Definition
A thesis statement is a complete sentence
that contains a debatable idea about a topic.
A thesis CANNOT be a question.
A thesis MUST be an assertion
about a topic.
A thesis MUST be your opinion
about your chosen topic.
What do I
mean by
“debatable”?
The hip hop of today.
Hip hop dancing is an
expression of identity and
keeps our youth healthy
mentally as well as
physically.
Why should America recycle?
Recycling preserves our
limited resources and
helps to decrease
pollution.
This is not a
sentence.
This is a
question.
In thesis statements, you should avoid using
statements like, “This essay will discuss…” or
“I’m going to write about…”
Nope!
In this paper, I will discuss the history of abortion
and the current debates about abortion.
Correct!
Despite being widely practiced since ancient times,
abortion has always been and continues to be a
controversial practice, typically resulting from diverging
ethical and legal belief systems.
Must include:
I. History of prostitution
Main idea: Prostitution dates back thousands of years to ancient
Babylonia, what has changed to make it unacceptable and against the
law in modern United States?
A. Origins of prostitution
Topic Sentence: Prostitution was clearly evident as far back as 2400 BC, even
when our country was founded prostitution was not against the law.
Evidence:
1. Sumerian records
2. Hammurabi Code
3. In America--"Prostitution was not an offense in either English or American
common law, and, prior to World War I, although being a prostitute was not
an offense, prostitution was generally regulated as a specific sort of vagrancy.
When prostitutes were punished as sexual deviants, it was under laws against
adultery or fornication or for being 'common nightwalkers'--women who
B. Prostitution policies around the world
where is it legal? Where is it not?
C. Current US policies and practices:
where is it legal? Where is it not?
WORKING THESIS:
Although prostitution may be taboo to many
Americans, it would serve our country well to
legalize and regulate the prostitution industry.
This is just one option…
Start with an interesting historical fact or
interesting current event/fact.
Summarize the issue (including the academic
perspectives that you will be discussing) and the
current situation regarding this issue.
Mention challenges to finding a
solution/potential solutions.
Thesis- The main argument of your paper
(analyzing this issue—what makes it a
problem—and proposing possible solutions)
Anecdote/illustration
Key statistics
Expert opinion (___________ once referred to
___________ as, “….”)
Historical background (origins)
Since this is a longer research paper, your thesis
doesn’t necessarily have to be in the first
paragraph, but should be somewhere on the
first page.
Do what makes the most logical sense.