Research Paper Prep

Which of these makes the best thesis statement?

• Some of the major causes behind common diseases in the United States can be traced to three main factors: poor diet, lack of exercise, and smoking.

• What are some of the main causes behind many of our diseases in the United States today?

• This essay examines some of the major causes behind many of our diseases in the United States today.

Which of these makes the best thesis statement?

• I’ve lived in a small town my entire life and have enjoyed it.

• Living in a big city has many headaches.

• Living in a small town has many advantages in comparison to living in a big city.

• In contrast to living in a big city, I enjoy living in a smaller town because I have closer relationships with my neighbors and the pace of life is much healthier.

What is the best way to teach the public about healthy lifestyles?

• People should be able to decide what kind of lifestyle they want to have even if it is unhealthy.

• I disagree that laws can help people stay healthy.

• Advertising is an effective medium for selling many things, and I believe it can sell good health too.

Should cigarettes be made illegal?

• Although smoking has many negative health effects, making smoking illegal would not solve the problem.

• Teenagers should be allowed to smoke if they choose to.

• Smoking is a leading cause of death in the United States.

Packaged foods contribute to poor health. Agree or disagree.

• Packaged foods in supermarkets are much more expensive than their counterparts in local markets.

• People are overweight today because of over-processed, high-fat packaged foods.

• Elimination of poverty would be the best way to improve health around the world.

Compare your lifestyle with the lifestyles of people fifty years ago.

• Life was very different fifty years ago.

• Some people think that modern life is easier, but I believe that our lives are much more stressful than the lives of our great-grandparents.

• I have two jobs, a wife, a child, and I go to school full time.

A thesis statement states an attitude or opinion on a topic. It doesn't just state the topic, itself. A thesis should not be a fact.

Which of these is a thesis statement?

• Michaelangelo’s artwork is powerful because of its strong spiritual undertones.

• Michaelangelo’s artwork is famous and is admired by many.

• Michaelangelo was a great artist in Rome during the 1500’s.

A thesis statement is a complete sentence or sentences. A thesis statement is not a question.

Which of these is a thesis statement?

• Knowing a foreign language.

• Why should people know a foreign language?

• Knowing a foreign language is a very useful skill that can help one advance in a career, relate better to others, and open one’s mind to the ideas of another culture.

A thesis statement can be made more specific by listing subtopics. These help give your reader a clear idea of what will follow in your essay.

Which of these makes the best thesis statement?

• The reasons why I came to the United States to study.

• The reasons why I came to the United States to study were to educate myself and then to return to Tunisia to apply my education.

• There were many reasons why I came to the United States to study.

A thesis statement should not directly announce your topic by using phrases such as, “This essay will talk about …” or “I am going to tell you …”

Which of the following makes the best thesis statement?

• Even though marriage is a strong and respected institution in Russia, more and more people are choosing to live together before marriage, despite the cultural pressures.

• I am going to explain why many couples in Russia are choosing to live together rather than get married.

• Marriage in Russia.