Which of the following is not a characteristic of an effective thesis statement?

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement clearly identifies the topic being discussed, includes the points discussed in the paper, and is written for a specific audience. Your thesis statement belongs at the end of your first paragraph, also known as your introduction. Use it to generate interest in your topic and encourage your audience to continue reading.

You can read chapter four of Schaum's Quick Guide to Writing Great Research Papers an eBook in our online collection, click the title to open: "How Do I Write a Thesis Statement?".

Another option is to think of a thesis statement as one complete sentence that expresses your position.

  • Narrows the topic down to a specific focus of an investigation.
  • Establishes a direction for the entire paper.
  • Points forward to the conclusion.
  • Always stated in your introduction. (Usually at the end of the first paragraph).
  • Always take a stand and justify further discussion.

A thesis statement is not a statement of fact.

Your readers—especially your instructors—want to read writing that engages them. Consequently, you must write thesis statements that are arguable, not factual. Statements of fact seem easy to write about because, well, they are easy to prove. After all, they’re facts. The problem is that you cannot write engaging papers around statements of fact. Such theses prevent you from demonstrating critical thinking and analytical skills, which you want to show your instructor. If you were to write a paper around the next two statements, your writing would probably be quite dull because you would be restating facts that the general public already knows.

Thesis Statements always take a stand and justify further discussion.

In order to make your writing interesting, you should develop a thesis statement that is arguable. Sometimes you will be writing to persuade others to see things your way and other times you will simply be giving your strong opinion and laying out your case for it.


Take a look at the following examples:

Statement of fact:

Small cars get better fuel mileage than 4x4 pickup trucks.

Arguable thesis statement:

The government should ban 4x4 pickup trucks except for work-related use.


Statement of fact:

Foul language is common in movies.

Arguable thesis statement:

The amount of foul language in movies is disproportionate to the amount of foul language in real life.


Statement of fact:

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease.

Arguable thesis statement/opening paragraph:

Researchers think the incidence of celiac disease is increasing in the USA not only because of an increase in the ability and awareness to diagnose it, but also because of changes in the agricultural system. In particular, they are looking at the increased use of pesticides, insecticides, and genetically modified wheat as culprits. Some of these theories are more likely to be valid than others.

This set of Professional Communication Multiple Choice Questions & Answers (MCQs) focuses on “Essays and its Classification”.

1. An essay could be short or long.
a) True
b) False
View Answer

Answer: a
Explanation: The statement is true. An essay could be short or long. It could give personal opinions or information on a subject.

2. Which of these is not a characteristic of a good essay?
a) Brevity
b) Dignified style
c) Fakeness
d) Personal touch
View Answer

Answer: c
Explanation: A good essay must have five characteristics. They are: unity, order in line of thought, Brevity, dignified and literary style and the personal touch.

3. Which of these should be avoided in a good essay?
a) Slang
b) Dignified words
c) Brevity
d) Unity
View Answer

Answer: a
Explanation: A good essay must have a dignified and literary style. It cannot have slang, colloquial terms and free constructions.

4. Which of these is not a type of essay?
a) Narrative essay
b) Descriptive essay
c) Argumentative essay
d) Personal essay
View Answer

Answer: d
Explanation: Essays are of five types. They are: Narrative essays, descriptive essays, argumentative essays, reflective essays and expository essays.

5. Which of these essays tells a story?
a) Narrative essays
b) Descriptive essays
c) Reflective essays
d) Argumentative essays
View Answer

Answer: a
Explanation: Narrative essays narrate a story or an event. The story or event could be real or imaginary, like an accident, a festival and so on.

6. Descriptive essays describe a place or a person.
a) True
b) False
View Answer

Answer: a
Explanation: The statement is true. Descriptive essays describe a place, person or a thing which may be real or imaginary.

7. In which of these essays, the writer arrives at a conclusion by logical reasoning?
a) Narrative essays
b) Descriptive essays
c) Reflective essays
d) Argumentative essays
View Answer

Answer: d
Explanation: Argumentative essays are argumentative in nature. The writer arrives at a conclusion by logical reasoning.

8. ________ essays are a collection of one’s thoughts.
a) Narrative
b) Expository
c) Argumentative
d) Reflective
View Answer

Answer: d
Explanation: The correct statement is: Reflective essays consist of reflection of thoughts on topics of abstract nature. These include habits, qualities, etc..

9. Which of these explains a subject?
a) Narrative essays
b) Expository essays
c) Argumentative essays
d) Reflective essays
View Answer

Answer: b
Explanation: Expository essays explain a subject. These subjects include institutions, industries, scientific topics, literary topics, etc.

10. Which kind of essay uses the five senses (touch, smell, taste, sound, sight) to enhance the imagery of the setting?
a) Narrative essays
b) Descriptive essays
c) Expository essays
d) Argumentative essays
View Answer

Answer: b
Explanation: The five senses are an important aspect of descriptive essays. They enable the reader of the essay to visualize the setting better.

Sanfoundry Global Education & Learning Series – Professional Communication.

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Which of the following is not a characteristic of an effective thesis statement?

Manish Bhojasia, a technology veteran with 20+ years @ Cisco & Wipro, is Founder and CTO at Sanfoundry. He lives in Bangalore, and focuses on development of Linux Kernel, SAN Technologies, Advanced C, Data Structures & Alogrithms. Stay connected with him at LinkedIn.

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What are the characteristics of an effective thesis statement?

An effective thesis statement must be factual and narrow..
Facts. An effective thesis statement prepares readers for facts and details, but it cannot itself be a fact. It must always be an inference that demands proof or further development. ... .
Narrow Topic. A good thesis should be narrow, and not too broad or too vague..

What is not a characteristic of an effective thesis statement?

Which of the following does NOT describe an effective thesis statement? True or false, good thesis statements make an announcement regarding their topic. False. You dont want to say things such as "this essay will discuss" or "The subject of my paper is" instead state your main point directly.

Which of the following is not an aspect of thesis statement?

Option (D) would be the answer. Explanation: A thesis statement is a dissertation sentence that states the main idea of ​​the work and controls that idea within the work.

Which of the following is not true about a thesis statement?

Expert-Verified Answer The statement that is not true about thesis is a thesis statement can be a quote from a famous person. In order to understand why this statement is not correct, let us understand what a thesis is.