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Playlist How to Write an A Essay 30 videos
Without a thesis statement, you don't have a paper. Watch this video, and get the inside scoop on how to write a killer thesis statement.
A strong thesis is crucial for a good essay. But how do you structure a great thesis statement? If you’re watching this video, you’ve come to t...
The London Bridge may be falling down, falling down, falling down....but your essay will be one stalwart structure that stands the tests of time.
How to Write A Killer Thesis Statement 62203 Views
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Description:
Without a thesis statement, you don't have a paper. Watch this video, and get the inside scoop on how to write a killer thesis statement.
Transcript
- 00:00
Edited at https://subtitletools.com
- 00:07
How to Write a Killer Thesis Statement, a la Shmoop.
- 00:12
First of all, what do we mean by a… killer thesis statement? [Thesis statement sprouts limbs and holds knife]
- 00:14
Should this thing be armed and dangerous? Well… kinda.
- 00:18
No, we don’t want to see your thesis statement to show up on the evening news.
Full Transcript
- 00:22
But your thesis statement should aim to… kill… with eloquence, suspense, intrigue,
- 00:28
originality, and clarity.
- 00:30
Here’s an example:
- 00:32
Humans are not genetically required to be meat-eaters, so vegetarianism is the only
- 00:37
moral choice to avoid the senseless killing of animals. [cow, turkey and girl holding vegetables]
- 00:41
It states a valid point, expresses a strong opinion, and can be supported with facts.
- 00:45
Doesn’t mean it’s necessarily true, but it can definitely be debated. [student caveman vs student hippie]
- 00:51
A thesis statement is that thing at the very beginning of your paper that tells your reader
- 00:58
what this whole thing is going to be about.
- 01:01
Right out of the gate, it tells your reader roughly what elements you will develop in
- 01:04
the coming paragraphs…
- 01:05
…and exactly how you feel about it.
- 01:08
The thesis is the most important part of your essay. It is the heart, soul and brain of
- 01:13
your paper. [flaming heart and brain in between thesis statement sign]
- 01:15
Once you’ve got that puppy figured out, you’re at least halfway home. [puppy with bone on the road home]
- 01:21
How do you get to this promised land? Well, first you must establish an issue or problem.
- 01:27
Think… humankind’s negative effects on rainforests…
- 01:30
The factors that enable politicians to become corrupt…
- 01:34
The slow death of the film industry.
- 01:38
Anything ripe for the picking… and preferably something that is not without a little controversy.
- 01:42
The thesis shouldn’t be something like… the sun makes it hot outside…
- 01:47
…because you’re not going to hear much argument from anyone on that point.
- 01:51
Instead… it should be something interesting… something that perhaps your reader hasn’t
- 01:55
previously considered [lion with a flower for a mane]
- 01:56
Don’t hold back… go right for the gut.
- 02:00
To make sure you’ve got an interesting topic, ask yourself questions someone else might
- 02:05
ask you.
- 02:06
Play devil’s advocate with yourself, until you’re certain you’ve covered all the
- 02:09
bases. [angel and devil on student's shoulder]
- 02:11
Is it something only you would find interesting, like… how affectionate your dog is right
- 02:15
after you finish walking him?
- 02:17
or would it appeal to a wide range of readers, like… oh, anything having to do with the
- 02:24
Kardashians? [large crowd gathers]
- 02:26
Is it something that can be argued empirically… like the rise and fall of the stock market…
- 02:31
or is it pretty much just going to be pure opinion… like what the… best color is? [color wheel spins]
- 02:36
Keep in mind that you’re not just laying down the facts… you also want to get your
- 02:41
message across… …so be sure to express your own thoughts
- 02:44
on the issue.
- 02:45
Take a strong position. [girl flexes muscles]
- 02:47
It’s not enough to state that… for the last twenty years, America has actually become
- 02:52
more racist than it was in the 1990s…
- 02:54
…if your position is that… hm, yeah, maybe, I don’t know, could be.
- 02:59
It’s an intriguing proposition… but it’s not going to go anywhere if you plan on being
- 03:03
wishy-washy. [girl spinning in washing machine]
- 03:06
Either argue strongly for or against the idea. It’s the only way you’re going to bring
- 03:10
your reader to their knees. So… what’s a good thesis, and what’s
- 03:16
a bad one?
- 03:17
Good thesis: World travel is an essential element of any young person’s well-rounded
- 03:21
education.
- 03:23
Bad thesis: There are some great places to visit in Europe.
- 03:27
Good thesis: More than anything else in our society, video games are responsible for the
- 03:33
dumbing down of America
- 03:34
Bad thesis: People are dumb.
- 03:38
Good thesis: When an elderly person is deciding on a pet, adopting a cat is a far better option
- 03:45
than adopting a dog.
- 03:46
Bad thesis: Cats rule, dogs drool.
- 03:50
Get the idea?
- 03:53
It should be broad enough that a large portion of your audience will be able to relate…[light bulbs go off]
- 03:56
…but specific enough that you can zero in on a particular topic and really dissect it. [topic gets sliced in two]
- 04:01
Finally, you can’t just state your thesis, drop the mic and walk off stage.
- 04:06
You’ll need to bring some supporting points to the table…
- 04:09
…so be prepared to back your thesis up with some actual, factual pieces of evidence.
- 04:15
And while quality is certainly more valuable than quantity…[a few nice strawberries next to a mound of small ones]
- 04:18
…have at least three supporting points.
- 04:20
Any less, and your thesis is going to be a bit… flimsy. [thesis falls down]
- 04:24
Put all this together, and you should have a killer thesis statement.
- 04:30
If you’re absolutely stumped and can’t come up with one on our own…
- 04:34
…you can borrow ours.
- 04:35
It gets out on parole
- 04:48
in about three months. [killer thesis statement inside cage]
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