Thesis Statement

Tips for Writing a Good Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is the central argument of an essay and serves as a “roadmap” for the paper and your ideas as you work

Basic Qualities of a Good Thesis Statement:

argues an opinion (something that someone could disagree with) but be fair and supportable

introduces key terms and concepts; possibly major discussion points of the paper

introduces a specific topic (focused and concise)

can be supported by evidence

Other Basic Requirements (Troyka and Hesse 46):

states the essay’s subject without repeating the title of the essay

indicates essay’s purpose but does not announce it with “the purpose of this essay is”

conveys writer’s point of view toward the subject

makes a general statement that leads to a set of main ideas and supporting details

uses specific language

When Writing Thesis Statements, avoid:

Vague statements

Getting an education is beneficial in many ways

Rhetorical questions

Why would getting a post-secondary education be a bad thing?

Mechanical/Stiff announcement

In this essay I will discuss the many ways in which education is beneficial.

Statement of fact rather than opinion (self-evident thesis doesn’t answer the “so what”?)

Peter Singer’s “Speciesism and the Equality of Animals” talks about speciesism.

Uncommitted thesis that doesn’t answer the “so what”? question

Getting an education is important, but so is travelling and having life experiences.

An example of a good thesis statement:

Obtaining a post-secondary education is crucial for opening doors to success for Canada’s youth; not only does it create a more critically engaged public, but it also allows students to reach their full academic potential and make significantly more money doing a job they love.

Troyka, Lynn and Douglas Hesse. “Planning and Shaping Writing.” Quick Access Reference for Writers. 4th ed. New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc., 2012. 33-47. Print.

Thesis Statement Exercise

Identify strengths and weaknesses in the thesis statements below. How might you change them to better fulfil the basic requirements of strong thesis statements?

Emily’s “Out of Skin” is horrific in many ways.

Emily’s ‘Out of Skin’ is horrific in many ways such as the portrayal of ghost haunted forests and vengeful spirits. The discussion of the scenes like hands of the leaves and themes of the mouth of hell convey horror and fear. The voices and the silence add to the feelings of terror. The supernatural elements in the fiction generate the sensation of wildness. The shades of grey and creeping terror make the story spooky. The violent red coloured themes and darkness transmits horrific aspects of the story.

Everyone knows, when they look deep in his soul, that protecting the environment is the right thing to do.

Looking deep in the souls convince humans to protect the environment. everyone has a moral responsibility to engage in actions that maximize environmental sustainability. This reflects the role of conscience. We must abide by practices that cause deteriorating impacts on the environment. Such feelings are crucial for promoting environmental conservation. The common practices adopted by people for protecting environment include planting trees, avoiding from spreading litter or exploiting natural resources. The soul is the strongest force that influences people to take care of their surroundings.

Many lingusitic scholars argue that Rosetta Stone is a better means for quickly learning a language than Duolingo. However, there is much evidence to suggest that by gamifying language learning, making the process interactive using visuals and vocal cues, and using in app positive reinforcement by way of rewards and initiatives, Duolingo is the superior tool for learning a new language.

Duolingo is a superior tool for learning a new language because it offers to integrate effective memorizing techniques. The fun-based elements offered by this method creates an attraction for the learners. This technique allows learners to understand the dynamics of new language in less time compared to the alternative methods. Evidence suggests that Duolingo permit learning in 34 hours compared to 55 hours taken by Rosetta Stone.

Media violence has both positive and negative effects.

Media violence has both positive and negative impacts. Adverse impacts include promoting negative attitudes and violent behaviors. youth and children develop aggressive behaviors. It has deteriorating impacts on immature minds and often promotes feelings of fear and terror. Media violence creates awareness about violent practices prevailing in the society. it is also effective for promoting the concept of zero tolerance against violence.

Things to keep in mind:

A thesis is usually between 1-2 sentences; you don’t have to do it in one.

Be as precise as possible. The thesis sets the scope of the topic to be covered.

Usually seen at the beginning or end of an introduction

If you introduce acronyms, they must be expanded and explained; don’t assume readers have prior knowledge

Flesh out your introduction by listing 3-4 main ‘discussion’ points to be covered in the paper

Sample Essay Introduction: School Uniforms

The Positive Effects of School Uniforms in Canadian Public Schools

Although the concept of regulated dress has been around for centuries, school uniforms have only become popular in North American public schools in the last fifteen years. With this growing popularity comes much debate regarding the effectiveness and importance of dress policies in public schools. Many argue that forcing students to wear uniforms crushes individuality and creativity, while doing little to curb violence and competition. Others have found that the implementation of uniform policies have had positive effects on schools and students. Overall, school uniform policies in Canada’s public schools do more good than harm by decreasing violence among students, eliminating competition among students, and alleviating stress for parents.

Where is the thesis statement? Does the paper argue an informed opinion (based on what you can tell so far) that is backed by research and could be disagreed upon?

A good intro will tell a reader exactly how a paper is organized: what will each paragraph be about?