Writing a Thesis

Before writing an outline, the writer must develop a solid thesis statement. When finalized, these statements should be in the form of a sentence; however, sometimes writers start off with questions.
    Here are some questions that can be turned into thesis statements:   
    Should high school athletes be tested for drugs?
    Should the US require citizens to have national ID cards?
    How does the symbolism in "The Scarlet Ibis" support its theme?

Start with a question, do research and develop a working thesis.  A working thesis is a statement of what you think you will write about. By using a working thesis, you are admitting that you  may change your mind later when you begin the writing process -- and that's okay. Perhaps you'll start writing the paper and realize that the research you have doesn't support what you're saying, or your beliefs will change as you learn more information. If that's the case, your working thesis will change. Either way, by the time you begin writing, your final thesis should be in the form of a statement that asserts your opinion without a personal pronoun. In other words, you should never say, "I believe" or "I think."

Here are some sample thesis statements:
    Drug education programs such as the DARE should begin earlier to help convince  
    children that drugs are dangerous.

    The symbolism in The Great Gatsby distracts from the plot and weakens the storyline.

Again, both of these statements contain strong opinions without using personal pronouns. Both writers would spend their time researching journals, articles, and essays to find other individuals who agree with these ideas. Using quotes and paraphrases, the student would write a paper that would support his or her thesis statement to prove his or her idea.

Need more help with writing your thesis statement and/or introduction?

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Writing an Outline

To begin an outline, have a thesis in mind -- at least a working thesis. The thesis will direct the outline and organization of your paper.

An outline is necessary to give you guidance when writing the essay. It will organize your ideas and researched information during the writing process.

Writing an outline is really not hard if you did the note cards correctly. All you have to do is organize your note cards in piles according to their subject lines, and that should give you some idea as to how to write the outline. Your subjects (at the top of your note cards) will be the "slugs" for your outline. Your teacher will give you some guidance on how this is done.

Attached you will find a template of an outline and an example of an outline. You may use this template or create an outline on your own.