Argument Writing

Which thesis statement is the most effective?

• Social networking sites are a waste of time.

• Social networking benefits the learning process because it allows students to collaborate.

• Spending time on social networking sites has been shown to increase productivity by 9 percent.

Which is an appropriate fact to support this thesis statement?

Thesis statement

Social networking benefits the education process.

• Research shows that students who collaborate over social networks complete projects faster that those who work face-to-face.

• Social networking is beneficial in most college-level academic situations.

• Peer tutoring through social networking sites should be encouraged by more college professors.

True or False?

This is a strong thesis statement...

Parents should block children's access to social networking sites because these sites encourage superficial relationships and do not protect privacy.

• True

• False

True or False?

This is a strong thesis statement...

A 2010 study showed that 15 percent of social networking site users in the United States were under age 17.

• True

• False

True or False?

This is a strong thesis statement...

Social networking has a strong educational value because it promotes collaboration between students around the world.

• True

• False

True or False?

This is a strong thesis statement...

Social networking sites are distracting for many people.

• True

• False

Choose the statements that express facts

• In general, social networking sites are a waste of time.

• The average user spends 5.3 hours per day on social networking sites.

• Social networking is an effective way for companies to reach consumers.

• A recent report confirmed that students get higher grades if they attend a college that blocks access to social networking sites.

• Colleges and universities should block students' access to social networking sites in order to improve academic performance

Choose the statements that express opinions

• People who are connected on social networking sites are not really friends.

• The average social networking site user has 195 online "friends."

• On one social networking site, a quiz tells you what your friends really think of you.

• As of 2010, approximately one-third of all blogs were written by females

• Most blogs contain superficial information that is not useful for researchers.