The Thesis Statement Dissected
A thesis statement is the sentence that states the main idea of a writing assignment and helps
control the ideas within the paper. It is not merely a topic. It often reflects an opinion or judgment
that a writer has made about a reading or personal experience.
What makes for a good thesis statement?
1. A good argumentative thesis is focused and not too broad.
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, “Eating fast food is bad and should be avoided.”
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
