IXL | Identify thesis statements | 8th grade language arts

Which is a thesis statement?

Which twentieth-century invention has had the most widespread and significant effect on modern life?

The laser's use in medical, digital, and automotive technologies qualifies it as this century's most far-reaching invention.

ref_doc_title.

Learn with an example

question

Which is a thesis statement?

This paper is about Atticus Finch in Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird.

Atticus Finch appeals to readers because of his bravery, compassion, and integrity.

key idea

Your thesis statement is the central claim that you intend to argue in a paper. It tells readers your opinion or position about a topic. A thesis statement is often the answer to a research question, supported with facts.

Topic	Bullying in U.S. schools
Research question	How should schools in the U.S. respond to bullying?
Fact	Bullying is not considered an illegal offense in the United States.
Thesis statement	To better protect students, schools in the U.S. should enact zero-tolerance policies towards bullying.

Remember that your thesis statement must state your opinion about the topic. It shouldn't just announce what topic you'll cover in your paper.

red X symbol, This paper will discuss how schools in the U.S. should respond to bullying.

This announces what topic will be covered, but it does not give an opinion about the topic. So, it's not a thesis statement.

solution

This is a thesis statement. It shows an opinion about a topic.

green checkmark, Atticus Finch appeals to readers because of his bravery, compassion, and integrity.

This is not a thesis statement. It announces a topic, but it does not give an opinion about the topic.

red X symbol, This paper is about Atticus Finch in Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird.

Looking for more? Try this:

$Confetti$

Excellent!

Now entering the Challenge Zone—are you ready?

Questions
answeredQuestions

Time
elapsedTime

hr	min	sec
00	00	06

SmartScore
out of 100
IXL's SmartScore is a dynamic measure of progress towards mastery, rather than a percentage grade. It tracks your skill level as you tackle progressively more difficult questions. Consistently answer questions correctly to reach excellence (90), or conquer the Challenge Zone to achieve mastery (100)! Learn more

Teacher tools

Work it out

Not feeling ready yet? This can help:

O.2Distinguish facts from opinions

Excellent! You got that right!

Jumping to level 1 of 1

Excellent!