1. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 Thesis Writing

2. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 In the following pairs you will find a series of possible thesis statements. In each pair, one is labelled “a good thesis” and the other “not a thesis”. Study these pairs and figure out what a good thesis must include.

3. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 Pair # 1: Not a ThesisA Good Thesis The American space shuttle program. The space shuttle program is an expensive luxury.

4. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 Pair # 2: Not a ThesisA Good Thesis Flex-time.This company should allow flex-time.

5. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 Pair # 3: Not a ThesisA Good Thesis Owning your home.Owning your home is the American nightmare.

6. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 What can you conclude about a good thesis from these first three pairs?

7. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 Now look at these pairs.

8. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 Pair # 1: Not a ThesisA Good Thesis In this paper I will discuss computers. Computers can make human beings more powerful.

9. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 Pair # 2: Not a ThesisA Good Thesis Rabies will be the subject of this essay. Every pet should be inoculated against rabies.

10. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 Pair # 3: Not a ThesisA Good Thesis There are a number of pros and cons to nuclear energy. Nuclear energy is too dangerous to be used as a source of energy.

11. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 Pair # 4: Not a ThesisA Good Thesis The proposal for a mandatory seat belt law is very controversial. All drivers should be required by law to wear seat belts.

12. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 What can you conclude about a good thesis statement from these pairs?

13. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 Now look at these pairs.

14. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 Pair # 1: Not a ThesisA Good Thesis Is Alfred Hitchcock’s movie, Vertigo, a perfect thriller? Alfred Hitchcock’s movie, Vertigo, is a perfect thriller.

15. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 Pair # 2: Not a ThesisA Good Thesis Is it possible to have a perfectly good marriage without love? It is possible to have a perfectly good marriage without love.

16. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 What can you conclude about a good thesis statement from these pairs?

17. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 Now look at these pairs.

18. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 Pair # 1: Weak Thesis The Palestinians do not have a homeland. Something should be done about the Palestinians. Good Thesis A homeland must be created for the Palestinians.

19. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 Pair # 2: Weak Thesis Harry Truman was the only president to use nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons are a powerful force in the world today. Good Thesis The nuclear bombs we exploded on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were a crime against the human race.

20. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 Pair # 3: Weak Thesis Burning coal with a high sulphur content contributes to acid rain. The federal government should take a stand on acid rain. Good Thesis It should be made illegal to burn high-sulphur coal.

21. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 What can you conclude about a good thesis statement from examples?

22. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 Use what you have learned about thesis statements to evaluate each of the following. If it is a good thesis, leave it alone. If it is a weak thesis, revise it to make it effective.

23. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 Religion in America will be the focus of this paper. Example # 1

24. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 Lyndon Johnson was the president who first committed American troops in Vietnam. Example # 2

25. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 Required courses are opposed by many. Example # 3

26. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 Who really assassinated President Kennedy? Example # 4

27. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 Violence on TV provides a harmless outlet for the natural violence we all sometimes feel. Example # 5

28. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 Something must be done about the divorce rate in this country. Example # 6

29. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 Maclennan exposes the dark side of religion in Each Man’s Son. Example # 7

30. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 Although it may appear that human corruption attacks from the outside, in Othello its true source is from within the individual. Example # 8

31. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 In The Double Hook, the use of symbols is an important feature in her writing. Example # 9

32. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 Watson adapts traditional symbols from Christian and Indian mythology to underscore the theme of spiritual death and regeneration. Example # 10

33. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 Seven Errors to Avoid When Composing a Thesis

34. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 1. A thesis cannot be a fragment; it must be expressed in a sentence. PoorBetter How life is in the inner city.Residents of the inner city tend to have a higher death rate, higher disease rates, and higher psychosis rates than do any other residents in Canadian cities.

35. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 2. A thesis must not be in the form of a question (usually the answer to that question could be the thesis). PoorBetter Should eighteen-year-olds have the right to vote? Anyone who is old enough to fight a war is old enough to vote.

36. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 3. A thesis must not contain such phrases as “I think” as they merely weaken the statement or argument. PoorBetter In my opinion, most men wear beards because they are trying to find themselves. The current beard fad may be an attempt on the part of men to emphasize their male identity.

37. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 4. A thesis must not contain elements that are not clearly related. PoorBetter All novelists seek the truth; therefore some novelists are good psychologists. In the attempt to probe human nature, many novelists appear to be good psychologists.

38. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 5. A thesis must not be expressed in vague language. PoorBetter Some people do not think wage and price controls did too much for inflation, despite the politicians saying it would. Contrary to what politicians believed, wage and price controls did not stop inflation.

39. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 6. A thesis must not be expressed in muddled or incoherent language. PoorBetter All students should not think that university is for everyone because for many people they have a career that high school was all they needed. Students should realize that many people have good careers without having attended university.

40. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 7. A thesis should not be written in figurative language. PoorBetter Love is the rose in the garden of our existence. Love is the true basis of human happiness.

41. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 Thesis Flow Chart Text Related Subjects Questions Focused Topics QuestionsThesis Statements Major ideas or topics directly related to the text Questions you ask about the text to gain a clearer, more focused understanding of your subject Ideas that are specific enough to engineer a thesis Questions that will develop a logical, focused and arguable statement that can be supported in an essay You should know this

42. Mr. Mehrotra ENG 4U0 Thesis Flow Chart & Animal Farm Text Related Subjects Questions Focused Topics QuestionsThesis Statements WARHow does war affect the characters? What do characters learn about themselves? Are there positives and negatives to war? How does war benefit the characters? The emotional affects of War. War and character development What are characters emotional reactions? Do characters gain a better understanding of themselves? War causes destructive emotional reactions in the characters. War forces characters to gain a deeper understanding of themselves.