Evaluating Thesis Statements

A good thesis statement acts as a guide for the reader to understand what the paper is about.

• True

• False

What are the THREE parts of a thesis statement?

• topic, idea/opinion, explanation

• quotation, topic, evidence

• topic, idea, opinion

• idea, introduction, conclusion

The TOPIC of your essay is found in ...

• the quotation box

• the stories

• the last sentence on the page

• the prompt

The explanation part of your thesis might begin with the words --- or ----.

• you, me

• he, she

• so, therefore

• because, so that

Actions are more powerful than words when speaking to people because you can make them feel better or worse.

_{Is this a good thesis statement?}

• Yes

• No

The ____ = topic + idea/opinion + explanation.

Which of the following makes the best thesis statement?

• Even though marriage is a strong and respected institution in Russia, more and more people are choosing to live together before marriage, despite the cultural pressures. 

• I am going to explain why many couples in Russia are choosing to live together rather than get married.

• Marriage in Russia

Which of the following is a strong thesis statement?

• Violent video games are harmful for young people to play.

• Violent video games are harmful to young people, and it should be stopped.

• Violent video games are harmful for young people to play because  it promotes a sedentary lifestyle, encourages violence, and can cause children to become desensitized to death.

• Violent video games are harmful for young people because they should be reading a book.

Which sentence would be the better thesis statement for the introductory paragraph of an essay?

• There is no question that cell phones have changed our lives in a very big way.

• While cell phones provide freedom and mobility, they can also become a leash, compelling users to answer them anywhere and at any time.

Where should a thesis statement appear?

• first paragraph

• anywhere in the essay

• last paragraph

• the first sentence of every paragraph