Southern New Hampshire University
ENG-123 English Composition II
Week Five Notes
IDENTIFYING YOUR THESIS AND DRAFTING YOUR PERSUASIVE ESSAY
Thesis Identification
What is a thesis statement?
A statement that makes a claim and provides the main reasons for your conclusion.
Examples of thesis statements:
Research question: Should city-dwellers be allowed to keep bees?
Potential thesis statement: Urban beekeeping is good for people and for the environment
because bees are relatively harmless, they produce honey with high nutritional value, and they
help pollinate urban gardens.
Claim: Urban beekeeping is good for people and for the environment.
Major point 1: Bees are relatively harmless.
Major point 2: Bees produce honey with high nutritional value.
Major point 3: Bees pollinate urban gardens.
Research question: What are the most important reasons for vaccinating children?
Potential thesis statement: Research suggests that the most compelling justifications for
childhood vaccinations are safety-based because there are many positive effects for the
vaccinated child, there are few risks, and there is a possibility other children could become sick
after coming into contact with an unvaccinated child.
Claim: Research suggests that the most compelling justifications for childhood
vaccinations are safety-based.
Major point 1: Vaccinations prevent illness in the vaccinated child.
Major point 2: Vaccination has few risks.
Major point 3: Children and other people who cannot get the vaccine may become sick
after contact with an unvaccinated child.
Research question: What is the best way to encourage people to be more cautious about their
disposal of hazardous household materials?
Potential thesis statement: The government can encourage people to be more cautious about
their disposal of hazardous household materials by labeling hazardous materials in a clear
manner, running a public service announcement campaign, and providing easy access to proper
waste disposal processes because these methods are most effective.
Claim: The government can encourage people to be more cautious about their disposal of
hazardous household materials.
Major point 1: Labeling hazardous materials is effective at helping people to understand
when they should be cautious about throwing those materials away.
Major point 2: Public service announcement campaigns are effective.
Major point 3: People will be more likely to dispose of items correctly if proper disposal
processes are easily accessible.
Steps to creating a thesis statement:
1. What is the issue you will be addressing?
2. State your position on this issue.
3. What is your first key point?
4. What is your second key point?
5. What is your third key point?
6. Combine answers to prompts 2-5 to construct your thesis statement.
The TEA Formula
Thesis, topic sentences
When reviewing your thesis statement using the TEA formula, you should be able to answer yes
to the following questions:
Is there a thesis statement? Does it appear at the end of the introductory paragraph?
Does my thesis statement express one central idea/opinion in response to the essay
prompt or course-related topic?
Have I arrived at a thesis statement only after careful and well-thought-out consideration
of the prompt or topic and evidence at my disposal?
Does my thesis statement express my position?
Does the evidence I present in the body of the essay connect back to the thesis statement?
Topic Sentences
This next step is to analyze topic sentences of your body paragraphs. You should be able to
answer yes to the following questions:
Do I have a topic sentence at the beginning of each body paragraph?
Do my topic sentences relate to the thesis statement?
Evidence
The next step is to look closely at the evidence you are using in your essay. You should be able
to answer yes to the following questions:
Do I have evidence to support each key point?
Have I selected relevant and convincing evidence?
Do I have enough evidence to support my thesis statement?
Does my evidence fulfill the requirements for the essay?
Analysis
This last step includes engaging in the analysis process by examining how each piece of
evidence in your essay supports the thesis statement. You should be able to answer yes to the
following questions:
Do I have an analysis for each piece of evidence?
Does my analysis go beyond merely re-stating what is obvious in the evidence?
Drafting Process
Paragraph Purposes
Introduction Paragraphs:
An essay should begin with an introduction paragraph. The introduction presents the audience
with the essay’s topic, the thesis statement, and a general topic overview.
Supporting Paragraphs:
Each supporting paragraph should begin with a topic sentence, containing supporting sentences
that back up the main idea presented in the topic sentence, and end with a summary sentence that
reiterates that main idea.
Opposing Viewpoint
An opposing viewpoint presents a viewpoint that contrasts your own stance on the issue.
Conclusion Paragraphs
The last paragraph in an essay is the conclusion. The purpose of the conclusion paragraph is to
remind your readers of the most important points you made, to reiterate your thesis statement,
and to briefly mention the arguments you used to support it. New arguments or positions should
not be introduced in the conclusion paragraph.
