1. Thesis Statements MENU EXIT
A thesis statement contains the main idea or message of a composition.
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2. Thesis Statements PREVIOUS MENU EXIT
A thesis statement contains the main idea or message of a composition. A mini-thesis statement contains the main idea or message for a paragraph.
To find the thesis, look for the sentence that best explains what the essay or paragraph will be about. Which sentence in this paragraph provides that information?
In “Death of a Hired Man,” Robert Frost uses the hushed conversation of a husband and wife to explore the meaning of a lonely person’s life. The whole poem seems to take place in whispers, though the message is strong.
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3. Thesis Statements PREVIOUS MENU EXIT
A thesis statement contains the main idea or message of a composition.
In “Death of a Hired Man,” Robert Frost uses the hushed conversation of a husband and wife to explore the meaning of a lonely person’s life. The whole poem seems to take place in whispers, though the message is strong.
This is the mini-thesis sentence. It indicates the topic of the paragraph and the writer’s opinion about that topic.
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4. Thesis Statements PREVIOUS MENU EXIT A successful thesis statement
is usually one sentence
is a statement, not a question
identifies the subject of the essay or composition
takes a stand rather than simply announcing a subject
is narrow and specific enough to be fully supported
is the last sentence in your introduction
A thesis statement may also preview the main ideas of the essay and set the tone.
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5. Click to see successful thesis statements
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Thesis Statements
Which of these sentences are successful thesis statements?
Geoffrey Chaucer was England’s first great writer.
The Canterbury Tales is Geoffrey Chaucer’s greatest achievement because of the humor and the vivid picture of medieval life the tales present.
The Canterbury Tales is a frame story, or a story within a story.
The Pardoner’s Tale is ironic because its moral lesson about the evils of money comes from a man who loves money and has no scruples about lying to get it.
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6. Thesis Statements PREVIOUS MENU EXIT
These two thesis statements are successful because they express specific ideas and suggest the direction the essay will take.
Geoffrey Chaucer was England’s first great writer.
The Canterbury Tales is Geoffrey Chaucer’s greatest achievement because of the humor and the vivid picture of medieval life the tales present.
The Canterbury Tales is a frame story, or a story within a story.
The Pardoner’s Tale is ironic because its moral lesson about the evils of money comes from a man who loves money and has no scruples about lying to get it. i i
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7. Thesis Statements PREVIOUS MENU EXIT
When you revise your writing, be sure your thesis statement is as strong as it should be.
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8. Thesis Statements MENU EXIT
When you revise your writing, be sure your thesis statement is as strong as it should be.
When you write thesis sentences, you should avoid the following common errors. Click on the error you want to explore.
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Simple statements of fact
Simple announcements
Broad, general opinions

9. Simple Statements of Fact
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Thesis Statements
Simple Statements of Fact
Statements of fact cannot be thesis statements because they do not take a position or suggest a direction for the writing.
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10. Simple Statements of Fact
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Thesis Statements
Simple Statements of Fact
Statements of fact cannot be thesis statements because they do not take a position or suggest a direction for the writing.
How would you change this statement of fact into a thesis?
Over the last 100 years the Florida Everglades have shrunk to less than half their original size.
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11. Simple Statements of Fact
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Thesis Statements
Simple Statements of Fact
Statements of fact cannot be thesis statements because they do not take a position or suggest a direction for the writing.
The revised thesis expresses an opinion about the topic, rather than just stating a fact. It also previews the main ideas of the essay.
Over the last 100 years the Florida Everglades have shrunk to less than half their original size.
ORIGINAL
REVISED
Over the last 100 years the Florida Everglades have shrunk to less than half their original size because of uncontrolled agricultural and residential development.
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12. Simple Announcements Thesis Statements MENU EXIT
A simple announcement doesn’t express a point of view or preview the main ideas of the composition.
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13. Simple Announcements Thesis Statements PREVIOUS MENU EXIT
A simple announcement doesn’t express a point of view or preview the main ideas of the composition.
How would you rewrite this statement to make it an effective thesis?
In this paper, I am going to analyze the role of Civil War drummer boys.
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14. Simple Announcements Thesis Statements PREVIOUS MENU EXIT
A simple announcement doesn’t express a point of view or preview the main ideas of the composition.
This revised thesis expresses a point of view and previews the main ideas. It does not mention the paper and avoids the first person reference.
Drummer boys in the Civil War not only drummed the call to battle, they also helped care for the wounded and performed other duties around the camps.
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15. Broad, General Opinions
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Thesis Statements
Broad, General Opinions
The statement of an opinion should be specific and narrow enough to be fully supported.
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16. Broad, General Opinions
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Thesis Statements
Broad, General Opinions
The statement of an opinion should be specific and narrow enough to be fully supported.
How would you revise this broad statement?
The legend of King Arthur is a fascinating story.
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17. Broad, General Opinions
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Thesis Statements
Broad, General Opinions
The statement of an opinion should be specific and narrow enough to be fully supported.
How would you revise this broad statement?
The legend of King Arthur is a fascinating story.

18. Broad, General Opinions
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Thesis Statements
Broad, General Opinions
The statement of an opinion should be specific and narrow enough to be fully supported.
The legend of King Arthur is a fascinating story. . .

19. Broad, General Opinions
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Thesis Statements
Broad, General Opinions
The statement of an opinion should be specific and narrow enough to be fully supported.
The legend of King Arthur is a fascinating story
because
it challenges people’s ideas of the value of honor and
friendship.

20. Broad, General Opinions
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Thesis Statements
Broad, General Opinions
The statement of an opinion should be specific and narrow enough to be fully supported.
This thesis statement gives specific reasons that can be supported with evidence.
The legend of King Arthur is a fascinating story
because
it challenges people’s ideas of the value of honor and
friendship.
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