example of thesis statement about drugs

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Developing Strong Thesis Statements

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

The thesis statement or main claim must be debatable

An argumentative or persuasive piece of writing must begin with a debatable thesis or claim. In other words, the thesis must be something that people could reasonably have differing opinions on. If your thesis is something that is generally agreed upon or accepted as fact then there is no reason to try to persuade people.

Example of a non-debatable thesis statement:

This thesis statement is not debatable. First, the word pollution implies that something is bad or negative in some way. Furthermore, all studies agree that pollution is a problem; they simply disagree on the impact it will have or the scope of the problem. No one could reasonably argue that pollution is unambiguously good.

Example of a debatable thesis statement:

This is an example of a debatable thesis because reasonable people could disagree with it. Some people might think that this is how we should spend the nation's money. Others might feel that we should be spending more money on education. Still others could argue that corporations, not the government, should be paying to limit pollution.

Another example of a debatable thesis statement:

In this example there is also room for disagreement between rational individuals. Some citizens might think focusing on recycling programs rather than private automobiles is the most effective strategy.

The thesis needs to be narrow

Although the scope of your paper might seem overwhelming at the start, generally the narrower the thesis the more effective your argument will be. Your thesis or claim must be supported by evidence. The broader your claim is, the more evidence you will need to convince readers that your position is right.

Example of a thesis that is too broad:

There are several reasons this statement is too broad to argue. First, what is included in the category "drugs"? Is the author talking about illegal drug use, recreational drug use (which might include alcohol and cigarettes), or all uses of medication in general? Second, in what ways are drugs detrimental? Is drug use causing deaths (and is the author equating deaths from overdoses and deaths from drug related violence)? Is drug use changing the moral climate or causing the economy to decline? Finally, what does the author mean by "society"? Is the author referring only to America or to the global population? Does the author make any distinction between the effects on children and adults? There are just too many questions that the claim leaves open. The author could not cover all of the topics listed above, yet the generality of the claim leaves all of these possibilities open to debate.

Example of a narrow or focused thesis:

In this example the topic of drugs has been narrowed down to illegal drugs and the detriment has been narrowed down to gang violence. This is a much more manageable topic.

We could narrow each debatable thesis from the previous examples in the following way:

Narrowed debatable thesis 1:

This thesis narrows the scope of the argument by specifying not just the amount of money used but also how the money could actually help to control pollution.

Narrowed debatable thesis 2:

This thesis narrows the scope of the argument by specifying not just what the focus of a national anti-pollution campaign should be but also why this is the appropriate focus.

Qualifiers such as " typically ," " generally ," " usually ," or " on average " also help to limit the scope of your claim by allowing for the almost inevitable exception to the rule.

Types of claims

Claims typically fall into one of four categories. Thinking about how you want to approach your topic, or, in other words, what type of claim you want to make, is one way to focus your thesis on one particular aspect of your broader topic.

Claims of fact or definition: These claims argue about what the definition of something is or whether something is a settled fact. Example:

Claims of cause and effect: These claims argue that one person, thing, or event caused another thing or event to occur. Example:

Claims about value: These are claims made of what something is worth, whether we value it or not, how we would rate or categorize something. Example:

Claims about solutions or policies: These are claims that argue for or against a certain solution or policy approach to a problem. Example:

Which type of claim is right for your argument? Which type of thesis or claim you use for your argument will depend on your position and knowledge of the topic, your audience, and the context of your paper. You might want to think about where you imagine your audience to be on this topic and pinpoint where you think the biggest difference in viewpoints might be. Even if you start with one type of claim you probably will be using several within the paper. Regardless of the type of claim you choose to utilize it is key to identify the controversy or debate you are addressing and to define your position early on in the paper.

Drug thesis statement

• Post author By Wayne Cheung
• Post date March 7, 2017
• 1 Comment on Drug thesis statement

According to the articles by Sara Childress(2016), Maia Szalavitz(2016), and M. Scott Brauer(2017), the authors state that drugs in America are a huge negative impact towards people who are living in the country. The problem with drug addiction has not only lead up to physically affecting somebody negatively, but psychologically as well.

Drug addiction can affect the brain in undesired ways. People get addicted to drugs because it can help them calm their brains, that is why Americans take heroin, or smoke marijuana.Szalavitz(2016), talks about how addiction to drugs is like a disease. But it is not like brain cancer or Alzheimer. It affects your brain differently then if you were to have a mental disorder.Being addicted to drugs can shift your mindset differently. It would make people just think about drugs as their priority and do things they might not want to do.

1 reply on “Drug thesis statement”

SEE COMMENTS IN CAPSLOCK:

According to the articles by Sara Childress(2016), Maia Szalavitz(2016), and M. Scott Brauer(2017), the authors state that drugs in America are a huge negative impact towards people who are living in the country. The problem with drug addiction has not only lead up to physically affecting somebody negatively, but psychologically as well. GREAT, SO ARE YOU SAYING THEY BELIEVE DRUGS IMPACT PEOPLE NEGATIVELY, AND YOU AGREE, BUT WANT TO PUSH IT FURTHER AND SAY IT ALSO IMPACTS PEOPLE PSYCHOLOGICALLY?

Drug addiction can affect the brain in undesired ways. People get addicted to drugs because it can help them calm their brains, that is why Americans take heroin, or smoke marijuana.Szalavitz(2016), talks about how addiction to drugs is like a disease. But it is not like brain cancer or Alzheimer. It affects your brain differently then if you were to have a mental disorder.Being addicted to drugs can shift your mindset differently. It would make people just think about drugs as their priority and do things they might not want to do. HMM…I THINK THIS IS RUSHED– I’M NOT SURE YOU’RE CLEAR ON WHAT YOUR FOCUS IS HERE. BE CAREFUL WHEN WRITING, YOU HAVE A TENDENCY TO WRITE LISTS, OR RANDOM THOUGHTS, WHICH IS FINE, BUT YOU WANT TO GO BACK AND PROOFREAD TO MAKE SURE THERE’S A UNIFYING IDEA CONNECTING THESE LISTS, IF THERE’S NOT, YOU WANT TO DELETE AND RESTATE.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Need help with the Commons?

Email us at [email protected] so we can respond to your questions and requests. Please email from your CUNY email address if possible. Or visit our help site for more information:

• Terms of Service
• Accessibility
• Creative Commons (CC) license unless otherwise noted

• Walden University
• Faculty Portal

Writing a Paper: Thesis Statements

Basics of thesis statements.

The thesis statement is the brief articulation of your paper's central argument and purpose. You might hear it referred to as simply a "thesis." Every scholarly paper should have a thesis statement, and strong thesis statements are concise, specific, and arguable. Concise means the thesis is short: perhaps one or two sentences for a shorter paper. Specific means the thesis deals with a narrow and focused topic, appropriate to the paper's length. Arguable means that a scholar in your field could disagree (or perhaps already has!).

Strong thesis statements address specific intellectual questions, have clear positions, and use a structure that reflects the overall structure of the paper. Read on to learn more about constructing a strong thesis statement.

Being Specific

This thesis statement has no specific argument:

Needs Improvement: In this essay, I will examine two scholarly articles to find similarities and differences.

This statement is concise, but it is neither specific nor arguable—a reader might wonder, "Which scholarly articles? What is the topic of this paper? What field is the author writing in?" Additionally, the purpose of the paper—to "examine…to find similarities and differences" is not of a scholarly level. Identifying similarities and differences is a good first step, but strong academic argument goes further, analyzing what those similarities and differences might mean or imply.

Better: In this essay, I will argue that Bowler's (2003) autocratic management style, when coupled with Smith's (2007) theory of social cognition, can reduce the expenses associated with employee turnover.

The new revision here is still concise, as well as specific and arguable.  We can see that it is specific because the writer is mentioning (a) concrete ideas and (b) exact authors.  We can also gather the field (business) and the topic (management and employee turnover). The statement is arguable because the student goes beyond merely comparing; he or she draws conclusions from that comparison ("can reduce the expenses associated with employee turnover").

Making a Unique Argument

This thesis draft repeats the language of the writing prompt without making a unique argument:

Needs Improvement: The purpose of this essay is to monitor, assess, and evaluate an educational program for its strengths and weaknesses. Then, I will provide suggestions for improvement.

You can see here that the student has simply stated the paper's assignment, without articulating specifically how he or she will address it. The student can correct this error simply by phrasing the thesis statement as a specific answer to the assignment prompt.

Better: Through a series of student interviews, I found that Kennedy High School's antibullying program was ineffective. In order to address issues of conflict between students, I argue that Kennedy High School should embrace policies outlined by the California Department of Education (2010).

Words like "ineffective" and "argue" show here that the student has clearly thought through the assignment and analyzed the material; he or she is putting forth a specific and debatable position. The concrete information ("student interviews," "antibullying") further prepares the reader for the body of the paper and demonstrates how the student has addressed the assignment prompt without just restating that language.

Creating a Debate

This thesis statement includes only obvious fact or plot summary instead of argument:

Needs Improvement: Leadership is an important quality in nurse educators.

A good strategy to determine if your thesis statement is too broad (and therefore, not arguable) is to ask yourself, "Would a scholar in my field disagree with this point?" Here, we can see easily that no scholar is likely to argue that leadership is an unimportant quality in nurse educators.  The student needs to come up with a more arguable claim, and probably a narrower one; remember that a short paper needs a more focused topic than a dissertation.

Better: Roderick's (2009) theory of participatory leadership  is particularly appropriate to nurse educators working within the emergency medicine field, where students benefit most from collegial and kinesthetic learning.

Here, the student has identified a particular type of leadership ("participatory leadership"), narrowing the topic, and has made an arguable claim (this type of leadership is "appropriate" to a specific type of nurse educator). Conceivably, a scholar in the nursing field might disagree with this approach. The student's paper can now proceed, providing specific pieces of evidence to support the arguable central claim.

Choosing the Right Words

This thesis statement uses large or scholarly-sounding words that have no real substance:

Needs Improvement: Scholars should work to seize metacognitive outcomes by harnessing discipline-based networks to empower collaborative infrastructures.

There are many words in this sentence that may be buzzwords in the student's field or key terms taken from other texts, but together they do not communicate a clear, specific meaning. Sometimes students think scholarly writing means constructing complex sentences using special language, but actually it's usually a stronger choice to write clear, simple sentences. When in doubt, remember that your ideas should be complex, not your sentence structure.

Better: Ecologists should work to educate the U.S. public on conservation methods by making use of local and national green organizations to create a widespread communication plan.

Notice in the revision that the field is now clear (ecology), and the language has been made much more field-specific ("conservation methods," "green organizations"), so the reader is able to see concretely the ideas the student is communicating.

Leaving Room for Discussion

This thesis statement is not capable of development or advancement in the paper:

Needs Improvement: There are always alternatives to illegal drug use.

This sample thesis statement makes a claim, but it is not a claim that will sustain extended discussion. This claim is the type of claim that might be appropriate for the conclusion of a paper, but in the beginning of the paper, the student is left with nowhere to go. What further points can be made? If there are "always alternatives" to the problem the student is identifying, then why bother developing a paper around that claim? Ideally, a thesis statement should be complex enough to explore over the length of the entire paper.

Better: The most effective treatment plan for methamphetamine addiction may be a combination of pharmacological and cognitive therapy, as argued by Baker (2008), Smith (2009), and Xavier (2011).

In the revised thesis, you can see the student make a specific, debatable claim that has the potential to generate several pages' worth of discussion. When drafting a thesis statement, think about the questions your thesis statement will generate: What follow-up inquiries might a reader have? In the first example, there are almost no additional questions implied, but the revised example allows for a good deal more exploration.

Thesis Mad Libs

If you are having trouble getting started, try using the models below to generate a rough model of a thesis statement! These models are intended for drafting purposes only and should not appear in your final work.

• In this essay, I argue ____, using ______ to assert _____.
• While scholars have often argued ______, I argue______, because_______.
• Through an analysis of ______, I argue ______, which is important because_______.

Words to Avoid and to Embrace

When drafting your thesis statement, avoid words like explore, investigate, learn, compile, summarize , and explain to describe the main purpose of your paper. These words imply a paper that summarizes or "reports," rather than synthesizing and analyzing.

Instead of the terms above, try words like argue, critique, question , and interrogate . These more analytical words may help you begin strongly, by articulating a specific, critical, scholarly position.

Read Kayla's blog post for tips on taking a stand in a well-crafted thesis statement.

Related Resources

Didn't find what you need? Email us at [email protected] .

• Previous Page: Introductions
• Next Page: Conclusions
• Office of Student Disability Services

Walden Resources

Departments.

• Academic Residencies
• Academic Skills
• Career Planning and Development
• Customer Care Team
• Field Experience
• Military Services
• Student Success Advising
• Writing Skills

Centers and Offices

• Center for Social Change
• Office of Academic Support and Instructional Services
• Office of Degree Acceleration
• Office of Research and Doctoral Services
• Office of Student Affairs

Student Resources

• Doctoral Writing Assessment
• Form & Style Review
• Quick Answers
• ScholarWorks
• SKIL Courses and Workshops
• Walden Bookstore
• Walden Catalog & Student Handbook
• Student Safety/Title IX
• Legal & Consumer Information
• Website Terms and Conditions
• Cookie Policy
• Accessibility
• Accreditation
• State Authorization
• Net Price Calculator
• Contact Walden

Walden University is a member of Adtalem Global Education, Inc. www.adtalem.com Walden University is certified to operate by SCHEV © 2024 Walden University LLC. All rights reserved.

102 War on Drugs Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best war on drugs topic ideas & essay examples, 🎓 good research topics about war on drugs, ⭐ simple & easy war on drugs essay titles, ❓ war on drugs research questions.

• War on Drugs and Its Effects: Analytical Essay This has led to the formation of laws to govern drug trafficking and drug use in most countries that are determined to eradicate this problem.
• Drug Issue in “America’s Unjust Drug War” by Michael Huemer In a report on the unjust drug war in America, the author proposes that legislation on the use of recreational drugs is improper. We will write a custom essay specifically for you by our professional experts 808 writers online Learn More
• Drug War in “Baltimore: Anatomy of an American City” The “strengths of this theory make it effective towards describing the behaviors of many individuals in the society”. Many individuals engage in criminal activities due to lack of the required resources.
• The House I Live In: War on Drugs and Mass Incarceration Yet the way in which the comparison between the Holocaust and the War on Drugs makes the most sense is the fact that mass incarceration for drug-related offenses disproportionally targets one group of population.
• The Failure of the Drug War The threat of imprisonment is not sufficient to keep citizens from partaking in the drug, nor is it effective in ensuring the drug is not available on the street.
• Positive Results of the War on Drugs The present section argues that the War on Drugs yielded some significant results in the United States, mainly thanks to the country’s advantageous geographic position, in terms of reducing both production and consumption of drugs […]
• Prohibition: War on Drugs American Labor Leader Andrew Furuseth spoke before Congress in 1926 and noted that just after prohibition began, there was a large change in the working population, but he also added: “Two years afterwards I came […]
• War on Drugs and Prison Overcrowding Analysis In this way, it is possible to reduce the number of inmates in state prisons because studies have shown that low-level offenders make more than 55% of the total number of inmates in American prisons.
• America’s War on Drugs At the time, Nixon was concerned by the sudden surge of drug related arrests among young people and the relation that the trend had on the high rate of street crime at the time.
• War on Drugs in the Sicario Film First, the use of factual information in work increases confidence in the film’s authors and convinces the viewer of the truthfulness and accuracy of the narrative.
• War on Drugs in “Sicario” (2015) Film On the positive side of things, the depiction of the War on Drugs in the movie is built around violence associated with it and the corruption of federal agents involved in the operations.
• The War on Drugs Is Lost: In Search of a New Method After forty years and a trillion dollars, the volume of drugs in the United States has remained relatively the same. In 2000, Portugal decriminalized all hard and soft drugs at the recommendation of a panel […]
• Prohibition & War on Drugs and Negative Effects The intention behind the Prohibition was to ban the consumption of alcohol to reduce the occurrence of crimes, spousal abuse, and increase the overall purity of US society.
• Literature Review: The War on Drugs However, the misguided notion that anything with the potential to cause harm is immoral has led to the limited effectiveness of punitive policies with regard to the reduction of the negative impacts of drug use.
• The America’s Unjust Drug War In addition, the thought experiment shows the ethical inadmissibility of such a prohibition from the point of view of moral philosophy.
• Techniques in “The Drug War and Class War” by Harrop The essay provides many instances of the use of emotive language and it helps the reader to understand the social and cultural relevance of the issue that the contemporary discrimination by produce student’s use of […]
• War on Drugs in the United States Satisfaction of rehabilitation costs, salaries, and payment of the government officials and employees involved in the operations and activities related to the war on drugs have been included in the estimation of the cost of […]
• War on Drugs and Terror and American Promise As a result, the people of the US have a reason to doubt that the war on terror is concerned with the safety of the world or even the safety of the American people.
• American Drug War from the Economic Perspective On the basis of this information, it can be presupposed that the reduction of demand is the best way to overcome the drug issue.
• Drug War Policies and Freiberg & Carson’s Models War on Drugs was a set of policies adopted by the Nixon administration in 1971, following a tremendous growth of the local illegal drug market in the 1960s, in the aftermath of the Vietnam War.
• American Drug War, Its Achievements and Failures The critics of this policy argue that the government is using more resources to control drugs, while only using few resources in drug victims’ treatment and rehabilitation.
• Ineffectiveness of the “War on Drugs” Campaign The American government has been using powerful measures and laws to deal with the problem. The main area of concern therefore focuses on the effectiveness of this fight against illicit drugs in the United States.
• Health Law: The Never-Ending War on Drugs The failure of the efforts to curb the trafficking and use of illicit drugs may be a new experience for many countries across the world, but not for the US.
• War on Drugs in Mexico The war on drugs is the most significant occurrence in Mexico in the last decade. These factors have led to the president to declare war on the drug use in order to improve the country’s […]
• The War on Drugs and the Incarceration of Black Women Considering the plight of black women in the war on drugs, this paper discusses the concept of war on drugs as the war against black women.
• The War on Drugs in the US In the US, the negative impacts of drug use became evident in the society at the end of the 19th century, when it was observed that psychotropic drugs such as cocaine and morphine led to […]
• Mexican Drug Cartels and the War on Drugs The examination of the current research on Mexican drug cartels and the War on Drugs helps to understand the causes of the outburst of violence, define the major tendencies of the Mexican War on Drugs […]
• Mexican Drug War: Political, Social, and Economy Damages The cartels use the law enforcement agents against rival cartels through bribes and leaking information on their activities to the police Origin of the Escalating Violence The violence in the county is as a result […]
• American Government’s War on Drugs Analyzing the success of the war on drugs in the society, it is important to understand the drug control rhetoric, which is aimed at realizing a drug-free society.
• Successes and the Failures of the “Drug War” In the past century, the use of illicit drugs reduced drastically owing to the drug war. The growing of the illicit drugs like Cannabis in the US has drastically reduced due to the drug war.
• Drug War in Afghanistan Over the last three decades, the NATO has been making various strategies to end the war and the drug business in Afghanistan because of the negative activities that the Taliban carries out not only in […]
• Mexican Politics, Culture and Drug Wars The 10-year civil war of Mexico that lasted from 1910 to 1920 is believed to be the key that opened up the doors to the new constitution of 1917.
• American Foreign Policy and the War on Drugs
• The Right Way of Handling the War on Drugs
• America Will Never Win the War on Drugs
• Underdeveloped Countries and the War on Drugs
• African Americans, Poverty, and the War on Drugs
• The Political and Economic Factors of the War on Drugs
• Crime and the War on Drugs
• Economics Theory and Crime: Why Is Law Enforcement Failing in the War on Drugs
• Choosing the Right Battlefield for the War on Drugs
• Legalize Marijuana: End the War on Drugs
• Criminology: Drug Policies and the War on Drugs
• Addiction and the War on Drugs
• Bad Neighbor Policy: Washington’s Futile War on Drugs in Latin America
• Drug Policies and the War on Drugs
• Joint Interagency Task Force and the War on Drugs
• Propaganda, Stereotypes, and the War on Drugs
• Overcrowded Prisons and the War on Drugs
• America Should End Its War on Drugs
• Drug Legalization and the War on Drugs
• Organized Crime and War on Drugs
• Favela Lives Matter: Youth From Urban Peripheries, Political Engagement and Alternatives to the War on Drugs
• Legalization and the War on Drugs
• Racial Bias and the Civil War on Drugs
• Criminal Justice Enforcement and the United War on Drugs
• America and the War on Drugs
• Budgetary Politics and the War on Drugs
• Ethics and the War on Drugs
• Heroin Crisis, White Families Seek Gentler War on Drugs
• End the Bogus War on Drugs
• Parents: First Line Defense in War on Drugs
• Functionalist and Interactionist Views on the War on Drugs
• High Crime Rates and War on Drugs
• Cannabis and the War on Drugs
• Mexican Drug Cartels and the War on Drugs
• Drug Use and Abuse During the War on Drugs
• Criminal Law and the War on Drugs
• The Market for Illegal Drugs and the War on Drugs
• Cocaine, Race, and the War on Drugs
• Ethnocentrism, Class Discrimination, and the Historical Shortcomings of America’s War on Drugs
• Colombia and the War on Drugs: How Short Is the Short Run
• Has the War on Drugs Been a Failure?
• Are You in Favor of War on Drug?
• What Can We Do to Stop the War on Drugs?
• What Is the Point of the War on Drugs?
• Is the War on Drugs Immoral?
• Has the War on Drugs Had Any Positive Effects?
• Is the War on Drugs Working?
• What Are Your Thoughts About the War on Drugs?
• Who Has Benefited From the Us Government’s “War on Drugs”?
• What Are the Negative Effects of War on Drugs?
• Why Did Ronald Reagan Declare War on Drugs?
• Is the “War on Drugs” Futile and a Waste of Resources?
• What Are the Strongest Arguments for and Against the War on Drugs?
• Why Did War on Drugs Fail?
• What Are Some Facts About the War on Drugs?
• Has the United States Lost the “War on Drugs?”
• Do You Think the War on Drugs Is a Joke?
• What Can You Say About War on Drugs?
• Why Do You Agree With the War on Drugs?
• Who Is Winning the War on Drugs?
• What Are the Good Effects of War on Drugs in the Philippines?
• Why Did Richard Nixon Begin the War on Drugs?
• What Is the Relationship Between the War on Drugs and Race?
• What War Will Replace the War on Drugs?
• What Are the Advantages of War on Drugs?
• What Is Hillary Clinton’s Stance on the “War on Drugs”?
• Is War on Drugs Justifiable?
• How Are We Doing on the War on Drugs?
• What Is the Disadvantage and Advantage on War on Drugs?
• What Is the Purpose of the Endless War on Drugs?
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2023, September 27). 102 War on Drugs Essay Topic Ideas & Examples. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/war-on-drugs-essay-topics/

"102 War on Drugs Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." IvyPanda , 27 Sept. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/topic/war-on-drugs-essay-topics/.

IvyPanda . (2023) '102 War on Drugs Essay Topic Ideas & Examples'. 27 September.

IvyPanda . 2023. "102 War on Drugs Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." September 27, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/war-on-drugs-essay-topics/.

1. IvyPanda . "102 War on Drugs Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." September 27, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/war-on-drugs-essay-topics/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "102 War on Drugs Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." September 27, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/war-on-drugs-essay-topics/.

• Cannabis Essay Titles
• Drugs Titles
• Criminal Justice Essay Topics
• Drug Trafficking Research Topics
• Marijuana Ideas
• Drug Abuse Research Topics
• Opioids Research Topics
• Prison Paper Topics
• Organized Crime Titles
• Prostitution Topics
• Racial Profiling Essay Topics
• Youth Violence Research Topics
• Alcohol Abuse Paper Topics
• Alcohol Essay Titles
• Police Questions

• Translators
• Graphic Designers

Please enter the email address you used for your account. Your sign in information will be sent to your email address after it has been verified.

25 Thesis Statement Examples That Will Make Writing a Breeze

Understanding what makes a good thesis statement is one of the major keys to writing a great research paper or argumentative essay. The thesis statement is where you make a claim that will guide you through your entire paper. If you find yourself struggling to make sense of your paper or your topic, then it's likely due to a weak thesis statement.

Let's take a minute to first understand what makes a solid thesis statement, and what key components you need to write one of your own.

A thesis statement always goes at the beginning of the paper. It will typically be in the first couple of paragraphs of the paper so that it can introduce the body paragraphs, which are the supporting evidence for your thesis statement.

Your thesis statement should clearly identify an argument. You need to have a statement that is not only easy to understand, but one that is debatable. What that means is that you can't just put any statement of fact and have it be your thesis. For example, everyone knows that puppies are cute . An ineffective thesis statement would be, "Puppies are adorable and everyone knows it." This isn't really something that's a debatable topic.

Something that would be more debatable would be, "A puppy's cuteness is derived from its floppy ears, small body, and playfulness." These are three things that can be debated on. Some people might think that the cutest thing about puppies is the fact that they follow you around or that they're really soft and fuzzy.

All cuteness aside, you want to make sure that your thesis statement is not only debatable, but that it also actually thoroughly answers the research question that was posed. You always want to make sure that your evidence is supporting a claim that you made (and not the other way around). This is why it's crucial to read and research about a topic first and come to a conclusion later. If you try to get your research to fit your thesis statement, then it may not work out as neatly as you think. As you learn more, you discover more (and the outcome may not be what you originally thought).

Additionally, your thesis statement shouldn't be too big or too grand. It'll be hard to cover everything in a thesis statement like, "The federal government should act now on climate change." The topic is just too large to actually say something new and meaningful. Instead, a more effective thesis statement might be, "Local governments can combat climate change by providing citizens with larger recycling bins and offering local classes about composting and conservation." This is easier to work with because it's a smaller idea, but you can also discuss the overall topic that you might be interested in, which is climate change.

So, now that we know what makes a good, solid thesis statement, you can start to write your own. If you find that you're getting stuck or you are the type of person who needs to look at examples before you start something, then check out our list of thesis statement examples below.

Thesis statement examples

A quick note that these thesis statements have not been fully researched. These are merely examples to show you what a thesis statement might look like and how you can implement your own ideas into one that you think of independently. As such, you should not use these thesis statements for your own research paper purposes. They are meant to be used as examples only.

• Vaccinations Because many children are unable to vaccinate due to illness, we must require that all healthy and able children be vaccinated in order to have herd immunity.
• Educational Resources for Low-Income Students Schools should provide educational resources for low-income students during the summers so that they don't forget what they've learned throughout the school year.
• School Uniforms School uniforms may be an upfront cost for families, but they eradicate the visual differences in income between students and provide a more egalitarian atmosphere at school.
• Populism The rise in populism on the 2016 political stage was in reaction to increasing globalization, the decline of manufacturing jobs, and the Syrian refugee crisis.
• Public Libraries Libraries are essential resources for communities and should be funded more heavily by local municipalities.
• Cyber Bullying With more and more teens using smartphones and social media, cyber bullying is on the rise. Cyber bullying puts a lot of stress on many teens, and can cause depression, anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts. Parents should limit the usage of smart phones, monitor their children's online activity, and report any cyber bullying to school officials in order to combat this problem.
• Medical Marijuana for Veterans Studies have shown that the use of medicinal marijuana has been helpful to veterans who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Medicinal marijuana prescriptions should be legal in all states and provided to these veterans. Additional medical or therapy services should also be researched and implemented in order to help them re-integrate back into civilian life.
• Work-Life Balance Corporations should provide more work from home opportunities and six-hour workdays so that office workers have a better work-life balance and are more likely to be productive when they are in the office.
• Teaching Youths about Consensual Sex Although sex education that includes a discussion of consensual sex would likely lead to less sexual assault, parents need to teach their children the meaning of consent from a young age with age appropriate lessons.
• Whether or Not to Attend University A degree from a university provides invaluable lessons on life and a future career, but not every high school student should be encouraged to attend a university directly after graduation. Some students may benefit from a trade school or a "gap year" where they can think more intensely about what it is they want to do for a career and how they can accomplish this.
• Studying Abroad Studying abroad is one of the most culturally valuable experiences you can have in college. It is the only way to get completely immersed in another language and learn how other cultures and countries are different from your own.
• Women's Body Image Magazines have done a lot in the last five years to include a more diverse group of models, but there is still a long way to go to promote a healthy woman's body image collectively as a culture.
• Cigarette Tax Heavily taxing and increasing the price of cigarettes is essentially a tax on the poorest Americans, and it doesn't deter them from purchasing. Instead, the state and federal governments should target those economically disenfranchised with early education about the dangers of smoking.
• Veganism A vegan diet, while a healthy and ethical way to consume food, indicates a position of privilege. It also limits you to other cultural food experiences if you travel around the world.
• University Athletes Should be Compensated University athletes should be compensated for their service to the university, as it is difficult for these students to procure and hold a job with busy academic and athletic schedules. Many student athletes on scholarship also come from low-income neighborhoods and it is a struggle to make ends meet when they are participating in athletics.
• Women in the Workforce Sheryl Sandberg makes a lot of interesting points in her best-selling book, Lean In , but she only addressed the very privileged working woman and failed to speak to those in lower-skilled, lower-wage jobs.
• Assisted Suicide Assisted suicide should be legal and doctors should have the ability to make sure their patients have the end-of-life care that they want to receive.
• Celebrity and Political Activism Although Taylor Swift's lyrics are indicative of a feminist perspective, she should be more politically active and vocal to use her position of power for the betterment of society.
• The Civil War The insistence from many Southerners that the South seceded from the Union for states' rights versus the fact that they seceded for the purposes of continuing slavery is a harmful myth that still affects race relations today.
• Blue Collar Workers Coal miners and other blue-collar workers whose jobs are slowly disappearing from the workforce should be re-trained in jobs in the technology sector or in renewable energy. A program to re-train these workers would not only improve local economies where jobs have been displaced, but would also lead to lower unemployment nationally.
• Diversity in the Workforce Having a diverse group of people in an office setting leads to richer ideas, more cooperation, and more empathy between people with different skin colors or backgrounds.
• Re-Imagining the Nuclear Family The nuclear family was traditionally defined as one mother, one father, and 2.5 children. This outdated depiction of family life doesn't quite fit with modern society. The definition of normal family life shouldn't be limited to two-parent households.
• Digital Literacy Skills With more information readily available than ever before, it's crucial that students are prepared to examine the material they're reading and determine whether or not it's a good source or if it has misleading information. Teaching students digital literacy and helping them to understand the difference between opinion or propaganda from legitimate, real information is integral.
• Beauty Pageants Beauty pageants are presented with the angle that they empower women. However, putting women in a swimsuit on a stage while simultaneously judging them on how well they answer an impossible question in a short period of time is cruel and purely for the amusement of men. Therefore, we should stop televising beauty pageants.
• Supporting More Women to Run for a Political Position In order to get more women into political positions, more women must run for office. There must be a grassroots effort to educate women on how to run for office, who among them should run, and support for a future candidate for getting started on a political career.

Still stuck? Need some help with your thesis statement?

If you are still uncertain about how to write a thesis statement or what a good thesis statement is, be sure to consult with your teacher or professor to make sure you're on the right track. It's always a good idea to check in and make sure that your thesis statement is making a solid argument and that it can be supported by your research.

After you're done writing, it's important to have someone take a second look at your paper so that you can ensure there are no mistakes or errors. It's difficult to spot your own mistakes, which is why it's always recommended to have someone help you with the revision process, whether that's a teacher, the writing center at school, or a professional editor such as one from ServiceScape .

Related Posts

How To Use Microsoft Word References Tool For Smarter Academic Writing

Quasi-Experimental Design: Rigor Meets Real-World Conditions

• Academic Writing Advice
• All Blog Posts
• Writing Advice
• Admissions Writing Advice
• Book Writing Advice
• Short Story Advice
• Employment Writing Advice
• Business Writing Advice
• Web Content Advice
• Article Writing Advice
• Magazine Writing Advice
• Grammar Advice
• Dialect Advice
• Editing Advice
• Freelance Advice
• Legal Writing Advice
• Poetry Advice
• Graphic Design Advice
• Logo Design Advice
• Translation Advice
• Blog Reviews
• Short Story Award Winners
• Scholarship Winners

Need an academic editor before submitting your work?

• Essay Topics
• Homework Help
• Essay Types
• Essay Examples
• Become a Tutor

Top 7 Examples Of A Good Thesis Statement

Today I want to talk about one of the greatest challenges facing any student who wants to pass his or her written assignment with flying colors. You are right – I am going to explain how to write an excellent thesis statement . So, look through these seven ideas and come up with a thesis statement that will impress your professor.

Idea 1: Understand What Thesis Statement Is

Just like you don’t start your journey without an accurate road map, you cannot write a decent paper without a clear thesis statement. Basically, thesis statement is the “road map” of your paper.

Still hard to understand? Ok, below is a short list of what thesis statement is :

• Short sentence presenting an argument to the reader.
• Backbone around which all subsequent work is structured.

And here is the list of what thesis statement is not :

• Introduction of the topic: “This paper will examine/discuss/analyze etc…”
• Introduction of the author: “I am going to confirm/prove/refute etc…”
• Asking your reader a question: “What is the antecedent/effect/consequence etc…?”

Idea 2: Compose A Thesis Statement Outline

Your professor should have told you that an outline is helpful to write a good paper. Well, the same rule applies to writing a thesis statement.

A strong thesis statement includes the following elements:

• Qualification

Now, let’s see how all these elements work together in the following thesis statement: “ In an overwhelming majority of cases ( qualification ) , income-based inequality leads to health disparities ( topic and position ) because of the fallacies in the national insurance system ( reason ) . ”

I believe that developing thesis statements can be fun. Make sure of it yourself and compose a thesis statement using the following formula:

Topic: “ Eating sweets”

Position: “A good idea”

Qualification: “Always”

Reason: “Makes you happy”

Now, as your “sweet” thesis is complete, and your brain is recharged with glucose, you are ready to learn some more thesis statement ideas.

Idea 3: Always Distinguish Between Debatable And Non-Debatable

Naturally, debatable thesis statement is preferable, especially if you plan to write an argumentative or persuasive paper.

To understand the difference, I suggest comparing between the two theses statements.

Non-Debatable Thesis Statement: “Pollution is bad for the environment”

There are at least two reasons why this short (and pretty clumsy) to call this thesis statement a non-debatable. In the first place, the word pollution has a negative denotation : when reading this word, we already understand it stands for something not very good. Second, neither study indicates that pollution has any advantage. So, there’s simply nothing to argue about.

Non-debatable thesis statement is commonly boring, so you should better have a debatable one.

Debatable Thesis Statement: ”At least 25 percent of the federal budget should be spent on limiting pollution.”

It is a perfect example of a debatable statement, since reading it people may have thoughts like: “Right, we should invest more in limiting pollution”, “We must allocate more resources to education”, or “He’s crazy! Where will we find the money?!”

Idea 4: Different Types Of Essay Need A Different Thesis Statement

Experts suggest a rule of thumb: determine the type of essay before drafting a thesis statement.

Basically, essays are divided into three types:

Thesis example: Shaped by religious tradition and belief the supremacy of Western culture, 20 th century United States foreign policy has reinforced racism against the Middle East (Source: University of Evansville).

• Argumentative

Thesis example: High school graduates should be required to take a year off to pursue community service projects before entering college in order to increase their maturity and global awareness (Source: University of Evansville).

Thesis example: The life of the typical college student is characterized by time spent studying, attending classes, and socializing with peers (Source: University of Evansville).

NB: You can learn more about different types of essays by visiting the aforementioned Purdue Online Writing Lab , University of Evansville ’s website or other reputable resource.

Idea 5: A Good Thesis Statement Is Always Narrow

At times, there are too many things that seem relevant to your essay. But the problem is that you cannot fit them all in your paper, unless you want to confuse the reader. So, consider writing on a limited number of topics and include them in your narrowed thesis.

To see the difference between a broad and a narrowed thesis statement, consider the examples below.

Thesis Example 1   : Drug use is detrimental to society (Source: Purdue Online Writing Lab) .

Thesis Example 2  : Illegal drug use is detrimental because it encourages drug violence (Source: Purdue Online Writing Lab) .

I hope you didn’t have any difficulties with distinguishing between the broad and the narrowed thesis statements. Indeed, the second thesis has been narrowed to reflect a specific aspect of illegal drug use – drug violence.

Idea 6: Good Thesis Statement Picks Up A Side

Remember that a strong thesis statement picks up one side or another, but never both. This idea can be illustrated by the thesis statements below:

Thesis Statement Example 1:

Drug use is detrimental because it encourages drug violence, therefore it should be outlawed. But there are instances when people take drugs for medical reasons. It means that drug use is a controversial public issue, and we cannot introduce a regulation that would satisfy everyone.

In fact, it’s the worst thesis statement I’ve ever seen. The main problem with this thesis is that while familiarizing it, the reader will likely feel confused: “So, what on earth is he thinking about drug use?! Is it good? Is it bad?”

Like in a real-life conversation, you cannot pick up both sides, since your interlocutor might think that you don’t have your opinion at all. So, do not let anyone question your critical thinking and pick up one side only.    

And now consider another example of an argumentative essay thesis.

Thesis Statement Example 2 :

Drug use is detrimental to society because it encourages drug violence, therefore strict measures must be taken to stop illicit drug trafficking.

I think it is a MUCH better thesis statement, because it clearly reveals the thought that you want to convey in your essay: Drug use should be stopped .

Still stuck on your thesis statement? Then go to the final, seventh idea…

Idea 7: Use Thesis Statement Generator To Compose A Statement

You can find plenty of thesis statement generators online. And even more pleasant is the fact that most of these statement generators are free.

With minor differences, most thesis statement generators have a universal algorithm:

• State the topic
• State your opinion about the topic
• Provide the strongest reason that supports this opinion
• Give one more or several strong assertions to support your opinion
• Put all the elements together by pressing the button.

Voila, your thesis statement is complete!

However, a friendly advice is to edit the generated thesis prior to submission. Make sure that it is clear, succinct, thought provoking and deserves the highest grade!

Related articles

Popular articles

• Admission help
• Custom essay help
• Writing assignment
• College essay
• Coursework writing
• Custom writing
• Dissertation writing
• Homework help
• Personal statement
• Proofreading
• School papers
• Speech writing
• Thesis help
• Lab report writing
• Ghostwriting
• Book report
• Book review
• Movie review
• Testimonials
• 1-929-999-5210 Copied!
• Write my essay

Thesis Paper on Drug Addiction

Drug addiction has long been and still is a topical issue around the world. There are different reasons why people get addicted and various levels to which people become dependent on drugs . Some people start taking them because of pure curiosity, others so as to improve their athletic performance or reduce stress and get rid of depression. It doesn’t matter why people start, the main thing here is to get help at the right time and not to ruin their life and health.

Thesis about Drug Addiction

It is extremely important to recognize drug addiction at the right moment, preferably in the beginning, so as not to spoil social relationships and health. It is necessary to understand that the sooner the problem will be attended, the better it is for the treatment progress. There are certain symptoms of drug abuse : when drug is getting people into legal trouble, if because of it people start neglecting their responsibilities, when they use drugs under dangerous conditions, and when they cause problems in relationships.

It is absolutely necessary to prevent drug addictio n levels’ raise, and it is necessary for all the people to take part in this prevention program. Only if we…