Thesis Statements

Thesis Statements
Definition:
A thesis statement presents your point or makes a claim that you intend to support with
evidence. It should be specific and direct the reader to what they can expect in the
remainder of the essay. It usually (not always) is a single statement that appears at the end
of the first paragraph of a paper.
It is also easy to go off on a tangent in your essay, so it is important to refer back to your
thesis frequently throughout the writing process to keep focus. A thesis is an
interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. Therefore what follows will
not be a summary or report of the subject itself.
Creating a Thesis Statement
Thesis Statement & Assigned Topics:
Just about everything can be brought down to a solitary question. First you have to
deconstruct the assignment into a specific question.
For example, if the assignment is:
Write a report to the local school board explaining the necessity for a technological
upgrade at the high school in order to meet local and state expectations of 21st century
skills.
Turn the directive into a question like:
What are the potential advantages of a full technological upgrade at the citys high
school?
After youve crafted question from the assignment, draft one or two complete sentences
answering that question.
Q: What are the potential advantages of a full technological upgrade at the citys
high school?
The answer to your question is the thesis statement for your essay:
A: The potential advantages of a full technological upgrade at the citys high
school would be .
OR
A: A full technological upgrade at the citys high school would be advantageous
to ..
Thesis Statement & Unassigned Topics
Even if you have the freedom to choose the topic that you will explore, your thesis must
still answer a specific question about the topic that you are examining. The difficulty lies
in choosing what you want to talk about.
Good Thesis Characteristics:
-involve a topic upon which reasonable people could disagree
-involve subject that can be adequately analyzed and supported

-express one main idea
-convey assertive conclusions about the subject
Step 1: Brainstorm the topic:
Lets say that your class focuses upon the problems posed by changes in the healthcare
system of Americans. You find that you are interested in the amount of negative attributes
(illness, death, addiction, crime etc) associated with prescription drug medications
You start out with a thesis statement like this: Prescription Drug Abuse
This fragment isnt a thesis statement. Instead, it simply indicates a slightly more specific
subject matter; you still need to figure out what you want to say about prescription drug
abuse.
Step 2: Narrow it down:
Your readings about the topic, however, have led you to the conclusion that states like
Florida support liberal administration of prescription narcotics, increasing their illegal
sale and distribution as well as contributing to the increasing problem of addiction
You change your thesis to look like this: Reducing crime and illness associated with
prescription drug abuse.
This fragment now illustrates your subject and focuses on one issue within its sphere:
solving the negative effects. This raises a subject upon which reasonable people could
disagree, because while most will agree that there is a great deal of prescription drug
abuse in America, many will disagree on what should be done about fixing the problem.
This fragment is not a thesis statement yet but will be once you assert your conclusions
on the subject.
Step 3: Pick a side & stick to it:
After some critical thought on the topic, you decide that what you really want to say
about this topic is what the FDA should do about the drug abuse since it is their domain
You revise your thesis statement to look like this: The FDA needs to enact and enforce
stricter laws and punishments for both patients that abuse prescription medication and the
doctors that enable this practice.
This statement asserts your position, but the term stricter is vague enough to allow for
more specifics later and the action verbs enact and enforce can be expounded upon by
answering the question of how.
Use specific language.
You decide to explain what you mean about prescription drug abuse, so you write:
In 2009, roughly 7.0 million people used psychotherapeutic drugs non-medically.

(www.nida.nih.gov)
This statement reports a specific statistic, but it isnt a thesis. You need to make an
assertion based on this evidence.
Final revision of thesis: The FDA needs to enact and enforce stricter laws and
punishments to combat the prescription drug abuse committed by nearly 3% of the US
population with a third being health professionals.
Notice how the thesis answers the question, What should be done to reduce prescription
drug abuse in approximately 7 million Americans? At the beginning of this process, you
may have been overwhelmed by the choice before you but through your exploration of
the subject, your inquiry became more specific.
Separating the Strong from the Weak:
1. A strong thesis statement takes an assertive stand.
DONT mistake a generalized statement for a thesis.
Example: This paper will discuss qualities necessary for an effective democratic
leader and then discuss how those qualities translate to a better nation.
Fix: Effective leadership qualities do not guarantee a successful democratic nation
and frequently become lost in the majority of opposing voices
DONT make an overly general claim.
Example: Healthcare reform has its advantages and disadvantages.
Fix: Healthcare reform is necessary to adapt to rising health costs.
DONT make an obvious claim or none at all.
Poverty in America seems to be increasing. I will discuss various views
and aspects of this problem. - WEAK
Poverty in America is increasing in part due to a decrease in American
manufacturing and production - STRONG
DO - Be Specific
DO - Take a Stand
DO Make Conclusions about your topic
2. A strong thesis statement provokes discussion.
Your thesis identifies the focus of discussion. If your topic is televisions influence on
children, you could say:
Children are influenced by television. - WEAK
DONT Just make an observation. You need to engage your reader to keep them
reading.
With appropriate parental supervision and monitoring, children can

experience a variety of beneficial influences including educational advancements and the
promotion of positive behaviors. STRONG
DO Try to intrigue your audience by illustrating your topics controversy.
3. A strong thesis expresses one main idea.
DONT Confuse your reader.
Teenagers should be exploiting modern day technological advancements to their
own economical and educational benefit, and the internet provides a virtually limitless
supply of knowledge at the beck and call of a scroll and click. WEAK
DO - Be clear and assertive in your expression.
DO Show relation between your ideas
Because the internet provides nearly effortless access to limitless knowledge,
todays teenagers should be smarter and wealthier than ever. STRONG
4. A strong thesis statement is specific.
DONT Bite off a topic that is more than you can chew.
War benefits some while destroys others. WEAK
DO Illustrate exactly what your essay is about.
DO Choose a manageable topic
DO Be Specific
Haliburton Corp made billions of dollars in the contract to rebuild Iraq after the
US bombing of it. STRONG
Remember to FOCUS!!
F ind your main topic
O bserve the context
C larify your position
U understand your audience
S ee your thesis through to the end
Your thesis expresses one main thought and since it is essentially the map of the essay,
the body of your paper needs to follow its direction.
F ind your main topic assigned or not you have to start somewhere, however general
O bserve the context explore your topic, form supported ideas and know what you are
talking about
C larify your position take an informed stance on your specific topic and identify
evidence that supports your claim
U nderstand your audience always consider your reader and what you are conveying
to them.
S ee your thesis through to the end stay organized and refer back to your thesis
frequently throughout your drafts and before final submission to ensure an assertive and
focused direction.
Resources:
http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/thesis_statement.shtml#assigned
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/545/1/
http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/thesis.html
http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/thesis.html
http://www.acadweb.wwu.edu/writingcenter/Handouts/Thesisstatements.htm

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Thesis Statements

-involve subject that can be adequately analyzed and supported

In 2009, roughly 7.0 million people used psychotherapeutic drugs non-medically.

With appropriate parental supervision and monitoring, children can

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