Exercise 2
Evaluating Thesis Statements
Evaluate the following thesis statement as Good (the thesis is a focused, clear
point) Needs Work (with some revision the statement could be Good) or
Unacceptable (the thesis should probably be abandoned for an entirely new
thesis).
Thesis: Communism is evil and should be avoided at all costs.
Good
Needs work
Unacceptable
Evaluate the following thesis statement as Good (the thesis is a focused, clear
point) Needs Work (with some revision the statement could be Good) or
Unacceptable (the thesis should probably be abandoned for an entirely new
thesis).
Thesis: Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote "Self-Reliance."
Good
Needs work
Unacceptable
Evaluate the following thesis statement as Good (the thesis is a focused, clear
point) Needs Work (with some revision the statement could be Good) or
Unacceptable (the thesis should probably be abandoned for an entirely new
thesis).
Thesis: Patriotic notions of individualism pervade nineteenth century American
Literature.
Good
Needs work
Unacceptable
Evaluate the following thesis statement as Good (the thesis is a focused, clear
point) Needs Work (with some revision the statement could be Good) or
Unacceptable (the thesis should probably be abandoned for an entirely new
thesis).
Thesis: Although sawmills certainly dominated the countryside, the early American
landscape was changed primarily by the introduction of the railroad.
Good
Needs work
Unacceptable
Evaluate the following thesis statement as Good (the thesis is a focused, clear
point) Needs Work (with some revision the statement could be Good) or
Unacceptable (the thesis should probably be abandoned for an entirely new
thesis).
Thesis: After a careful examination of the rhythm of Robert Frost's poem
"Mending Wall," we can see how the meter of each line contributes to the overall
meaning of the poem.
Good
Needs work
Unacceptable
Evaluate the following thesis statement as Good (the thesis is a focused, clear
point) Needs Work (with some revision the statement could be Good) or
Unacceptable (the thesis should probably be abandoned for an entirely new
thesis).
Thesis: The West wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem is considered by some to
be the remains of Solomon's original Temple after its destruction.
Good
Needs work
Unacceptable
Evaluate the following thesis statement as Good (the thesis is a focused, clear
point) Needs Work (with some revision the statement could be Good) or
Unacceptable (the thesis should probably be abandoned for an entirely new
thesis).
Thesis: After my experiences in Jordan, I was able to look at my life in a whole
new light.
Good
Needs work
Unacceptable
Evaluate the following thesis statement as Good (the thesis is a focused, clear
point) Needs Work (with some revision the statement could be Good) or
Unacceptable (the thesis should probably be abandoned for an entirely new
thesis).
Thesis: The individual's role in democracy is very important.
Good
Needs work
Unacceptable
Evaluate the following thesis statement as Good (the thesis is a focused, clear
point) Needs Work (with some revision the statement could be Good) or
Unacceptable (the thesis should probably be abandoned for an entirely new
thesis).
Thesis: The federal government should yield to state governments certain powers
regarding the administration of health care.
Good
Needs work
Unacceptable
Evaluate the following thesis statement as Good (the thesis is a focused, clear
point) Needs Work (with some revision the statement could be Good) or
Unacceptable (the thesis should probably be abandoned for an entirely new
thesis).
Thesis: The federal government should yield to state governments the power to
administer tax credits for health care services.
Good
Needs work
Unacceptable