Thesis Statements

Thesis: Final sentence in the intro ¶

· Claim/statement of opinion re: a specific topic

· Directed toward an identifiable audience

· Tells the reader what to know, think, or do

Example: Santa Clara County voters should vote “No” on Proposition 14 due to the financial hardship it will cause.

Characteristics of an effective thesis:

· Not too broad, too vague, or too narrow

Broad: We need to bring the troops home.

Vague: Pro-lifers have an interesting stance.

Narrow: Eng. 1A is a graduation requirement.

· Strong; assertive; sure (State as a fact; no “I”)

· Claim rather than fact

· General enough to invite development: Reasons or ways or examples

· Purposeful: Reader doesn’t know/think/do

· Directed to a narrowed target audience