Fact
- A fact (or observation) is not thesis statement
- A strong thesis just have ONE main point, no more.
- A strong thesis is arguable from evidence
- A good thesis can be expressed in two sentences
Example:
- "Ernest Hemingway is one of my favorite authors." Not a thesis statement. No one could have an alternative opinion about this; if you say he's your favorite author, then he is.
- "The music of Pink Floyd was the most important influence on American pop music in the 1980s." This is a strong thesis that could be argued with evidence.
- "Eating organic food is good for your health and helps the farming economy, too." The problem with this one is that it focuses on two main points, not one, as required by a strong thesis.
- "The use of hybrid and electric vehicles has increased over the past ten years." Not a thesis statement. This is a verifiable fact--that is, it is either true or not true, but it is not arguable.
- "We can improve the usability of many consumer goods by having more women in the engineering workforce." This is a strong thesis that is arguable from evidence.
- "Having to choose a major in college unnecessarily forces students to specialize in a subject area. Students should be allowed to take the courses they want without considering a major." Remember that a good thesis can be expressed in two sentences. This is a strong thesis.
- "Safety is an important consideration in aviation; airplanes should be made safer." Not a thesis statement. A good thesis is arguable. No one would argue that airplanes should be less safe.
source:
BerkeleyX: ColWri2.1x College Writing 2x: Principles of Written English (via EdX)
