Compare and Contrast +thesis Statement

INGL 3104
Content Objectives
SWBAT review the process of writing a compare and contrast essay
and a thesis statement.
SWBAT identify the characteristics of a strong thesis statement.
SWBAT differentiate between strong and weak thesis statements.
Language Objectives
SWBAT ask questions in regards of the procedure behind writing and
effective thesis statement.
SWBAT brainstorm and draw maps of concepts about topics related to
the research project.
SWBAT write and strengthen their own thesis statements towards
building up their essay assignment.

Thesis Statement:
What is a thesis
statement?
What are some of the
characteristics of a
successful thesis
statement?

tells the reader how you will interpret the significance
of the subject matter under discussion.
is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the
reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.
directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is
an interpretation of a question or subject, not the
subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might
be Red Riding Hood or Disneyfication; a thesis must
then offer a way to understand the fairy tale or the
concept.
makes a claim that others might
dispute.
is usually a single sentence
somewhere in your first
paragraph that presents your
argument to the reader. The
rest of the paper, the body of
the essay, gathers and
organizes evidence that will
persuade the reader of the logic
of your interpretation.

Avoid using vague or general claims on the topic. For
example, This paper will compare and contrast two fairy
tales, Little Red Riding Hood and Red Ridin in the Hood
or Little Red Riding Hood and Red Ridin in the Hood are
similar and different at the same time are weak thesis
statements, and something more detailed should be
included. A more appropriate thesis statement might be,
While both Little Red Riding Hood and Red Ridin in the
Hood are very similar in their representation of innocence,
Patricia Santos Red Ridin in the Hood presents a far
more current view on innocence and how it has changed
while the Grimm Brothers version of Little Red Riding
Hood presents a more traditional view. Always make sure
the thesis makes an argument, and doesnt just state the
differences and similarities.

Do I answer the question?
Have I taken a position that others might challenge or
oppose?
Is my thesis statement specific enough?
Does my thesis pass the So what? test?
Does my essay support my thesis specifically and
without wandering?
Does my thesis pass the how and why? test?

Is your thesis a declarative sentence?
Does your thesis state the purpose of your essay?
Does your thesis include the title of the text?
Does your thesis include the author of the text?
Is your thesis arguable, in other words, can it be challenged?
Did you make sure your thesis does not simply summarize the
story?
Is your thesis at the end of your introductory paragraph?
Did you make sure your thesis is one well developed sentence?

This structure is based on identifying individual
components so they can be easier to compare and
contrast later on. This structure contains the following
parts:
Introduction
Discussion of analysis of the literary element in Text #1
Discussion and analysis of the literary element in Text #2
Comparison and Contrast of the elements of Text #1 and #2
Conclusion

This structure is more difficult to pull off than the recipe
structure, but the comparison and contrast is usually
much stronger when employing this structure. It
consists of directly delving into the comparison and
contrast of both literary texts. This structure usually
mimics the following format:
Introduction
Comparison of the literary element in Text #1 and Text #2
Contrast of the literary element in Text #1 and Text # 2
Analysis and synthesis of comparison and contrast
Conclusion

The topic sentence
contains the ingredients
for the paragraphs
A topic sentence organizes a
paragraph.
It should be included in every
body of the paragraph of your
essay.
Usually it is placed at the
beginning of the paragraph.

They act like a thesis statement
by unifying each paragraph.
Makes a point that is part of the
thesis statement and should be
proven and supported with
examples within the paragraph.

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INGL 3104

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