1. Thesis Statements

2. What is a thesis statement?
A thesis statement is the main idea of an essay.
It is a point you want to argue or support in an essay. SO
The thesis statement explains to a reader the main idea of the essay and the writer’s opinion on that idea.

3. A thesis statement is usually one sentence.
It is placed as the last sentence in the introduction.
It is a claim that could be argued.
The essay will contain evidence and facts that support the argument.

4. Thesis statements avoid the following:
first person language (I believe, In my opinion, etc.)
unclear language (It seems, etc.)
just stating a fact - A thesis is something you plan to make an argument about.

5. A thesis statement should
contain a topic (main idea of what you are writing about)
contain an opinion about the topic (what your attitude is toward the topic)

6. A thesis statement should not be too general.
Too general The War of 1812 came before the Civil War. Better The War of 1812 set into motion the main events that caused the Civil War.

7. A thesis statement should not be a a fact.
A fact 2 out of 3 students do not get the right amount of sleep each night. Better In order for students to succeed in school, they must get a sufficient amount of sleep each night.