论点写作技巧.docx

论点写作技巧1. Understanding Functions of Thesis StatementsFirst, it tells readers an essay’s?topic.Second, it presents the writer’s?attitude, opinion, idea,?or?point?about that topic.This is often referred to as the?author’s claim.2.?Write Statements, Not AnnouncementsRemember, a thesis statement must make a point about a limited subject. For instance, “The subject of this paper will be my parents” does not make a point about the parents but merely tells the writer’s general subject. Effective thesis statements could be as follows: My parents each struggled with personal demons.3.?Avoid Statements That Are Too BroadRemember, your thesis statement should be focused enough that it can be effectively supported in a five-paragraph essay.?For instance, “Disease has shaped human history “would require far more than a five-hundred-word essay. Revised thesis statements based on the topics could be as follows: In the mid-1980s, AIDS changed people’s attitudes about dating.4.Avoid Statements That Are Too NarrowRemember, a thesis statement must be broad enough to require support in an essay. For instance, “The speed limit near my home is sixty-five miles per hour” is too narrow to be expanded into a paper. Such a statement is sometimes called a?dead-end?statement:?there is no place to go with it. Successful thesis statements are as follows: The speed limit near my home should be lowered to fifty-five miles per hour for several reasons.5.?Make Sure Statements Develop Only One IdeaRemember, the point of an essay is to communicate a?single?main idea to readers.?For instance, “One of the most serious problems affecting young people today is bullying,?and?it is time more kids learned the value of helping others” clearly has two separate ideas (“One of the most serious problems affecting young people today is bullying”?and?“it is time more kids learned the value of helping others”).Revised thesis statements are as follows: One of the most serious problems affecting young people today is