Thesis Statements

Thesis Statements The Quick and Easy Way

A Thesis Statement Should: argue a position, or outline information. • When composing your thesis sentence: • make sure your thesis reflects the full scope of your argument. • avoid using a thesis that is too broad or too narrow • argue as conceptually rich a position as you can support. Ask yourself How? and Why? questions to deepen your thesis and make sure you’re on the right track. • make sure your reader can easily identify your thesis sentence. • do not just reword the professor's question/topic; • claim your own position.

Two Types Let’s focus on two simple types of thesis statements – the outline and the position Outline This type of thesis statement should give a list of what topics will show up in your paper. For example….

OUTLINE “The Ransom of Red Chief,” a short story by O. Henry, is about two bumbling criminals who decide to kidnap a young boy in order to collect a ransom. What they don’t know is that this might be the biggest mistake they’ve ever made. There are two versions of this story, though: the text by O. Henry, and a short film, by Tony Bill. Though they cover the same basic story about the ironic outcome of ‘the perfect crime,’ both versions have large differences. We don’t notice these differences until we look at the characters, the plot, and the conflict.

The Other Type POSITION The thesis statement that takes a position is the one that tells your opinion about a topic. This one doesn’t list anything – it tells me what you think.

POSITION • “The Ransom of Red Chief,” a short story by O. Henry, is about two bumbling criminals who decide to kidnap a young boy in order to collect a ransom. What they don’t know is that this might be the biggest mistake they’ve ever made. There are two versions of this story, though: the text by O. Henry, and a short film, by Tony Bill. Though they cover the same basic story about the ironic outcome of ‘the perfect crime,’ both versions have large differences. People often say the book is better than the movie, and in this case they’re right – the short story is far better than the movie. Opinion

OR…you could do both The Ransom of Red Chief,” a short story by O. Henry, is about two bumbling criminals who decide to kidnap a young boy in order to collect a ransom. What they don’t know is that this might be the biggest mistake they’ve ever made. There are two versions of this story, though: the text by O. Henry, and a short film, by Tony Bill. Though they cover the same basic story about the ironic outcome of ‘the perfect crime,’ both versions have large differences. People often say the book is better than the movie, and in this case they’re right – the short story is far better than the movie,because of the differences between the way the characters, the plot, and the conflict are portrayed.

So…what type is this one? • The life of the typical college student is characterized by time spent studying, attending class, and socializing with peers.

And this one? High school graduates should be required to take a year off to pursue community service projects before entering college in order to increase their maturity and global awareness.

So remember Before writing a thesis statement, the writer must be aware of his or her audience and purpose. Unclear thesis statements emanate from the minds of writers with an unclear purpose.

So remember You must begin with a topic question. If your instructor has assigned an essay question to answer, this step has been done for you. If you are doing a research paper, take time to come up with a good topic question.

So remember • You must form an opinion and state it clearly. Do not be wishy-washy. • Be sure you have approached your evidence fairly, without bias/discrimination/prejudice.

So remember • Consider both sides of a controversial issue. • Once you've established the topic question, a clear position, and objectivity, you're ready to write a thesis statement.

So remember • A good thesis statement is short and simple: it should be no longer than one sentence, regardless of essay length. • Good Example: Success is a result of doing the right things consistently. • Bad Example: In a world full of success gurus and books about success, it becomes ever so more important to delineate the one trait that ultimately determines success: doing the right things consistently

So remember • A good thesis statement is a declarative sentence with no qualifiers(might, maybe, perhaps, etc.): • Good example: David Beckhams’ ability to score, pass, and rebound make him the league's most valuable player. • Bad example: Does David Beckhamss’ ability to score, pass, and rebound make him the league's most valuable player? • Bad Example: David Beckhams’ ability to score, pass, and rebound just might make him the league's most valuable player.

Finally!!! If you 're having trouble deciding which side to take on a controversial issue, write your thesis statement from two different points of view. Then decide which one better represents your opinion. If you still can't decide, list facts on both sides of the issue and decide which facts make a more persuasive argument.

Thesis Statements