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 ... If a reader’s first response is likely to be “So what?” then you need to clarify it or connect it to some larger issue via a ...

The thesis statement is the conclusion of the paper ... Is it worth arguing for? (Could an intelligent person produce counter-argument to your thesis?) 3. Is your thesis specific enough (with respect ...

The thesis might appear in the first or second paragraph ... In a personal statement, your evidence should come from your own life. For example, you might center your personal statement around a time ...