Effective Thesis Statements

Thesis Statement: Final sentence in the intro ¶.

· Narrowed Topic + Main Idea/Claim

· Directed toward an identifiable audience

· Tells the reader what to know (informative), think (convincing), or do (persuasive)

· Supportable: Lends itself to reasons/examples

Examples:

Smokers who are still smoking pre–manufactured cigarettes need to seriously consider rolling their own.

Knowing how to file for divorce may be the most important information a mail–order bride can have.

Spiderman is a better role model for children than Superman.

Characteristics of an Effective Thesis:

· Not too broad (can’t be covered in a short paper), too vague (not specific enough), or too narrow (a fact that does not invite development)

· Strong; assertive; sure (no I; no announcements)

· Only states one idea

Negative Example: Buying clothing at Walmart is a bad idea, especially Halloween costumes.

· Invites development

· Sparks interest (Don’t write about what your reader already knows, already agrees with, or is already doing.)

· Considers audience (Is there a particular group that needs to hear what you have to say?)

· Conveys purpose (Know, think or do is very clearly stated.)