Thesis%20Statements%20101

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Thesis Statements 101

• RWWS Mr. Smith

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Whats a thesis?

• A single sentence that formulates both your
  topic and your point of view
• Your answer to the central question or problem

From The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research
Papers, 6th ed, by Joseph Gibaldi.
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The thesis formula

• Thesis topic opinion

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A strong thesis should

• be a complete sentence.
• be debatable.
• be specific.
• be a strong statement that takes a stand.
• communicate your opinion or idea about a topic.
• appear as the last sentence in your introduction.

Adapted from Thesis Statements (available
online at http//www.indiana.edu/wts/pamphlets/th
esis_statement.shtml).
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A thesis should not

• be a question.
• be a quotation from another source.
• be an In this essay, I will statement.

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Good thesisor not?
NOT

• What does Mother Culture tell us?
• This sentence is a question, not a statement of
  opinion.

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Good thesisor not?

• In this essay, I will explain how to save the
  world.
• This sentence states what will happen in the
  essay it does not provide an opinion.

NOT
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Good thesisor not?

• Ishmael tells us that the world was made for man
  and man was made to rule it.
• This sentence includes a quotation from an
  outside source, so it cannot be the essay
  writers opinion.

NOT
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Good thesisor not?

• World hunger has many causes and effects.
• This thesis is too general it doesnt establish
  a clear guiding opinion for the essay.

NOT
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Good thesisor not?

• Hunger is a problem in African countries because
  jobs are scarce and farming is rarely profitable.
• This thesis takes a standhunger is a problemand
  gives specific reasons for that problem.

GOOD
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Good thesisor not?

• There are positive and negative aspects to Banana
  Herb Tea supplement.
• This statement doesnt take a stand. Is Banana
  Herb Tea supplement good or bad overall?

NOT
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Good thesisor not?

• Because 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 thesis takes a stand (i.e. that Banana Herb
  Tea is dangerous) and states specific reasons for
  it.

GOOD
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Good thesisor not?

• Welding is a good career choice.
• This statement is focused on one idea, but it is
  too general.

NOT
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Good thesisor not?

• Kanye West is a talented rapper, but Jay-Z is
  good, too.
• This statement has more than one idea. Its not
  clear whether the paper will focus on Kanye or
  Jay-Z.

NOT
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Good thesisor not?

• George Washington was the first President of the
  United States.
• This statement is a fact, not an opinion.

NOT
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Good thesisor not?

• Blues guitar is a unique art form because of the
  opportunities for expression and self-reflection
  it offers the musician.
• This thesis is a single, specific sentence that
  clearly states an opinion about the topic.

GOOD