Tips on how to write a thesis statement

1. Welcome to Primavera
Online School Tutoring
Hello! My name is
Ms. Ray and I will
be your English
tutor today.

2. Objectives
By the end of today’s session, you will be able to:
1. Write a thesis statement.
2. Write a topic sentence.

3. In-class Activity
1. Read sample introductions.
2. Identify thesis statements.
3. Identify topic sentences.

4. Thesis statement
So, what is a thesis statement?
1. It should answer a question
2. It should take a firm position.
3. It should provide a logical explanation of your points.
4. It should provide a roadmap for your paper.
5. It is typically placed at the end of your introduction.
6. It should be repeated and rephrased in your conclusion.

5. What does a strong Thesis look like?
Arguable
Focused
Important
- It should be something that people can
disagree with.
- It should not be an obvious statement.
- It should be specific and not too broad
- You should make sure your position is clear.
- It should not be boring.
- It should be something worth knowing or
learning.

6. Steps to make an effective thesis statement
1. Think about a topic by a research question you
want to answer. Or use the assignment to determine
your topic.
2. Make a claim about your decision. Be firm!
3. Do research to support your claim and brainstorm
of ideas on how to present your points.
4. Express your claim in your thesis statement.
(Answer your research question simply.
5. Add your evidence to your in your thesis
statement. (Answer your research question
thoroughly.
STEPS EXAMPLE
Can boys and girls be friends?
YES!
They can share common interests; and gender roles
are not as rigid as they use to be, so it is much easier
for boys and girls to be friends.
Boys and girls can be friends
Due to the shift in the gender roles in today’s society,
boys and girls can be friends, sharing common
interests and life values.

7. Check your thesis for its strength
Answer YES to all these
questions and you have a
strong thesis statement
Could someone argue for
or against it?
Does it support your
position?
Will the readers want to read
more about it?

8. Thesis Examples
The sport of baseball. This is not a complete
sentence.
The sport of baseball has taught me
valuable social skills and has given the
opportunity to meet interesting people.
Thesis
Statement

9. Thesis Example
Why do I want to be a teacher? This is a question, not a statement.
Being a teacher is a great
profession, because it allows me
to work with students and be
creative.
Thesis
statement

10. Common Mistakes in Thesis statements.
1. Declaration of a topic: Friendship between boys and girls.
2. Questions: Can boys and girls be friends?
3. Obvious: Overeating is bad for health.
4. Not taking a clear position: Sometimes boys and girls can be friends, but sometimes
they can’t.
5. Too many words- blah blah blah blah blah…( keep it brief)
6. Making Vows: I am going to discuss… The purpose of this paper is…This paper will
analyze…
7. Irrelevant topic: Birds can divorce too.
8. Random sentence: The origin of this concept dates back to 1967.
9. Ambiguous: This concept may have a number of practical implications, even though this
theory has certain limitations.

11. Weak vs. Strong
I am going to discuss the importance of
reducing the sugar consumption in
American elementary school children who
consume nine times the recommended
daily amount of sugar because of the
prevalence of soda machines and unhealthy
snacks in school cafeterias.
What’s wrong with this thesis
statement?.
Sugar consumption of American
elementary school children should be
reduced by controlling the menus of
school cafeterias and raising children’s
awareness of healthy options.
Too many letters. Too long and
exhaustive.

12. Weak vs. Strong
Sleep deprivation can have some negative
effects on people.
What is wrong with this thesis
statement?
The study reveals that sleep deprivation can
contribute to concentration difficulties and weight
problems in adolescents.
Too ambiguous

13. Weak vs. Strong
This paper will discuss Titanic,
James Cameron and Leonardo
DiCaprio.
What’s wrong
with this T.S?
Random List
The 1997 movie Titanic was a huge success
owing to the talents of the leading actors,
the film director and the original genre of
epic romantic disaster movie.

14. Weak vs. Strong
Sometimes students enjoy their
studies, but sometimes they don’t.
What’s wrong
with this T.S?
There is a direct relationship
between students’ attitudes
towards study and their learning
outcomes.
Falling between two
stools. Pick a side!

15. Questions?
Please type any questions you have in the chat box.

16. Recap
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