English for Beginners: Thesis Writing Basics

Dialogue

Current Situation

Thesis writing is an important part of higher education for many students. It’s a long academic paper where you research a specific topic, analyze information, and present your own arguments or findings. For beginners, it can seem like a huge and scary task, often leading to “writer’s block” – when you don’t know how to start or what to write. The process usually involves choosing a clear topic, finding reliable information (sources), organizing your ideas, and then writing it all down in a structured way. This content helps beginners understand the very basic steps in a fun, accessible way.

Key Phrases

• Wrestling a dragon: A humorous way to describe struggling with a very difficult or big task.

  My brother is wrestling a dragon with his final exam prep.

• A blank page that stares back: A common problem for writers, meaning you have nothing written yet and don’t know how to begin.

  I have to write an essay, but all I see is a blank page that stares back.

• Thesis monster: An informal, humorous term for the overwhelming and intimidating task of writing a thesis.

  The thesis monster is giving me nightmares!

• Choose a topic: To select the subject you will write about.

  First, you need to choose a topic for your presentation.

• Find sources: To look for books, articles, websites, or other materials that provide information for your research.

  Before writing, it’s important to find sources to support your ideas.

• Structure your story/thesis: To organize your ideas and information into a logical order (e.g., introduction, body, conclusion).

  She needs to structure her story better so readers can follow it.

• You’ve got this!: An encouraging phrase meaning “You can do it!” or “You are capable of succeeding.”

  Don’t worry about the test, you’ve got this!

Grammar Points

1. Present Simple Tense

We use the Present Simple to talk about facts, habits, and general truths. It’s also used for scheduled events or ongoing situations.

• Facts/General Truths:
  • Bob: “It is worse than a dragon.” (A current truth for Bob)
  • Alice: “Everything seems too big or too boring.” (A general feeling for Bob)
• Habits/Routines:
  • She reads a book every night.
  • They always drink coffee in the morning.

Form:

• For I/You/We/They: Base form of the verb (e.g., I work, You read)
• For He/She/It: Base form + -s/-es (e.g., He works, She reads, It seems)

2. Imperatives

Imperatives are used to give commands, instructions, or advice. They usually start directly with the base form of a verb.

• Commands/Advice:
  • Alice: “Don’t panic.” (Negative command/advice)
  • Alice: “Choose a topic.” (Positive command/advice)
  • Alice: “Think about something you genuinely like.” (Positive command/advice)
  • Alice: “Find sources.” (Positive command/advice)

Form:

• Positive: Base form of the verb (e.g., Go! Sit down. Be careful.)
• Negative: Don’t + base form of the verb (e.g., Don’t go! Don’t worry.)

3. Simple Question Forms (Wh- questions and Yes/No questions)

Questions help us get information. There are two common types:

• Yes/No Questions: Answered with “Yes” or “No”. They often start with “be” verbs (is, are, am) or auxiliary verbs (do, does, can, etc.).
  • Alice: “Is that your thesis?” (Yes, it is. / No, it isn’t.)
  • Do you like pizza? (Yes, I do. / No, I don’t.)
• Wh- Questions: Ask for specific information and start with question words like “What,” “Where,” “Who,” “When,” “Why,” “How.”
  • Alice: “What’s your ‘dragon’ about?” (Asking for specific topic information)
  • Alice: “What’s one small part of physics you find cool?” (Asking for specific detail)
  • Where do you live? (Asking for location)

Form:

• Yes/No with ‘be’: Be + Subject + …? (e.g., Are you happy?)
• Yes/No with ‘do’: Do/Does + Subject + Base Verb + …? (e.g., Do you work?)
• Wh- questions: Wh- word + Auxiliary/Be + Subject + Verb + …? (e.g., What do you like? Where are you going?)

Practice Exercises