Persuasion is a skill that is needed in argumentative writing - this skill is needed to convince others that you have a logical perspective on various issues. In our daily lives we use the skill of persuasion for various tasks - we try to persuade our friends to go for a vacation, your parents to let you borrow their car. In argumentative writing you are asked to convince your reader to agree to your point of view. After writing a gripping introduction, the next step is to state your stand and what would you be trying to prove throughout your essay. The statement where you state your stand is known as the Thesis statement.
What is a Thesis Statement?
A thesis statement:
- Tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.
- Tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.
- Directly answers the question asked of you.
- makes a claim that others might dispute.
- is usually a single sentence near the beginning of your paper that presents your argument to the reader.
If your assignment asks you to take a position or develop a claim about a subject, you may need to convey that position or claim in a thesis statement near the beginning of your draft. The assignment may not explicitly state that you need a thesis statement because your instructor may assume you will include one.
