Developing Purpose and Thesis Statements
Writing
Assignment 2.2: Developing Purpose and Thesis Statements
Developing Purpose and Thesis Statements
Objectives
- Prepare purpose statements and thesis statements for speech topics
- Apply standard methods for creating fully developed speech topics
Assignment Overview
In this writing assignment, you will practice selecting a topic and developing purpose and thesis statements for different types of speeches.
Deliverables
A one-page (250-word) paper
Step 1 Consider the scenario.
Imagine that you need to submit a proposal for an informative speech about one topic of your choice. If your proposal is accepted, you will have 30 minutes to present your speeches.
Step 2 Paste the table.
Copy and paste the following table into your document. Use this table to plan your speech.
| Topic | General Purpose | Specific Purpose | Thesis | Main Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inform |
Step 3 Enter a topic.
Enter a topic suitable for each scenario presented in Step 1 in the Topic column of the table.
Step 4 Enter the specific purposes.
In each of the three Specific Purpose cells, enter a specific purpose that matches the corresponding general purpose statement.
Step 5 Enter the theses.
In each of the three Thesis cells, enter a thesis based on the corresponding specific purpose statements.
Step 6 Identify and generate main points.
For each of the three thesis statements you wrote for the topic you selected, identify one resulting question and generate at least three main points. Enter the thesis statement, question, and main points into your word processing document using the format in the example shown here:
Example
Thesis Statement: The government should (or should not) provide health insurance coverage to all citizens.
Question: Why should the government provide health insurance coverage to all citizens?
Main Points:
- Health care is prohibitively expensive for citizens without health insurance.
- The first question you are asked when you call most doctors’ offices in the United States is, “What type of insurance do you have?”
People without health insurance may be unable to get the health care they need.
Step 7 Save and submit your assignment.
When you have completed the assignment, save a copy for yourself in an easily accessible place and submit a copy to your instructor using the dropbox.
