Antigone essay

Thesis Statements: the good, the bad, and the ugly

A thesis statement…

· Tells what you are going to explain, defend, or prove about a topic, but does not say “This essay will …”

· Is usually placed at the end of the intro paragraph

· Must be a complete sentence

· Must not be a statement of fact (something known for certain)

· Must answer the question of the assignment.

Examples:

( Most children at five years of age should not be in school more than half the day.

( Nearly all kindergartens in the US offer only a half day of instruction.

The first sentence is an effective thesis statement because it is a matter of opinion. “Should” and “because” statements usually make for an effective thesis. The second sentence is a statement of fact.

Practice:

Put a check mark by the best thesis statements. (There are several.)

· In the US, kindergarten is not compulsory.

· Children should begin learning to read in kindergarten.

· In some European countries, children do not begin formal schooling until the age of seven.

· The personal interview is the most important step in the employment process.

· Sixty percent of all jobs are obtained through personal contacts.

· The best time to begin a foreign language is in grade school.

· Most Americans doing business in Japan do not know a word of Japanese.

Which were thesis statements?

The second one. The “should” statement makes it arguable.

The fourth one. Is it really the MOST important step? Maybe. It’s arguable.

The sixth one. The judgmental word “best” makes it an argument. Clearly, not everyone agrees, or we would be offering foreign language in elementary school.

The others were statements of fact.

Your thesis statement generally will be arguable if you answer the question of the assignment.

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For example, if your history professor asks you to write a paper on the causes of World War I, your thesis statement could look like this:

Many political and military situations led up to World War I, but the two with the greatest impact were the sinking of the Lusitania and Prussian Militarism.

And if that were your thesis statement, then your first body paragraph would be about the sinking of the Lusitania, and the second body paragraph would be about Prussian Militarism.

So, be sure your thesis statement answers the question, and in effect, predicts the rest of the essay and its order.