Thesis/Support Paragraph
Your opinions are based on more than pulling answers from thin air.
- When you read a story, you are getting new information from what you read; at the same time, you are connecting that new
information with things you already know.
- When answering a question that asks what you think, you may have to use one or both of these kinds of information.
THINKING Follow these steps:
1. What is your first response to the question?
2. What are the reasons for that response?
3. Determine where each reason comes from. Is it from prior knowledge and experience, or is it from what you have read?
4. If all or most of your information is from prior knowledge:
a. When writing about a story, return to the story to see if there is additional information that supports your opinion.
b. When writing about a general interest topic, ask yourself if your information consists of evidence that is
considered common knowledge rather than ideas that relate only to your personal experience.
5. Confirm your approach.
a. When writing about a story: If there is little or no information from the story to support your opinion, reconsider your
opinion.
b. When writing about a general interest topic: If you have little or no information that can be considered common
knowledge, rethink your position.
WRITING Once you have determined that your opinion can be supported properly, write your answer with these points in mind:
A. Restate the question in the first sentence of your answer (without saying "I think").
B. Make sure your reason is stated as a real reason. (For example, imagine someone writing about a story where a boy’s
parents don’t mention their son’s birthday on that morning. For the question “How is the boy feeling?” don't write, "I think
the boy is feeling disappointed because in the beginning of the story he is looking forward to his birthday"; that tells some of
the plot of a story, but it isn't a reason. Instead, write about the real reason for the disappointment: "The boy is feeling
disappointed. His parents appear to have forgotten his birthday.")
C. Include appropriate supporting reasons.
1. Examples of evidence from a story:
"He had been looking forward to his birthday for a long time. It was clear from the calendar he hid under his
bed that was full of red X's on the days leading up to August 31. He also told his friend, Joe, about his
favorite kind of cake, and how his family only ate cake on special occasions. He even had trouble sleeping
on the night before his birthday as he imagined what would await him the next morning.")
2. Examples of evidence for a general interest topic are on the back.
D. Write a concluding sentence that summarizes or restates the main idea of the question. (Don't write, "That is why the
boy is disappointed"; instead, write something like, "With no mention of his birthday by his parents before he went off to
school, the boy was dejected.")
SAMPLE QUESTION
In “President Cleveland, Where Are You?” is Jerry a selfish person?
One reader followed steps 1-5 in the THINKING section above for both sides of the question to determine these reasons:
SELFISH: reluctant to chip in for dad’s gift
SELFISH: thinks bad of Rollie; wants to outdo him buying cards
UNSELFISH: hangs out with Rollie although he doesn’t like him
UNSELFISH: recognizes Armand’s “dignity”
UNSELFISH: sells Cleveland card for Armand to Rollie
UNSELFISH: risks angering best friend Roger
UNSELFISH: keeps Armand’s secret
SELFISH: wishes for “good feeling” after doing good deed
She determined that the unselfish evidence outweighed the selfish evidence. With this information, the reader wrote
the following response. She followed steps A - D in the WRITING section above. Note that she did not use all of the
evidence from her prewriting, but she did use important evidence from both sides of the question.
In “President Cleveland, Where Are You?” Jerry is not a selfish person. Even though he gives into a significant selfish
impulse, he learns from this episode and shows that he can think of others beside himself.
It is at the beginning of the story when Jerry is at his most selfish. He is reluctant to pitch in much money for his father’s
birthday present. This earns him both disapproval and forgiveness from his brother Armand. The episode affects him deeply
enough that he becomes a more thoughtful person. To begin with, Jerry feels guilt over his stinginess. On top of that, he realizes
that Armand possesses a certain dignity that Jerry doesn’t have himself. As he looks at his brother in this new light, Jerry finds he
feels compassion for Armand when he discovers his brother is in love and unhappy because of it. Ultimately, such new awareness
leads to Jerry’s most impressive act. Jerry springs into action on Armand’s behalf when he discovers that he has the means to get
for Armand the new shoes and corsage that his brother needs to be a presentable escort for the girl of his dreams. Although this
means both putting a strain on the friendship he has with his best friend Roger and giving up his chance at the baseball mitt that he
has obsessed about for weeks, Jerry doesn’t hesitate in this noble deed.
Jerry begins this story as a self-centered boy, but he learns that his own concerns are not the only important ones. Jerry’s
selfless act on behalf of his brother shows that he is growing into a thoughtful and caring person.
Sample Thesis/Support Paragraphs
Should Halloween continue to be celebrated with door-to-door trick-or-treating?
Here is one answer that needs revision. The letters A, B, C, and D indicate the parts of the paragraph.
My notes follow.
A
C
D
Notes:
- Write thesis support paragraphs for me in the third person unless instructed otherwise.
Restate the question accurately: “Halloween should continue to be celebrated with door-to-door
trick-or-treating.”
B.
This is missing. There should be a short reason that all of the evidence in C will fit under.
Example: “It is an important part of Halloween.”
C.
Most of the evidence here fits, but some does not. The writer needs to stay focused on the
question and the position he or she has taken. But this writer has included information that
supports the other position (that Halloween can be dangerous). The writer should take out the
part that doesn’t support his or her position. Also, the writer uses the word “Halloween” to stand
in for “trick-or-treating.” They are not the same thing.
D.
This writer has chosen the worst method of writing a conclusion. The writer should be restating
the ideas of A and B in a new way. Example: “Without the fun custom of dressing in costume
and collecting candy from neighbors, Halloween just wouldn’t seem like Halloween.”
-----------------------------------Here is a very good paragraph. The letters A, B, C, and D indicate the parts of the paragraph. My
notes follow.
A
B
A.
C
D
Notes:
A.
B.
C.
D.
This is a good restatement of the question.
This is a good general reason that is true for all of C.
All of the evidence lines up with B.
The conclusion restates the ideas of A. and B. in a new way.