Thesis Statements Quiz 1

Thesis Statements: Quiz 1
Instructions: For each set of sentences, please pick which thesis statement is strongest. Watch
out for thesis statements that are too general, impossible to prove, illogical, or that neglect to
give any reasons for the argument.
Q.1) Which one is the stronger thesis statement?

a. To limit the city’s policing costs, we will sell the three police helicopters.
b. Albania provides a unique example of a society in which Muslims and Christians have
traditionally lived in harmony.
a. Why does Dr. Who’s spaceship, the TARDIS, look like a police box on the outside?
b. Even though it can be found across the country and has a keen intelligence, the gray jay is
also a minor nuisance and has a habit of stealing things. For these and other reasons, the
gray jay does not deserve to be Canada’s national bird.
a. I will argue that foster parents should receive limited financial compensation for their
work, as foster care should not be mercenary or incentive based, but should rely on
genuine charity and love.
b. The American election system relies too heavily on the Electoral College and should
instead be based on the popular vote.
a. Our broad survey of media publications found that the term “millennials” is not only used
primarily in a derogatory manner, but is also consistently misapplied to a much younger
demographic.
b. The Messiah is the only one of Handel’s musical compositions that was divinely inspired.
a. Attentive listening relies on asking the right questions, building strong relationships, and
having an open mind.
b. I enjoyed Leonardo DiCaprio’s documentary about climate change, but his findings are
invalidated by the fact that he has done little to reduce his own carbon footprint.
a. In 1874, Monet painted The Bridge at Argenteuil. It is a great example of Impressionist
art.
b. The debate over public breastfeeding turns on two key issues—whether women’s breasts
have become overly sexualized and whether breastfeeding can be done discreetly, even in
a public space.
a. A Freudian perspective reveals that Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem “Kubla Khan” can
be read as an erotic fantasy.
b. Shakespeare’s sonnets are profound meditations on what it means to be human.
a. What is not generally known is that there are actually four versions of Edvard Munch’s
painting The Scream.
b. Whereas American football is more likely to cause brain damage, playing rugby
(particularly in the scrum) has more potential to lead to spinal cord injuries.
a. In this paper I will review three key moments in the history of the paper cut: the
invention of paper, the effects of the printing press, and the advent of the electronic age.
b. The fact that many of the French Surrealist artists later became Communists seems
contradictory, given that Communism opposes any escape from reality. However, led by
Andre Breton, the Surrealists used their art to explore precisely this tension between
fantasy and the material conditions of life.
a. E.B. White’s Stuart Little is a book about failure, about the way life is not a destination
but a journey. This children’s classic teaches that failure is a part of life and that even
digressions should be treasured.
b. I will argue that if Barack Obama had spent less time with celebrities he may have had
more success implementing a new health care system during his time in office.
Thesis Statements: Quiz 1
Answer Key
Q.1) b. The first sentence is not an argument. It is rather a statement of intention.

Q.2) b. The first sentence is a research question, not a thesis statement. Sometimes you can use a
question as your thesis, but in an academic essay it is usually best to start with a clear argument.
Q.3) a. Both sentences will work as a thesis statement, but the first is stronger because it gives a
reason for the argument.
Q.4) a. The second statement is impossible to prove or verify.
Q.5) a. The second statement is an "ad hominem" argument. It attacks the person making the
claim, rather than the claim itself.
Q.6) b. The first statement begins with a fact (not an argument) and ends with a claim that is too
broad and lacks a supporting argument.
Q.7) a. The second statements is too vague. No reason is given why the sonnets are profound nor
is there any indication of what being human actually means.
Q.8) b. The first sentence states a fact, not an argument that needs to be defended.
Q.9) b. Aside from being nonsensical (how would one write a history of the paper cut?), the first
thesis is much too broad in scope.
Q.10) a. The second statement does not make a logical connection. Just because Obama spent
time with celebrities does not mean that this affected the implementation of a new health care
system. At the very least, it would be very difficult to prove such a connection in an essay.

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Thesis Statements: Quiz 1

Q.1) Which one is the stronger thesis statement?

Q.1) b. The first sentence is not an argument. It is rather a statement of intention.

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