Four Characteristics of Strong 
     Thesis Statements
     1. A strong thesis statement 
       ______________________________.
        A thesis must show your conclusions about a topic.
     2. A strong thesis statement 
       ________________________________.
        Your thesis should indicate the point of the discussion.
      (Quoted Source: Writing Tutorial Services, Indiana University- current and 
       following slide)
   Four Characteristics of Strong 
   Thesis Statements
   3. A strong thesis statement 
     _________________________________.
      Readers need to be able to see that your paper has 
       one main point. If your thesis statement expresses 
       more than one idea, then you might confuse your 
       readers about the subject of your paper. 
   4. A strong thesis statement _________.
      A thesis statement should show exactly what your 
       paper will be about, and will help you keep your 
       paper to a manageable topic. 
   Constructing a Strong Thesis 
   Statement
     How do you write a good 
      thesis statement?
     Magic Formula:
     ________________+
     ___________________ +
     ________________________ = 
      Strong Thesis Statement
    A Three Pronged Thesis 
    Example for Literature:
    Literary contemporaries William Shakespeare 
                             1
     and Ben Jonson exhibit     similar styles of 
                2
     language,    character development, and    
    3 plot execution. = Strong Thesis!
    Topic + active verb + 3 prongs / main points / 
     the approach that you use to prove your topic 
     = strong thesis
   A Three Pronged Thesis 
   Example for Science:
    Because it     emits no greenhouse gasses,      
             1
            causes no atmospheric pollution, and          
     2
            harms no water or aquatic life, Nuclear power + 
     3
    provides + the cleanest source of energy to meet the 
    demands of the twenty-first century. =Strong Thesis 
    Statement
   3 prongs / main points + Topic + active verb + the 
    approach that you use to prove your topic = strong 
    thesis