1. Writing an effective and well-constructed thesis statement

2. Your thesis statement…
Should answer the prompt.
It should address all parts of the prompt.
Should be an assertion, a claim, a declaration that must be proven
Be one (no more than two) sentences
Identify for the reader the main idea of your paper
Will help to determine your 3 claims in the body of your paper.
A weak thesis statement will result in a WEAK argument and essentially a WEAK paper!

3. A good thesis statement…
Is the BIG idea which you should prove by the end of your paper?
But…
It should not be TOO big
Ex. Over the past 500 years music has been used in many spiritual groups as a means of getting closer to God (This is NOT a 5 paragraph paper)
Should not be TOO small
Ex. Students should be allowed to vote at 16 because they will be adults in two years and the president during those two years will greatly affect their young adult lives. (This is more of a claim)

4. A good thesis statement (at this point in your academic career)…
Should not be three pronged
Ex. Cats are good pets because they are friendly, clean, and small enough for most residences.
Instead they should be general for the topic
Ex. Cats are great pets for a variety of reasons. (I guess this one is alright …) OR
Ex. While Americans often call dogs man’s best friend; cats are really a much more versatile pet that fit the needs of a larger variety of people. (Much better !!!)

5. More to consider…
Consider starting with a subordinating conjunction (although, whereas, whether, while, if, even if, even though, unless, since…)
Remember this is your thesis statement. The main idea of your paper.
Make sure you’re responding directly to the prompt
Use the terms in the prompt
Make sure that your claim can be argued
YOU are NOT in this paper!!! So, YOU are NOT in your primary claim.
They should come at the very end of your introduction
Your claims should each serve as an explanation or reason for your thesis.
They require you to think about what you want to write about from the outset
They can change as you start writing
They are the most important statements in your paper

6. More Examples: Prompt: Is man inherently good or evil?
Ex 1: While greater attention is often paid to the evil in society, the overall goodness of man is greater.
Ex 2: Man’s inherent greatness is apparent in the varied acts of kindness that are performed daily around the world by everyday people.
Ex 3: The everyday sacrifices of ordinary citizens proves that mankind is inherently good.

7. Here is an example of a good thesis statement and the claims to support it
Thesis: While Americans often call dogs man’s best friend, cats are really a much more versatile pet that fit the needs of a larger variety of people.
Claim 1: Cats are one of the most domesticated animals in the world, as evidenced by their historical use as pets.
Claim 2: Feline creatures are super clean and require little upkeep and care.
Claim 3: Cats’ small size makes them the perfect pet for most residences.
These claims are ready for some evidence and interpretation!!!