1. English 12 Romeo High School
Research Writing
English 12
Romeo High School

2. Writing Your Thesis Statement
This assignment is an argumentative paper. An argumentative paper makes a claim about a topic and justifies this claim with specific evidence. The claim could be a policy proposal, an evaluation, a cause-and-effect statement, or an interpretation. The goal of the argumentative paper is to convince the audience that the claim is true based on the evidence provided.

3. Writing Your Thesis Statement
A thesis expresses a claim, or main point about the topic as a whole. Your thesis statement should be specific—it should cover only what you will discuss in your paper and should be supported with specific evidence. The thesis statement usually appears as part of the introduction (first paragraph) of a research paper.

4. Writing Your Thesis Statement
This claim or assertion that the thesis makes is not a small one -- it actually states a claim that is broad enough to cover all the material you mention in the essay. Your topic may change slightly as you write, so you may need to revise your thesis statement to reflect exactly what you have discussed in the paper.

5. Writing Your Thesis Statement
Every word in your essay must have some direct or indirect connection to the claim in the thesis. If you can't demonstrate how the sentences relate back to the thesis, then the essay probably has digressed somewhere and lost focus. Your thesis statement will guide your writing. All topic sentences, body paragraphs, evidence, and examples in your paper should develop, support, and relate to your thesis statement.

6. Sample Thesis Statements
“Overall, American society has become lazier as a result of available technology.” “The advancements in technology in the last century have had a negative effect on personal communication.”

7. Sample Thesis Statements
“Students have become too dependent on the Internet for their learning, and as a result, academic achievement is decreasing.” “The Internet has had a positive effect on the American economy.”

8. Sample Thesis Statements
“Social media had become the new platform for harassment and bullying.” “Students’ use of social media has created a more global perspective on learning.” “The use of technology in schools has negatively affected the way students learn and process new information.”

9. Sample Thesis Statements
“The availability of advanced technology has had a positive impact on the education process in the United States.” “Certain media portrayals are too explicit and are therefore considered unsuitable for younger age groups; censorship is appropriately used to regulate what is appropriate for younger consumers.”