ENG 100 Wk 2 Discussion – Thesis Statement 

Post a total of 3 substantive responses over 2 separate days for full participation. This includes your initial post and 2 replies to other students. 

Due Thursday 

Does the success of an essay really rest on a 25 word thesis statement? It can! 

A thesis statement is more than a single sentence. A thesis is a clear statement of ideas, and it represents the command center of the essay. All other parts of the essay, from the topic sentences to the supporting details, take their “orders” from a thesis. 

While there’s no law or rule that dictates the exact way a thesis should look, the best thesis statements do two things: 

First, they establish the essay’s main point or claim. This part of a thesis might look like this: Vaccinations should be mandatory to attend public school. 

Second, a thesis should provide the core reasons that support the claim. The full thesis, then, might look like this: Vaccinations should be mandatory to attend public school because they are safe, effective, and affordable. 

A good thesis tells the reader both the “what” and the “why” of the essay, and if a thesis is successful, it lays the groundwork for the topic sentences in the body paragraphs, as well as the types of details that will be needed to support the claim. 

Respond to the following in a minimum of 175 words: 

• Because so much depends on a thesis statements and topic sentences, discuss some effective strategies for coming up with them. 

• What might you list as the qualities of an effective thesis, and how do you know when a thesis needs to be improved? 

• Why is it important to make sure that research supports your thesis?

• What might happen if a writer approaches an essay without a thesis?  

Due Monday 

Reply to at least 2 of your classmates. Be constructive and professional in your responses.