1. INGLÉS
VIII
ROBERTO MARTINEZ CASTAÑEDA

2. The Thesis Statement.
The thesis states what the paper is about and gives the reader an idea of what
information will follow. The thesis is an idea, opinion, or conclusion about your topic, is
proven by your research, and is the last sentence of your introduction.
1. promotes burnout in
students & teachers
2. threatens family life
and bonds
=
A good thesis IS:
 a statement made in one well-developed sentence
 clear and to the point
 based on information you find in your reading and prove with your research
 specific and focuses on information that can be explored in a 2-3 page paper
A good thesis is NOT:





a question
an “I” statement (I learned that…..)
overly obvious (education problems have been in the news a lot lately.)
overly general (Educationa problems exists in our world.)
emotional
Example:
should not
+ +
Year Round be used in
education
schools
3. costsmoremoney
Issue Position 3 Reasons for Support Thesis Statement
Example of a strong thesis statement:
Year round education should not be used in today’s schools because it promotes student and teacher
(Issue) (Opinion/Your position) (1st reason for support)
burnout, threatens our family life, costs more money to keep schools running all year, and is not proven to
(2nd reason for support) (3rd reason for support)
increase academics as is claimed by its supporters.
(4th reason for support)
Year round education should not
be used in today’s schools
because it promotes student and
teacher burnout, threatens our
family life, costsmoremoney to
keep schools open, and is not
proven to increase academics as is
thought.

3. Opinion Thesis statement:
A thesis should contain a topic (what you are writing about), an opinion (what your attitude
is towards the topic), and the reasons why you hold that view (explanations answering
“why?” or “so what?”).
Locating the opinion in a Thesis: When you look for the opinion in a
thesis, ask yourself what the writer’s attitude is towards the topic.
Example: “sailing in the beach of mazatlan in the summer was an exciting
Experience” Experience is the opinion
Circle the opinion words below; if there are no opinion words, it is not a thesis.
1. Much maligned and the subject of unwarranted fears, most bats are harmless and
highly beneficial.
2. Vigorous exercise is a good way to reduce the effects of stress on the body.
3. Duluth and Green Bay differ in four major ways.
4. Developing color film is more complicated than developing black-and-white film.
5. In this essay, I will discuss gay marriages.
6. Television is destroying the unity of the modern family.
7. In her essay, Erlich shows that there is a balance of community and isolation in her
hometown.

4. Thesis statement.
Now, apply the graphic organizer to the following thesis statement, remember to
answer the following questions:
School uniforms should become policy in public schools because they are less costly to
families, promote unity among students, and offer a better atmosphere for learning.
 How do the introductions get the readers interest?
+ + =
=
 In what way do they indicate the specific topic?
 How do the introductions give background for what the writer is going to say?
 How do the introductions give directions for the reader about the method of
discussing the topic?
+ +
Next, try filling in the graphic organizer for your issue as the first step in creating your thesis
statement:

5. Mapping.
candies
Go with a nutrition
exercise Junk food soda
sports Being Healthy
greasy food
Losing weight fruits
Heathy food vegtables
Salads

6. Writing Body Paragraphs.
The middle section, or body, of your essay develops and supports your thesis. In the
body of the essay, The topic you have chosen must now be explained, described, or
argued. Each main idea that you wrote down in your thesis statement will become one of
the body paragraphs. A body paragraph should include the following:
 Unity: A paragraph has unity when every sentence relates directly to the main idea
 Coherence: A paragraph is coherent if its sentences are smoothly and logically
connected to one another.
 Development: A body paragraph is well developed if it contains the
evidence, and explanations readers need to understand its main idea.
Essay Structure
Introduction (ends in thesis)
examples,
Body Paragraph
(topic sentence)
(explanation)
(support)
(conclusion)
Body Paragraph
(topic sentence)
(explanation)
(support)
(conclusion)
Body Paragraph
(topic sentence)
(explanation)
(support)
(conclusion)
Conclusion (ends with final thought)
Body Paragraph
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Opening Sentence (pertaining to Reason/Theme #1)
Explanation
Evidence A
Explanation of evidence A
Possible evidence B
Explanation of possible evidence B
Mini-conclusion only about Reason/Theme #1
Body Paragraph 2
8. Transitional/ Opening Sentence (pertaining to Reason/Theme #2)
9. Explanation
10.Evidence C
11.Explanation of evidence D
12.Possible evidence E
13.Explanation of possible evidence #F
14.Mini-conclusion only about Reason/Theme #2
Body Paragraph 3
15.Transitional/Opening Sentence (pertaining to Reason/Theme #3)
16.Explanation
17.Evidence G
18.Explanation of evidence H
19.Possible evidence I
20.Explanation of possible evidence I

7. Body Paragraph Writing Prompts and Sentence Starters—Examples
Compare/contrast  One comparison is…
Sentence Starters
 I think that…
Opinion  I believe that…
 In my opinion…
 My opinion is different from…
 This makes me think about…
Insight  The character/event reminds me of…
 It seems to me that… O R…It occurs to me that…
 Comparing these two elements/characters/eventshelps me understand…
 I connect with…because…
Personal response  I have empathy for…because…
 These events confound me because…
 The importance of…
 The vital elements/characters/events are…because
Analysis  The important things to remember include…
 When you look at the whole picture you can see that…
 This event is not important because…
Evaluation  The author helped me understand their point-of-view, however, I don’t
believe they are correct because…
 As I consider this evidence it helps me understand that…
Interpretation  In examining the evidence I understand why…
Fact, evidence  The author states that
 The event that helps us understand this was…
 For instance,…
Example  An example…
 One example…
 Another example…
Description  In the textbook, the author describes the…by stating…
Identification  The event took place on…and involved…
 The lab procedure includes…
 The formula begins by…
Quote  For example, the person said…
 The book/passage states that…
 The author states that…
 The artist described the work as…
 This can best be explained in the following quote,
Paraphrasing or  In other words…
summarizing  The hypothesis is that…
 In summary…
Plot reference  The author then has the characters…
 The story takes place on…
 The mood of the story is best described by…
 The first step in understanding how to…
Explanation  To understand this concept you must understand
 Begin by…
 Next,…
 Additionally,…
 Two elements that are similar are…
Comparison  Two characteristics that compare include…
 The first element/characteristic/event is…In contrast,…

8. The topic sentence.
TOPIC SENTENCES.
Just as the thesis statement tells the main argument of your essay, topic sentences
state the main idea of individual body paragraphs and directly relate to your thesis. Topic
sentences provide support for your argument and direction for your reader.
What is the topic sentence? The topic sentence is the first sentence in a paragraph.
What does it do? It introduces the main idea of the paragraph.
How do I write one? Summarize the main idea of your paragraph. Indicate to the
reader what your paragraph will be about.
Example:
There are three reasons why Canada is one of the best countries in the world. First,
Canada has an excellent health care system. All Canadians have access to medical
services at a reasonable price. Second, Canada has a high standard of education.
Students are taught by well-trained teachers and are encouraged to continue
studying at university. Finally, Canada's cities are clean and efficiently managed.
Canadian cities have many parks and lots of space for people to live. As
a result,
Canada is a desirable place to live.
An effective topic sentence must meet three criteria:
1.
2.
3.
It introduces the topic of the paragraph.
It relates the paragraph directly back to the thesis statement.
It is powerfully worded.
Generally speaking, topic sentences are:
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Interesting
Short
Simple
Clear
Give a strong idea
Often use phrases such as:
One of the main reasons for …..
One of the major factors in ………… is…………….
Generally speaking, ………
One of the strongest arguments against/ in favour of………is ….
One of the main advantages / disadvantages of ………….is ……

9. Supporting sentences.
Supporting sentences follow the topic sentence in a paragraph. Supporting sentences
add details to the paragraph by listing EXAMPLES, STEPS, REASONS or FACTS.
What are supporting sentences?
They come after the topic sentence, making up the body of a paragraph.
What do they do?
They give details to develop and support the main idea of the paragraph.
How do I write them?
You should give supporting facts, details, and examples.
Example:
There are three reasons why Canada is one of the best countries in the world. First,
Canada has an excellent health care system. All Canadians have access to medical
services at a reasonable price. Second, Canada has a high standard of education.
Students are taught by well-trained teachers and are encouraged to continue
studying at university. Finally, Canada's cities are clean and efficiently managed.
Canadian cities have many parks and lots of space for people to live.
As a result,
Canada is a desirable place to live.

10. Types of supporting sentences.
EXAMPLE: type of supporting sentences lists representative samples of the object stated in
the topic sentence. You can take vivid, colorful pictures of what? Of orange and black striped
tigers, green plants, aqua and blue peacocks, coral flamingoes, grey elephants, red-orange
orangutans and brown vines. This type of supporting sentence is used in paragraphs of
personal narratives and in publicity brochures.
If you are looking for a great place to take vivid, colorful pictures, the zoo is a terrific place to
visit. The bold orange and black stripes of the tiger contrast with the bright green plants filling
the outdoor setting. Peacocks roam the grounds displaying their plumes of aqua and blue.
Coral flamingoes contrast with grey elephants, and red-orange orangutans swing from dark
brown vines. Your colorful pictures will leap off the page.
STEPS:type of supporting sentences gives directions in order of how or when they are to be
performed. Guide words like FIRST, SECOND, NEXT, AFTER THAT, and FINALLY are helpful to use
with this type of supporting sentence. This type of supporting sentence is used in paragraphs
found in direction manuals of all kinds.
My Aunt Marie’s recipe for Disappearing Cookies is easy for anyone to follow. First, gather all
the ingredients onto the counter and turn the oven on. Second, mix the ingredients in a large
bowl. Next spoon the batter onto cookie sheets in small mounds. After that, bake the cookies
in the oven. Finally, after the cookies have cooled, call in the family and watch them
disappear. Following the recipe is easy, and eating them is even easier.
REASONS: type of supporting sentences gives persuasive justification for the opinion stated in
the topic sentence. Why is preparation for a job interview important? Because a job interview
is a contest, one of the contestants has an advantage, and the applicant must win the contest.
This type of supporting sentence is used in paragraphs for marketing a product or service.
Preparing for a job interview is important. A job interview is like a contest between the
applicant and the interviewer, and preparation is like warming up before the contest. The
interviewer has the advantage because he or she knows all the questions, and the applicant
must be prepared with all the answers. The applicant must also appear to be the best
candidate for the job, ahead of all the other applicants.
prepared for the interview, and will get the job.
The winner of this contest has
FACTS: type of supporting sentences, as well as the topic sentence, give verifiable, true
statements of details. This type of supporting sentence is used in paragraphs for writing
reports, brochures and other non-fiction literature.
President John Adams and his wife, First Lady Abilgail Adams were the first couple to inhabit
the White House. Although begun in 1792 during the Presidency of George Washington,
construction wasn’t completed until 1800, three years after Washington’s death.
House has served as the private home of each President and First Lady since
administration
The White
the Adams