Fall 2005: ENC 1102: Argument & Persuasion: Invoking the Professional Voice
How to Write a Thesis Statement - Worksheet
First answer the following questions about your topic:
1. What general topic do you want to write about?
2. Can you narrow the topic to a more specific aspect of the subject?
3. Can you make a controversial assertion about the subject you’ve
chosen?
4. Where do you stand on this subject?
Condense your answers to the above questions into one positional thesis
statement:
Now examine your thesis and check it against these points:
1. Does it express your stand on the issue?
2. Does it prompt discussion?
3. Have you clearly expressed just one idea, or have you made clear the
relationships among the ideas in your thesis statement?
4. Is the language of your thesis specific?
5. Can you revise it to make it clearer, more succinct, more engaging?
6. Does your thesis statement suggest WHY you take the stance you do?
Write your revised thesis statement: