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1.6: Starting with a Thesis Statement

  • Page ID
    4925
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    Most students like to write their thesis statement before they begin actually drafting their essays. Consider this “thesis statement” a working thesis that can be modified and changed based on the needs of the essay as it develops.

    Thesis statements vary based on the rhetorical strategy of the essay and are described in detail in each rhetorical chapter, but thesis statements share the following characteristics:

    • Presents the main idea
    • Most often is one sentence
    • Tells the reader what to expect
    • Is a formal summary of your essay topic
    • Usually worded to have an argumentative edge
    • Uses third person point of view

    1.6: Starting with a Thesis Statement is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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