THESIS STATEMENT NOTES

I heart thesis statements 4 eva

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement summarizes the argument you will pursue in your paper.

Format of a thesis statement It contains two parts:

Topic Assertion (Argument)

Example: Gun control reduces the crime rate.

Gun control / reduces the crime rate. [Topic] [Assertion]

A thesis statement is:

One sentence long Arguable The most important sentence of

your paper A summary of the argument

you’re making

A thesis statement should:

Be the last sentence of your Introduction paragraph

Be restated in the Conclusion in your essay

NOT be vague or too general NOT be emotional

A thesis statement needs:

Supporting details in the body paragraphs

To state what the essay is going to be about (Without saying “This essay is going to

be about…” or “My thesis statement is..”

To be provable To be bolded in your paper

Now let’s look at some model thesis statements.

Model thesis statement #1:

______ should ______ in order to ______.-Or-In order to ______, ______ should ______.For example-Students should be required to take a music class in

school in order to improve their academic performance.

Or-In order to improve students’ academic performance,

they should be required to take a music class in school.

Model thesis statement #2:

______ should ______ because ______. For example-There should be metal detectors in all high schools

because weapons and violence in schools are increasing every year. 

Everyone should know the dangers of cocaine because it is becoming a more popular recreation drug in today’s society.

People should maintain an active lifestyle and a nutritious diet because obesity has many dangerous effects.

Model thesis statement #3:

______ should ______.For example- Music therapy should be considered a valid

and effective form of alternative treatment.  Smoking in public places should be illegal.

The End

Now you should be able to write a thesis statement for your Preliminary Research Worksheet.