Essay Conventions and Structure.
This essay will be written in the THIRD PERSON. "I/We and You"" will not be used.
Your thesis will explain to the reader the major arguments for and against capital punishment. The body of the paper will develop this definition using multiple definition strategies, examples, and logical presentation of facts and expert opinion from sources you find in Points of View Reference Center collections.
The expository essay is thesis-driven. The thesis in this case is based on definition, data, and example. It answers the question, "What are the two main and opposing points of view on the issue of _________?.
Let's say that you have chosen capital punishment as your topic. Your thesis could be a definition that provides an overview of main arguments for each position, grounds your reader in the important issues related to each point of view, and forecasts the presentation of ideas in the essay. A good thesis statement might be something like, .
Sample Thesis Paragraph with Thesis Statement and Supporting Topics Forecast: .
Thesis Paragraph with Thesis Statement: "Capital punishment, or the death penalty exacted in punishment for the taking of a human life and sometimes for rape, continues to be a hotly debated issue in the United States. Those who support Capital punishment as payment for murder, the deliberate taking of a human life by another, argue that the death penalty is just and moral, provides retribution or vengeance as a sense of closure to the victim's loved ones and to society, acts as a deterrent to the crime of murder, and is an economical alternative to lifelong or long-term imprisonment. Those who oppose capital punishment argue that the death penalty is unjust, immoral, and indefensible state sanctioned murder of a human being who is undeserving of execution even though they have committed a heinous crime, that vengeance is not the answer for healing the grief of victim's families or communities, does not act as a deterrent to crime, and is not an acceptable alternative to long-term imprisonment because the death penalty carries the possibility of wrongful execution of an innocent person.
