WRITING 2 – ASSIGNMENT 1

TON DUC THANG UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES
SECTION OF LANGUAGE SKILLS
WRITING 2 – 001151
Group:
Full name:

WRITING INTRODUCTIONS: THESIS STATEMENT

A thesis statement is the main topic sentence of an essay or other written piece. It states
the main opinion and often forecasts the principle sections of the piece. It is usually
placed at the end of the introduction.

Example:

Should students be allowed to eat during class?

Possible thesis statement: Students should not eat during class because student would not be
paying attention while they eat; they may leave trash in the classroom, and other students
might be distracted while their neighbour eats.

Exercise 1: Write a thesis statement for each topic below:

1. Write a narrative essay about the greatest challenge in your life.

 I have experienced the greatest challenge in my life. And through that situation, I
have learned many significant lessons for myself

2. What are the most important character traits for a good brother?
 In my opinion, love is the most critical character trait for a good brother. Because
without love, a brother can’t take care of their baby sister or baby brother
carefully; with love, they will put your family before themselves and sacrifice
regardless of the cost

3. Describe your favourite character in literature.

 In my heart, Mr.Darcy in Pride and Prejudice is the most favourite character; he is
gentle, warm-hearted, and grave. Although he was born in with a silver spoon in
his mouth, he still got out of his safety zones and pursue a girl that was born in the
lower class

4. Should motorcycles be outlawed on public streets?

 Motorcycles should not be forbidden on public streets although there are a lot of
bad sides because they save time when you are in a hurry or the people do

Pham Thu Trang (Ms.) Page 1

 WRITING 2 – ASSIGNMENT 1

delivery; motorcycles are small, so they are convenient to park or keep in your
home
Exercise 2: Identify the topic, thesis statement, and supporting sentences in the
following groups.
T = Topic
TH = Thesis Statement
SS = Supporting Sentence
1. __T___ Vegetarian diets
2. ___SS___ Staying away from meat can reduce intake of fat and cholesterol
3. ___SS___ Eating vegetables helps the environment because raising vegetables uses
less energy than raising animals.
4. ___TH___ Vegetarianism benefits both the individual and the environment.
5. ___T___ Medicine
6. __SS____ Antibiotics have enabled doctors to control many diseases that were once
fatal.
7. __SS____ Organ transplants have prolonged the lives of tens of thousands of people.
8. __TH___ Advances in modern medicine have had two great successes in helping
people.

Exercise 3: Choose the best thesis statement in the following pairs.

1. A: I want to show how cardiology has changed in the last 20 years.

B: The advances in cardiology over the last 20 years significantly impacted the eld of
medicine.

2. A: People are living longer than ever due to better diets, a cleaner environment, and
improved medical care.
B: The average person can now expect to live longer.

3. A: Learning new skills can be difficult and frustrating.

B: Learning to write takes work, patience, and determination.

4. A: Although universities offer courses in many European languages, many professors

and students see the need to offer Arabic, Chinese, and Hindi as well.
B: Many professors and students believe there is a need for university courses in
Arabic, Chinese, and Hindi.

Pham Thu Trang (Ms.) Page 2

 WRITING 2 – ASSIGNMENT 1

5. A: In order to create a successful commercial, it is important to consider the target

audience, placement, and media.
B: Nike’s “Just do it” advertising campaign was created in 1988

Pham Thu Trang (Ms.) Page 3