2. An argumentative statement that is supportable It is NOT a fact Be careful that it is not too vague or broad so that is has a single focus that is appropriate for the length of your paper. It is the most important sentence in the entire paper!!!!

3. As a runaway slave, Jim is in danger from the law. One major theme in American Literature is discovery. Shakespeare was a brilliant man. Death Becomes Her reveals the destructive fear humanity has with aging.

4. If your thesis is too vague or broad, replace the vague words with more exact words and vague ideas with more complete information Vague: My recent trip to Florida was really bad. Revised: My recent trip to Florida was disappointed because the weather upset my sightseeing plans.

5. You can sometimes make a thesis statement more specific by stating the natural divisions of the subject. This can often set up an outline for the entire essay. Vague: The movie Southern Smoke seemed phony. Revised: The costumes, the dialogue, and the plot of the movie Southern Smoke all seemed phony.

6. Two men were killed on the highway. My week at camp was fun. Clay token were precursors to the Sumerian ideographs. A hearty belly laugh makes good medicine.

7. The thesis statement must be a specific as possible. A specific thesis will focus your subject and allow for a strong essay.

8. Moby-Dick is about the problem of evil. Moby-Dick is boring and pointless. Moby-Dick is about a big, white whale. The use of “whiteness” in Moby-Dick illustrates the uncertainty about the meaning of life that Ishmael expresses throughout the novel.

9. Fast food Underage drinking Video games

10. Examples from the text: Direct quotations Summaries of scenes Paraphrase Other critics’ opinions Historical and social context Always remember to read carefully and highlight useful passages and quotes!