Thesis Statements

A thesis statement is a fancy way of making a statement of what you believe and why you believe it.

When you write an essay, you MUST clearly state your thesis at the end of the introductory paragraph. It needs to be there.

A thesis statement is made up of three different parts.

EVERY THESIS NEEDS THESE THREE THINGS:

Identification (what is the topic you are talking about?)
Claim (What do you believe about this topic?)
Direction (What are the 3 main reasons you can use to support your claim? This will basically outline the body paragraphs of your essay)

Tips and Tricks

You will need to form these three parts into a complete argumentative sentence:

Identification of Topic + Claim (Belief about topic) + Direction (reason 1, reason 2, and reason 3).

Before you write your thesis, decide what you plan to argue and determine at least 3 DIFFERENT and GENERAL ways in which you can prove your opinion

It might help to make a t-chart or other brainstorming visual first

It may also be easier to argue a certain side of an issue, so it may help to list out pros and cons of each side.

Example

Writing Prompt: Educators often discuss whether high school sports have a positive influence on students. Some educators think high school sports do have a positive influence because the lessons learned from athletic competition adds to the lessons learned in the classroom. Other educators think high school sports do not have a positive influence because the emphasis on sports often overshadows student achievement in other areas. In your opinion, do high school sports have a positive influence on students?

Identify the Topic

Sports offered in high school

Claim

They have a positive influence

Direction

teach social skills
teach time-management
provide exercise and teach benefits of hard work

Thesis

High school sports unquestionably have a positive influence on high school students because they teach social skills, reinforce time-management skills, provide exercise and show the benefits of hard work.

Following the example outlined above, use the prompts below to practice formulating a thesis statement.

Writing Prompt: The state of Illinois has been locked into a debate for several years as to whether the driving age should be raised from 16 to 18. Some people feel that 16 year-olds lack the responsibility and maturity to handle the significant privilege of driving. Others argue that 16 year-olds use their licenses for much more than social events. In your opinion, should the driving age be raised from 16 to 18?

Identify the topic

Changing the driving age in Illinois

Claim

Claim for changing the driving age: 16 year-olds lack the responsibility and maturity to drive

Claim against changing the driving age: 16 year-olds use their licenses for other purposes

Direction

This is where you would create your bulleted list of arguments for your position.

Writing Prompt: Should cell phones be banned in high school?

Writing Prompt: Should students be allowed to have a job while in school? Why or why not?

Writing Prompt: Should schools implement a uniform dress code? Why or why not?

Should the dress code be removed completely from schools?

Writing Prompt: Is social media making us more narcissistic?

Does technology make us more lonely?

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