Thesis Statements Thesis Statement It’s a thesis statement, not a thesis question. Your thesis statement should be a declarative sentence. Make a claim. Your thesis statement should make a specific claim that is clearly for or against something. A good thesis statement is controversial. Not everyone should agree with your thesis statement. (Otherwise, why would you write an argumentative essay supporting it?) Express your opinion. Your thesis statement is your opinion, but don’t refer to yourself in your thesis statement (or anywhere else in your essay). Do not write “I think…” “I feel...” or “I will argue...” we me I my our Be specific. Your thesis statement should not be vague or ambiguous in any way. Your thesis statement should be written in concrete, not abstract, language. Avoid figurative language like similes and metaphors. Your thesis statement shouldn’t be too broad. Examples ❌ “During his first week in college, a new student is impressed by many things.” Too vague. ✅ “The new college student must adjust to campus life, course difficulty level, and an increased workload.” Examples ❌ “When choosing a career, one has to decide what she wants to be.” That’s obvious. ✅ “Talking with a counselor is an important first step in deciding upon a career.” Examples ❌ “The United States has serious energy problems.” Too broad. ✅ “People are seriously considering solar energy as a supplementary source of heat for their homes.” Examples ❌ “People who cannot get along with others have wrong attitudes.” Unclear, not specific. ✅ “Shyness, insecurity and social skills are reasons why some people have difficulty communicating with others.” Examples ❌ “Where instructors are concerned, all that glitters is not gold.” Ambiguous, figurative language. ✅ “The best scholars are not always the best teachers.”