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What is a thesis statement? Define
What is the biggest problem you are having so
far with your thesis statement?
Minimum one, in sentence format.
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take on a subject upon which reasonable
people could disagree
deal with a subject that can be adequately
treated given the nature of the assignment
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express one main idea
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assert your conclusions about a subject
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A thesis statement is an explanation of the topic or
purpose of a research paper.
THESIS = topic + comment or claim about topic
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Say something that someone could reasonably
disagree with. It should contain an attitude,
belief, or strong observation.
THINK….Are there two sides to your
argument? Pro’s and Cons? If not then maybe
you need to change your thesis statement.
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1. A strong thesis takes some sort of stand.
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2. A strong thesis justifies discussion.
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3. A strong thesis expresses one main idea.
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4. A strong thesis statement is specific.
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Poor: The Lion King is a
film that Disney
released in 1994.
Poor: Most college
students take more than
four years to earn their
bachelor’s degrees.
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Better: The Lion King's
themes echo many of
those found in William
Shakespeare's Hamlet.
Better: Taking summer
classes is well worth the
trouble if it means that
one will be able to
complete college in four
years or less.
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If your topic is too general you may find too
much information and become overwhelmed.
The more specific you are in your topic, your
research paper/presentation will be much
more focused instead of all over the place.
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Poor: Franklin Roosevelt
was an interesting man.
Poor: Television
programming can get
incredibly annoying at
times.
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Better: Franklin Roosevelt
was a complex,
courageous man who led
his country out of its
worst economic crisis
ever.
Better: The high number
of reruns and brainless
reality programs on the
major networks are the
reasons cable stations such
as HBO, Showtime, and
Animal Planet are
flourishing.
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Be assertive; avoid sounding wishy-washy.
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Make sure you have chosen a specific side.
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After you have done your research and are
writing your paper you may explain that you
are able to see both sides of the argument yet
support one side.
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Poor: It is my opinion
that the Senate needs
more women
members.
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Poor: Nobody knows
how things will turn
out, of course, but it’s
possible that an attack
on Iraq may prove
more controversial
than some people
think.
Better: The Senate
needs more women
members because . . .
Better: If the President
plans to attack Iraq, it
is essential that he
explain his reasons to
the country and get
Congressional
backing first.
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Do not be general
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Make sure you are being as specific as possible.
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Poor: Air pollution, land
pollution, and water pollution
are all harmful, but air pollution
causes more problems than any
other type of pollution. Better:
Air pollution poses a
tremendous danger to the
health of humans and other
animals.
Poor: Filling up one’s gas tank is
a risky proposition these days,
because one might just max out
one’s credit card after five or six
gallons, and we all know that
money is not easy to come by,
so something must be done to
pressure the oil companies to
lower their prices.
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Better: Oil companies have been
gouging the public for years,
and it needs to end soon.
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By yourself, read through the thesis’ and
determine what is the flaw.
There may be more than one flaw per thesis.