Sample THESIS for a Causal Argument (Cause/Effect Argument Essay)

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Cause/Effect ARGUMENT Essay: Developing the Thesis

Please keep in mind that all essays in our class are argument essays.  This means that you are not simply making a report about an issue.  You are arguing a viewpoint on an issue.  It is the argument that is essential in separating a standard research report on the 'proven' causes and effects of a topic versus a writer ARGUING a cause/effect relationship on a topic.  

KEY POINTS: A thesis needs to be one sentence and clearly assert what the argument will be on the issue. What are two or three impacts from social media that you plan to argue? How will these impact Christian worldviews in America? How drastic has the impact from social media been on the American culture? CONSIDER: How has social media impacted the American culture and in turn, the Christian Worldview of Americans? These things should be considered and addressed in your thesis.  Follow the Audience Analysis exercise to get to a clearer cause/effect thesis statement. Visit THIS LINK.   See this link if you need more ‘general’ help with thesis statements: https://learnessaystrategies.blogspot.com/2019/02/establishing-thesis-and-then-developing.html

Be certain that your THESIS is very clear as to what you will be arguing.  If you do not begin with a clear, debatable thesis, then you will not be able to create body paragraphs that argue and defend your assertions.

While your THESIS may assert any arguable point about social media's effects in America, you must DEFEND the thesis using the Source Sandwich structure.  

The Source Sandwich structure is the only guaranteed way to know that you have presented your argument sub-point (in the topic sentence of the body-paragraph), fully developed the topic sub-point, described the issue through cause/effect relationships, supported the argument sub-point through at least one scholarly source, explained the significiance of the scholarly sourc's declaration, and then wrapped up the body-paragraph in a final, summative sentence for the paragraph that directly relates back to the topic sentence of that body-paragraph.

NOTE: A body-paragraph is a minimum of 5 sentences; however, it is typically 10-12 sentences long when fully developed.

See the handout links below to understand different aspects of the cause/effect argument through your THESIS.  

• Sample thesis for a causal argument: this handout shows a sample cause/effect THESIS, the break-down of that THESIS, and how the essay would be structured to develop and argue the THESIS.

• Flow, Length, and Content of a Typical Body-paragraph: a specific break-down of what is expected in a well-developed body-paragraph of an argument paper.

• Need Ideas for Cause/Effect Essay??: this handout provides 'spring-board' articles and images to help you think through how you feel about the topic and possible cause/effect relationships.  These are not scholarly sources.  They are simply readings to help you understand different ideas surrounding the issue.