Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

Thesis Writing

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

In the following pairs you will find a series of possible thesis statements. In each pair, one is labelled “a good thesis” and the other “not a thesis”. Study these pairs and figure out what a good

thesis must include.

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

Pair # 1:

Not a Thesis A Good ThesisThe American space shuttle program.

The space shuttle program is an expensive luxury.

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

Pair # 2:

Not a Thesis A Good ThesisFlex-time. This company should

allow flex-time.

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

Pair # 3:

Not a Thesis A Good ThesisOwning your home. Owning your home is

the American nightmare.

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

What can you conclude about a good thesis from these first three pairs?

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

Now look at these pairs.

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

Pair # 1:

Not a Thesis A Good ThesisIn this paper I will discuss computers.

Computers can make human beings more powerful.

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

Pair # 2:

Not a Thesis A Good ThesisRabies will be the subject of this essay.

Every pet should be inoculated against rabies.

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

Pair # 3:

Not a Thesis A Good ThesisThere are a number of pros and cons to nuclear energy.

Nuclear energy is too dangerous to be used as a source of energy.

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

Pair # 4:

Not a Thesis A Good ThesisThe proposal for a mandatory seat belt law is very controversial.

All drivers should be required by law to wear seat belts.

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

What can you conclude about a good thesis

statement from these pairs?

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

Now look at these pairs.

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

Pair # 1:

Not a Thesis A Good ThesisIs Alfred Hitchcock’s movie, Vertigo, a perfect thriller?

Alfred Hitchcock’s movie, Vertigo, is a perfect thriller.

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

Pair # 2:

Not a Thesis A Good ThesisIs it possible to have a perfectly good marriage without love?

It is possible to have a perfectly good marriage without love.

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

What can you conclude about a good thesis

statement from these pairs?

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

Now look at these pairs.

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

Pair # 1:

Weak Thesis Weak ThesisThe Palestinians do not have a homeland.

Something should be done about the Palestinians.

Good ThesisA homeland must be created for the

Palestinians.

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

Pair # 2:

Weak Thesis Weak ThesisHarry Truman was the only president to use nuclear weapons.

Nuclear weapons are a powerful force in the world today.

Good ThesisThe nuclear bombs we exploded on Hiroshima

and Nagasaki were a crime against the human race.

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

Pair # 3:

Weak Thesis Weak ThesisBurning coal with a high sulphur content contributes to acid rain.

The federal government should take a stand on acid rain.

Good ThesisIt should be made illegal to burn high-sulphur

coal.

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

What can you conclude about a good thesis

statement from examples?

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

Use what you have learned about thesis statements to

evaluate each of the following. If it is a good

thesis, leave it alone. If it is a weak thesis, revise it to

make it effective.

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

Religion in America will be the focus of this paper.

Example # 1

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

Lyndon Johnson was the president who first

committed American troops in Vietnam.

Example # 2

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

Required courses are opposed by many.

Example # 3

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

Who really assassinated President Kennedy?

Example # 4

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

Violence on TV provides a harmless outlet for the natural violence we all

sometimes feel.

Example # 5

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

Something must be done about the divorce rate in

this country.

Example # 6

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

Maclennan exposes the dark side of religion in

Each Man’s Son.

Example # 7

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

Although it may appear that human corruption attacks

from the outside, in Othello its true source is from within

the individual.

Example # 8

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

In The Double Hook, the use of symbols is an important

feature in her writing.

Example # 9

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

Watson adapts traditional symbols from Christian and

Indian mythology to underscore the theme of

spiritual death and regeneration.

Example # 10

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

Seven Errors to Avoid When Composing a

Thesis

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

1. A thesis cannot be a fragment; it must be expressed in a sentence.

Poor BetterHow life is in the inner city.

Residents of the inner city tend to have a higher death rate, higher disease rates, and higher psychosis rates than do any other residents in Canadian cities.

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

2. A thesis must not be in the form of a question (usually the answer to that question could be the thesis).

Poor BetterShould eighteen-year-olds have the right to vote?

Anyone who is old enough to fight a war is old enough to vote.

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

3. A thesis must not contain such phrases as “I think” as they merely weaken the statement or argument.

Poor BetterIn my opinion, most men wear beards because they are trying to find themselves.

The current beard fad may be an attempt on the part of men to emphasize their male identity.

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

4. A thesis must not contain elements that are not clearly related.

Poor BetterAll novelists seek the truth; therefore some novelists are good psychologists.

In the attempt to probe human nature, many novelists appear to be good psychologists.

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

5. A thesis must not be expressed in vague language.

Poor BetterSome people do not think wage and price controls did too much for inflation, despite the politicians saying it would.

Contrary to what politicians believed, wage and price controls did not stop inflation.

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

6. A thesis must not be expressed in muddled or incoherent language.

Poor BetterAll students should not think that university is for everyone because for many people they have a career that high school was all they needed.

Students should realize that many people have good careers without having attended university.

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

7. A thesis should not be written in figurative language.

Poor BetterLove is the rose in the garden of our existence.

Love is the true basis of human happiness.

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

Thesis Flow ChartText Related Subjects

Questions

Focused Topics

Questions

Thesis Statements

Major ideas or topics directly related to the text

Questions you ask about the text to gain a clearer, more focused understanding of your subject

Ideas that are specific enough to engineer a thesis

Questions that will develop a logical, focused and arguable statement that can be supported in an essay

You should know this

Mr. MehrotraENG 4U0

Thesis Flow Chart & Animal FarmText Related Subjects

Questions

Focused Topics

Questions Thesis Statements

WAR How does war affect the characters?

What do characters learn about themselves?

Are there positives and negatives to war?

How does war benefit the characters?

The emotional affects of War.

War and character development

What are characters emotional reactions?

Do characters gain a better understanding of themselves?

War causes destructive emotional reactions in the characters.

War forces characters to gain a deeper understanding of themselves.