Writing Thesis Statements and Introductions Thesis: A thesis statement is the main idea of your essay. It is the idea you want your readers to remember. Usually, for the independent writing task you are writing an opinion essay. Often the prompt will ask you to choose between two opinions for a topic. So your thesis states your choice and might also include your three supporting points. For example, the prompt might say. In today’s global society it is possible to work from home via the Internet or from an office setting. Some professionals feel more productive at home, while others prefer working in an office environment, which do you prefer and why? Include details and examples in your response. So for this kind of essay prompt you have two choices: working at home or working at the office. After you have made your choice and brainstormed your main points you need to construct a clear, solid thesis statement. Here are some possible structures for a thesis statement: Although some people prefer working at home, an office environment is more suitable for three reasons: ____________, _____________, and ____________. Even though others prefer working at home, I think an office environment is better for several reasons. An office environment is a better work environment for three reasons: ____________, _____________, and ____________. There are three reasons that an office environment is better than a home office. Some people prefer working at home, but an office environment is better for several reasons: ____________, _____________, and ____________.
Practice writing thesis statements for these topics. Use the phrases above in bold to help you. Some people prefer eating out at a restaurant. Others prefer cooking and eating at home. Which do you prefer and why? Include examples and details in your response.
Some people prefer to travel to major cities in their home country for vacation. Others prefer to visit foreign cities. Which do you prefer and why? Include examples and details in your response.
Many people like to read books in print while others prefer to read using an electronic device. Which do you prefer and why? Include examples and details in your response. A good thesis statement has a topic and a controlling idea which limits the topic to a specific area. So it looks like this:
TOPIC CONTROLLING INTRODUCTION IDEA
Look at the example thesis again: Although some people prefer working at home, an office environment is more suitable for three reasons: less distractions, more ready resources and controlled environment. Working environment is the topic and it comes at the beginning of the thesis. The controlling ideas are the three reasons. The controlling idea often comes at the end of the thesis.
Introduction: an introduction is the first paragraph of your essay. A good introduction usually starts general then becomes more specific. This is called a funnel introduction. It ends with the thesis.
HOOK GENERAL OBSERVATIONS THESIS STATEMENT
A hook is an interesting quote, statistic, proverb, or fact that grabs the readers’ attention and draws them into the essay. General observations show that the topic of the essay is relevant to the broader world, but the sentence leading up to the thesis narrow the topic and limit it to the controlling idea in the thesis statement. Example of hook (statistic): According to The US Telecommuting Forecast “29 million telecommuters will enter the remote workforce between 2009 and 2016, totaling . . . 43% of US workers.”
Example Introduction: According to The US Telecommuting Forecast “29 million telecommuters will enter the remote workforce between 2009 and 2016, totaling . . . 43% of US workers.� In a world with IPhones, Skype, and Screen-share technology, some people think working in an office environment will become a thing of the past, but these same technologies can make it harder to get work done, especially if you are working at home. Social media becomes more tempting then workers become less productive. Although some people prefer working at home, an office environment is more suitable for three reasons: fewer distractions, more ready resources and a better controlled environment. The example introduction starts with a hook and then some general comment about technology in the world. It then connects these technologies with working at home. Finally, the introduction ends with a thesis. Try to write an example introduction using one of the thesis statements you wrote in the practice above. Try to include the three parts: hook, general observations, and thesis statement.