446 McGRAW-HILL’S SAT
Has technology been
good or bad for
humankind?
Vince Lombardi said,
“Winning isn’t every-
thing; it’s the only
thing.” Do you agree
or disagree?
“Every cloud has a
silver lining.” Agree
or disagree?
- Good, because it has given us com-
puters, video games, and DVDs. - Bad, because kids spend too much
time online and playing video games. - Agree: we should always strive to
win, because that’s what sports are
all about. - Disagree: we focus too much on
winning and not enough on
sportsmanship. - Agree, because I once had a bad
experience that had a good side. - Disagree, because there are some
experiences that are just tragic.- Good, because it has given us tools for explor-
ing the universe and uncovering its secrets. - Bad, because it impedes genuine social inter-
action and separates us from nature. - Agree: we love sports because our genes,
which we inherit from our hunter ancestors,
compel us to. - Disagree: winning is only a very small part of
a successful and happy life, and here are some
things that make us happier than winning. - Agree, because every trial can strengthen a
person for having endured it, as these exam-
ples from literature show. - Disagree, because interpreting every tragedy
in a Panglossian way prevents us from solving
important problems like the following.
- Good, because it has given us tools for explor-
Play “Devil’s Advocate”
Lesson 5: Write a Strong and Creative Thesis
The Importance of a Good Thesis
After a few minutes of brainstorming, write “THESIS:” on your scratch paper, and then write the strongest,
most creative one-sentence thesis that you can support. The thesis should capture the essence of the essay
in one well-crafted sentence. This sentence should be concise, interesting, specific, and informative.Good short essays revolve around a good thesis. If your thesis is weak or dull, your essay will be weak or dull.
Once you have brainstormed about the topic and examples, focus on a strong, creative thesis.
Below are some examples of weak theses and strong theses. The weak theses may be true, but they show
little insight into the topic and are run-of-the-mill observations. The strong theses are more thoughtful and cre-
ative and have a wider scope.
Assignment Weak Thesis Strong Thesis
Every good thesis must argue againstsomething as well as argue forsomething. A good thesis should
acknowledge the common objections to it and address them thoughtfully. As you compose your thesis,
play “devil’s advocate.”Don’t worry—playing “devil’s advocate” doesn’t mean selling your soul to the devil for a good essay grade.
It simply means addressing objections to your argument to strengthen it. If you want to persuade a good reader,
you must address common objections to your thesis. For instance, if your thesis is “Competition for grades
creates a bad learning environment,” a reader might object: “But competition motivates students to do their
best, much as it motivates athletes.” Your argument will not be complete until you address this objection. So
you might address it this way in your essay:
Although many will say that competition motivates students to do their best, much as it motivates athletes,
such objections misrepresent real learning. A decent artist is not motivated to create great art by the mere thought
of “defeating” other artists, but to express a capacity that makes her more in tune with nature and with her own
humanity. Similarly, some children do not learn merely to get better grades than other kids (if they did, then
how would they learn to speak, to walk, to tell jokes, and the myriad other things they learn outside of school?),
but to make themselves more competent and happier human beings.