THESIS

STATEMENTS

English 100
22 January 2009
Thesis Statements
 A good thesis helps control your
essay and lead your reader
through your ideas
 Without a good thesis, your

essay is likely to feel

unorganized and poorly
developed
 Think of your thesis as a sales

pitch to your readers, trying to

convince them to keep reading
Good Thesis Statements
 A good thesis needs to be:
 Specific

Support broad claims with more

focused ideas
 Organized
Suggest the organization of the
essay
 Assertive
Make a claim
Specific
 Vague thesis:
Ienjoyed and agree with Robert
Ramirez’s essay.
 More specific thesis:
Robert Ramirez’s description of
the barrio reminds me of the
closeness and sense of
community found in my North
Valley neighborhood.
Organized
 Unorganized thesis:
Robin Henig’s essay was
interesting, but I have never had
an experience like hers, and she
writes a well-organized essay.
 More organized thesis:
In her essay Robin Henig relates
her personal experience
eloquently, but her experience is
very different from the time I lost
sight in my left eye.
Assertive
 Weak thesis:
My experience is similar to
Klinkenborg’s essay.
 More assertive thesis:
Reading Klinkenborg’s descriptive
essay reminded me of my
grandfather’s farm and the
summers that I spent there and
how the natural world shaped my