Thesis Worksheet
Name_____________________
Name_____________________
Name_____________________
Name_____________________
Date _____________________
Class____________________
What is a thesis?
A thesis statement declares what you believe and what you intend to prove.
Thesis =what you plan to argue + How you plan to argue it
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Your thesis statement should be specific—it should cover only what you will discuss in
your paper and should be supported with specific evidence.
. The thesis statement usually appears at the end of the first paragraph of a paper.
. Your topic may change as you write, so you may need to revise your thesis statement to
reflect exactly what you have discussed in the paper.
Expository essays
Expository essays require that the writer give information, explain the topic or define
something. To accomplish that, they are best developed by the use of facts and statistical
information, cause and effect relationships, or examples. Since they are factual, they are written
without emotion and usually written in the third person. That means that the use of the pronoun
"I" is not usually found within the essay.
Characteristics of a thesis statement
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A good tentative thesis will help you focus your search for information.
You must do a lot of background reading before you know enough about a subject to
identify key or essential questions.
You should not form the thesis statement until you have examined the evidence.
You will likely begin your research with a working, preliminary or tentative thesis
Refine the tentative thesis statement until you are certain of where the evidence leads.
A thesis statement is a strong statement that you can prove with evidence. It is not a
simple statement of fact.
A thesis statement should be the product of your own critical thinking after you have done
some research.
Your thesis statement will be the main idea of your entire project.
It can also be thought of as the angle or point of view from which you present your
material.
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Forming a thesis statement with an essay question
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read all essay questions
Jot down possible points for discussion
Formulate a thesis statement
Example 1
Essay question:
Some think that one vote does not make a difference so why should they bother.
Discuss the above statement paying close attention to the electoral process in Jamaica.
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Essay question
Read from different sources
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Jotting down possible reasons
read at least three times
write down exact reference and page numbers
source used
persons do not take the time to investigate the issue,
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they think their vote does not make a difference
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Tentative Thesis statement
 Thesis statement[you read more]
Eligible and registered voters don’t care about elections
Often elections are decided by a very small
percentage of those eligible and registered to
vote.
Forming a thesis statement with an essay question
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read all essay questions
Jot down possible points for discussion
Formulate a thesis statement
Example 2
For your course work you have to write an expository essay.
What is an expository essay?
An expository (explanatory) paper explains something to the audience.
Essay question
“The life of a college student is thought to be more
than socializing with peers.”
Write an essay showing how a college student’s
life is filled with more socializing with peers.
Read/use questionnaire etc…
write down exact reference and page numbers of
sources used/analyze questionnaires
Tentative Thesis statement
Student’s life is characterized by studying, attending
class,
Thesis Statement
The life of the typical college student is characterized by
time spent studying, attending class, and socializing with
peers.
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Ask yourself these questions as you write your thesis:
In an expository paper, you are explaining something to your audience. An expository thesis
statement will tell your audience:
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What you are going to explain to them
The categories you are using to organize your explanation
The order in which you will be presenting your categories
Example: The lifestyle of a mid 80’s rockstar included playing concerts, ingesting illicit drugs,
and constantly changing his hair colour
Example 3
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Essay question
Explain why a healthy diet is important
Read from different sources
write down exact reference and page numbers
source used
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Jotting down possible reasons
A healthy diet is important./ eight servings
of fruits and vegetables in their diet
every day. /
Strong thesis: A healthy diet is important because it increases energy, prevents illness and
promotes well-being in all people.
Let’s Practice
The thesis statement is a road map to your essay
Thesis statements usually
 is usually at the end of an introduction
 states main ideas in an essay
 Good thesis statements often express writer’s opinion or attitude on a particular topic.
 more specific
 requires the writer to explain or prove his/her opinion in the essay.
 Does not state the obvious
 Sub points that helps the essay to be organized
 It just does not state the topic itself
Put a  or  beside the following
Directions: Look at the thesis statements below. If you think the thesis statement is good, put 
next to the statement on the line. If you think the thesis statement is bad, put. Discuss your
results with your lecturer. Be prepared to explain why you think certain thesis statements were
acceptable or not acceptable.
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The sport of boxing
Jogging has allowed me to get in better shape and meet some interesting people
Why do I want to be a psychologist?
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Being a lecturer is a great profession, because it allows me to work with adults and be
creative
The problem of prostitution in New Kingston
Why should homosexuality be legalized?
We should have condoms in schools.
Marijuana should be legalized because it is not anymore addictive than tobacco and it can
provide numerous medicinal benefits for those suffering from glaucoma.
Learning to play chess when I was young helped me to become a more intelligent and
well-rounded person.
Dunn’s river is a popular vacation spot in Jamaica.
The large influx of Haitians to Jamaica has had major effects on the country.
Some of the most serious problems in upgraded high schools are the overcrowded
classrooms, the low percentage of trained teachers, and the lack of resources such as
textbooks for students.
In this essay I am going to discuss the effects of truancy among college students.
Teachers can fight teenage drug abuse by educating young people on its dangers and by
being good role models
The dust on furniture in room three.
Name: ____________________
Thesis Statements
Multiple choice
Which of the following makes the best thesis statement?
Directions: Choose the thesis statements in the following. Some hints are included. Be prepared
to explain why you think certain thesis statements were acceptable or not acceptable.
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A thesis statement should not directly announce your topic by using phrases such as,
"This essay will talk about…"
A
Even though marriage is a strong and respected institution in Jamaica, more and more
people are choosing to live together before marriage, despite their religious beliefs.
B
I am going to explain why many couples in Jamaica are choosing to live together rather
than get married.
C
Marriage in Jamaica.
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A thesis statement is a complete sentence or sentences. A thesis statement is not a
question.
A
Why should people know a foreign language?
B
Knowing a foreign language is a very useful skill. It can help one advance in a career,
relate better to others, and open one's mind to the ideas of another culture.
C
Knowing a foreign language.
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A thesis statement states an attitude or opinion on a topic. It doesn't just state the topic,
itself. A thesis should not be a fact.
A
Michael Jackson’s songs can be considered a cultural icon because of his great love for
humanity and his desire to make the world a better place.
B
Bob Marley’s songs are famous and are admired by many.
C
Bob Marley was a great artiste in Jamaica during the 1970's.
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A thesis statement can be made more specific by listing subtopics. These help give your
reader a clear idea of what will follow in your essay.
A
The reasons why I came to this college to study.
B
The reasons why I came to this college to study were to educate myself and then to return
to Kingston to find a job.
C
There were many reasons why I came to this college to study.
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Which of these makes the best thesis statement?
A
Bleaching among different communities in Jamaica reflects the self hate that people have
for their African roots as well as the desire for social acceptance and romantic aspirations.
B
Why people from many Jamaican communities bleach.
C
In this essay, I will explain why people from many Jamaican communities bleach.
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Which of these makes the best thesis statement?
A
Each year Jamaica celebrates its Independence by having various cultural presentations in
which all Jamaicans can participate. These include a Culinary Arts Exposition, Fine Arts and
Photography Exhibitions, a Festival Song competition, Dance, Speech and Drama contests,
costume shows, Grand Gala and street parades and dances.
B
A traditional religious dance in my country is Kumina, which is indigenous to the Congo
region. This dance is usually associated with many cultural traditions.
C
I am going to describe an important holiday in my country.
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Which of these makes the best thesis statement?
A
I've lived in a small town my entire life and have enjoyed it.
B
Living in a big city has many headaches.
C
Living in a small town has many advantages in comparison to living in a big city.
D
In contrast to living in a big city, I enjoy living in a smaller town, because I have closer
relationships with my neighbors and the pace of life is much healthier.
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Which of these makes the best thesis statement?
A
Some of the major causes behind common diseases in Jamaica could be traced to three
main factors: poor diet, lack of exercise, and smoking.
B
What are some of the main causes behind many of our diseases in Jamaica today?
C
This essay examines some of the major causes behind many of our diseases in Jamaica
today?
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A
Which of these makes the best thesis statement?
There are many ways in which you can look for a new house.
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B
You can look for a new house by reading the classified ads, talking to a realtor, or talking
with friends about houses in the area in which you want to live.
C
Buying a new house is a difficult thing to do.
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Which of these makes the best thesis statement?
A
Michael Manley introduced Minimum Wage Law in the middle of his first four-year term
in the 1970s.
B
We shouldn't have Minimum Wage Law anymore.
C
The government needs to revise the Minimum Wage Law if it is going to strengthen the
business communitiy and stimulate consumer spending.
How to Identify a Thesis Statements
Look at the following paragraphs and underline the sentence that represents the thesis statements.
I can recall a time when I felt very sad by a troubling situation. Each day I wondered
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what to do. However I knew that God wanted me to pray to Him. I began to pray and cry out
to the Lord, telling Him about all my problems. Suddenly, I felt as if a burden was lifted and the
words “Trust Me” seem to echo throughout my mind and I began to reflect on God’s mighty
power.
A deep sense of peace swept over me as I immediately realized that everything was going to be
all right. Fear and faith cannot co-exist.
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On a beautiful, sunny, Saturday afternoon a mother and father walk their son to the
field for his football game. All the while smiling, and encouraging their son to have “FUN”.
The football game begins and so does the yelling. “Move faster son”, “You should have
gotten that ball”, “Can’t you run faster than that?”, “That was such a stupid move”, “Don’t be
so dumb”. Things only get worse. The name calling, the arm grabbing start, then the
yelling at the other parents and coaches begins. Louder and louder, finally things escalate
to the point of being asked to leave the football game. Who would have thought that a
children’s football game could change this supportive family into the “Wild Parent Beast”.
Youth sports seem to invite parents to try to live vicariously through their children. Not
only do the children suffer, but those who volunteer such as coaches, team mom and other
parents do too.
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My beautiful son arrived into the world, and with the elation that only a parent can know, I
held him for the first time. These first surreal hours still lay untouched in my mind until the
boisterous nurse insisted I change his diaper. Having a two-year-old daughter, I had been
exposed to the chore and did not hesitate to remove the miniature diaper from his tiny frame,
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but as the cool air hit his naked body, urine became the operative word as a ghastly stream of
urine hit me directly between the eyes. I have since become far more ingenious in my pursuits
to change this baby, and it could be said that I am a natural at changing a soiled diaper. In
sharing the wisdom obtained through countless days of trial and error, I offer my approach.
However, I believe that changing diapers should be executed with precision and a well thought
out plan, so I intend to tell all. For those who desire perfection in this medium, follow the six
steps involved in changing diapers: detect, defer, detain, denude, deploy, and dispose.
A parent must assume a liberal mind set when figuring out what actually constitutes a dirty
diaper. This should not include neglect or abuse, but waiting for the appropriate time. The
first rule when changing messy diapers is that the activity itself should be delayed to ensure
that the baby has finished defecating. So at the first faint smell, don’t jump to a rash decision
and begin investigating.
3 Maya Angelou is an accomplished African-American author in the United States. While
growing up, she suffered tremendous hardship. Some of her most difficult life events are
portrayed in novels and poems such as, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and, Still I Rise. Her
written works often include strong themes such as perseverance through trials, love for family,
and passionate optimism.
After a long, hard day of school and work, I trudge up the stairs to my apartment. As I
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approach the door, I can already hear the mumbles of the television. I open the door and am
not surprised to see my sister on the couch, hand on remote, flipping through channels. I am
now accustomed to this picture. My sister could be crowned couch potato queen. She watches
television so much that my cousins and I now refer to her as the Human TV Guide. She knows
what's on at a specific time on a specific channel. She has the channels of different stations of
different areas memorized. She could tell you what channel CVM is in Oracabessa. She could
tell you what channel TVJ is in Cassia Park. She could tell you what channel RETV is on the
Flow digital cable television. My sister has memorized practically everything there is to know
about television. Yet, she has difficulty memorizing the multiplication table, all due to the
effects of watching television endlessly. Television has had a detrimental effect on many
children.
Television has dulled the mind of an average child. Children today are used to having
their information passed to them on a silver platter. Not as many children like to read anymore
because it involves too much work. My sister hates to read, not only because there are words
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involved in that activity, but also because it is now impossible for her to visualize the world
presented within the book. It is also impossible for her to focus on a book because of the short
attention span she has developed, and reading books just takes too much time for her.
Television presents the world to her, a different world every thirty minutes, which holds her
attention. This now leaves her no mental work to do, except to decide which channel she would
like to watch. Because watching television requires no mental work, the brains of the
adolescents that watch television are not stimulated enough. This may lead to a slower learning
process, which would then explain my sister’s inability to memorize the multiplication table.
Finally try all by yourself
Home Work
Organise yourselves in groups of four with the leaders miss already chose and chose one
question and form a thesis statement for the said question.
Question 1
“Creole was once thought to be an inferior language not fit to be used in the media, the
classroom and any other formal settings.”
Write an essay showing how Creole is now being accepted as a language of worth.
Question 2
Define fully the terms Jamaican Standard English and Jamaican Creole and illustrate four
differences between them.
Question 3
Discuss three differences a Creole Speaker would face in his/ her attempt to use the Standard
English in the first year of primary school.
Use practical examples to support your views.
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