抽象

kulewy531UID：2603031

文章的主题－Thesis（学习体会）
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！）
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（也就是说，写T的时候需要到考虑反对意见）. 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:
•        your claim or assertion
•        the reasons/evidence that support this claim
•        the order in which you will be presenting your reasons and evidence
Example: Barn owls'(仓鸮xiāo) 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:
•        What is my claim or assertion?
•        What are the reasons I have to support my claim or assertion?
•        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:
•        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.
•        It tackles a subject that could be adequately covered in the format of the project assigned.
•        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！）
•        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!
•        It provides the reader with a map to guide him/her through your work.
•        It anticipates and refutes the counter-arguments
•        It avoids vague language (like "it seems").
•        It avoids the first person. ("I believe," "In my opinion") （强烈注意，不要使用第一人称！！！！）
•        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．）
•        附：什么是the So what? or Who cares? test：
The "So What?" Test（写T的时候，要考虑到全文的写作意义）
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:
•        Does the thesis  inspire a reasonable reader to ask, "How?" or Why?" 吸引读者思考
•        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
•        Does the thesis  avoid general phrasing and/or sweeping words such as "all" or "none" or "every"? 避免绝对的论调
•        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？
•        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.

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 did the 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.
好的T要准确使用抽象名词，以达到在抽象（概括全文）与具体（易于辩驳，从而引出全文）间的协调
四、如何写出好的主题句？（思维的步骤）
１．Rank with justification　考虑重要性
•        Most important to least important
•        Least important to most important
2.Contrasts (of perspectives of sources) 对比，考虑流行和反对观点
•        Although newspapers at the time claimed ……, the most significant cause/explanation/reason, etc. is ……
•        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
        Although Turner himself may have believed X, the real causes were Y and Z.
4.Good versus bad reasons:
        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
•        Certainly, X was the cause and Y was its effect, but between the two are two other factors of equal importance.
•        Separately the causes would have not necessarily led to a rampage; however, together their effect was inevitably murderous.  
•        Although the effects of the rampage were . . ., the causes were understandable/justifiable/inevitable.
•        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：
•        What should the audience/reader do/feel/believe?  
•        Who are the major players on both/each side and how did they contribute to?  
•        Which are the most important?
•        What was the impact of?  
•        Can I compare? How is X like or unlike Y?  
•        What if?  Can I predict?  
•        How could we solve/improve/design/deal with?
•        Is there a better solution to?
•        How can you defend?
•        What changes would you recommend to?  
•        Was it effective, justified, defensible, warranted?
•        Why did this happen?   Why did it succeed?  Why did it fail?
•        What should be? What are/would be the possible outcomes of?  
•        What are the problems related to?
•        What were the motives behind?  
•        Why are the opponents protesting?  
•        What is my personal response to?
•        What case can I make for?  
•        What is the significance of?
•        Where will the next move(s) occur?  
•        How is this debate likely to affect?
•        What is the value or, what is/are the potential benefit(s) of?
•        What are three/four/five reasons for us to believe?

五、对于主题的头脑风暴：（积累全文的写作素材）
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.
议论文写作是一个不断分析的的过程，但是改换主题后要注意各个部分（之前和之后）的协调
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?
对问题细化分析
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. For example, if you are writing a paper for a class on fitness, you might be asked to choose a popular weight-loss product to evaluate. Here are two thesis statements:
There are some negative and positive aspects to the Banana Herb Tea Supplement.
This is a weak thesis. First, it fails to take a stand. Second, the phrase “negative and positive aspects” is vague.
Because Banana Herb Tea Supplement promotes rapid weight loss that results in the loss of muscle and lean body mass, it poses a potential danger to customers.
This is a strong thesis because it takes a stand.
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. If your assignment is to write a paper on kinship systems, using your own family as an example, you might come up with either of these two thesis statements:
My family is an extended family.
This is a weak thesis because it states an observation. Your reader won’t be able to tell the point of the statement, and will probably stop reading.
While most American families would view consanguine marriage as a threat to the nuclear family structure, many Iranian families, like my own, believe that these marriages help reinforce kinship ties in an extended family.
This is a strong thesis because it shows how your experience contradicts a widely-accepted view. 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. If your thesis expresses more than one idea, then you might confuse your readers about the subject of your paper. For example:
Companies need to exploit the marketing potential of the Internet, and web pages can provide both advertising and customer support.
This is a weak thesis statement because the reader can’t decide whether the paper is about marketing on the Internet or web pages. To revise the thesis, the relationship between the two ideas needs to become more clear. One way to revise the thesis would be to write:
Because the Internet is filled with tremendous marketing potential, companies should exploit this potential by using web pages that offer both advertising and customer support.
This is a strong thesis because it shows that the two ideas are related. 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. For example, if you write a paper on hunger, you might say:
World hunger has many causes and effects.
This is a weak thesis statement for two major reasons. First, “world hunger” can’t be discussed thoroughly in five or ten pages. Second, "many causes and effects" is vague. You should be able to identify specific causes and effects. A revised thesis might look like this:
Hunger persists in Appalachia because jobs are scarce and farming in the infertile soil is rarely profitable.
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.
其他例子：
I would like to become a chef when I finish school
Although both chefs and cooks can prepare fine meals, chefs differ from cooks in education, professional commitment, and artistry.
________________________________________
I enjoy white water rafting.
A first water rafting experience can challenge the body and spirit and transform an adolescent into an adult
________________________________________
Men are chauvinists.
Our American family structure encourages men to repress their true feelings, leaving them open to physical, psychological, and relationship difficulties.
________________________________________
Steroid abuse
Steroids, even those legally available, are addictive and should be banned from sports.
________________________________________
Hip hop is the best thing that has happened to music in twenty years
Though many people dismiss hip hop as offensive, hip hop music offers urban youth an important opportunity for artistic expression, and allows them to articulate the poetry of the street.
________________________________________
Many people object to today's violent horror movies.
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.

联想：
一般开头段的写法：
1.        Background(用于铺垫背景，目的在于突出主题，兼有陈述主题意义的作用)
2.        Thesis（主题的陈述要依托背景,一方面进行具体化，一方面保留适当的概括性）

橄榄娃娃UID：2735202

【Fundamental Course of Writtng】基础写作每日一讲（6）thesis statement

一、什么是主题句？
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）
主题句一般出现在开头的最后一两句．
Remember, your reader will be looking for your thesis. Make it clear, strong, and easy to find.使主题句清晰！
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.
n argumentative thesis statement will tell your audience:

·
your claim or assertion
·
the reasons/evidence that support this claim
·
the order in which you will be presenting your reasons and evidence
（此处有疑问了，reason 或evidence应该不会出现在主题句中吧？如果主题句中出现because会不会太具体了？？此处保留意见）

二、什么是好的主题句的属性？
可辩论性
可以在文章内充分展开并完成
有针对性
清晰的表明立场（基于论据）
·
It avoids vague language (like "it seems").
·
It avoids the first person. ("I believe," "In my opinion") （强烈注意，不要使用第一人称！！！！）
·
It should pass the So what? or Who cares? test

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.

非常非常深刻的思想。写文章之前一定要问自己，这篇文章到底是为了什么。这是非常关键的一个问题却常常被我们忽视。想想我们的文章到底为什么低分，我们这篇文章根本就没有价值，只是为了写作而写作，无关痛痒的话题或是根本不值得讨论的问题。没有思想没有立场，怎么好写怎么写，这是我们写AW时的通病。而AW是什么？？是表达自己的观点并论证，以说服对方，是与别人的交流。如果仅仅是为了完成一篇文章而写作，这样的文章是没有灵魂的，不写也罢。以后的每一篇文章，都要是自己思考的成果，是一篇有意义有灵魂的文章。

应该是草木版主自己的总结吧，不完全赞同，但值得思考借鉴——
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

一、
如何检验自己写好的主题句是否合格？
Try these five tests:

·
Does the thesis  inspire a reasonable reader to ask, "How?" or Why?" 吸引读者思考
·
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
·
Does the thesis  avoid general phrasing and/or sweeping words such as "all" or "none" or "every"? 避免绝对的论调
·
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？
·
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?

非常好的总结真是！

四、如何写出好的主题句？（思维的步骤）——具体写主题句的方式
１．Rank with justification　考虑重要性
2.Contrasts (of perspectives of sources) 对比，考虑流行和反对观点
3.Perception versus reality; 感觉与现实
4.Good versus bad reasons:
５． Cause and Effect: 因果关系
６．Challenge:质疑，否定

五、对于主题的头脑风暴：
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！

·
2. A strong thesis justifies discussion.留给大家质疑和讨论的余地

·
3. A strong thesis expresses one main idea.表达一个主要观点

·
4. A strong thesis statement is specific.具体而不抽象

Blithe0404UID：2738704

恩恩 是 挺实用的东西。。谢谢斑竹。。

Blithe0404UID：2738704

It's of great value that I do not want to delete any sentence!!!

文章的主题－Thesis：

一、什么是主题句？
What is a thesis?
A thesis statement declares what you believe and what you intend to prove. A good thesis statement makes the difference between a thoughtful research project and a simple retelling of facts.
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.
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, the claim must be possibly disagree with, b An argumentative thesis statement will tell your audience:
·
your claim or assertion
·
the reasons/evidence that support this claim
·
the order in which you will be presenting your reasons and evidence
二、什么是好的主题句的属性？
Attributes of a good thesis:

·
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！）
·

·
It provides the reader with a map to guide him/her through your work.
·
It anticipates and refutes the counter-arguments
·
It avoids vague language (like "it seems").
·
It avoids the first person. ("I believe," "In my opinion") （强烈注意，不要使用第一人称！！！！）
·
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．）
·
附：什么是the So what? or Who cares? test：
The "So What?" Test
This means to construct a thesis statement or research question about a problem that is still debated, controversial, up in the air.
Who would want to read something they already knew?(实话呀！！！)
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."
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:

·
吸引读者思考了吗？
·
避免出现so what问题
·
避免绝对的论调
·
主题句是否引导了下文的分论点或者段主题？
·
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?
四、如何写出好的主题句？（思维的步骤）
１．考虑重要性
2.对比，考虑流行和反对观点
·
Although newspapers at the time claimed ……, the most significant cause/explanation/reason, etc. is ……
·
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
4.Good versus bad reasons:
５． Cause and Effect: 因果关系
６．Challenge:质疑，否定
７．提出系列问题：（赞一个，很全面）
五、对于主题的头脑风暴：
Thesis Brainstorming
注意下面的三点：
As you read look for:
Example of brainstorming a thesis:
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:（全面，确实没想这么多）

• 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！（很具体，很到位！！！）

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. For example, if you are writing a paper for a class on fitness, you might be asked to choose a popular weight-loss product to evaluate. Here are two thesis statements:
There are some negative and positive aspects to the Banana Herb Tea Supplement.
This is a weak thesis. First, it fails to take a stand. Second, the phrase “negative and positive aspects” is vague.
Because Banana Herb Tea Supplement promotes rapid weight loss that results in the loss of muscle and lean body mass, it poses a potential danger to customers.
This is a strong thesis because it takes a stand.
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. If your assignment is to write a paper on kinship systems, using your own family as an example, you might come up with either of these two thesis statements:
My family is an extended family.
This is a weak thesis because it states an observation. Your reader won’t be able to tell the point of the statement, and will probably stop reading.
While most American families would view consanguineal marriage as a threat to the nuclear family structure, many Iranian families, like my own, believe that these marriages help reinforce kinship ties in an extended family.
This is a strong thesis because it shows how your experience contradicts a widely-accepted view. 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. If your thesis expresses more than one idea, then you might confuse your readers about the subject of your paper. For example:
Companies need to exploit the marketing potential of the Internet, and web pages can provide both advertising and customer support.
This is a weak thesis statement because the reader can’t decide whether the paper is about marketing on the Internet or web pages. To revise the thesis, the relationship between the two ideas needs to become more clear. One way to revise the thesis would be to write:
Because the Internet is filled with tremendous marketing potential, companies should exploit this potential by using web pages that offer both advertising and customer support.
This is a strong thesis because it shows that the two ideas are related. 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. For example, if you write a paper on hunger, you might say:
World hunger has many causes and effects.
This is a weak thesis statement for two major reasons. First, “world hunger” can’t be discussed thoroughly in five or ten pages. Second, "many causes and effects" is vague. You should be able to identify specific causes and effects. A revised thesis might look like this:
Hunger persists in Appalachia because jobs are scarce and farming in the infertile soil is rarely profitable.
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.

其他例子：

I would like to become a chef when I finish school

Although both chefs and cooks can prepare fine meals, chefs differ from cooks in education, professional commitment, and artistry.

I enjoy white water rafting.

A first water rafting experience can challenge the body and spirit and transform an adolescent into an adult

Men are chauvinists.

Our American family structure encourages men to repress their true feelings, leaving them open to physical, psychological, and relationship difficulties.

Steroid abuse

Steroids, even those legally available, are addictive and should be banned from sports.

Hip hop is the best thing that has happened to music in twenty years

Though many people dismiss hip hop as offensive, hip hop music offers urban youth an important opportunity for artistic expression, and allows them to articulate the poetry of the street.

Many people object to today's violent horror movies.

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.

rushtosummerUID：2735551

Rushtosummer的学习笔记（6）上

文章的主题－Thesis：

一、什么是主题句？
全文所说的主题就是开头段中的全文主题句
A thesis statement declares what you believe and what you intend to prove.
A good thesis statement makes the difference between a thoughtful research project and a simple retelling of facts.
It expresses the main ideas of your paper and answers the question or questions posed by your paper.
The thesis statement is typically located at the end of your opening paragraph. Questions to ask yourself when writing an argumentative thesis statement:
·
What is my claim or assertion?
·
What are the reasons I have to support my claim or assertion?
·
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:

·
A strong thesis is provocative; it takes a stand and justifies the discussion you will present.
·
It tackles a subject that could be adequately covered in the format of the project assigned.
·
It is specific and focused.
·
It clearly asserts your own conclusion based on evidence.
·
It provides the reader with a map to guide him/her through your work.
·
It anticipates and refutes the counter-arguments
·
It avoids vague language (like "it seems").
·
It avoids the first person.
·
It should pass the So what? or Who cares? test
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:

·
Does the thesis  inspire a reasonable reader to ask, "How?" or Why?" 吸引读者思考
·
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
·
Does the thesis avoid general phrasing and/or sweeping words such as "all" or "none" or "every"? 避免绝对的论调
·
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？
·
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？

rushtosummerUID：2735551

Rushtosummer的学习笔记（6）下
四、如何写出好的主题句？（思维的步骤）
1.Rank with justification　考虑重要性
Most important to least important
2.Contrasts (of perspectives of sources) 对比，考虑流行和反对观点
Although newspapers at the time claimed ……, the most significant cause/explanation/reason, etc. is ……
3.Perception versus reality; 感觉与现实
4.Good versus bad reasons:
5.Cause and Effect: 因果关系
6.Challenge:质疑，否定
以上都是形成转折关系的
7.提出系列问题：
· What should the audience/reader do/feel/believe?

· Who are the major players on both/each side and how did they contribute to?

· Which are the most important?
· What was the impact of?

· Can I compare? How is X like or unlike Y?

· What if?  Can I predict?

· How could we solve/improve/design/deal with?
· Is there a better solution to?
· How can you defend?
· What changes would you recommend to?

· Was it effective, justified, defensible, warranted?
· Why did this happen?
Why did it succeed?
Why did it fail?
· What should be? What are/would be the possible outcomes of?

· What are the problems related to?
· What were the motives behind?

· Why are the opponents protesting?

· What is my personal response to?
· What case can I make for?

· What is the significance of?
· Where will the next move(s) occur?

· How is this debate likely to affect?
· What is the value or, what is/are the potential benefit(s) of?
· What are three/four/five reasons for us to believe?
五、对于主题的头脑风暴：
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!"
Create a list of sample questions to guide your research:
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！
2. A strong thesis justifies discussion.留给大家质疑和讨论的余地．
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. If there are several points, it is good to show that the ideas are related. 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
narrows the subject to a more specific and manageable topic

eino0714UID：2551362

貌似很晚了。不过有确有启发，关于第一人称，小议一句，虽然肯定有人回答过了。要“客观”，简单点就这样解释，不过，楼主这一系列，不用我说，也已经好评如潮了。但的确还是很好。

asesiUID：2785253

好东西啊
感谢楼主的分享

张寄托UID：3647480

资料大赞，复习去了，然后背单词。。。。。。