Thèse et arguments

La thèse (The Thesis)

Thesis

The main opinion or position the writer defends in the text. (L'opinion principale que l'auteur défend.)

Comment la repérer ?

• Usually in the first paragraph
• It expresses an opinion, not a fact
• Look for: should, must, believe, think
• Example: "Social media is harmful for teenagers."
• Ask: What does the writer want me to agree with?

Les arguments (Arguments)

Argument

A reason given to support the thesis. (Une raison donnée pour défendre la thèse.)

Topic sentence

The first sentence of a paragraph — it introduces the argument.

Mots-clés pour repérer les arguments

• First, secondly, also, furthermore, finally
• Each argument = one paragraph
• Example thesis: "Schools should ban smartphones."
• Argument 1: "Smartphones distract students during lessons."
• Argument 2: "They can cause cyberbullying."

Arguments solides vs. faibles

Strong argument

Supported by evidence: a statistic, a fact, an expert's opinion, or a real example.

Weak argument

Just an opinion with no proof. (Une opinion sans preuve.)

Signes d'un argument faible

• "Everyone knows…", "It is obvious…", "People say…"
• No statistics, no facts, no expert quoted

Exemple d'argument solide

"According to a 2022 study, students who use phones during class score 20% lower on tests." → fact + statistic = strong.