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The thesis statement is the anchor of any research paper. It states what the paper is about
and gives the reader a sense of direction — like a road map. It is typically the last sentence
in your introduction. If written properly, a thesis statement should read like an outline in
sentence form. Here are some examples of bad and better thesis statements.
Thesis Statements:
The Bad and the Better
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 erce killer.
Bad: Organ donors deserve money for
their sacrice.
Better: Due to the pain and lifestyle
change they are willing to undergo to
save another life, organ donors should
be compensated with nancial rewards.
Bad: This paper will look at the
advantages of school uniforms.
Better: School uniforms positively
impact students and their parents by
lowering clothing costs, reducing
on-campus violence and bullying, and
creating a unied school experience.
Bad: Saving the whales should be a
top priority.
Better: Saving the whales will have a
positive eect on Earth’s biological
diversity, therefore maintaining our
planet’s health and ecosystems.
Bad: Drinking too much alcohol is bad
for your health.
Better: Excessive alcohol consumption
adversely aects your health and may
contribute to liver disease, heart disease,
and weight gain.
Bad: Using the internet has a positive
eect on people.
Better: The internet improves lives by
instantly connecting people across the
world, creating new friendships, and
serving as a forum for exchanging ideas.
Bad: Encouraging children to read can
help them build analytical skills.
Better: When children are encouraged
to read, they can build good habits that
foster comprehension skills, increase
vocabulary, and expand their knowledge
of new worlds.
Bad: In this paper, I will explore popular
childhood fairy tales.
Better: Fairy tales don’t just make
good bedtime stories, they also help
explain the psychology of children.
1. Pose a question or restate the question posed by the writing prompt.
2. Make a claim, or state your opinion (without using the personal pronoun “I”). Make sure to
write your answer as a complete sentence, not a question or phrase.
4. Now, put it all together.
3. Write down the three main points (pieces of evidence) that you will explore in your paper.
These will become topic sentences in the body of your essay.
Example: What are the primary causes of climate change?
Example: Climate change is caused primarily by human activities.
Example Thesis: Climate change is caused by human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels,
deforestation and farming.
Examples:
1. The burning of fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, releases carbon pollution into the atmosphere.
2. Deforestation means fewer trees exist to absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the air.
3. Farming contributes to climate change because livestock produce methane, a greenhouse gas.
1.
2.
3.
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Graphic Organizer: Writing the Three-Part Thesis Statement
Note: Sometimes your thesis statement can be followed by an additional sentence that elaborates
on your main points.
A three-part thesis statement includes your three main pieces of evidence.
Use this graphic organizer to plan your three-part thesis statement.
