IDS 125
Thesis Statements
A strong, debatable thesis, or claim, on a topic is a key ingredient of an effective written
argument. Without debate, there can be no argument and no reason to assert your position.
A thesis almost always includes a value judgment. One good formula to begin with is the
following, which is meant to start your brainstorming and to give you ideas, not to serve as the
ultimate device for conceiving of a thesis statement.
I think (topic) is________________________
shows____________________
should or should not be ________________________
because __________________________________________
The following are some very general examples of how you might apply this formula:
Topic: Drivers’ responsibilities
Formula: I think young drivers are unaware of the responsibility involved in driving.
Thesis Statement: A person of seventeen seldom fully appreciates the responsibility of driving.
Topic: Underage drinking
Formula: I think underage drinking is a real problem on our campus.
Thesis Statement: Many undergraduates begin drinking due to peer pressure, which could be
alleviated if more students spoke out on the dangers of underage drinking.
Most often the first attempt to produce a thesis statement results in one that is too broad to suit
the task at hand. For example:
Recycling can be very expensive.
This thesis is so broad that a book could be written about it. You want to limit the scope of your
thesis to something that is manageable. Your paper for this course will be between 7 and 12
pages, so you can’t reasonably select something that is so broad you will never address all the
crucial components.
Personal feelings and accepted facts are not debatable and therefore cannot serve as an
argument’s thesis.
Ex. of a personal feeling, not a debatable thesis:
“I feel that college athletes are treated poorly.”
Accepted Fact, not a debatable thesis:
“Many college athletes get hurt playing their sport.”
Debatable Thesis Statement:
“Current university and college regulations are not enough to ensure college athletes still get a
quality education if they are injured and cannot play their sport.”
Thesis Stance
Because you will be both investigation and developing a stance on your group’s topic, make sure
that your thesis moves beyond the obvious, and presents a new and unique perspective that your
group’s research can support. As stated in the prompt, you will be looking at a complex situation
from a number of different perspectives to try to determine at least some of its many causes,
impacts, and possible solutions.
Example of the too obvious:
Global warming is harming the environment.
Increasing recycling is good.
Instead of simply stating the obvious, move beyond these simple statement to exhibit your own
unique perspective.
Revised:
Most of the world's nations are not doing enough to seek alternative energy solutions to fight
global warming.
Implementing community recycling programs can generate jobs and much-needed additional
revenue for cash strapped small towns.