thesis

Tips for Writing Your Thesis Statement

An argumentative paper makes a claim about a topic and justifies this claim with specific evidence. The claim could be an opinion, a policy proposal, an evaluation, a cause-and-effect statement, or an interpretation. The goal of the argumentative paper is to convince the audience that the claim is true based on the evidence provided.

2. Your thesis statement should be specific—it should cover only what you will discuss in your paper and should be supported with specific evidence.

3. The thesis statement usually appears at the end of the first paragraph of a paper.

4. Your topic may change as you write, so you may need to revise your thesis statement to reflect exactly what you have discussed in the paper.

Example of an argumentative thesis statement:

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.

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY THESIS IS STRONG?

If there’s time, run it by your instructor or make an appointment at the Writing Center to get some feedback. Even if you do not have time to get advice elsewhere, you can do some thesis evaluation of your own. When reviewing your first draft and its working thesis, ask yourself the following:

            Do I answer the question? Re-reading the question prompt after constructing a working thesis can help you fix an argument that misses the focus of the question.

            Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose?If your thesis simply states facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it’s possible that you are simply providing a summary, rather than making an argument.

            Is my thesis statement specific enough? Thesis statements that are too vague often do not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like “good” or “successful,” see if you could be more specific: why is something “good”; what specifically makes something “successful”?

            Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? If a reader’s first response is, “So what?” then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue.

            Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering? If your thesis and the body of your essay do not seem to go together, one of them has to change. It’s okay to change your working thesis to reflect things you have figured out in the course of writing your paper. Remember, always reassess and revise your writing as necessary.

Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? If a reader’s first response is “how?” or “why?” your thesis may be too open-ended and lack guidance for the reader. See what you can add to give the reader a better take on your position right from the beginning.

Thesis Statements for the Argumentative Paper

The thesis statement for an argumentative paper clearly states your side of the argument and why you hold that position.  The thesis statement should fulfill the following tasks:

Clarify a narrow topic, express the opinion on that topic, and have an objective, academic tone.

Sometimes qualify major ideas, clarify major elements, and acknowledge the readers’ knowledge of the topic.

Make sure that the statement or objective is focused, concise, and well-worded.

Example:

1.  The government needs to limit farm subsidies to farmers who make less than $100,000 a year profit.

2.  The NCAA academic requirements need to be changed to accommodate students whose focus has been athletics and not academics.

3.  Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations need to be enforced more strictly on farms to keep employees, employers, and children safe.

4.  Without private school vouchers for taxpayers, some of America’s finest schools may be closed.

5.  Liberal arts requirements are outdated in a world where technology determines human success.

6.  Term limitations in Congress will force members of Congress to meet their constituents’ demands.

7.   Passage of the Equal Rights Amendment will give women the chance to serve in combat.

8.  The amendment to ban the destruction of the United States flag in protest demonstrations is a sacrifice of the First Amendment.

9.  Unless people vote in favor of the levy referendum, Thief River Falls Public Schools will have to cut programs, such as art, music, and athletics, that are valuable to its students and, therefore, to the community.

10.  To live in a secure nation, Americans must be willing to sacrifice basic freedoms guaranteed in the Bill of Rights.