School of Literature, Communication, and Culture

Writing the Essay                                              List of Approved Essay Topics

Developing Effective Thesis Statements

Every introduction should include a thesis statement -- your answer to the question or response to the topic. The thesis is the idea the entire essay will try to prove, so it must address the topic very clearly. Straying from the topic, even slightly, can result in a failing essay, so take care to read the topic carefully and to respond to it directly and accurately.

The thesis should be one declarative sentence -- not a question and not a series of statements. It should be as forceful as possible, and it should include key words from the topic so that the reader will know immediately, without glancing back at the topic, what you are trying to prove. Avoid trying to argue both sides of an issue without arriving at a definitive stance. This is not the time to use such well-worn stances and phrases such as "On the one hand..." and "On the other hand..."

Sample Effective Thesis Statements:

Topic: If you could ban anything in the world, what would it be?

1. If I could ban anything in the world, it would be cigarettes.
2. Since they are unhealthy and dirty, I would ban cigarettes if I ever got the chance to rid the world of one bad habit.
3. Because of the problems associated with tobacco, I would ban smoking altogether.

Topic: Why do so many teenagers run away from home?

1. The number of teenage runaways has reached an all-time high because life has never been as complex as it is in the 1980's.
2. Every year thousands of teenagers run away from home because of problems with their peers, their families, and their teachers.

Notice that some of these thesis statements are fairly general; that is, they do not list the essay's subtopics. But, they are not vague. They clearly indicate the writer's response to the topic. Notice, too, that subtopics may be listed at the beginning of the thesis in a subordinate clause and that you do not necessarily need three of them (see example 2).

 

Additional Information and Resources:

Essay Section

Organizing the Essay
Developing a Thesis Statement
Writing the Essay Introduction Part I
Writing the Essay Introduction Part II
Developing the Body Paragraph
Writing the Conclusion

Reading Section

Description
Practice Reading Test with explanation of the answers

General

Commonly Asked Questions & Answers

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Please direct any other questions regarding the Regents' Exam or RGTR 1098/RGTE 1099 to

Dr. Scott Banville or Dr. Shannon Dobranski.