Identifying Effective Thesis Statement

For each set of sentences below, select the one that you think would make the more effective thesis in the introductory paragraph of a short essay (approximately 400 to 600 words). Be reminded that an effective thesis statement should be sharply focused and specific, and not just a general statement of fact.

• The Hunger Games is a science fiction adventure film based on the novel of the same name by Suzanne Collins.

• The Hunger Games is a morality tale about the dangers of a political system that is dominated by the wealthy.

• The Hunger Games is an exceptional tale about adventurous characters led by actors Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson.

• The Hunger Games deals with dystopian post-apocalyptic future in the nation of Panem depicts boys and girls who are forced to compete in The Hunger Games, an elaborate televised fight to the death.

For each set of sentences below, select the one that you think would make the more effective thesis in the introductory paragraph of a short essay (approximately 400 to 600 words). Be reminded that an effective thesis statement should be sharply focused and specific, and not just a general statement of fact.

• Cell phones provide freedom, ease in studies, and mobility though they can also become a leash, compelling users to answer them anywhere and at any time.

• There is no question that cell phones have changed our lives in a very big way that no one can deny.

• Cell phones are a necessity nowadays; however, its users are prone to committing lack of discipline in doing household chores, students' loss of sense of priority in studies, and some destructions to any relationship.

• Undisciplined use of cell phone and other electronic gadgets are a bane to those who do not have sense of priorities, more so to some who do not care how to help at home and how to socialize in the outskirts of their homes.

Select the one that you think would make the more effective thesis in the introductory paragraph of a short essay (approximately 400 to 600 words).

• College students looking for part-time work should begin their search by taking advantage of job-finding resources on campus.

• College students seeking for a job faces challenges especially if they have not been given proper on-the-job training.

• Finding a job is never easy, but it can be especially hard when the economy is still feeling the effects of a recession and employers are reluctant to hire new workers.

Select the one that you think would make the more effective thesis in the introductory paragraph of a short essay (approximately 400 to 600 words).

• Coconut oil offers a lot of healthy benefits beneficial for people practicing healthy lifestyles.

• Cooking oil has been a healthy food option for health-conscious consumers for the health benefits it gives.

• Cooking oil is plant, animal, or synthetic fat that is used in frying, baking, and other types of cooking.

• For the past three decades, coconut oil has been unjustly criticized as an artery-clogging saturated fat.

Select the one that you think would make the more effective thesis in the introductory paragraph of a short essay (approximately 400 to 600 words).

• There is an epidemic of cheating in America's schools and colleges, and there are no easy solutions to this problem.

• There are several steps that teachers can take to encourage academic integrity and curtail cheating in their classes.

• Cheating in schools shows that students committing such will more likely become corrupt as they will offend not only their own families but also themselves.

• Cheating whether in short quizzes or long exams shows how deteriorated students' integrity and morality; what more will they become in the future?

Select the one that you think would make the more effective thesis in the introductory paragraph of a short essay (approximately 400 to 600 words).

• Millennial generation's internet addiction that poses harm to their physical, emotional, and mental health is another type of addiction that parents must be aware of.

• Drug and alcohol addiction is a major problem in the world today, and many people suffer from it.

• Drug and alcohol addiction that destroys lives of those individuals are two prime factors for occurrence of crime nowadays.

• Like other addictive behaviors, internet addiction may have serious negative consequences, including academic failure, job loss, and a breakdown in personal relationships.

Choose the best revision for each thesis statement.

1) “The Raven” is a dark and morose poem that leaves the audience feeling depressed by the last stanza. Poe succeeds in creating that effect in “The Raven” through use of repetition and adds to it through contrast of religious Christian and Greek mythological references.

• E.A. Poe uses repetition and contrasting religious symbolism to create the dark and morose feeling of “The Raven.”

• Through the use of droning alliteration and assonance, Poe creates a dark and morose feeling in “The Raven”; Poe enhances this feeling by employing both Christian and Greek religious symbolism. [Revision #2]

• E.A. Poe’s “The Raven” conveys dark, morose, and depressing feelings because of the repetition of sounds and the contrasting Christian and Greek symbols of death and the afterlife.

• E. A. Poe's use of alliteration and assonance results in the dark and morose feeling of "The Raven".

Select the one you think would make effective thesis in the introductory paragraph of a short essay (approximately 400 to 600 words).

• The bicycle was introduced in the nineteenth century and rapidly grew into a worldwide phenomenon.

• The bicycle's introduction in the nineteenth century led to mobilization of countries toward sustainable environment.

• Sustainable environment is achieved since the bicycle's introduction in the nineteenth century.

• In several ways, bicycles today are better than they were 100 or even 50 years ago.