Remember, an argumentative thesis is

Debatable   The argumentative thesis makes a claim. This claim must be one that is arguable or that people can refute. A statement of fact or an idea that can be agreed to generally is not a thesis statement for the argumentative essay as only a few people will disagree with the topic.      EXAMPLE Non–debatable thesis Alcohol is not good for your health is not a thesis that can be debated. The average person would agree with this statement that alcohol is bad for your health. Debatable Thesis Because alcohol is harmful to your organs, the types of alcohol served in bars should be regulated by the government.  The average person can agree or disagree with the statement.

Assertive             An argumentative thesis asserts the stance of the writer or takes a position. Note that quotations from other writers, questions, and unclear statements cannot be an argumentative thesis as they do not give the views of the writer. EXAMPLE Migration laws can be a strong issue that many people will disagree with. This does not present an arguable viewpoint as it does not state the writer’s position. Migration laws should be revised as it creates more challenges for law enforcement. This is an argumentative thesis because it clearly states the position that migration laws should be revised.

Reasonable The claims for an argumentative thesis should be logical and possible. A claim that is outrageous or impossible is not an argumentative thesis as there are no logical arguments to support these claims.      EXAMPLE Government leaders are ineffective and should be put in jail. This is not an argumentative thesis as being ineffective is not a reason for them to be put in jail. Government leaders who are ineffective in their roles should not be allowed to maintain control for an unlimited term in office. This is a stronger thesis and is arguable because term limits are determined by the performance of political leaders.

Evidence-Based    An argumentative thesis must be supported by evidence. A thesis that speaks to moral standards, and values, or is based on religious beliefs cannot be supported with evidence and therefore is not an argumentative thesis.         EXAMPLE People who commit murder will go to hell when they die. This is not an argumentative thesis because the arguments rest on the values and beliefs of religion and not on evidence.   Rehabilitation programs for inmates serving life sentences should be mandatory because such programmes will help to reduce the level of violence that occurs in prisons.   This is an argumentative thesis because there is statistical data, research, case studies, and evidence to support this argument.

Focused       An argumentative thesis is narrow and focused. This means that there is clarity in a thesis that makes a narrow claim, and therefore, you will be better able to support these claims with evidence. EXAMPLE Television is bad for children. This is not an effective argumentative thesis as it is not specific. (What aspect of television? What determines ‘bad”?)   The violence portrayed in action films helps to shape the aggressive attitudes and behaviours in young children as these children are at an age where they learn from events in nature. This is more appropriate as an argumentative thesis because there are case studies, evidence, and statistical data to support these claims. In addition, there is a focus on which television programmes.

Generating your thesis for an argumentative thesis

1. State the topic.

Your topic is the most valuable point in the essay. It is normally a few words or phrase that gives a summary of the subject of your essay. In creating your thesis, make your topic as specific as possible.

Creating your topic:

Monitoring children’s use of social media

• State the main idea about the topic you are presenting

What are you attempting to prove or state about your topic? What are you hoping to convince the reader to believe? Now that you have stated your opinion, ensure that you…

• Give a major point or idea
• Present the topic and establish something specific about the topic
• Take a stance on an issue where you can support this with facts and reasons.
• State your position on or your opinion about the subject.

Example: Parents should monitor their children’s use of social media.

Give reasons to support the main idea that you are presenting. Ensure that your reason is a clear statement. In addition, ensure that you can support this reason with logical facts and evidence.

Reason: Television is not always intellectually stimulating.

Now give another reason that supports the main idea. Be clear in the statement that you are making and ensure that you can support this reason with logical evidence and facts.

Reason: it prevents social interaction

Include a viewpoint that counters the main idea in cases where this is applicable. A good thesis will acknowledge the other side of the argument. Therefore, it is important to include a counterargument or an opposing viewpoint.

Counterargument: social media can be a good source of education.

More on Writing the thesis

Step 1.

Begin with a question. Your assignment may include a question that can be your guide to writing. But if you do not have a question then you must think about what you want to find out what you want to write about.

Example of a guiding question for the argumentative essay:

• Has COVID-19 impacted distance education in a negative way?
• POSSIBLE RESPONSE: The negative impact of covid outweighs the positive impact on distance education as online learning is not flexible for all teachers and students.

Example of a guiding question for the expository essay:

• How has the internet changed society?
• POSSIBLE RESPONSE: The internet has a significant impact on society as users tend to lean more towards the internet as the primary source of communication and transacting business.

Example of a guiding question for a literary analysis of the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird”:

• How does Harper Lee trace the challenges of racism in the south?
• POSSIBLE RESPONSE: Lee uses various characters such as Tom Robinson, Scout, Atticus, and Calpurnia to trace the positive and negative treatment of blacks in the south in the 1930s.

Step 2: This is where you will write the initial answer to your guiding question. For the argumentative essay, the answer should lean towards the position that you will take on the issue at hand.

Step 3: Develop your answer

At this stage, you need to assess the reason for your answer and decide how to convince the reader to agree with you. You will find that you may need to revise your thesis so that there is a reason for taking your position.

Example of a weak thesis statement for the argumentative essay

WEAK THESIS:

The government should invest in building the agricultural sector.

This thesis statement is weak as it does not give the reasons for the position that you have taken.

IMPROVED THESIS:

The government should invest in building the agricultural sector as this will allow the country to become more self-sufficient as well as increase the economic opportunities for export.

This improved thesis statement gives the reason for taking your position and gives a summary of the main ideas that you argue in the body of your essay.

Example of the Expository thesis

The expository essay requires you to explain the facts or the process. The thesis that you create for the expository essay does not have to be a strong opinion. However, you must clearly state the main point that you want to make and present the key ideas that you will explain in the body of your essay.

WEAK THESIS

Braille was an important invention.

This example only makes a factual statement. The reader will not gain information about what will be in your essay.

STRONGER THESIS

The invention of Braille changed the lives of the visually impaired in the nineteenth century, but the success of this invention was dependent on the wide acceptance by sighted teachers and as a result, this sparked numerous debates on the place of the disabled in society.

The second thesis is stronger as it gives details about the social context and the results of the invention of Braille.

Example of an analytical thesis

In an analytical essay, the thesis should aim to give an insight into the meaning or purpose of the text. Here are two versions of a thesis on the novel Animal Farm.

Weak Thesis:

Napoleon represents the Russian Revolution.

Stronger Thesis

Orwell uses Napoleon to represent the evil or darkness that lurked beneath civilized men’s need to be in control of others.

Reinforcement:

1. The thesis normally comes at the end of the introduction of your essay.

2. The best thesis statement is contentious or debatable, coherent, and concise:   

• Contentious – the thesis is a simple statement that requires additional evidence to support the claim. In the argumentative essay, the thesis is one that others may question or argue.
• Concise – the best thesis statement is short and gets to the point with one or two sentences.
• Coherent – the best thesis will express several aspects of your topic as a single main idea.