Thesis Statements

The thesis statement should express a main idea that links to supporting points

• True
• False

A thesis statement should...

• use more than one topic

• be the main idea of an essay

• be broad

• be wordy or very long

What is the purpose of a thesis statement?

• To be a pretty sentence

• To be a sentence in your introduction

• To introduce your paper to the reader

• To explain what your essay will be about

Where does your thesis statement need to appear in your essay?

• At the beginning of your introduction
• At the end of your introduction
• In your body paragraphs
• At the end of your entire essay

A thesis statement should...

• be a statement and a complete sentence

• be in the first person

• use unclear language

• state a fact

A thesis should never...

• say, "This paper will be about"

• have reasons to support the claim

What formula should you use when you write your thesis statement?

• topic + three reasons

• supporting details + reasons

• Why + How

• Who + What

Prompt: "Write an essay explaining whether it is important to laugh." Which of the following is the best thesis statement?

• It is important to laugh because laughing has social, health, and emotional benefits.

• It is important to laugh because you need to laugh every day, you need to laugh when you're sad, and you need to laugh when they are being mean.

• It is important to laugh because laughing helps people, like in the story, "The Tale-Tell Heart" where the man laughs to help him deal with his crime, or in the story "Lamb to the Slaughter," where the laughing helps the lady get away with murder.

• It is important to laugh because laughing helped me through a really tough time when I was a kid. I remember when my grandmother was sick, but she still had a good sense of humor. It was good to see her laugh!

Choose the strong thesis.

•  I would like to become a chef when I finish school

•  Although both chefs and cooks can prepare fine meals, chefs differ from cooks in   education, professional commitment, and artistry.

• Being a chef has many benefits.

Choose a strong thesis statement.

• Violent video games are harmful for young people to play.

• Violent video games are harmful to young people, and it should be stopped.

• Violent video games are harmful for young people to play because  it promotes a sedentary lifestyle, encourages violence, and can cause children to become desensitized to death.

• Violent video games are harmful for young people because they should be reading a book.