THEULTIMATEGUIDE

TOWRITING
A T H E S I S S T A T E M E N T

Table of Contents
Introducing the All-Important Thesis Statement
The Quick and Dirty Formula to Writing a Fast, Good Thesis Statement
Different Types of Thesis Statements for Different Types of Essays
1. Personal narrative essays
2. Compare and contrast essays
3. Reaction and response essays
4. Research papers
Hot Tip: Why Its Important to Create a Working Thesis BEFORE Doing Your
Research
5. Literary analysis essays
6. Expository essays
7. Argumentative and persuasive essays
What Exactly Is a Thesis Statement?
How to Write a Thesis Statement in 5 Simple Steps
Step #1: Pick a topic
Step #2: Be specific
Step #3: Be arguable
Step #4: Create a mini-outline
Step #5: Choose your words wisely
How Writing a Thesis Statement Is Like Writing a Tweet (and Why You Shouldnt Be
Intimidated)
Both a tweet and a thesis statement should be focused and specific
Both a good tweet and a good thesis statement are debatable
Both a tweet and a thesis statement should be intriguing
The Argumentative Thesis Statement Dissected
A great argumentative thesis is focused and not too broad
A great argumentative thesis is centered on a debatable topic

A great argumentative thesis picks a side

A great thesis makes claims that will be supported later in the paper
35 Thesis Statement Examples
Topics and Thesis Statements on Issues Affecting Students
Topics and Thesis Statements on Issues Affecting Children
Topics and Thesis Statements on Social and Governmental Issues
How to Use These Argumentative Thesis Statement Examples in Your Next Essay
Now Its Your Turn to Write an Argumentative Thesis Statement
About Kibin.com

Introducing the All-Important Thesis Statement

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 you an idea of the most
important points of an essay, shows the highlights, and makes you want to read more.
Most importantly, a good thesis statement makes a statement. After all, its called a
thesis
statement
for a reason!
This is an interesting statement! you want your reader to think, Lets see if this author
can convince me.
The thesis statement is generally regarded as the most important sentence in your entire
paper.
I guess you could say it is the
make or break, do or die, mess it up and fail the
assignment, flunk the class, drop out of school, default on your mortgage, lose your
wife and the dog, shiver cold and alone on the side of the street sentence
!
Excuse me for one second.

Pardon my hysterics. The thesis sentence does not have to be this intimidating.

In fact, this guide will make it easy. Read it, and youll be a master of the thesis
statement in no time.
In this ebook, I will teach you everything you need to know to keep your teacher on the
edge of his seat! Heres what well cover:
1) First the quick and dirty way to write a FAST, good thesis statement.
2) Youll learn how to write an expert thesis for
ANY
kind of essay.
3) I'll teach you skills that you can apply to every class and every paper for the REST
of YOUR ACADEMIC LIFE.
4) Ill even give you 35 EXAMPLE THESIS STATEMENTS to inspire your own
writing.
5) Finally, Ill walk you through writing your own thesis statement in a flash using a
step-by-step guide.
Ready? Roll cameras.

The Quick and Dirty Formula to Writing a Fast, Good

Thesis Statement

I know youre in a hurry to get your paper started (and more importantly, finished) so
you can get on with your life.
Before we take a deep dive into all things thesis statement, lets go over my
quick and
dirty formula for writing a thesis statement
. If you get nothing else from this book, at
least learn the formula.
(But read the rest too!)
Oh and if you are a math wiz, please dont laugh at my formula!

So here it is:

Topic
= the topic of your paper
Stance
= your position on the topic (do you agree or disagree?)
Claim
= the claims that bolster your argument, which you will address in detail
later in your paper. (Note, Ive listed 3 claims, but you may have more or fewer.)
Thats it! Its just simple addition.

Math not really your thing?

Check out the
Kibin Thesis Statement Builder
, which will help you
formulate your argumentative thesis statement in a few short minutes!
You might be thinking,
hey, wait, Im not supposed to be writing an
argumentative thesis statement!
No worries, most thesis statements are built in a
similar way.
Here are some more formulas to help you out:

Topics
= the topics of your paper (there should be more than one)
Stance
= your position on the topic (are the topics the same, different, or both?)
Similarity/Difference
= the similarities and/or differences between the topics

Title + Author
= the title of the work and name of the author/creator
Opinion
= your reaction to the topic
Reason
= the reasons why you reacted to a piece of work in a certain way

Topic
= the topic of your paper
Conclusion
= the conclusions drawn from your research
Support
= the evidence that supports your conclusion, which you will address in
detail later in your paper

Title + Author
= the title and author of the work you are analyzing in your
paper
Literary element(s)
= element(s) such as theme, symbolism, or plot found in a
literary work
Stance
= your position on the meaning of the literary element
Support
= the evidence that supports your position or assertion, which you will
address in detail later in your paper

Topic
= the topic of your paper
Assertion
= your statement about the topic (what is the big deal about this
topic?)
Support
= the evidence that supports your position or assertion, which you will
address in detail later in your paper

Topic
= the topic of your paper
Significance
= why the topic is meaningful to your story
Notice a pattern here? These formulas are all quite similar. You can see that no matter
the type of essay you are writing, youll need to plug in the topic, your position,
assertion, or conclusion about the topic, and a summary of your supports or claims.
As you get better with writing thesis statements, you can play with the formulas a bit,
but youll still likely want to keep all of these elements.
Now that you have the formulas, lets break down the different types of thesis
statements even further.

Different Types of Thesis Statements for Different

Types of Essays

Have you ever realized that you forgot your workout sneakers after you already made it
to the gym? You probably had to turn around, go home, and eat chocolate chip cookies
instead.
Im just saying, its pretty much impossible to run a treadmill wearing loafers or high
heels.
While shoes are always meant to be worn on your feet, their specific purpose will change
depending on what type of shoes you are wearing.

10

You can walk a mile in someone elses moccasins, but I would not recommend running a
mile in penny loafers.
Same goes for the thesis statement. While a thesis statement is always used to set up
your paper, its specific purpose will change depending on what type of essay you are
writing.
An argumentative thesis statement might not be the right fit for your compare and
contrast essay and vice versa.
Let me break this down for you by giving you some examples of thesis statements for
different types of essays. Ive
color
coded

them so you can follow along.

1. Personal narrative essays

Personal narrative essays require you to tell a story about an experience or event from
your own life that ultimately changed you in a meaningful way.
By the way, you might notice that personal narrative essays are different than most
other essays. For one, the thesis statement is a little more loosey goosey, and, for two,
you usually write the personal narrative essay in
first person
--since its about YOU and
all.
(Need more help? Read:
How to Write a Narrative Essay That Stands Out
)
Your personal narrative thesis statement should
State the topic
State the significance of the topic (what did you learn?)
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For example:
At 5 foot nothing, 100 and nothing pounds, I was hardly your typical football player.
But, that didnt stop me from believing that I could play for Notre Dame.
It turns out,

the most important part of achieving my dreams is believing in myself.

2. Compare and contrast essays

Compare and contrast essays ask you to look at the similarities (compare) and
differences (contrast) between two or more items or concepts.
There are a bazillion different topics that you can compare (Dogs v. Cats! Madonna v.
Lady Gaga! Lady Gaga v. Cats!)--If you need ideas for your essay,
here are 49 of them
.
(Need more help? Read
How to Write a Compare and Contrast Essay
.)
Your compare and contrast thesis statement should
State the topics
State your stance (are the topics similar, different, or both?)
Include your supporting similarities/differences
For example:
My experiences in two clinical rotation facilities for nursing school
were very different

from each other

as one was a large, urban hospital and the other was a small, rural
health clinic.
OR
My experiences in two clinical rotation facilities for nursing school
were very similar to

each other
as both dealt with an overwhelmingly impoverished population.

OR
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My experiences in two clinical rotation facilities for nursing school

had some similarities

as both dealt with overwhelmingly impoverished populations

and some differences

because one was a large, urban hospital, while the other was a small and rural health
clinic
.

3. Reaction and response essays

Reaction and response essays ask you to respond to a piece of art, literature, film, or
other subject and explain how you feel about the work. Usually this involves formulating
your opinion of the work and supporting it with good reasons. (For example, you cant
say
Twilight
was an awful book because it was just so bad.)
Your reaction or response thesis statement should
State the title of the work and author or creator
State your opinion on the subject
Include your reasons
For example:
Twilight
by Stephenie Meyer
is the worst book on vampires ever written
because the

characters are not likeable or believable, the dialogue is dull, and, most importantly,
vampires shouldnt sparkle.

4. Research papers
Research papers are in-depth forays into a topic that require you to really
know your
stuff
. They are the culmination of many research hours mixed with many more gallons
of coffee and manic typing (and sometimes banging your head) on your laptop.

13

(For more help--and if youre writing a research paper, I know you need it!--read
How to
Write a Research Paper: a Step-by-Step Guide
.)
Your research paper thesis statement should
Summarize the research topic
State the main conclusions
Include your supporting points
For example:
Over one-third of American adults are obese, which leads to higher incidences of heart
disease and diabetes and burdens the healthcare system. Several researchers have
concluded that obesity is caused by genetic factors;
however, after comparing obesity

rates in the U.S. with obesity rates in China, and cross-examining cultural and genetic
factors in both populations, our studies conclude that obesity is primarily caused by
Western lifestyle choices
such as the consumption of processed and fast foods and an

overwhelmingly sedentary lifestyle directly resulting from the typical American

workday
.

Hot Tip: Why Its Important to Create a Working Thesis BEFORE Doing Your
Research
Knowing what you want to write about is important, but its just as important (or
maybe even more important) to know
what you want to say
about the topic.
If you want to be stressed out, overworked, and frustrated beyond belief because
you just cant find any good sources, then feel free to start researching
without
a working thesis.

14

If you want to work harder than you have to, then start researching
without
a
thesis.
But if you want to make your life less stressful,
develop a thesis before you begin
researching
.
Heres why: A thesis is the controlling idea of your paper. It provides readers
(and you) with a road map of your paper.
Without a strong thesis, your paper lacks direction.
If you dont at least develop a working thesis before you begin researching, youll
lack direction, too. (But youll have no lack of frustration.)
Still dont believe me that you need a working thesis?
Look at this example: Lets say you decide to write about social media. (Note: in
this example, youre starting your search
without
a working thesis.)
Googling social media will produce a list of all kinds of results, from a list of
different types of social media sites, to social media in the news, to social media
in schools.

15

Are these results useful? Probably not. Social media is too broad of a search
and doesnt include any focus.
Try the search again with a
working thesis
, such as Social media can cause
teens to feel isolated.
Suddenly, your results change. Rather than a list of random and likely useless
sites, youll see a list of more relevant sources.

16

This tip not only increases your relevant search results but decreases your
frustration levels!
/End bonus tip. We will now proceed with our regularly scheduled programming.

5. Literary analysis essays

17

Literary analysis essays require you to dissect a short story, poem, novel, or other type of
literature and draw conclusions and observations about the theme, characters, plot,
and/or other literary elements.
State the title of the work and author
State the element of the work you will dissect
State your conclusion/observation about the element
Include your supporting points
For example:
In Lord of the Flies, William Golding
uses

The Beast as a symbol

for the evil and malice
that reside within everyone
,
and The Beast only gets more powerful as the boys succumb
to their savagery
.

6. Expository essays
Expository essays educate your reader on a given topic while often making and
defending an assertion about the topic.
(For more help, read
How to Write an Expository Essay That Pops
)
Your expository thesis statement should
State the topic
State your assertion
Include your supporting points
For example:
The Potawatomi tribe's oral traditions and religious beliefs
completely shaped the tribe's

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organization
as evidenced by the location of their villages near bodies of water and the

division of clans under a patriarchal structure.

7. Argumentative and persuasive essays

Argumentative and persuasive essays tackle a
debatable
topic and aim to prove one side
over another in order to convince your readers to accept your viewpoint as valid.
(Need more help? Read
The Secrets of a Strong Argumentative Essay
)
Your argumentative thesis statement should
State the topic
State your position or stance on the topic
Include your supporting arguments
For example:
Vaccinations against diseases such as polio, rubella, and mumps
should be mandatory,

without exception, for all children in the U.S. who wish to attend school.
These

vaccinations are critical to the control and eradication of deadly infectious diseases.
As you can see, when it comes to thesis statements, one size does not fit all, but they do
have a lot in common.
Namely, most thesis statements, no matter the type of essay, will require you to state
your topic, offer your position, stance, assertion, or argument, and include some
supporting points or claims.
If you do that much, youll be way, waaaay ahead of your game.

19

Now that you know a little bit more about the different types of thesis statements out
there, lets go back a little bit and talk about the definition and purpose of a thesis
statement.

What Exactly Is a Thesis Statement?

The short answer

A thesis statement informs readers of
the subject of your paper and
your claim (or opinion) of the topic.

20

The longer answer

The thesis statement is usually the last part of the introduction, following the
hook
and
background information. It tells your readers what youre writing about and tells your
readers your opinion, stance, or learnings about a given topic.
The thesis essentially serves as a mini outline for your paper.
Dont think you really need an effective thesis? Think again!
Have you ever read the first one or two paragraphs of a paper and wondered, Whats
the point? or So what?
Has someone ever read one of your papers and said, I dont get it. Whats this paper
about?
If so, chances are the paper is missing a thesis statement. Without a thesis statement,
readers are unlikely to understand the main point of the paper.
When writing an essay--whether its argumentative, analytical, expository, or any other
type of essay for that matter--you need to formulate a strong, clear, and concise thesis
statement.
In the end, readers should know exactly what your paper is about just by reading your
thesis statement.
Great, so now that you understand the most important components of a thesis
statement, lets go through the step-by-step process of writing one! Resistance is futile!
Youre going to have to start writing sooner or later.

21

How to Write a Thesis Statement in 5 Simple Steps

Step #1: Pick a topic

To write an effective thesis statement, you first need a topic for your paper. Im hungry,
so our example topic might be a little food-centric, sorry in advance!
Todays paper topic:
Taco Bell.
Now that you have a topic for your paper, think about what you want to say about the
topic.
This is where youll begin to develop an effective thesis statement.

22

Step #2: Be specific

Lets say you started developing your ideas with the following working thesis:
A lot of
people go to Taco Bell.
The first problem with this thesis is that its not specific at all. Ask yourself
Who
goes
to Taco Bell? Ask
Why
do they go to Taco Bell?
Lets try again:
College students often go to Taco Bell late at night because its

open 24 hours.
This time, youve managed to be a bit more specific, but readers are still going to say,
So what? Youve introduced a topic, but you havent yet included your
opinion
about
the topic.
Lets move on to the third component and revise again.

Step #3: Be arguable

Our most recent revision (
College students often go to Taco Bell late at night because
its open 24 hours)
doesnt provide any form of argument. Its merely a statement.
Think about how you could create an argument about Taco Bell. What is it you want to
say about Taco Bell?
Pretend you and a group of friends are sitting around late at night trying to think of
where you should go to eat. A friend mentions another fast food restaurant, but you
argue for Taco Bell. What would you say to convince your friend that you should eat
there?

23

Lets try thesis statement revision #2:

College students like to go to Taco

Bell because its one of the best fast-food restaurants around.

Now were getting somewhere. We have a
specific
statement that is
arguable
.
But its still missing something; it doesnt explain
why
Taco Bell is so great and doesnt
tell readers the key points of your paper.
Because the thesis statement still isnt perfect, well move on to the next essential
component.

Step #4: Create a mini-outline

A basic thesis statement will provide readers with a clear outline of your paper. It will
tell readers what to expect in the upcoming paragraphs.
Your thesis doesnt do that yet.
When your readers see your current thesis, they know the subject and the stance of your
paper, but they dont yet know what theyll be reading in the body of the paper.
Lets revise again.
Thesis revision #3:
College students like to go to Taco Bell because its one of

the best fast-food restaurants around and has cheap prices, good food, and is
open 24 hours.
This thesis statement seems to meet all of the requirements, right? It includes a topic
and offers your opinion. It is specific and arguable, and it creates a mini-outline for your
paper.

24

While your thesis does include all of the required elements, the wording is less than
perfect, and you still need to revise for clarity and style.

Step #5: Choose your words wisely

"Are we done yet?"
Not yet. Lets look at your current thesis statement again:
College students like to go to
Taco Bell because its one of the best fast-food restaurants around and has cheap
prices, good food, and is open 24 hours.
Ask yourself these questions to refine your wording.
Do
all
college students go to Taco Bell? Clearly not all college students do, so
you might revise to say UMKC students or whatever school you are from.
Are the words cheap and good the most effective word choices? Probably
not
.
These words are boring and general. Use more specific wording. You
might try inexpensive and delicious instead.
Lets try our 4th (and hopefully final) revision:
UMKC students choose Taco
Bell over other fast-food restaurants because it is inexpensive, offers delicious food,
and is open 24 hours.
Great! Now thats a strong thesis statement.
Writing a thesis statement may seem kind of intimidating, but it turns out that it
shouldnt be any more intimidating than writing a tweet. Yeah, Im talking about social
media here.

25

In both cases, your goal is to summarize a lot of information into a small amount of
space in order to paint a larger picture. Lets dig into this idea some more.

How Writing a Thesis Statement Is Like Writing a

Tweet (and Why You Shouldnt Be Intimidated)

For many of you, the phrase thesis statement strikes fear in your heart.
But, chances are that most of you reading this guide have also tweeted a time or two.
Most likely you did so
without
a lot of handwringing or worry.

26

So what is it about the prospect of writing a thesis statement that prompts students to
wake up in a cold sweat?
Lets take a moment to compare the beloved tweet with the maligned thesis statement.
Youll find that theyre more alike than you might think.

Both a tweet and a thesis statement should be focused and

specific
As you know, a tweet must be focused merely because of the 140 character limit. Yet, it
should also be focused as a way to inform the reader. If a tweet is too broad, the reader
will not expect to receive any new information from reading further.
Instead, it is important to narrow your tweet to a specific point that can be expanded
later. This will intrigue the reader, inspiring him to read further.
A thesis is similar in that you dont want to use it to present a broad topic, because the
reader wont know which part of the topic your paper will be focusing on. Instead, show
the reader in this one uber-important sentence the precise direction your essay will be
going.
Inspire the reader to read further with a clear signpost
Do this by articulating in your thesis statement only the main points of your essay,
which will be supported later in the paper by evidence.
Dont include anything in your
thesis that wont be addressed later in the essay
.

Both a good tweet and a good thesis statement are debatable

You may notice that a lot of opinionated tweets tend to go viral. People love to either
reinforce their opinions or disagree with those on the other side of the aisle. The best

27

tweets play on this desire. And, they arent difficult to write, because you have the beliefs
to back them up.
If you are like me, you love reading other peoples opinions on Twitter. A tweet that
makes a debatable claim tends to draw my attention. I am much more likely to click on
the adjoining link if the tweet is controversial or challenges my current thoughts on a
matter.
Depending on the type of paper you write, a thesis statement should present a debatable
argument. If written well, your thesis will incite an opinion in your reader. And, if youve
done your legwork, it will be easy to write because youll have the research on hand to
back it up.
Whether your readers agree or disagree with your opinion is not important; what
matters is that they are sufficiently roused into reading further. Once that happens, you
can use the evidence in the rest of your paper to drive home your opinion, possibly
swaying their original beliefs.

Both a tweet and a thesis statement should be intriguing

When we take to the Twittersphere, we try to come up with tweets that will intrigue
people. Theres no reason to tweet to your followers information that they already know.
Instead, we look for interesting tidbits that will make them take notice.
Instead of tweeting, Saddam Hussein was a bad man, you might write, Saddam
Hussein was once given the key to Detroit. This is tweeting 101, or as we say in the
physical realm, common sense.
So why would a thesis statement be any different?

28

Intrigue your readers!

Remember, the thesis will generally be the last sentence of your
introduction. So, if you want your readers to continue beyond the first paragraph, you
have to give them a reason to continue reading.
It doesnt have to be difficult. Think about what readers already know and what will
catch their interest. By the time they finish reading your introduction, they should have
an overview of the topic you are discussing, as well as a clear, concise, and debatable
focal point.
If written well, after reading that final sentence in your introduction your reader will
WANT to read further in order to learn more about your stance. So, use your common
sense. Put yourself in the reader's shoes, and write an intriguing thesis.
In the end, writing a great thesis will be good for your essay grade too.
Not only is tweeting fun and anxiety free, it can teach us a lot about those pesky thesis
statements that seem to cause so much distress.
Instead of dousing yourself with holy water at the thought of writing a thesis statement,
take a deep breath. Youve been doing this the whole time on Twitter (or your preferred
social media site), and you didn't even know it.
So, remember the elements of a good tweet the next time you are tackling the most
important sentence(s) of your essay. Youll end up with a strong thesis that grabs your
readers attention and gives your essay the boost it deserves.
Now that you realize that a thesis statement is nothing to be feared, lets dissect the
main components of a great argumentative thesis statement.

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The Argumentative Thesis Statement Dissected

Ive distilled a great argumentative thesis statement down to

four
main components.

A great argumentative thesis is focused and not too broad

Its important to stay focused! Dont try to argue an overly broad topic in your essay, or
youre going to feel confused and unsure about your direction and purpose.

Dont write, Eating fast food is bad and should be avoided.

30

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 the fast food diet leads to preventable and expensive health issues, such as
diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.
In this example, Ive narrowed my argument to the health consequences related to a diet
of fast food. Ive also chosen to focus on Americans rather than everyone in the universe.
(Because, as we all know, inhabitants of the faraway planet Doublepatty 5 require the
starches and fats inherent in fast food to survive).

A great argumentative thesis is centered on a

debatable
topic
Back in the 80s, teens loved to say
thats debatable
about claims they didnt agree
with (such as you should clean your room and you shouldnt go to that movie). This
age-old, neon-colored, bangle-wearing, peg-legged wisdom holds true todayin your
thesis statement.

Dont write, There are high numbers of homeless people living in Berkeley,
California.
No one can argue for
or
against this statement. Its not debatable. Its just a fact.
An argument over this non-debatable statement would go something like this:
There are lots of homeless people in Berkeley.

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Yes, there sure are a bunch of them out there.

Yup.
As you can see, thats not much of an argument.

Do write, Homeless people in Berkeley should be given access to services, such as

regular food donations, public restrooms, and camping facilities because it would
improve life for all inhabitants of the city.
Now
thats
debatable

.
Opponents could easily argue that homeless people in Berkeley already receive adequate
services (
just look at all those luxurious sidewalks!
), or perhaps that they shouldnt be
entitled to services at all (
get a job, ya lazy loafers!
).

A great argumentative thesis picks a side

I went into a lot of detail about the importance of picking sides in my post
The Secrets of
a Strong Argumentative Essay
. Picking a side is pretty much the whole entire point of an
argumentative essay.
Just as you cant root for both the Yankees and the Mets, you cant argue both sides of a
topic in your thesis statement.

Dont 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.

32

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?
Pick a side, and stick with it!
Then stick up for it.

Do write, Secondhand smoke is just as harmful as smoking and leads to a higher

prevalence of cancer and heart disease. Whats worse, people who inhale secondhand
smoke are doing so without consent. For this reason, smoking in any public place should
be banned.

A great thesis makes claims that will be supported later in the

paper
As I explained in my blog post
How to Create a Powerful Argumentative Essay Outline
,
Your claims make up a critical part of building the roadmap to your argument.
Its 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.

Dont write, Humans should relocate to Mars.

This statement doesnt include any supporting claims. Why should humans move to
Mars? What are the benefits of moving to a planet without oxygen or trees?

33

Do write, It is too late to save earth; therefore, humans should immediately set a
date for their relocation to Mars where, with proper planning, they can 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)
Now that you know how to write a thesis statement, Im going to show you 35
argumentative thesis statement examples so you can get an idea of potential topics and
ways to approach them.

35 Thesis Statement Examples

Here are 35 debatable, supportable, and focused thesis statements for you to learn from.
Feel free to copy these and customize them for use in your own argumentative essays.
Beware!
1. I have not done the research needed to support these claims. So some of the
claims may not be useable once you dig into them.
2. Be careful not to use these thesis statements word-for-word; I wouldnt want
you to get in trouble if your teacher did a copy/find Google maneuver on you!
3. Of course, because each topic is debatable, so is each thesis statement. This
means you may either agree or disagree with the statement. As you write your
own thesis statement, consider your stance on the subject and how you might
craft a thesis statement that is appropriate for your own essay.

34

4. In some cases, Ive included a links to example essays written on the topic for
further inspiration.
Ready? Here we go.

Topics and Thesis Statements on Issues Affecting Students

#1. Topic:
Is a college degree necessary for success?
Thesis
: A college degree is necessary for most people to achieve success in todays
society because many entry-level jobs wont hire people without a degree, and it gives
graduates more options in case their high school rock band doesn't make it out of the
garage; while there are other avenues one could take, the majority of career paths will
require college education.

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#2. Topic:
Should a college education be free for everyone?
Thesis
: A college education should not be free for everyone because it will not increase
graduation rates and will cost the taxpayers too much money.
#3
.
Topic:
Is the cost of tuition appropriate?

Thesis
: Lowering the cost of tuition by at least 50% would lead to less student debt and
allow more students to attend college, which, in turn, would increase the amount of
educated people in the general public.
#4
.
Topic:
Should guns be permitted on college campuses?
Thesis
: Guns should not be permitted on college campuses due to the increased
likelihood of violence and criminal activity.
#5. Topic:
What affect does Facebook have on a persons social life?

Thesis
: College students who overuse Facebook may have interactive online lives, but
in reality, they are more isolated than ever because they are missing out on true
face-to-face interaction with their peers.
#6. Topic:
Is our school too dependent on technology

?
Thesis
: Our schools dependence on technology has caused a greater prevalence of
mood disorders, memory loss, and loneliness among students. Educators should combat
these issues by requiring students to participate in regular technology detoxes.
#7. Topic:
Should school officials fight cyberbullying?

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Thesis
: Bullying has extended far beyond school and into cyberspace. Even though
these acts of aggression take place outside of school boundaries, school officials should
have the authority to discipline students who engage in cyberbullying without fear of
reprisal. Doing so will help improve the online behavior of students and decrease
incidences of cyberbully-related suicide attempts.
#8.
Topic:

Should all high school students be required to complete

parenting classes?
Thesis
: In order to both educate teens about life as a parent and to help prevent
teenage pregnancy, high school students should be required to complete parenting
classes.
#9. Topic:
Does the school day start too early?

Thesis
: Starting the school day at a later time will help increase students attentiveness
because more sleep will make them more alert and focused, and being more focused will
improve grades.
#10.
Topic:

Should standardized tests be eliminated?

Thesis
: Standardized tests should not be eliminated completely, but should rather be
evaluated in addition to other factors such as grades, extracurricular activities, and
volunteer hours. This would take pressure off of students during standardized tests,
allow colleges to see how well-rounded the students are, and give students who are
better in other areas a greater chance to further their education.
#11. Topic:
Are extracurricular activities important in high school?

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Thesis
: Extracurricular activities such as sports, music, art, and theater are extremely
important because they can give students a better sense of belonging, an idea of what
they want to do for a living, and the confidence to perform well in other subject areas.
#12. Topic:
Should students be graded on homework?

Thesis
: Students should only be graded on homework completion, not the correctness
of their homework, because it will allow students more time to fully grasp a concept,
they will feel less stressed about their overall homework load, and they will have the
chance to get an answer wrong every once in a while without fear of punishment.
#13.
Topic:

Should college football players get paid to play?

Thesis
: College football players should get paid to play because they put at least as
much time into practicing as most college students put into working, they dont have
time for a side job, and not paying them creates a double standard in regards to paying
professional athletes.
#14. Topic:
Should schools be segregated by sex?
Thesis
: Schools should not be segregated by sex because co-ed environments teach kids
valuable social and dating skills and expose them to different perspectives and ways of
thinking within the classroom.

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Topics and Thesis Statements on Issues Affecting Children

#15. Topic:
Do children benefit if everyone on the team receives a trophy?
Thesis
: Handing out trophies to everyone on a team has created a generation of
children who feel entitled and who do not understand the value of competition and hard
work.
#16. Topic:
Should childhood vaccinations be mandatory?

Thesis
: Childhood vaccinations should be mandatory as they are safe, reduce the risk of
illness, and protect other people from contagious diseases.
#17. Topic:
At what age should children stop getting an allowance?

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Thesis
: Children should stop receiving allowance at age 15 because they are able to
work outside of the home at this age, they will have three years to adjust to a job
environment before they are legally an adult, and it creates less burden on the parents
because the children will be able to pay for more of their own needs.
#18.
Topic:

At what age should kids have cell phones?

Thesis
: Parents should allow their kids access to cell phones when the children start
going out on their own. Cell phones give kids the ability to call a parent if they are lost or
in trouble, teaches kids responsibility, and saves them from possible ridicule from peers
about not having what has become a basic piece of technology.
#19. Topic:
Should parents reward children for good grades and punish

them for bad grades?

Thesis
: Parents should reward children for good grades, but not punish them for bad
grades; rewarding children will make them want to get more good grades, but punishing
them can possibly make them feel inadequate and less likely to seek help to improve
those grades.
#20.
Topic:

Is it ethical to sentence juveniles as adults?

Thesis
: Juveniles should not be sentenced as adults because adolescents brains are not
fully developed, and they are not yet capable of making adult decisions.
#21. Topic:
Should corporations be allowed to advertise in schools?

Thesis
: Advertising should not be allowed in public schools as it increases a perceived
importance on materialism, leads to conflicts over appropriate messaging in schools,
and deemphasizes the importance of education in favor of corporate culture.

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#22.
Topic:

Should minors be allowed to get tattoos if they have parental

permission?
Thesis
: Even with parental permission, minors should not be allowed to get tattoos
because minors are likely to regret the choice as adults, and the tattoo will fade over
time requiring expensive reworking or laser removals later.
#23. Topic:
What is the right amount of television that kids should watch

per day?
Thesis
: Kids should be able to watch television for the same amount of time that they
put into reading for the day. This rule would ensure that kids read more, that their free
time isnt completely dominated by the television, and it would give them a greater
sense of autonomy by enabling them, in effect, to choose how much television they are
able to watch based on their reading time.

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Topics and Thesis Statements on Social and Governmental

Issues

#24. Topic:
Is government surveillance harmful?

Thesis
: Government surveillance programs do more harm than good 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. For these reasons,
programs such as PRISM operated by the NSA should be discontinued.
#25. Topic:
Are security cameras an invasion of privacy?
Thesis
: Though security cameras are necessary and a valued part of society, strict
regulations need to be mandated in order to maintain citizens rights to privacy.
#26. Topic:
Should organ donors be financially compensated?

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Thesis
: People who sign up for organ donation freely give their hearts and other
organs, but this free system limits the number of available donors and makes it difficult
for recipients to access lifesaving transplants. Thus, organ donors should be financially
compensated to produce more available organs and, at the same time, to decrease
profitable, illegal organ harvesting activities in the black market.
#27. Topic:
Should the U.S. media work to depict alternative family

structures?
Thesis
: The U.S. media depicts the traditional family as being comprised of 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. The U.S. media should,
therefore, expand and redefine the definition of the traditional American family to
include divorced and remarried parents, extended families living together, and families
with same-gender parents. This will increase the overall sense of happiness and
well-being among children whose families dont necessarily fit the mold.
#28.
Topic:

Should marijuana be legalized in all 50 U.S. states?

Thesis
: Marijuana has numerous medical applications, such as treating symptoms of
epilepsy, cancer, and glaucoma. Legalizing the use of marijuana in the U.S. will greatly
benefit the medical sector by giving physicians access to this lifesaving drug.
#29. Topic:
Should the minimum wage be increased?

Thesis
: The minimum wage must be raised as doing so will help workers out of poverty
and act as an economic stimulus.
#30. Topic:
Should citizens be allowed to keep exotic pets?
Thesis
: People should not be allowed to keep exotic pets, as it is unhealthy for the
animal, dangerous for the owner, and dangerous for the community.
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Topics and Thesis Statements on Environmental Issues

#31. Topic:
Should public transportation be free for all residents of your
city?
Thesis
: Free public transportation should be free for all residents of Minneapolis as it is
a key step in reducing unemployment rates, will reduce traffic congestion, and is good
for the environment.
#32. Topic:
What should the government do to help the environment?

Thesis
: The government should research more effective ways to harness solar power
because the world needs to eliminate its dependence on fossil fuels, solar power is the
most abundant renewable resource, and the current production methods still pollute the
environment and need improvement.
#33. Topic:
Should fracking be banned?

Thesis
: Fracking should be banned because it poisons the water supply, leads to
earthquakes, and does not help mitigate the issue of CO2 pollution.
Topics and Thesis Statements on Global Issues
#34. Topic:
Is foreign aid to Africa effective?

Thesis
: Sending foreign aid to African countries is doing more harm than good, and it
should be discontinued; the practice has caused African countries to become vulnerable
to inflation, currency fluctuations, corruption, and civil unrest.

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#35.
Topic:

Should Chinas One-Child Policy be reversed?

Thesis
: Chinas one-child policy was intended to help control population growth.
Instead, it has led to unintended and negative consequences, such as a diminishing
labor force, an aging population, the neglect of basic human rights, and an unbalanced
gender population. To improve Chinas situation, the policy should be reversed.

How to Use These Argumentative Thesis Statement Examples in

Your Next Essay
These thesis statement examples are meant to serve as inspiration--dont use them
verbatim. That would be plagiarism, and besides, it would rob the world of your unique
thoughts about the issues at hand.
Look at each example and note what they have in common--each states a clear position
on a given issue and then lists a few reasons for that position. Each of those reasons will
serve as the topic sentences for your body paragraphs.
You should be ready to conquer thesis statement writing! The following exercise will
walk you through your thesis statement.

Now Its Your Turn to Write an Argumentative Thesis

Statement
Step 1:
Choose a debatable
topic
(Hint: This needs to be a topic that someone can
disagree
with! Test whether your topic
is debatable by rewriting it from the alternative viewpoint.)

45

-Example: Student debt is a national problem that is stifling the U.S. economy.
-Example alternative viewpoint: Student debt is necessary to a strong education, and
it helps the U.S. economy.
-Your topic
:

-Test alternative viewpoint:

Step 2:
Pick a
stance
(Hint: what
should
or
shouldn't
be done about this topic? Again, test whether your
stance is debatable by rewriting it from the alternative viewpoint.)
-Example: Student loans should be forgiven in cases where students are unable to
repay their debts.
-Example alternative stance: Student loans should not be forgiven in cases where
students are unable to repay their debts.
-Your stance:

46

-Test alternative stance:

Step 3:
Choose your
focus
(Hint: you can't focus on
everyone
; a narrow focus is better.)
-Example: American students who have graduated from universities with excessive
debt burdens.
-Your focus:

Step 4:
Make your
claims
(Hint: choose
3 or more
claims that you can
support
later in your essay.)
-Example: Debt forgiveness will benefit the growth of the economy by
1. Increasing tax revenues
2. Unfreezing credit markets
3. Creating jobs
-Your claims:

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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Step 5:
Put
it

all

together

(Hint: combine your

topic
+
stance
+
focus
+
claims.
)
-Example:
Student debt is a national problem that is stifling the U.S. economy
, and
American students are graduating from universities with excessive debt burdens
.
Student loans should be forgiven in cases where students are unable to repay their
debts
because

this will benefit the growth of the economy by increasing tax revenues,

unfreezing credit markets, and creating jobs

.
-Your draft thesis statement:

Step 6:
Edit and refine
(Hint: edit to be more specific and to use more articulate language.)

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-Example: 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. To alleviate this, lenders should be required to forgive student loans in
cases where students are unable to repay their debts, as doing so will benefit the
growth of the economy by increasing tax revenues, unfreezing credit markets, and
creating jobs.
-Your revised thesis statement:

Woohoo! You did it!

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