Keys to Successful Essay Writing
 A thesis statement is a one-sentence summarization
of the argument or analysis that is to follow. Think of
the thesis as the answer to the question your paper
explores.
 A thesis statement will test your ideas by condensing
them into a sentence or two
 A thesis statement will better organize and develop
your argument
 A thesis statement will provide your reader with a
“guide” to your argument
Source: http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/thesis_statement.shtml
 Almost all assignments, no matter how complicated,
can be reduced to a single question. Your first step,
then, is to condense the assignment into a specific
question. For example:
Topic:
Write a report to the local school board
explaining the potential benefits of
using computers in a fourth-grade class
Question: What are the potential benefits of using
computers in a fourth-grade class?
Thesis:
The potential benefits of using computers
in a fourth-grade class are . . .
Source: http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/thesis_statement.shtml
 A strong thesis statement takes some sort of stand.
Remember that your thesis needs to show your
conclusions about a subject.
 For example, if you are writing a paper for a class on
fitness, you might be asked to choose a popular weightloss product to evaluate.
 Look at this sample thesis statement:
 There are some negative and positive aspects to
the Banana Herb Tea Supplement.
 This is a weak thesis statement. First, it fails to take a stand.
Second, the phrase “negative and positive aspects” is vague.
 Now look at this sample thesis statement:
 Since Banana Herb Tea Supplement promotes
rapid weight loss that results in the loss of
muscle and lean body mass, it poses a potential
danger to customers.
 This is a strong thesis because it takes a stand and it focuses on
specific negative aspects of the weight-loss product.
 A strong thesis statement justifies, or gives good reason for,
discussion. It isn’t simply a fact or observation.
 Your thesis should indicate the point of the discussion. For
Example:
 In the early 1970s, California was in the top five in
the nation for education. Now it is in the bottom five.
 This is just a fact. There is nothing to argue here. What this
needs is some kind of opinion or some kind of insight.
 For instance, the writer could try to look at WHY this
change happened, or HOW this change has affected
students in California. Following either one of these routes
would result in an arguable, and STRONG, thesis statement.
Source: http://www.nijomu.com/thesisstatements-probs.pdf
 Another strong style of thesis statement writing is to
demonstrate controversy, or, “pick a fight”.
 While most of the football-watching American public
believe that the New York Jets should start Tim Tebow at
quarterback, the majority of Jets fans correctly believe
that Mark Sanchez gives their team the better chance of
winning.
 This is a strong thesis because it shows how your stance
contradicts a widely-accepted view. A good strategy for
creating a strong thesis is to show that the topic is
controversial. Readers will be interested in reading the rest
of the essay to see how you support your point.
 Here is an example of a too-broad thesis statement:
 Many creative suggestions have been made for how to fix
the educational crisis in California.
 This is just too big a topic to cover in three to five pages.
Everyone in the state has an opinion about how to fix the
educational system, so the writer needs a narrower focus.
 What the writer could do here is focus on the one or two
suggestions that the writer feels would be the most
successful. Not only would this give the essay a manageable
focus, but it would also provide a more arguable thesis,
since the writer would have to show why the suggestions
are more likely to work.
probs.pdf
Source: http://www.nijomu.com/thesisstatements-
 A strong thesis statement is specific. A thesis
statement should show exactly what your paper will be
about, and will help you keep your paper to a
manageable topic. For example, if you were writing a
paper on hunger, you might say:
 World hunger has many causes and effects.
 This is a weak thesis statement for two major reasons.
First, “world hunger” cannot be discussed thoroughly
in your allotted page limits. Second, “many causes and
effects” is vague. You should be able to identify specific
causes and effects.
 A revised thesis statement might look like this:
 Hunger continues in Appalachia because jobs are
scarce and farming in the poor soil is rarely
profitable.
 This is a strong thesis because it narrows the subject to
a more specific and manageable topic and it also
identifies the specific causes for the existence of
hunger.
 Now it is your turn to apply what you have learned
today about writing thesis statements to your
upcoming work on your research paper.
 Topic Selection will be TOMORROW.
 If you have any questions or need any help developing
a thesis statement for your topic, please make
arrangements to meet with me AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
Good Luck.