[CliffsTestPrep] American BookWorks Corporation - CliffsTestPrep PCAT_ 5 Practice Tests (2006, Cliffs Notes)

Part I: Introduction
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Avoid a topic that will tempt you to summarize rather than to discuss or analyze. Do not choose the plot of
Macbeth; instead, choose to write about how the final scene of Macbeth illustrates the play’s theme. The second
topic is narrower and less likely to lead to summary. When considering a topic, ask yourself if it can lead to a reasonable
thesis.
Choose a topic that interests you. If you do not care about First Amendment freedom-of-speech issues, do not
select it as a topic for a persuasive essay. You will have more to say and write better on something you care about.
If your assignment requires research, choose a topic on which you can find material. Even when you are not
writing a research paper, make sure that you have picked a subject that you can develop with sufficient details.
After you have picked a topic, do not be afraid to change it if it is not working out. Readers would rather you
write a good essay than that you grind out pages on something you realize was a bad choice.
Topic Versus Thesis
Do not confuse a topic with a main idea or thesis. The topic provides the subject; the thesis makes an assertion about
that subject. Here are a few examples of topics:
Discuss the following statement: “No matter how much we may deplore human rights violations in China, the
United States should not impose sanctions on the Chinese government.” Do you agree or disagree? Support your
opinion.
Analyze Shakespeare’s use of clothing imagery in King Lear.
Describe an incident in your life that caused you to change an opinion or attitude.
“The Civil War had much more to do with economics than with morality.” Do you agree or disagree with this
statement? Support your opinion.
Two of these topics (the first and the fourth) ask the writer to argue a position. A sentence expressing that position is
a thesis statement. A thesis statement for the first topic might be, “Imposing sanctions on China would be a mistake
because it would hurt the American economy, because sanctions are notoriously unsuccessful as a way to force change,
and because the United States should not interfere in the internal policies of other countries.”
While the remaining second and third topics do not ask the writer to take a position, for a good essay on any of these
topics, the writer should formulate a thesis. A thesis statement for the third might be, “When at age twenty-five, I had
to assist with my grandmother’s care because she had Alzheimer’s disease, I became a more compassionate person.”
With this thesis statement, the writer makes a point about the topic and sets up a direction for the essay.
Writing a Thesis Statement
Whenever you write a paper analyzing, discussing, comparing, identifying causes or effects, or arguing a position, you
should be able to write a thesis statement. You can refine and improve it as you go along, but try to begin with a onesentence
statement. A thesis statement can help you unify your writing, avoiding the danger of digression.
A thesis statement is a general statement; a thesis is never a fact. It should limit the scope of the paper. It should not be
too broad. It should not be a vague, unsupportable generalization. Make your thesis statement say something. Do not be
satisfied with weak generalities. The following are examples of pseudo thesis statements:
People hold different opinions as to whether it is wise to impose sanctions on China because of their human
rights violations.
Shakespeare uses quite a bit of clothing imagery in King Lear.
Neither of these statements provides a clear direction for an essay because the assertions they make are so vague that
they are useless. A better thesis statement for the second example might be, “Clothing images in King Lear reflect the
development of Lear from a man blinded by appearances to a man able to face the naked truth.” Remember that the creation
of a thesis statement is important to the way you approach your topic, helping you direct your thinking as well as
your writing.
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