Short on time? This page is the recap. For explanations and worked examples, use the full study guide.
Recap
- Consideration and use of new evidence may require revision of the thesis statement and/or changes to the line of reasoning.
- A thesis is a working claim until the evidence has been weighed.
- In reading, identify and describe the thesis and any indication of structure. In writing, write a thesis that requires proof or defence.
Key relationships
| Revision | Example |
|---|---|
| Narrow | “…for children under eleven” |
| Qualify | “probably”, “in most cases” |
| Add a condition | “unless”, “only if” |
| Broaden | Extend to a wider group |
| Reverse | Change position |
| Refocus | Change the central question |
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | State the thesis |
| 2 | List the evidence and what it shows |
| 3 | Test the thesis |
| 4 | Choose the revision |
| 5 | Write the new thesis |
| 6 | Revise the line of reasoning |
| 7 | Check commentary |
Assumptions and conventions
- A revised thesis must still be specific and arguable.
- Keep a record of what evidence led to the change.
- Revise topic sentences when the thesis changes.
- In a timed exam, plan the thesis after weighing the sources.
Mistakes to avoid
- Ignoring evidence that contradicts the thesis.
- Abandoning the claim instead of refining it.
- Qualifying until the claim says nothing.
- Changing the thesis but not the body.
- Using the evidence only where it fits.
- Treating a qualification as weakness.
- Describing a revision in analysis without naming the evidence that prompted it.
Worked mini-example
First thesis: “Schools should end homework.”
New evidence: short regular maths practice helps; long homework costs sleep; ending it for children under eleven changed nothing.
Revised thesis: “Schools should end homework for children under eleven and limit it for older students to short, regular practice.”
The revision narrows the claim and adds a condition. The body is reordered to match: sleep, young children, short practice.
On the exam
In a timed essay, plan your thesis after you have read the sources, not before. If a source complicates your first idea, qualify or narrow the claim and keep it specific.
Sentence frames for revising
- “The evidence supports … but not …, so the claim should be narrowed to ….”
- “I first argued …; however, … shows that …, so I now argue ….”
- “The claim holds only where …, so the thesis should add the condition ‘…’.”
- “Because the thesis now says …, the second paragraph should argue … before the third argues ….”
Use the frames to check that the new thesis is still specific and that the plan follows it.
Quick self-check
- Name two ways to revise a thesis. (For example: narrow it; add a condition.)
- What else may need to change when the thesis changes? (The line of reasoning: topic sentences and paragraph order.)
- Why is “Homework is complicated” not a good revision? (It is no longer a defensible, specific claim.)
Next: practice questions.