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15 Thesis Statement Examples
15 Thesis Statement Examples
Have you ever watched a great film trailer and thought, “I have to see that movie!”? A good
trailer gives you the basic premise of the movie, shows you the highlights, and encourages
you to want to see more.
A good thesis statement will accomplish the same thing. It gives readers an idea of the most
important points of an essay, shows the highlights, and makes them want to read more.
It will also help keep you, the writer, from getting lost in a convoluted and directionless
argument.
Most importantly, a good thesis statement makes a statement. After all, it’s called a thesis
statement for a reason!
“This is an interesting statement!” you want your reader to think. “Let’s see if this author can
convince me.”
This blog post will dissect the components of a good thesis statement and give you 15 thesis
statement examples that you can use to inspire your next argumentative essay.
It’s important to stay focused! Don’t try to argue an overly broad topic in your essay, or
you’re going to feel confused and unsure about your direction and purpose.
Don’t write:
This statement is too general and would be nearly impossible for you to defend. It leaves a lot
of big questions to answer. Is all fast food bad? Why is it bad? Who should avoid it? Why
should anyone care?
Do write:
“Americans should eliminate the regular consumption of fast food because a fast food diet
leads to preventable and expensive health issues, such as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.”
In this example, I’ve narrowed my argument to the health consequences related to a diet of
fast food. I’ve also chosen to focus on Americans rather than everyone in the universe.
Back in the ‘80s, teens loved to say “that’s debatable” about claims they didn’t agree with
(such as “you should clean your room” and “you shouldn’t go to that movie”).
This age-old, neon-colored, bangle-wearing, peg-legged wisdom holds true today—in your
thesis statement.
Don’t write:
No one can argue for or against this statement. It’s not debatable. It’s just a fact.
“Yup.”
Do write:
Opponents could also easily argue that homeless people in Berkeley already receive adequate
services (“just look at all those luxurious sidewalks!”) or perhaps that they shouldn’t be
entitled to services at all (“get a job, ya lazy loafers!”).
Interested in picking up a few more tips about debating issues and perfecting the art of
persuasion? Read How to Write a Persuasive Essay That’s Convincing.
Picking a side is pretty much the whole entire point of an argumentative essay. Just as you
can’t root for both the Yankees and the Mets, you can’t argue both sides of a topic in your
thesis statement.
Learn more about the importance of picking sides by reading the post The Secrets of a Strong
Argumentative Essay.
Don’t write:
“Secondhand smoke is bad and can cause heart disease and cancer; therefore, smoking should
be outlawed in public places, but outlawing smoking is unfair to smokers so maybe non-
smokers can just hold their breath or wear masks around smokers instead.”
A wishy-washy statement like this will make your reader scratch his head in puzzlement. Are
you for smoking laws or against them? Yankees or Mets? Mets or Yankees?
Do write:
“Secondhand smoke is just as harmful as smoking and leads to a higher prevalence of cancer
and heart disease; therefore, smoking in any public place should be banned.”
Pick a side, and stick with it! Then stick up for it.
@Kibin
4. A good thesis makes claims that will be supported later in the paper.
As I explained in the post How to Create a Powerful Argumentative Essay Outline, your
claims make up a critical part of building the roadmap to your argument.
It’s important to first include a summary of your claims in your thesis statement. During the
course of your essay, you will back each of your claims with well-researched evidence.
Don’t write:
This statement doesn’t include any supporting claims. Why should humans move to Mars?
What are the benefits of moving to a planet without oxygen or trees?
Do write:
“It is too late to save earth; therefore, humans should immediately set a date for their
relocation to Mars, where they can, with proper planning, avoid issues of famine, war, and
global warming.”
This statement includes some thought-provoking claims. The reader will wonder how the
author plans to defend them. (“Famine, war, and global warming can be easily avoided on
Mars? Go on…”)
Looking for even more help understanding the key components of a strong thesis statement?
Check out these posts:
Now that you have a better understanding of the all things thesis statement, here are 15 more
thesis statement examples to inspire your next argumentative essay.
As you read the following examples, be careful not to use these thesis statements word-for-
word. I wouldn’t want you to get in trouble if your teacher did a copy/find Google maneuver
on you!
Vaccinations against diseases such as polio, rubella, and mumps should be mandatory for all
U.S. children who wish to attend school as these vaccinations are critical to the control and
eradication of deadly infectious diseases.
Government surveillance programs, such as PRISM, should be banned because they invade
civil liberties, lead innocent people to suffer unfair punishments, and ultimately fail to protect
the citizens that they are designed to safeguard.
#3. Organ donors should be financially compensated
Organ donors should be financially compensated to increase the supply of available organs
and, at the same time, to decrease profitable, illegal organ-harvesting activities in the black
market.
Schools’ dependence on technology has caused students to lose the ability to think
independently, leading to a greater prevalence of mood disorders, memory loss, and
loneliness.
In order to improve the online behavior of students and decrease cyberbullying-related suicide
attempts, school officials should have the authority to discipline students who engage in
cyberbullying.
#6. The U.S. media should update the depiction of traditional families
The U.S. media depicts the traditional family as comprising a mother, father, and children;
however, this notion of the traditional family is outdated and can be harmful to children who
look to this as the gold standard.
Crippling student debt is stifling the growth of the U.S. economy because it inhibits graduates
from being able to spend money on consumer goods and home purchases.
Marijuana has numerous medical applications, such as treating symptoms of epilepsy, cancer,
and glaucoma. Legalizing the use of marijuana in the United States will greatly benefit the
medical sector by giving physicians the ability to prescribe this life-saving drug.
#9. Foreign aid to Africa does not work
Sending foreign aid to African countries is doing more harm than good because the practice
has caused African countries to become vulnerable to inflation, currency fluctuations,
corruption, and civil unrest.
Inspired by this
Though some argue that advertising to children is harmful, it is actually a positive marketing
technique that spurs economic growth.
#12. Most teen celebrities should not be role models for children
Teen celebrities often engage in inappropriate and sometimes illegal activities and thus should
not be considered role models for children.
The welfare system was designed to assist those in need; however, the current system does
more harm than good by promoting government dependency.
Beginning the school day at a later time would stabilize students’ sleep patterns, improve
students’ moods, and increase students’ academic success.
Though some argue that distributing condoms to teens means that schools are encouraging
sexual behavior, schools should distribute birth control to reduce teen pregnancies and
sexually transmitted diseases.
Have a topic and thesis but need to put all of your ideas into essay format? Try
prewriting, outlining, or using a graphic organizer to help organize information.
Once your essay is finished, feel free to send it to a Kibin editor, who can check for grammar
errors, sentence structure issues, and of course, the strength of your thesis.
https://www.kibin.com/essay-writing-blog/thesis-statement-examples/