How is a central idea statement for a speech similar to a thesis statement in a written essay?

Home
Module
Thesis Statement

The essay, like the paragraph, is controlled by one central idea. In the essay, the sentence containing the central idea is called the thesis statement. The thesis statement is similar to the topic sentence in that it contains an expression of an attitude, opinion, or idea about a topic; unlike the topic sentence, however, the thesis statement is broader and expresses the controlling idea for the entire essay. In fact, each of the developmental paragraphs should have a controlling idea that echoes or relates to the controlling idea – central idea – in the thesis statement.

Inhaltsverzeichnis Show

Topic Sentence
Introduction: Ways to Begin
Beginnings: Things to Avoid and Things to Do
What is a central idea statement or a thesis statement?
How do you write a central idea for a thesis statement?
How does a thesis statement relate to the specific purpose statement of a speech?
Is a central idea statement is the same as the specific purpose statement?

Here are a few points to remember about the thesis statement:

The thesis statement should be expressed in a complete sentence. Since the thesis is the main statement for the entire essay, it should express a complete thought; therefore, it should be expressed in a complete sentence. And since it makes a statement, it should not be written as a question.

Not a thesis statement: My fear of the dark.

Thesis statement: My fear of the dark has made my life miserable.

A thesis statement expresses an opinion, attitude, or idea: it does not simply announce the topic the essay will develop.

Not a thesis statement: I am going to discuss the effects of radiation.

Thesis statement: The effects of radiation are often unpredictable.

A thesis statement should express an opinion: it should not express a fact. Since the thesis statement expresses an attitude, opinion, or idea about a topic, the thesis statement is really a statement that someone could disagree with. The thesis statement, therefore, is a statement that needs to be explained or proved.

Not a thesis statement: Cows produce milk.

Thesis statement: The milk cows produce is not always fit for human consumption.

Not a thesis statement: There are many advantages and disadvantages to going to college. (Not an arguable point)

Thesis statement: The advantages of going to college far outweigh the disadvantages.

A thesis statement should express only one idea toward one topic; if a thesis statement contains two or more ideas, the essay runs the risk of lacking unity and coherence.

Not a thesis statement: Going to college in Jakarta can be fun, and I have found that living in a suburb of a large city is the best way to live while at college.

Thesis statement: Going to college in Jakarta can be fun.

Published at : 31 December 2020

Thesis

A thesis statement is the basic stand that an author takes, the opinion that he expresses, and the major point that he wishes to make about his subject. It contains the controlling idea of the essay, and therefore, gives the direction and the unity to all the separate elements of the writing. The purpose of the essay is to convince the reader that the thesis is indeed a valid one.

The first step in writing an effective thesis statement involves the focusing, limiting, or narrowing of the topic. The scope of the thesis will depend on length, purpose, audience, occasion, and knowledge (see handout—Narrowing the topic)
Each thesis will (a) state the subject clearly and specifically so that it can be broken into parts; (b) take a stand or attitude about the subject; and (c) provide the direction by indicating, implicitly or explicitly, the order in which the essay will develop the points.
The controlling idea in the thesis is a word, phrase, or clause that states the opinion, attitude, or stand that the writer takes about the subject; it provides the angle from which the writer wishes to approach his subject.
The thesis is always a single declarative statement:

A thesis is not a title
Poor:		The Decline of Baseball
Better:	Baseball, once a national pastime and even an addiction, has lost its popularity because of the new interest in more violent sports.
Poor:	Homes and Schools.
Better:	If parents want better education for their children, they must be willing to commit their time to working with the schools.
A thesis is not an announcement of the subject
Poor:	I want to share some thoughts with you about our space program.
Better:	Since the space program has yet to provide the American people with any substantial, practical returns, it is a waste of money and should be dissolved.
A thesis is not a statement of absolute fact
Poor:	William Shakespeare wrote King Lear.
Better:	King Lear exemplifies the finest development of Shakespeare's dramatic talent.
A good thesis is restricted: It limits the subject to a manageable amount
Poor:	People are too selfish.
Better:	Rush hour traffic exemplifies human behavior at its worst.
Poor:	Crime must be stopped.
Better:	To stop the alarming rise in the number of violent crimes committed every year, our courts must hand out tougher sentences.
A good thesis is unified: It should express one major idea about one subject
Poor:	Detective stories are not a high form of literature, but people have always been fascinated by them and many fine writers have experimented with them.
Better:	Detective stories appeal to the basic human desire for thrills.
A good thesis is specific
Poor:	The new Denver Art Museum is impressive.
Better:	The new Denver Art Museum is a monument to human folly.
Poor:	Hemingway's war stories are very good.
Better:	Hemingway's war stories helped to create a new prose style.

Topic Sentence

The topic sentence and the thesis are analogous. In other words, the topic sentence is to the paragraph what the thesis is to the entire essay, chapter, or book. While the thesis gives unity to the essay, the topic sentence gives unity to the paragraph by developing one major point suggested in the controlling idea of the thesis. Like the thesis, the topic sentence is integral to the organization of the essay. Each paragraph should have a topic sentence.

It contains the dominating idea that the paragraph will develop.
It normally appears as the first sentence in each paragraph.
The controlling idea of the topic sentence is the essential descriptive or judgmental or argumentative part of the sentence and falls in the predicate of the sentence
The topic sentence, like the thesis, is also focused.
It is never a prediction nor a question, but rather a single declarative statement.

SUBJECT AREA PREDICATE AREA TOPIC SUBJECT CHOICE CONTROLLING IDEA

Introduction: Ways to Begin

An introduction is for getting the reader's attention, stating the purpose, and providing the direction.

"Begin at the beginning, keep on going until you get to the end, and then stop." (Alice in Wonderland)

Getting the readers' attention: Some possibilities

A controversial statement:
Some people argue that a college education means a good job with good pay; however, the Ph.D. pumping gas at the corner service station might disagree.
Use of a quotation from a noteworthy source:
"Proper words in proper places, make the true definition of style" write Jonathan Swift in A Letter to a Young Gentleman.
Reference to a current event:
In the recent Iran scandal, President Reagan once again proved that terrorists and people who support terrorism cannot be trusted.
Establish proof of your authority:
Having been an alcoholic and a junkie for the last ten years, I know the painful consequences of addiction.
Open with a rhetorical question:
"What kind of man reads Playboy?" The question should be, what kind of man would be interviewed by Playboy?
Use statistics:
Since the federal government reduced the speed limit to 55 mph, the national accident fatality rate decreased 25%.
A short dramatic statement:
The 101st Congress will be in the center ring as the members try to balance the trillion-dollar budget.

Beginnings: Things to Avoid and Things to Do

Avoids:

Avoid high sounding truisms about life in general.
Avoid the traditional complaint about the difficulty of writing on either the assigned or chosen topic.
Avoid the personal apology to the teacher (or to any reader). In fact, never apologize to your reader for your lack of knowledge or your poor style. Why should the reader waste time reading something that even the writer believes is bad?
Avoid the dictionary definition (I'll explain why when we discuss definitions-unless someone asks the questions).
Avoid boring your reader with such openings as "I am going to tell you about."
Avoid leading up to your subject through a string of irrelevancies. Stay with your subject and its implications.

Do's:

Do directly state the facts and details.
Do announce your subject in an effective introduction.
Begin with a blunt statement of fact intended to startle your reader, as long as the fact relates to you subject.
Begin with a dramatic incident followed by the steps leading up to it.
Present an answer to some pending problem.
Begin with a quotation but make sure that the quotation is intimately related to your subject.
Begin with a narrative, a relevant experience that can lead to your subject.
Use the first paragraph to direct your essay, but do not crowd too many details into it. Leave something for the body of the paper.
Use description, if it relates to your subject.

Top

What is a central idea statement or a thesis statement?

Just as you would create a thesis statement for an essay or research paper, the central idea statement helps focus your presentation by defining your topic, purpose, direction, angle and/or point of view.

How do you write a central idea for a thesis statement?

Writing your thesis statement/central idea is a four step process:.

Choose your topic..

Determine your general purpose..

Write your specific purpose statement..

Tie it all together by composing a clear concise thesis statement/central idea..

How does a thesis statement relate to the specific purpose statement of a speech?

A thesis statement helps to address speech goals. It can prepare an audience with the speaker's general purpose, provide a specific angle of your topic for the audience to follow, provide structure to help the speaker organize materials and main points.

Is a central idea statement is the same as the specific purpose statement?

What is the difference between the specific purpose and the central idea? The specific purpose is written from the speaker's point of view—it's what he or she sets out to accomplish. The central idea is written from the listeners' point of view—it's the message they should go away with.

How is a central idea statement for a speech similar to a thesis statement in a written essay?

Thesis

Topic Sentence

Introduction: Ways to Begin

Beginnings: Things to Avoid and Things to Do

What is a central idea statement or a thesis statement?

How do you write a central idea for a thesis statement?

How does a thesis statement relate to the specific purpose statement of a speech?

Is a central idea statement is the same as the specific purpose statement?

zusammenhängende Posts

How does an income statement for a merchandising business differ from that for a service business?

Which statement is an accurate conclusion one can draw about the mental health field quizlet?

Which statement about the current use of projective techniques by clinicians is TRUE Quizlet

Which concept uses the idea that the consumer will favor products that offer the most quality performance and features?

The relationship between business and society is most accurately described by which statement

Which of the following process divides a companys activities into primary and support activities central to creating customer value?

The idea of incentives came from the ______, who gave incentives to cloth weavers for production.

Which statement is most accurate with respect to the influence of behaviorism in psychology

What term is given to an economic system in which the central government makes all of the important economic decisions?

Which statement is true regarding female employment in industry at the turn of the century?

Werbung

NEUESTEN NACHRICHTEN

What delivers applications over the cloud using a pay-per-use revenue model?

What processes convert data into information and information into knowledge?

Fuß umgeknickt keine Schwellung aber Schmerzen was tun

What can decrease the effectiveness of an mbo (management by objectives) system?

Wie viel kostet ein normales Ohrloch stechen?

Ein Colt für alle Fälle Klingelton Android

Gemeinschaft entwässerung wer ist für zuständig

Was ist der unterschied zwischen einem boot und einem schiff

Wann geht es weiter mit Outpost?

Wer ist bei lets danz faisal

Werbung

Populer

Werbung

Um

Legal

Hilfe

Sozial