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A thesis statement is a sentence that answers these questions for your readers:
working thesis.
A working thesis is a statement of your main point in the rough draft phase. It helps to keep you on track.
A working thesis may change as you revise and redraft what you write. This is okay. You are not locked into your original idea if you think of something better.
Many people have different opinions on whether people under twenty-one should be permitted to drink alcohol, and I agree with some of them.
The question of whether we need a national law governing the minimum age to drink alcohol is a controversial issue in many states.
I want to give my opinion on the national law that sets twenty-one as the legal age to drink alcohol and the reasons I feel this way.
To reduce the number of highway fatalities, our country needs to enforce a national law that designates twenty-one as the legal minimum age to purchase and consume alcohol.
The legal minimum age to purchase alcohol should be eighteen rather than twenty-one.
Have only
ONE main idea. This is not as easy as it sounds.
The proposed no-smoking ordinance in our town will violate a number of our citizens civil rights, and no one has proved secondary smoke is dangerous anyway.
Two Theses:
The proposed no-smoking ordinance in our town will violate a number of our citizens civil rights. No one has proved secondary smoke is dangerous.
High school athletes shouldnt have to maintain a certain grade-point average to participate in school sports, and the value of sports is often worth the lower academic average.
Two Theses: High school athletes shouldnt have to maintain a certain grade-point average to participate in school sports. The value of sports is often worth the lower academic average.
If you write it well, any subject can be made interesting. But some subjects are more predictable and boring than others.
Dogs have always been mans best friends. This essay may be full of boring clichs about dogs faithfulness to their masters.
Friendship is a wonderful thing. DUH! Again, watch for tired old ideas that just restate the obvious.
Food in the school cafeteria is horrible. Although this essay can be livened up with some really, truly gross descriptions, the topic has been done to death.
Sometimes you are asked to write about yourself in an essay; after all, you are the worlds greatest expert on you.
The problem with this is that not all topics you generate this way will interest others as the subject is just too personal.
In this case you need to UNIVERSALIZE the thesis so that others can get into it.
The four children in my family have completely different personalities. This might be true, but would anyone outside your family and friends really care?
I dont like to take courses that are held in big lecture classes at this school. Why should your readers care one way or another about your class preference?
Nuclear power should be banned as an energy source in this country. Can you really give the broad subject of nuclear power a fair treatment in 250 to 500 words?
Narrowed Topic:
Because of its poor safety record during the past two years, the Collin County nuclear power plant should be closed.
African-American artists have always contributed a lot to many kinds of American culture.
Narrowed Topic:
Scott Joplin was a major influence in the development of the uniquely American music called ragtime.
More Specific:
The Alabama Womens Party is working to ensure the benefits of equal pay for equal work for both males and females in our state.
Living away from home in an apartment for the first time can teach you many things about taking care of yourself.
More Specific:
By living in an apartment, college freshmen can learn valuable lessons in financial planning and time management.
The thesis should be easily recognizable as the main idea. Ideally the thesis statement should show up in the first or second paragraph.
An expository or persuasive essay is not a story. You need the thesis up front in order to give your readers a context for the supporting details in the paper.