Writing Assignment and Checklist: Supporting Your Thesis

Develop primary support points and supporting details for the thesis you wrote on “Writing Assignment and Checklist: Writing a Thesis Statement” or for one of the following thesis statements.

William Lowe Bryan said, “Education is one of the few things a person is willing to pay for and not get.”

Elderly people in this country are not shown enough respect.

Few people know how to really listen.

Some movies have made me cry from happiness.

Before writing, read the following checklist.

CHECKLIST

Supporting Your Thesis

FOCUS

  • Reread your thesis.
  • Think about the people who will read your writing.
  • Think about your purpose for writing.

ASK

  • What support can you include that will show, explain, or prove what you mean?
  • What do your readers need to know or understand to be convinced?
  • What examples come to mind?
  • What have you experienced yourself?
  • What information can you find on the Internet, in a print source, or from people you meet and interview?
  • What details could you use to strengthen the support?

WRITE

  • Use a prewriting technique to find as many support points as you can.
  • Drop ideas that are not directly related to your main thesis.
  • Select the best primary support.
  • Add supporting details.
  • Review and evaluate your support.
  • Write topic sentences for your primary support points.
  • Make sure that all of your support points have the basics of good support (see “Key Features of Good Support”).