Otherwise, you're just stating your intent, not your thesis or claim. Example: My essay will discuss handgun legislation. Better: Banning handguns is the first step toward controlling crime in America ...

Offer Personal Conviction as the Basis for the Argument Example: Clearly, Kincaid is being one-sided. Possible Solution: Maintain some distance from your subject. Do not merely assume your idea is an ...

Your introductory paragraph should build up to your thesis statement and provide your reader with the ... There are many other theses that could be created from this particular example, but this is ...

For the essays you write for college classes, you might support your thesis with textual evidence. In a personal statement, your evidence should come from your own life. For example, you might ...

Check thesis for broad sweeping claims that will be difficult to support with evidence. Step 5: Ask students to provide specific advice for each of the authors about how they could go about revising ...