a firm attitude
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Even in a personal essay that allows the use of first person, your thesis should not contain phrases such
as in my opinion or I believe. These statements reduce your credibility and weaken your argument. Your
opinion is more convincing when you use a firm attitude.
E X E R C I S E 1
On a separate sheet of paper, write a thesis statement for each of the following topics. Remember to
make each statement specific, precise, demonstrable, forceful and confident.
Topics
Texting while driving
The legal drinking age in the United States
Steroid use among professional athletes
Abortion
Racism
Examples of Appropriate Thesis Statements
Each of the following thesis statements meets several of the following requirements:
Specificity
Precision
Ability to be argued
Ability to be demonstrated
Forcefulness
Confidence
1. The societal and personal struggles of Troy Maxon in the play Fencessymbolize the challenge of
black males who lived through segregation and integration in the United States.
2. Closing all American borders for a period of five years is one solution that will tackle illegal
immigration.
3. Shakespeare’s use of dramatic irony in Romeo and Juliet spoils the outcome for the audience and
weakens the plot.
4. J. D. Salinger’s character in Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield, is a confused rebel who voices
his disgust with phonies, yet in an effort to protect himself, he acts like a phony on many occasions.
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5. Compared to an absolute divorce, no-fault divorce is less expensive, promotes fairer settlements,
and reflects a more realistic view of the causes for marital breakdown.
6. Exposing children from an early age to the dangers of drug abuse is a sure method of preventing
future drug addicts.
