T
he planning steps in Section 1 have led you to the next stage in the process, writing a rough draft. You
broke down the assignment, brainstormed ideas, focused your topic, developed a tentative thesis, and
sketched an outline. All of that work has provided a framework that you can now flesh out with sen-
tences and paragraphs that bring your ideas to your audience.

What Is Drafting?
To draft means to create a preliminary version or rough form of a text. Preliminary and rough are the key words.
Like brainstorming, drafting is most effective when you allow yourself to write imperfectly. Unless you’re writ-
ing a timed essay exam, such as for the SAT or ACT, your essay will take final shape after revising. (And even the
graders of those timed essays exams make it clear that they’re looking for a “polished rough draft,” not a perfect
piece of writing.) The point of drafting is to get your ideas on paper within the framework you created in the plan-
ning stages, but without the pressure of trying to get it exactly right.
LESSON
Thesis
Statements
and the
Drafting Process
LESSON SUMMARY
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to create a rough draft from your brain-
storming notes. You’ll also find out how to craft a strong thesis
statement.
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Instead of staring at a blank piece of paper, at your outline, and then back at the paper, get writing. It’s espe-
cially important not to waste time trying to write an eloquent, attention-grabbing introduction. The best intro-
ductions are typically written after the body of the essay, when your ideas and the manner in which you reveal them
are on paper. That’s why the lesson on introductions doesn’t appear until after the lessons on writing good para-
graphs and providing support for your ideas and assertions.

Tips for the Drafting Process

ing. Your thesis is the main idea of your essay—it succinctly reveals what you’re going to say. In Lesson 5, you
learned how to narrow your topic and formulate a tentative thesis. Now, you’ll either commit to that thesis, or revise
it into a workable thesis statement.
Here are a few more considerations:
1. A good thesis statement makes a strong, clear assertion that conveys your attitude about the subject.
No assertion: The School of Rock is about a substitute teacher.
Mild assertion: The School of Rock is an entertaining film about an influential substitute teacher.
Strong assertion: The School of Rock is about how a substitute teacher uses the transformative power of
rock and roll to help his students and himself.
2. A good thesis statement strikes the right balance between too broad and too narrow. It needs to be focused
enough to encompass just enough material to cover within the spatial confines of the essay, and narrow
enough to include enough material that can be supported by evidence.
Too broad: Animals have developed many strategies for survival.
Some focus: Animals have developed many strategies to protect themselves.
Focused: Many animals have developed physical properties that serve to protect them from
predators.
Too narrow: In “The Open Boat,” the repetition of “If I am going to be drowned” conveys Crane’s
theme of the indifference of nature.
Balanced: In “The Open Boat,” Crane uses several stylistic techniques to convey his theme of the
indifference of nature.
3. A thesis statement is not simply an announcement of the subject matter. You need to tell readers what you
are going to say about your subject.
Announcement: This paper will discuss some of the erroneous theories about the causes of the Great
Depression.
Thesis statement: The Great Depression was caused neither by the stock market crash of 1929 nor the
Smoot Hawley Tariff Act.
–THESIS STATEMENTS AND THE DRAFTING PROCESS–
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Admissions officers typically spend about three to four minutes on each application essay. They’re not bound
by any rule that says they have to read each one from start to finish. The best way to guarantee a full read and

Revise and improve the following weak thesis statements.
1. In this essay, I will explain why I want to attend Briarwood College.
2. The death penalty is a controversial issue.
3. This novel had an important impact on my life.
4. What would the consequences of censorship on the Internet be?

In Short
Drafts are rough versions of your essay—a chance to get ideas on paper so you can shape them into an effective
essay. To get started, draft a thesis statement that makes a strong assertion about your subject. Be sure it’s focused
and avoid simply making an announcement, asking a question or stating a fact.
–THESIS STATEMENTS AND THE DRAFTING PROCESS–
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Read a couple of essays and look for their thesis statements. How do the authors convey their main
idea? Where is the thesis statement located?
Skill Building until Next Time