The Thesis Statem ent

© 2001 by Ruth Luman

A Road Map for Your Essay

References

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement is the single, specific claim that your essay makes.

The entire paper should be completely focused on the thesis statement.

Usually found near the end of the introductory paragraph

S-O-R

An effective thesis statement has three parts: SUBJECT, OPINION, and REASON.

SUBJECT

The SUBJECT tells the reader exactly on which topic, or whom, the paper will focus.

OPINION

The precise opinion gives your answer to a debatable question about the subject.

Your precise opinion should persuade your reader to do something; you will have to explain and prove your claim using evidence.

REASON

Explains to the reader the main argument or reason WHY he/she should agree with your opinion.

Can include a forecast (subtopics) that you discuss in detail later in the essay.

Each subtopic will become its own body paragraph

Example:

Birth order can have a significant impact on the development of a child's character because it strongly affects relationships with parents, relationships with others, and how one views responsibility as an adult.

Identify the S-O-R.

Answer

Birth order can have a significant impact on the development of a child's character because it strongly affects relationships with parents, relationships with others, and how one views responsibility as an adult.

A Com plete SentenceAnother Exam ple

The problem of pollution in big cities.

W hy should m arijuana be legalized?

This is not a com plete sentence.

The problem of pollution in m ajor cities can bealleviated by lim iting the num ber of cars allow ed todrive on city streets and creating m ore effi cient publictransportation system s.

Marijuana should be legalized because it is not anym ore addictive than tobacco and it can providenum erous m edicinal benefits for those suffering fromterm inal illnesses.

This is a question, not a statement.

Thesis Statement

Thesis Statement

SubtopicsAnother Exam ple

I nner-city public schools grapple w ith som e serious problems.

No subtopics are nam ed in this thesis statem ent.

Some of the m ost serious problems in today’s inner -city public schools are the overcrow ded classrooms, the low percentage of trained teachers, and the lack of resources such as textbooks for students.

This statem ent nam es three subtopics. Can you find all of the subtopics?

subtopic #1 subtopic #2

subtopic #3

I n thesis statem ents, you should avoid usingstatem ents like, “This essay w ill discuss… ” or“I ’m going to w rite about… ”. Try to w rite athesis statem ent that captures your reader’sattention w ithout announcing your m ain topicand stating the obvious. Look at the exam plesbelow .

Key FeaturesDon’t State the Obvious

Key FeaturesDon’t State the Obvious

I n this essay, I am going to discuss the effects of long-term drug abuse.

Long-term drug use can have disastrous effects on one’s m arriage, career, and health.

Don’t State the ObviousAnother Exam ple

This essay w ill discuss som e w ays teachers can fight teenage drug abuse.

Teachers can fight teenage drug abuse by educating young people on its dangers and by being good role m odels.

Key FeaturesReview

states the m ain idea of the essay in a com plete sentence, not in a question.

states an opinion or attitude on a topic. I t doesn’tjust state the topic, itself.

is usually at the end of an introduction.

often lists subtopics.

does not directly announce your m ain topic.

Practice:

Let's practice writing thesis statements using the S-O-R method.

Write an effective thesis statement about the electronics use policy here at Kealakehe High School.

Write an effective thesis statement about the suspension policy at Kealakehe High School for EUP violations and fighting.