34 Supplemental Reading #1: The Guiding Idea and Argumentative Thesis Statement
34 Supplemental Reading #1: The Guiding Idea and Argumentative Thesis Statement (from the Writing Commons)
Written by Rhonda Dietrich
From – Writing Commons
Two Types of Essays
Your composition professor has given you an assignment, requiring you to write an essay in which you identify your favorite book and explain why you like it best. Later she assigns an essay in which you take a stand either for or against homeschooling.
Both assignments require you to write a paper, yet the essays called for are in two different genres. Thus, you will need to present your views in two different ways.
Two Types of Main Point
Although these genres are different, they are similar in that both require your essay to have a main point. In fact, it is crucial that you have a central idea in both types of essay. Neither paper will be successful without it. It’s that important. It is also highly recommended that you present your main idea toward the end of your first paragraph, so readers will know at the onset what point you plan to make in your essay. It also should be around 1-2 sentences long. However, that’s where the similarity ends. As you will see, you need to present a guiding idea when discussing your favorite book; however, when taking a position on the controversial issue of homeschooling, you will have to present your point of view in an argumentative thesis statement. Let’s take a closer look at both ways of presenting the main point of an essay to get a better idea of why and how each is used.
The Guiding Idea
Purpose
It may seem that papers in which you state your favorite book, relate your most cherished memory, or describe your little sister don’t need a central idea. After all, you aren’t trying to convince anyone to vote for a certain political candidate or to ban smoking in public places. However, without a main point even these types of essays will have no coherence. The guiding idea provides this crucial ingredient. Without this expressly written main point, the paper will be unclear and unfocused, and readers will often be confused about the idea you are trying to get across.
Criteria
For the guiding idea to be effective it must be:
- Clear: If readers can’t understand it, it is as if your paper doesn’t have one.
- Example of a good guiding idea: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is my favorite book because it includes a wide variety of characters. Note: The sentence is clear and leaves no question in the reader’s mind regarding what the student wants to say in the essay.
- Example of an unclear guiding idea: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is good, so I like it. Note: The sentence is unclear because the reader doesn’t know if this is the student’s favorite book or why the student thinks it is “good.”
- Specific: If it contains vague words such as “good” and “things,” it will not be effective in getting your point across.
- Example of a specific guiding idea: During the summer of my thirteenth year, I developed a passion for British