Once you have determined a topic you need to narrow it with a controlling idea to create a thesis. Some general guidelines for thesis statements are that they should:
- Never be an open-ended question
- Be limited to mentioning only those points you plan to discuss in your essay
- Never be so broad that it's difficult to discuss all relevant information
- Only present one specific idea; not multiple ideas
- Not contain two conflicting ideas
In addition, good thesis statements are analytical, expository or argumentative.
- Analytical - breaks topic down into parts and analyzes them individually
- Expository - seeks to explain a process to the reader
- Argumentative - makes an assertion or claim and justifies it
Examples
| Topic | Controlling Idea | Thesis |
|---|---|---|
| The Death Penalty – Analytical | Many ways to determine if a criminal deserves the death penalty | Analyzing if a person is guilty of murder is much easier today by using DNA testing and other methods of modern crime scene science. |
| Marijuana – Expository | Assists with debilitating diseases | Marijuana aids patients with their pain through the stages of their debilitating diseases. |
| Homeless in Chicago – Argumentative | Increase support is needed | With the increase in people losing their homes and forced to live on the streets, Chicago needs to add more resources for the homeless. |
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