Reasoned Thesis Statements and Rhetorical Components

Vocabulary flashcards defining the essential parts, requirements, and common flaws of a Reasoned Thesis Statement.

Reasoned Thesis Statement

A one-sentence presentation of an argument consisting of a claim and a reason (a second claim) connected by a shared term.

Claim

An independent clause within a thesis statement that presents the author's primary argument or statement of belief/opinion.

Reason

A second claim formed as an independent clause that provides the justification for why the main claim should be accepted as true.

Shared Term

A specific word, subject, or pronoun that appears in both the claim and the reason clause, logically linking them together.

Burden of Proof

The specific factual assertion or evidence that an author must prove to support the reason clause in their thesis statement.

Unstated Assumption

The general logical premise or underlying truth that the author assumes both they and the audience agree upon to make the thesis statement valid.

Circular Thesis Flaw

A flaw where the claim and reason say substantially the same thing, causing the reason to merely restate the claim rather than offer a distinct argument.

"Because of" Flaw

An error caused by using "because of" instead of "because" to link a claim and reason, resulting in an incomplete reason clause and a missing shared term.