AP® English Language and Composition review sheet from Aim for Five (aimforfive.com/lang/units/2/2-6)
Unit 2 · Topic 2.6
2.6 Writing a defensible thesis statement
A defensible thesis takes a clear position that someone could argue against and that you can back up with evidence. It answers the prompt directly. Restating the prompt, listing both sides or stating an obvious fact won't earn the thesis point.
Key terms
- thesis statement
- defensible
- position
- prompt
What "defensible" means
Defensible has two halves. Someone could reasonably disagree with it, so it's worth arguing. And you can support it with evidence: from the sources in the synthesis essay, from the passage in the rhetorical analysis essay, or from your own knowledge in the argument essay.
The thesis row of the rubric, in plain words
All three essays are scored out of 6 on the same three rows. Row A, the thesis row, is worth 1 point. You earn it with a thesis that answers the prompt and takes a position you could defend with evidence. In the rhetorical analysis essay, the thesis has to analyze the writer's choices, not just summarize the passage or state your opinion of the topic.
- Doesn't earn it: only restating or rephrasing the prompt.
- Doesn't earn it: not taking a position, or a position so vague a reader has to guess it.
- Doesn't earn it: summarizing both sides ("some say yes, some say no") without choosing.
- Doesn't earn it: stating an obvious fact that needs no defense.
- Doesn't earn it: a thesis that answers a different question from the one asked.
- Allowed: a thesis of more than one sentence, as long as the sentences are together. It can technically appear anywhere, but end your first paragraph with it so readers can't miss it.
Starter templates
Templates are a starting point, not a cage. Fill them with specific words.
| Essay | Template | Example (written for this page) |
|---|---|---|
| Synthesis (Q1) | [Position], because [reason] and [reason]. | Cities should replace overdue fines with automatic renewals, because fines keep the poorest families away and bring in little money. |
| Rhetorical analysis (Q2) | [Writer] [does what] in order to [purpose] for [audience]. | Paine shames the faint-hearted and honors the steadfast to keep discouraged Americans committed to the war. |
| Argument (Q3) | [Position], although/because [limit or reason]. | Failure teaches more than success, but only when someone helps you study what went wrong. |
Making a thesis stronger
- Be specific: name the real issue, not "society" or "many things."
- Take a side, even if you add a limit with "although" or "unless."
- Skip "I think" or "In my opinion"; the essay is your opinion already.
- In Q2, name what the writer is doing and why, not a list of devices like "ethos, pathos and logos."
Worked examples
Try each one yourself first, then open the solution.
- Example 1
Sorting theses for an argument prompt
Practice prompt (written for this page): "Some people say that failure teaches us more than success. Write an essay that argues your position on this claim." Decide which of these theses earn Row A, and why. (1) "Failure and success both teach lessons." (2) "Some people say failure teaches more than success." (3) "Everyone fails at some point in life." (4) "Failure teaches more than success, but only when someone is willing to study what went wrong instead of hurrying past it."
Show the solutionHide the solution
- Step 1: Thesis 1 doesn't choose a side. Saying both teach lessons avoids the question.
- Step 2: Thesis 2 restates the prompt. It's the prompt's own words with nothing added.
- Step 3: Thesis 3 states an obvious fact. Nobody would argue with it, and it doesn't answer the prompt.
- Step 4: Thesis 4 takes a clear position and adds a condition that sets up a line of reasoning. Someone could disagree, and it can be defended with examples.
Answer: Only thesis 4 earns the point. It takes a defensible position on the prompt's claim and adds a limit ("only when someone is willing to study what went wrong") that makes it more precise.
- Example 2
From device list to real rhetorical analysis thesis
Using Thomas Paine's opening to "The American Crisis" (see topic 1.2), revise this weak Question 2 thesis: "Paine uses ethos, pathos and logos to persuade his audience."
Show the solutionHide the solution
- Step 1: Diagnose: the thesis names labels that fit almost any text and says nothing about Paine's purpose or audience.
- Step 2: Name the real choices: sorting people into "summer soldiers" and those who stand firm, and framing hardship as what makes victory valuable.
- Step 3: Name the purpose and audience: to keep discouraged soldiers and civilians committed in December 1776.
- Step 4: Join choices and purpose in one or two sentences.
Answer: Revised thesis: Writing as the army retreated, Paine shames the "summer soldier" and praises those who stand firm, then recasts the war's hardships as the price that makes freedom valuable, all to keep discouraged Americans from abandoning the cause.
Common mistakes
- Restating the prompt in slightly different words and calling it a thesis.
- Writing "There are pros and cons" or "It depends" with no position.
- Listing devices ("ethos, pathos and logos") in a Question 2 thesis instead of the writer's purpose and specific choices.
- Answering a nearby question instead of the one the prompt asks.
On the exam
- Row A is only 1 point, but it's the most reliable point on the essay. Write a clear thesis before you start your body paragraphs.
- A thesis can preview your line of reasoning, but it doesn't have to. A clear position with a reason is enough to earn the point.
Connected topics
Videos
Check yourself
4 questions on 2.6 Writing a defensible thesis statement. Pick an answer to see if you got it, and why.
Written for this practice set: a student's draft of an argument essay answering the question, "Should high schools require community service for graduation?"
Sentence 3 (reproduced below) is meant to be the essay's thesis. "Community service is a requirement at many schools." Which version best states a defensible thesis that fits the essay?
Why is sentence 3, as it is now, not an effective thesis?
The writer is considering revising the thesis to "Community service requirements are always a waste of time." Should she make this revision?
Suppose the writer adopts the thesis "Schools should require community service, but only if students can choose projects that matter to them." Which of the following best describes how paragraph 3 relates to that thesis?
0 of 4 answered