05 Nov 2000
Gloria Hochstein, UWEC Faculty
Nicci Jordan, UWEC Junior; and 
Dennis G. Jerz

A thesis reminder is a direct echo of the thesis statement. In a short paper, the topic sentence of each paragraph should repeat words or phrases from the thesis statement.

No matter how good your thesis, your writing is worth little if it does not cohere (hold together) and demonstrate to the reader how each new point advances the main idea. You can accomplish both goals by providing your reader with thesis reminders.

Note: A long, complex paper will have a long, complex thesis statement, with many supporting points that must themselves be supported.  Points which are too complex to be handled in a single paragraph should be treated almost like a small, embedded paper, with its own local thesis statement and blueprint, tied together by local thesis reminders.

A good thesis sentence has three main parts: the limited subject (what your paper is about), the precise opinion (what you're trying to say about that subject), and the blueprint (a brief outline of how you're going to support your claim). (See: "Thesis Statements")

limited Here are two examples of using the thesis and the blueprint to maintain coherence.

Example 1

Thesis Statement:

Restoring old houses is rewarding because it is exciting, relaxing, and satisfying.

Topic Sentence #1 with reminder

Part of the reward in restoring old houses lies in the excitement of discovering the original interior.

Topic Sentence #2 with reminder:

Not only is there excitement in restoring old houses, but working with one's hands is relaxing.

Topic Sentence #3 with reminder:

However excited and relaxed you may be when you have finished restoring your house, nothing beats the satisfaction found in viewing the completed project.

Example 2: 

Thesis Statement:

Becoming a ski patroller turned out to be harder than I thought because of the studying, the skiing, and the time demands. 

Topic Sentence #1 with reminder:

The first hurdle to becoming a ski patroller was the amount of studying required to learn the medical terms, symptoms and signs, and treatments.

Topic Sentence #2 with reminder:

It isn't enough to pass the first aid and CPR exams; a ski patroller also has to train for and demonstrate skiing proficiency and toboggan handling on the slope.

Topic Sentence #3 with reminder:

Studying and ski training are both very time consuming, yet, even after ski patrollers pass all the exams, they still must commit themselves to skiing many hours regardless of the weather or snow conditions.

You Don't Need Exactly Three Points!

If you are writing a more complex essay, you may use a different format, but you still must include blueprints and reminders.

For example, a critical essay may have a thesis, antithesis, and a synthesis.  The antithesis presents all the arguments against your thesis, and a synthesis is a kind of compromise, in which you attempt to prove that, whatever points your opponents might have in their favor, your thesis still stands. 

Each of these sections may have 3 or more points, which are united by local blueprints and local reminders, capped off by local conclusions, and worked into by the tapestry of the whole argument.

Original handout by Gloria Hochstein
05 Nov 2000; adapted by Nicci Jordan, UWEC Junior
17 Jan 2001 -- updated and expanded by Prof. Jerz