1. WordinessThesis Statements MENUEXIT Continue… A thesis statement contains the main idea or message of a composition.

2. Wordiness MENUEXIT To find the thesis, look for the sentence that best explains what the essay 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. PREVIOUS Click to see the essay topic Thesis Statements A thesis statement contains the main idea or message of a composition.

3. Wordiness MENUEXIT This is the thesis sentence. It indicates the topic of the essay and the writer’s opinion about that topic. PREVIOUS Next Thesis Statements 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.

4. Wordiness A successful thesis statement PREVIOUS MENUEXIT Next 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 A thesis statement may also preview the main ideas of the essay and set the tone. Thesis Statements

5. Wordiness 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. PREVIOUS MENUEXIT Thesis Statements Click to see successful thesis statements

6. Wordiness PREVIOUS MENUEXIT Thesis Statements i i 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. These two thesis statements are successful because they express specific ideas and suggest the direction the essay will take. Next

7. WordinessThesis Statements MENUEXIT Continue… When you revise your writing, be sure your thesis statement is as strong as it should be. PREVIOUS

8. Wordiness When you write thesis sentences, you should avoid the following common errors. Click on the error you want to explore. MENUEXIT MENU Thesis Statements When you revise your writing, be sure your thesis statement is as strong as it should be. Simple statements of fact Simple announcements Broad, general opinions

9. Wordiness MENUEXIT 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. Thesis Statements Continue…

10. Wordiness MENUEXIT Simple Statements of Fact 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. Click to see a revision Thesis Statements PREVIOUS Statements of fact cannot be thesis statements because they do not take a position or suggest a direction for the writing.

11. Wordiness MENUEXIT Simple Statements of Fact 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. Menu Thesis Statements PREVIOUS Statements of fact cannot be thesis statements because they do not take a position or suggest a direction for the writing.

12. Wordiness MENUEXIT Simple Announcements A simple announcement doesn’t express a point of view or preview the main ideas of the composition. Thesis Statements Continue…

13. Wordiness MENUEXIT Simple Announcements 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. Click to see a revision Thesis Statements PREVIOUS A simple announcement doesn’t express a point of view or preview the main ideas of the composition.

14. Wordiness MENUEXIT Simple Announcements 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. Thesis Statements Menu PREVIOUS A simple announcement doesn’t express a point of view or preview the main ideas of the composition.

15. Wordiness MENUEXIT Broad, General Opinions The statement of an opinion should be specific and narrow enough to be fully supported. Thesis Statements Continue…

16. Wordiness MENUEXIT Thesis Statements How would you revise this broad statement? The legend of King Arthur is a fascinating story. Broad, General Opinions Click to see a revision PREVIOUS The statement of an opinion should be specific and narrow enough to be fully supported.

17. Wordiness MENUEXIT Broad, General Opinions Thesis Statements How would you revise this broad statement? The legend of King Arthur is a fascinating story. The statement of an opinion should be specific and narrow enough to be fully supported.

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

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

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