A thesis statement is a sentence or two that serves two purposes.
The first purpose is to state your topic. The second purpose is to
describe your point of view on the topic. Your thesis statement should
catch your reader’s attention.
There are some things you want to avoid when writing your
thesis statement.
- Avoid using the phrases, "I believe…, In my opinion…,
I will argue that…" These phrases weaken your position.
- Avoid stating an obvious fact. It’s insulting to the reader
and turns them off from reading the rest of your paper.
- Avoid addressing many topics. Stick with one idea you can
write about.
Keep in mind these things when you write your thesis:
- Use specific terms. Instead of using "music",
use "reggae".
- Use adjectives. Instead of "reggae", use "American
reggae".
- Narrow your discussion. Instead of "American reggae",
use The American reggae revival in the 1980’s".
Thesis statements have two parts. The first part is
the topic of your paper:
- Kenya’s Culture
- Building a Model Train Set
- Public Transportation
The second part is the point of your paper:
- has a rich and varied history.
- takes time and patience.
- can solve some of our city’s most persistent and pressing
problems.
Here are some examples of good and bad thesis statements.
- Bad – The American steel industry has many problems.
- Good – The primary problem of the American steel
industry is the lack of funds to renovate outdated plants
and equipment.
- Bad – Stephen Hawking’s physical disability has not
prevented him from becoming a world-renowned physicist and
his book is the subject of a movie.
- Good – Stephen Hawking’s physical disability has
not prevented him from becoming a world-renowned physicist.
- Bad – People use many lawn chemicals.
- Good – People are poisoning the environment with
many chemicals merely to keep their lawns clean.
