Human Event
Modular Learning Project
Forecast a textually-based, non-obvious argument
Human Event
Modular Learning Project
o Thesis statements should be arguable, not obvious
o Thesis statements should be neither trivial nor unrealistic
o Thesis statements should be textually based
o Thesis statements should be specific
Human Event
Modular Learning Project
Wonder why its crucial to avoid obvious thesis statements? Because your target
audience has already read the text, so they already know the main points. Why
would they waste time reading proof of points theyve already understood?
Consider these examples:
The system of slavery alienates Frederick Douglass from his family and
community.
Fine for Wikipedia, but no good for The Human Event or History
of ideas. The busy, college-educated audience seeking to learn
something new just abandoned your essay.
Human Event
Modular Learning Project
Highlight the non-obvious nature of the thesis by articulating specific ideas.
Usually, the more specific the claim, the more meaningful; the more general,
the more . . . well, read the following examples and decide for yourself:
While Antigone and Oedipus are different, they are also similar.
Human Event
Modular Learning Project
For audience-centered writing, its important to understand what your readers
are hoping to get from your essay.
Human Event
Modular Learning Project
Overly general claims are difficult or impossible to
prove, and as weve said, ultimately meaningless.
For Example:
Human Event
Modular Learning Project
Forecast the sequence of key ideas your essay will
develop to support your thesis.
Human Event
Modular Learning Project
A well-written roadmap also indicates the among the main
ideas in your essay.
In high school, students often learn to a five paragraph format in which the
roadmap lists the essays general ideas in a list-like format e.g., Achilles is
heroic because he is strong, disciplined, and self-sacrificing.
While that roadmap accomplishes its navigational goal, in that readers know
to expect a paragraph on Achilles strength, then one on his discipline, then
one on the sacrifices he is prepared to make, we get no indication of how
each of these ideas relates to the next, nor why the author chose this order.
But when the writer articulates the relationships and indicates the rationale
for the order, she compels herself to deliver the answers to those questions
first to herself, and then to her readers. Forecasting these logical
relationships is a great way to make your thesis and subsequent argument
more insightful and critical insight is a true gift to your reader.
Human Event
Modular Learning Project
Take a close look at the road map:
does it indicate specific textual
points that the paper will bring up
to support the thesis?
Human Event
Modular Learning Project
Do the topic sentences detail the key points discussed in the
paragraph?
Is the sequence of topic sentences in the essay the same as the order
thesis?
Human Event
Modular Learning Project
This site is a work in progress;
Please give any constructive feedback
to your instructor. Thank you!