Formulating thesis statements Outlining and Summarizing

The thesis statement

An essay has to develop a central idea that is supported by several paragraphs. This central idea is best formulated as a thesis statement.

The thesis statement

Topic + Controlling Idea
The origin of music + has not been precisely established Cairo + has marvelous sights and an exotic history High prices of commodities + are producing something good

The thesis statement

Ways of developing a thesis or central idea or main argument: General subject--Education Limited subject--The effects of lack of computers on students T.S. -- The inadequate number of computers in the public schools has worked against individualized instruction.

A thesis statement must be strong.

The thesis statement

takes some sort of stand (expresses an opinion, an attitude, an idea; does not simply announce the topic) 2. justies discussion (makes explicit the point of discussion; shows that the topic is controversial) 3. is specic (shows exactly what the essay is about; keeps the scope of the essay narrow and more manageable)
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The thesis statement

Strong vs. weak A. There are some advantages and disadvantages to using Banana Herb Tea Supplement. B. Because the Banana Herb Tea Supplement results in the loss of muscle and lean body mass, it poses a potential danger to customers.

The thesis statement

Strong vs. weak A. My family is an extended family. B. While most Westerners view extended families as a threat to the nuclear family structure, many Asian families believe that extended families actually strengthen kinship ties.

The thesis statement

Strong vs. weak A. World hunger has many causes and effects. B. Poverty is alarmingly high in Mindanao because the national government continues to neglect it and the local governments do not exercise enough political will and commitment.

Rewrite the following TS

It is stupid for colleges to charge high tuition. 2. Telenovelas have become increasingly popular. 3. The Harry Potter movie series are great. 4. People would be a lot happier if they could just get along with others. 5. DVDs are sold in many places.
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The controlling idea

Needs to be supported in concrete and specic ways to prove the T.S.
What support is needed for the following? 1. The origin of music + has not been precisely established 2. Cairo + has marvelous sights and an exotic history 3. High prices of commodities + are producing something good

Outlining
Four components of an effective outline 1. Parallelism 2. Coordination 3. Subordination 4. Division

Parallelism
Each heading and subheading should observe parallel structures. If the rst heading begins with a verb, the second heading should also begin with verb. Example: I. Choose Desired Colleges II. Prepare Application ("Choose" and "Prepare" are both verbs.)

Coordination
All the information contained in Heading 1 should have the same signicance as the information contained in Heading 2. The same goes for the subheadings (which should be less signicant than the headings). Example: I. Visit and evaluate college campuses II. Visit and evaluate college websites A. Note important statistics B. Look for interesting classes
(Campus and website visits are equally signicant, as are statistics and classes found on college websites.)

Subordination
The information in the headings should be more general, while the information in the subheadings should be more specic. Example: I. Describe an inuential person in your life A. Favorite high school teacher B. Grandparents (A favorite teacher and grandparents are specic examples of inuential people.)

Division
Each heading should be divided into 2 or more parts. Example: I. Compile resume A. List relevant coursework B. List work experience C. List volunteer experience (The heading "Compile resume" is divided into 3 parts.)

Ecotourism in the Philippines

Thesis Statement: I.! Benets of Ecotourism ! A.! Increase in Livelihood Opportunities ! B.! Sustainable Development in Local Communities ! C.! Preservation of Natural Resources II. ! Negative Consequences of Mainstream Tourism ! A. !Congestion of Tourists ! B.! Culture Shock of the Local Community ! C.! Depletion of Natural Resources III.! Examples of Ecotourism Efforts ! A.! Scuba Diving Industry in Anilao ! B.! Whale Watching Expedition in Bais

Marriage and Family

Thesis Statement: I.! Family Relationships ! A.! Nuclear Family ! B.! Extended Family II.!Inuences on Marriage and Family Today ! A.! Growing Divorce Rates ! B.! Changing Marital Roles ! C.! Rising Number of Single-Parent Families ! D.! Increasing Numbers of Working Women III.! The Dark Side of the Family ! A.! Incest and Sexual Abuse ! B.! Domestic Violence

Summarizing
SUMMARY an extended presentation of the thesis statement or main point of a text

A good summary
Includes only the main points of the essay and not the minor details 2. Correctly interprets the ideas of the original text and excludes opinions of the summary writer 3. Acknowledges the original source 4. Uses the summary writers own words (paraphrases the original text)
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AUTO-CRACY IS BEING EXPORTED TO THE THIRD WORLD by Mary Morse ! ! n her article entitled Auto-cracy is being Exported to the I Third World, Mary Morse claims that many nations, especially developing nations, have become over dependent on automobiles, despite the benets of alternative sources of transportation. The writer begins by tracing this over dependence on automobiles to America, where automobile have become symbols of afuence and prosperity. Automobiles pose health and safety threats to the people. As a result, some developing countries have begun to turn to bicycles as alternative sources of transportation. However, developing nations advocate the use of automobiles despite the benets bicycles bring. In the end, Morse expresses a hope for these developing nations to learn from the mistakes of the West.

Summary 1: In The Dangers of Cramming, Keith Ablow explains that students who try to stay up all nigh studying for exams are probably doing themselves more harm than good. Most of these students did not bother to study hard enough during the term and when exams come they feel they have to try to catch up and learn everything all at once. The problem with disrupting normal sleep patterns in this way is that the students may fall into a temporary intellectual lapse, and after the exam the next day, they lament the obvious answers they blew because they just couldnt focus. Ablow points out that using stimulants to stay awake can be dangerous because they can cause unexpected side effects. On the other hand, most young people can recover from an all-nighter with one good nights sleep. Some students suffer from not being able to fall asleep when they are nervous and others may worry about sleeping too much, but the author advises moderation and regular sleeping habits as the best formula.

Summary 2: Contrary to what many students think, staying up all night to study for an exam is not very efcient. Such a disruption in sleeping habits can actually make the student less mentally alert the next day and cause microsleeps, in which the student cannot concentrate. Taking drugs to help stay awake can cause Caffeine Intoxication Syndrome with accompanying headaches and feelings of anxiety, according to neurologist and sleep therapist David Buchholtz of The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. Although for most people it would probably take at least 10 cups of coffee to produce this syndrome, some people are so sensitive that they can develop unpleasant side effects with only 2 or 3 cups of coffee. In most young people other kinds of sleep disorders are rare or temporary and one good nights sleep can get them back to normal. As with many other things, the best advice is not to make major or drastic changes in sleeping habits and always think in terms of moderation.

Summary 3: According to Keith Ablow in The Dangers of Cramming, if you stay up all night trying to study for an exam, you may nd yourself the next morning actually less prepared for an exam than if you had just gone to bed, gotten a good nights sleep, and taken your chances with the exam. The reason is that major disruptions in sleep patterns can cause a lack of mental alertness, so that even if you studied for the exam you may not be able to remember much the next day. Furthermore, no matter what people say about not needing much sleep, scientists know that everyone needs a good nights sleep before a big day, usually 7-9 hours. Stimulants used to help students stay up all night may trick the students into feeling awake even when their minds are going to sleep on them and they stare vacantly for minutes at a time. In addition, even mild stimulants such as caffeine can cause unpleasant side effects if taken in too great a quantity. Moderation is the watch word. Study during the whole term, not just before the exam; you are sure to do better in school if you dont overdo it.