Name _____________________________________________________________________ Date ___________________

Creating Excellent Thesis Statements Worksheets

Like a topic sentence, a thesis statement is a sentence that conveys your opinion for an essay.

In order to be a thesis statement, it must be a complete sentence with a subject (topic) and an opinion.
Example: Australia is the best country of all for a vacation.

Step 1. Fill in the blanks: A thesis statement is a complete sentence with a ________________ and
______________.
Step 2. For each of the following thesis statements, underline the subject once and the opinion
(commentary) twice:
Example: Westmont is a wonderful place to go to school.
a) Cycling is fun to do with friends.
b) History is my favorite class
c) Its exciting to go to college.
d) Lasagna is my favorite food
e) I like movies more than any other form of entertainment.
Step 3. Write down a subject (topic):__________________________________________________________
Step 4. Write down your opinion: ____________________________________________________________
Step 5. Now write a thesis statement for your subject here: (topic + Opinion)
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Step 6. In the sentence you just wrote above, underline the subject once and the commentary twice.
Step 7. Think of four more subjects that you know something about and write them down. Then, write a thesis
statement for each of your four subjects here:
1. ____________________________________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________________________________________
4. ____________________________________________________________________________________

Step 8. In the four sentences you just wrote above, underline each subject once and each opinion twice.

Step 9. REVIEW. Fill in the blanks for the two main parts of a thesis statement. A thesis statement is a
complete sentence with a __________________ and _________________ (also called a position or an
opinion).

Name _____________________________________________________________________ Date ___________________

The following are sample introductory paragraphs. Underline the thesis statement.

1. In the course of working my way through school, I have taken many jobs I would rather forget. I have
spent nine hours a day lifting heavy automobile and truck batteries off the end of an assembly belt. I
have risked the loss of eyes and fingers working a punch press in a textile factory. I have served as a
ward aide in a mental hospital, helping care for brain-damaged men who would break into violent fits at
unexpected moments. But none of these jobs was as dreadful as my job in an apple plant. The work
was physically hard; the pay was poor; and most of all, the working conditions were dismal.

2. Tae kwon do is a Korean martial art. It is a way of fighting and self-defense based on any understanding
of both body and mind. As a college student, I discovered tae kwon do. Even though I was physically
fit and planned to become a police officer, I thought that women needed special skills to protect
themselves. Tae kwon do teaches these skills and much more. The person who practices tae kwon do
gains discipline, maturity, and a changed self-concept.
3. Most people believe that stress has a negative effect on their lives. Under severe stress, most cannot
function effectively or at all. Pressured by tight deadlines, heavy workloads, or competitive situations,
they may suffer from such problems as anxiety, sleeplessness, or ulcers. Yet stress in not necessarily
bad. Contrary to popular opinion, people can learn to turn stress into a valuable asset in the classroom
and the workplace.

Write your thesis:

In your paper, you will have a thesis statement based on one of two opinions. Either you believe long term
weather forecasting is a helpful thing to use when planning upcoming events. Or you think that long term
forecasting isnt accurate and shouldnt be used in life. Whatever you believe, write a thesis using the model
below.
Choose a word below to help you write your thesis.
Valuable
Important
Vital

Positive Words
Helpful
Useful
Essential

Beneficial
Effective
Crucial

Negative Words
Pointless
Ineffective
Unimportant Useless
Inaccurate
Meaningless

Foolish
Worthless
Irrelevant

Long-term weather forecasting is __________________________________________.