The Thesis Statement
What is a thesis statement?

It is an arguable statement.

It is a complete sentence that expresses your
position/opinion on a given topic.

It narrows down your topic to a specific,
single focus of investigation.

It establishes a direction for the entire paper.

It is usually stated in your introduction.
What is not a thesis statement?

A thesis is never a question; it could be the answer to
a question.

A thesis is not an announcement of purpose.

A thesis is not simply a topic.

A thesis is not a fact.
Analytical Thesis Statement

An analytical paper breaks down a
text(s) into its component parts, evaluates
the data, and presents this breakdown
and evaluation to the audience as an
argument. In other words, “I believe this
text is saying … and here’s how I know
and here’s why you should believe it too.”
Writing a Thesis

A thesis has two parts

Topic: the main subject to be discussed in the essay

Opinion: what the writer thinks about the main subject to
be discussed (the topic)
Topic: Community College Students
Opinion: Work diligently to pass class, to transfer to
universities, and to earn four-year degrees.
Thesis: Community college students work diligently to pass
class, to transfer to universities, and to earn four-year
degrees.
Critical Literary Analysis

For a critical literary analysis, your
thesis statement will typically include
the title(s) of the work(s) you will
discuss in your paper and the
author(s) of those works, as well as
what it is that you will argue about
those works.
How do I arrive at my thesis?



A thesis is the result of a lengthy thinking process.
Formulating a thesis is not the first thing you do after
reading an essay assignment.
Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have
to collect and organize evidence, look for possible
relationships between known facts (such as surprising
contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance
of these relationships.
How do I arrive at a thesis?

Once you do this thinking, you will
probably have a "working thesis," a basic
or main idea, an argument that you think
you can support with evidence but that
may need adjustment along the way.
How do I know if
my thesis is strong?

Do I answer the question? In this case,
the question is “what do YOU think
your text(s) is saying and how is it
saying it?”
How do I know if
my thesis is strong?

Have I taken a position that others
might challenge or oppose? If your
thesis simply states facts that no one
would, or even could, disagree with, it's
possible that you are simply providing a
summary, rather than making an
argument.
How do I know if
my thesis is strong?

Is my thesis statement specific
enough? Thesis statements that are too
vague often do not have a strong
argument. If your thesis contains words
like "good" or "successful," see if you
could be more specific: why is
something "good"; what specifically
makes something "successful"?
How do I know if
my thesis is strong?

Does my essay support my thesis
specifically and without wandering? If
your thesis and the body of your essay do
not seem to go together, one of them has
to change. It's OK to change your working
thesis to reflect things you have figured
out in the course of writing your paper.
Remember, always reassess and revise
your writing as necessary.
Determine whether the following is a good or
poor thesis statement
What causes violence in children?
Poor
A thesis statement is not a question!
Determine whether the following is a good or
poor thesis statement
The purpose of my paper is to
identify the causes of violence.
Poor
A thesis is not an announcement of purpose!
Determine whether the following is a good or
poor thesis statement
The education system in the United
States.
Poor
A thesis statement is not just a topic!
Determine whether the following is a good or
poor thesis statement
Teen pregnancy can be reduced with good
education, parental support, and birth control.
Yes, a thesis statement reflects a position!
Determine whether the following is a good or
poor thesis statement
I would like to discuss how teachers and
students can develop better relationships.
Poor
A thesis is not an announcement of purpose!
Determine whether the following is a good or
poor thesis statement
Advertising has bad effects on all of society.
Poor
A thesis statement is not too broad!
Determine whether the following is a good or
poor thesis statement
What can be done to reduce violence in
schools? Who is to blame-- the parents,
the schools, or society in general?
Poor
A thesis statement is not a question!
Determine whether the following is a good or
poor thesis statement
Toy ads on television teach children to be
greedy, competitive, and snobbish.
Yes, a thesis statement reflects a position!
Sample literary thesis statement

Sinclair Lewis’ 1922 novel Babbitt relies
upon the author’s use of satire to
critique the ignorance, mediocrity and
conformity of the American middle
class.
Sample literary thesis statement

In the characters of Daisy, Tom, and
Gatsby himself, Fitzgerald’s The Great
Gatsby depicts a corrupted version of
the traditional American Dream.
Let’s Practice

Essay Prompt:
 How
did realist writers portray social issues
and the struggles of ordinary people?
 Step 1-Choose a writer
 Step 2-Choose a social issues they portrayed
in a particular selection
 Step 3-State your position on how the writer
portrayed that issue