15 Examples of Bad Thesis Statements

When writing an essay, coming up with a strong thesis statement is crucial. A good thesis statement is concise, clear, and engaging and presents a strong argument to your readers. Conversely, a bad thesis statement is broad, unfocused, and unprovocative. It is important to be able to recognize a bad thesis statement so that you can avoid making the same mistakes in your own work. This article will provide 15 examples of bad thesis statements to serve as a warning. By the end, readers should be well-equipped to identify and avoid bad thesis statements.

Examples of bad thesis statements

Example 1

“Trees provide oxygen.”

This thesis statement is ultimately too broad and therefore fails to present a unique argument. It does not provide adequate focus for the essay and does not present an interesting point for readers.

Example 2

“Sports are important for all students in high school.”

This thesis statement fails to provide an adequate argument because it is too general. It does not address any particular school, students, or reasons why sports may be important.

Example 3

“Humans should be able to choose the gender of their children.”

This thesis statement does not provide adequate focus for the essay. It does not present a clear stance for readers and does not take into account the ethical and moral implications of this sentiment.

Example 4

“Too much technology is bad for our health.”

This thesis statement is overly broad and does not present a clear stance. It does not clearly determine which technologies are being referenced and does not demonstrate why they are bad for our health.

Example 5

“Violence in the media causes violence in society.”

This thesis statement is overly broad and does not provide an adequate argument. It does not determine which media are being referenced and does not present evidence to support its claim.

Example 6

“Video games make people anti-social.”

This thesis statement is overly broad and fails to provide evidence to support its claim. It does not reference any particular video games, nor does it discuss how video games can affect people differently.

Example 7

“The government should invest more money in public transportation.”

This thesis statement fails to provide an adequate argument because it is too general. It does not discuss why this is important or how it would benefit society.

Example 8

“Schools should not allow cell phones on campus.”

This thesis statement is overly broad and fails to provide evidence to support its claim. It does not clarify which schools are being referenced, nor does it discuss all the potential benefits of cell phones on campus, such as emergency situations.

More examples of bad thesis statements on the next page…