what makes a thesis statement good or bad

A thesis statement is a sentence in a paper or essay (in the opening paragraph) that introduces the main topic to the reader. As one of the first things your reader sees, your thesis statement is one of the most important sentences in your entire paper—but also one of the hardest to write! In this article, we explain how to write a thesis ...

Developing Strong Thesis Statements - Purdue OWL

How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples

A good thesis statement reflects the scope of your paper. It should provide a glimpse of the main points you will discuss, giving your readers a preview of the structure and content of your work. This helps them understand how your argument will unfold. Example: Weak: "Renewable energy is important.".

Thesis Statements - The University Writing Center

Thesis Statements - UNC Writing Center

Step 4: Revise and refine your thesis statement before you start writing. Read through your thesis statement several times before you begin to compose your full essay. You need to make sure the statement is ironclad, since it is the foundation of the entire paper. Edit it or have a peer review it for you to make sure everything makes sense and ...

Thesis | Harvard College Writing Center

How to write a thesis statement + Examples

The real purpose of the thesis statement is: To establish a gateway through which your readers can make an entrance into your research paper. To bring the entire research paper together to an epicenter of various arguments provided throughout the paper. Simply put, the goal of writing a strong thesis statement is to make your research paper ...

A good thesis statement doesn't leave a reader asking "how" or "why." Take a look at the bad thesis example below. While the thesis does state a clear stance, it doesn't explain why or how Twitter is both good and bad. In the better thesis example, we clearly answer both of these questions so there's no confusion for the reader.

The thesis statement is the brief articulation of your paper's central argument and purpose. You might hear it referred to as simply a "thesis." Every scholarly paper should have a thesis statement, and strong thesis statements are concise, specific, and arguable. Concise means the thesis is short: perhaps one or two sentences for a shorter paper.

Example Thesis B. Version 1: Eating disorders are a significant problem among college-aged students. Version 2: Eating disorders are a significant problem among college-aged men because they negatively affect academic performance, socializing, and overall psychological well-being. Version 3: Eating disorders among college-aged men are ...

Debatable: A good thesis presents a claim that can be supported or opposed with evidence. Evidence: Your thesis should be backed by credible sources and data. ... Avoid being too vague or broad, and make sure your thesis statement presents an arguable claim rather than just stating a fact. Be clear and specific, and make sure it aligns with the ...

How to Write a Thesis Statement-Examples

A thesis must be arguable. And in order for it to be arguable, it must present a view that someone might reasonably contest. Sometimes a thesis ultimately says, "we should be good," or "bad things are bad." Such thesis statements are tautological or so universally accepted that there is no need to prove the point. Bad Thesis 1

Here are some examples of bad and better thesis statements. Bad: The grey wolf is a timid creature that is being hunted and exterminated. Better: Even though the grey wolf is a timid, gentle animal, it is being hunted and exterminated because humans wrongfully think it is a fierce killer. Bad: Organ donors deserve money for their sacrifice.

In Gordon Harvey's Elements of the Academic Essay, he makes a succinct attempt to define the thesis statement, stating that it is "your main insight or idea about a text or topic, and the main proposition that your essay demonstrates" (Harvey 1).He also places it foremost in his list of elements, with the implication that it is the most crucial component.

Your job as a writer is to persuade the reader—through the careful use of examples and thoughtful analysis—that your argument is a valid one. A thesis statement is, essentially, the idea that the rest of your paper will support. Perhaps it is an opinion that you have marshaled logical arguments in favor of. Perhaps it is a synthesis of ...

3. The Statement is Too Basic or Obvious. As you move up through school, your writing should mature as well. A successful thesis statement from junior high is not necessarily a strong thesis statement in high school or college. While being very basic and obvious in your younger writing might be fine, writing as an older student should be more precise and refined.

It may be that what makes your thesis debatable, is that you are raising a specific, nuanced point. Example of a Better Thesis Statement: "A person's career choice must not be considered a sole source of their sense of self-worth." What makes this a better thesis statement is that it is raising a point to be proven - that one's job shouldn't ...

To revise the thesis, the relationship between the two ideas needs to become clearer. STRONGER THESIS: 4. A strong thesis statement is specific: A thesis statement should show exactly what your paper will be about and the argument should be narrow enough to be concretely proven. WEAK THESIS: Slavery in the United States damaged many lives.

Clarity. You need to make sure the reader understands your thesis statement and which side of the argument you will prove in the body of your essay. If you vacillate between one side of the argument and the other in your thesis, this will confuse your reader. Make clear, well-thought out statements that identify your perspective on the topic.