A thesis statement helps unify an essay. It should summarize the main point and guide the essay's development. A thesis statement can be expressed in one or two sentences.
Five General Rules
1. A thesis statement makes an assertion; it is not a simple statement or observation.
Fact or observation: More people are attending community colleges.
Thesis: Community colleges are attracting more students because they offer job training programs as well as academic courses of study.
2. A thesis takes a stand; it does not make an announcement.
Announcement: The thesis of this paper is the difficulty of solving the environmental problems of the Indian River Lagoon.
Thesis: Solving the environmental problems of the Indian River Lagoon will prove more difficult than many people believe.
3. A thesis is a main idea, not a title.
Title: The effect of the Internet on society.
Thesis: Continuing advances in the Internet are having a great impact upon communication in modern society.
4. A thesis statement narrows the topic.
Too Broad: The American automobile industry has many problems.
Thesis: The primary problem facing the American automobile industry is competition from foreign auto makers.
5. A thesis statement is specific.
Too Vague: John D. MacDonald’s stories are very good.
Thesis: John D. MacDonald’s stories advanced the thriller genre by employing intelligent dialogue, introducing environmental and economic concerns, and delving into moral issues.
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