Creating Effective Thesis Statements and Assertions

A thesis statement is a sentence that expresses the writer’s claim on a particular subject. The
subject is often provided by a writing prompt or task. An effective thesis statement can be
supported with assertions, evidence, and commentary. A thesis statement usually appears in
the first paragraph of an essay and communicates the specific ideas that the paper will
address.
In the spaces below, name the top five most important words related to a thesis statement:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Turn to a partner, compare lists, and discuss the basic components of a thesis statement.

Elements of a Thesis Statement

T.A.G. Title of the piece,
Author of the piece, and
Genre of the piece (This is an introduction that is embedded into the
thesis statement.)

Not all elements are necessarily included in every thesis.

Concrete Element(s) The literary or rhetorical devices, tools, strategies that provide the
evidence to support the abstract claim.
Abstract Claim The claim a writer makes about what the concrete elements
accomplish. The abstract claim is supported in body paragraphs with
assertions, evidence, and commentary.

Example Prompt and Thesis Statement:

Prompt: Read Cisneros’s piece, “My Name” carefully. In a well-written essay, explain how
Cisneros uses figurative language to express Esperanza’s struggle with her Mexican name.

Thesis Statement: Cisneros’s piece, “My Name.” uses figurative language to convey
Esperanza’s sense of struggle and frustration with her Mexican identity.
 T.A.G. Cisneros’s piece, “My Name”
Concrete Element(s) figurative language
Abstract Claim Esperanza has a sense of struggle and frustration with her Mexican
identity

Activity One: Evaluation of Thesis Statements

Examine the following thesis statement examples and identify the T.A.G., concrete element(s),
and abstract claim.

In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare uses dramatic irony to reveal the destructive nature of
passion and youth.

T.A.G.
Concrete Element(s)
Abstract Claim

Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, expresses the unbreakable power of the human spirit through
internal and external conflicts that threaten to destroy Odysseus.

T.A.G.
Concrete Element(s)
Abstract Claim

Warriors Don’t Cry by Melba Patillo Beals employs an arc of characterization to reveal
Melba’s transformation from weak girl to powerful warrior.

T.A.G.
Concrete Element(s)
Abstract Claim
 An assertion is a claim made by the writer. An assertion is not a fact, but is stated as one and
then defended with evidence and commentary. An effective assertion will have ample
evidence to “prove” itself true/accurate.

In the spaces below, name the top five most important words related to an assertion:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Turn to a partner, compare lists, and discuss the basic components of an assertion.

Example Prompt, Thesis Statement, and Assertion:

Prompt: Read Cisneros’s piece, “My Name” carefully. In a well-written essay, explain how
Cisneros uses figurative language to express Esperanza’s struggle with her Mexican name.

Thesis: Cisneros’s piece, “My Name,” uses figurative language to convey Esperanza’s sense of
struggle and frustration with her Mexican identity.

Assertion: Esperanza’s use of negative similes to describe her name create a sense of disgust
and embarrassment towards her Mexican heritage.

Activity Two: Evaluation of Assertions

Examine the following thesis statement and assertion pairs. Underline the portions of the
assertions that support/refer back to the concrete elements. Highlight the portions of the
assertions that support/refer back to the abstract claims.

Thesis A: In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare uses dramatic irony to reveal the destructive
nature of passion and youth.

Assertion A: Romeo’s immaturity leads to the death of his love and, ultimately, himself.

Thesis B: Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, expresses the unbreakable power of the human
spirit through internal and external conflicts that threaten to destroy Odysseus.

Assertion B: Odysseus’ ability to overcome a storm sent by the Greek god Poseidon
demonstrates the superior power of the human spirit.
 Thesis C: In Warriors Don’t Cry, by Melba Patillo Beals employs an arc of
characterization to reveal Melba’s transformation from weak girl to powerful warrior.

Assertion C: In the beginning of Melba’ story, her innocence and wonder force her to
face the harsh realities of life during the civil rights era.

Prompt: In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Juliet famously asks the question,
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet.” By
this, Juliet is calling attention to man’s age-old search for identity and meaning. In our search
to discover who we are, we must also confront where we came from, and it is this inward quest
that helps us to come to terms with our lives; however, is this a journey on which every person
must embark?

Carefully read “On Being a Cripple.” Then, in a well-written paragraph, develop your
position on the importance of trying to discover what makes you who you are. Your argument
should be the focus of your paragraph.

Activity Three: Prompt Annotation

In the prompt above, underline the concrete elements and highlight the abstract task. Then,
review your annotations for “On Being a Cripple” by Nancy Mairs. Discuss as a class Mairs’
purpose for writing the piece and record it below. Remember, an author can have more than one
purpose. In your discussion, determine her most important purposes. To evaluate your choices,
look at the volume of evidence annotated to support your choices.

Mairs’ purpose in writing “On Being a Cripple” is to

Activity Four: Connecting Purposes To Techniques

After discussing and recording Mairs’s purposes, choose two major purposes to list in the table
below. Next, identify the rhetorical techniques (the concrete elements) Mairs uses to achieve her
purposes.

Mairs’s PURPOSES (abstract) The RHETORICAL TECHNIQUES

(concrete) that help Mairs achieve her
*List in order as they appear in the text PURPOSES (abstract)
Purpose #1: Techniques (concrete):
 Purpose #2: Techniques (concrete):

Activity Five: Practice Writing Thesis Statements

Practice filling the blanks to complete the following thesis statements identifying Mairs’s
purpose and techniques.

1. In her essay, “On Being a Cripple,” Nancy Mairs uses and

(technique)
in order to influence the way people perceive disabilities.
(technique)

2. Nancy Mairs’ essay, “On Being a Cripple,” uses realistic imagery and connotative
details in order to
.
(purpose)

Activity Six: Creating Effective Assertions

Example of a Thesis Statement and Corresponding Assertion

Thesis 1:
In her essay, “On Being a Cripple,” Nancy Mairs uses both positive and negative details to
Influence the way people perceive disabilities.

Supporting Assertion 1:
Mairs’ use of details that convey the struggles of being crippled provide the reader with a
realistic understanding of how her condition shapes the way she sees herself.

*What evidence could you pull from your annotations to support this assertion? An effective
assertion will have multiple pieces of evidence to support it.
Evidence #1:

Evidence #2

What makes Assertion #1 effective?

Does it refer back to the CONCRETE element in the thesis statement? Underline the concrete
in the thesis and the assertion to check.
Does it refer back to the ABSTRACT element in the thesis statement? Highlight the abstract in
the thesis and the assertion to check.

Thesis #2: (2nd thesis statement from Activity 2)

Nancy Mairs’ essay, “On Being a Cripple,” uses realistic imagery and connotative details in
order to express how she defines herself as well as how she wants others to see her.

Supporting Assertion #2:

Mairs’ use of conveys

(concrete)

.
(abstract)

*What evidence could you pull from your annotations to support this assertion?

Evidence #1:

Evidence #2

What makes Assertion #2 effective?

Does it refer back to the CONCRETE element in the thesis statement? Underline the concrete
in the thesis and the assertion to check.
Does it refer back to the ABSTRACT element in the thesis statement? Highlight the abstract in
the thesis and the assertion to check.