Thesis Statements for Argument Essays

Can a thesis statement be a question?

• Yes

• No

Where should your thesis statement go in a traditional five- or six-paragraph essay?

• Opening sentence

• Last sentence of the first paragraph

• In the body paragraphs

• Only in the conclusion

A thesis statement must be ...

• interesting

• complicated

• debatable

• short

Select the best thesis statement from the following samples.

• Should college athletes be paid?

• In certain circumstances, college athletes may need to be paid.

• Division 1 college athletes should be paid by their universities.

• I think there's some merit to the question that student-athletes should be compensated depending on the particular circumstance.

In what section of the essay do I explain an opposing view?

• Introduction

• Conclusion

• Body

• Counterclaim

Which of the following should not be included as supporting evidence for a paper on term limits for Congressmen?

• The average age of Congress has gone from 55 to 72 in the past decade, and new ideas from younger candidates could rejuvenate the capitol.

• Once in office, congress people can become complacent or worse, only work toward reelection instead of working for the people.

• Political action committees have taken too much control of long-standing senators.

• Adding Washington, D.C. as a state would shift the majority in Congress.

Which of the following should not be included as supporting evidence for a paper on the NBA's viability in Louisville?

• A comparison to other similarly sized markets currently in the league

• Facilities assessment of the Yum Center against league standards

• The history of Racing Louisville, the city's newest pro team

• Potential local corporate involvement with the team

Do I need an in-text citation or reference for every item found in my Works Cited?

• Yes

• No

Which of the following are all accurate in regards to MLA format?

• double-spaced, Courier New 12, include a header

• single-spaced, Courier New 10, no header

• double-spaced, no title, Times New Roman, no header

• double-spaced, Times New Roman 12, header and title

Is using first person encouraged in this kind of argument essay?

• Yes

• No