without thesis statement

Think of yourself as a member of a jury, listening to a lawyer who is presenting an opening argument. You'll want to know very soon whether the lawyer believes the accused to be guilty or not guilty, and how the lawyer plans to convince you. Readers of academic essays are like jury members: before they have read too far, they want to know what the essay argues as well as how the writer plans to make the argument. After reading your thesis statement, the reader should think, "This essay is going to try to convince me of something. I'm not convinced yet, but I'm interested to see how I might be."

An effective thesis cannot be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." A thesis is not a topic; nor is it a fact; nor is it an opinion. "Reasons for the fall of communism" is a topic. "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe" is a fact known by educated people. "The fall of communism is the best thing that ever happened in Europe" is an opinion. (Superlatives like "the best" almost always lead to trouble. It's impossible to weigh every "thing" that ever happened in Europe. And what about the fall of Hitler? Couldn't that be "the best thing"?)

A good thesis has two parts. It should tell what you plan to argue, and it should "telegraph" how you plan to argue—that is, what particular support for your claim is going where in your essay.

Steps in Constructing a Thesis

First, analyze your primary sources.  Look for tension, interest, ambiguity, controversy, and/or complication. Does the author contradict himself or herself? Is a point made and later reversed? What are the deeper implications of the author's argument? Figuring out the why to one or more of these questions, or to related questions, will put you on the path to developing a working thesis. (Without the why, you probably have only come up with an observation—that there are, for instance, many different metaphors in such-and-such a poem—which is not a thesis.)

Once you have a working thesis, write it down.  There is nothing as frustrating as hitting on a great idea for a thesis, then forgetting it when you lose concentration. And by writing down your thesis you will be forced to think of it clearly, logically, and concisely. You probably will not be able to write out a final-draft version of your thesis the first time you try, but you'll get yourself on the right track by writing down what you have.

Keep your thesis prominent in your introduction.  A good, standard place for your thesis statement is at the end of an introductory paragraph, especially in shorter (5-15 page) essays. Readers are used to finding theses there, so they automatically pay more attention when they read the last sentence of your introduction. Although this is not required in all academic essays, it is a good rule of thumb.

Anticipate the counterarguments.  Once you have a working thesis, you should think about what might be said against it. This will help you to refine your thesis, and it will also make you think of the arguments that you'll need to refute later on in your essay. (Every argument has a counterargument. If yours doesn't, then it's not an argument—it may be a fact, or an opinion, but it is not an argument.)

This statement is on its way to being a thesis. However, it is too easy to imagine possible counterarguments. For example, a political observer might believe that Dukakis lost because he suffered from a "soft-on-crime" image. If you complicate your thesis by anticipating the counterargument, you'll strengthen your argument, as shown in the sentence below.

Some Caveats and Some Examples

A thesis is never a question.  Readers of academic essays expect to have questions discussed, explored, or even answered. A question ("Why did communism collapse in Eastern Europe?") is not an argument, and without an argument, a thesis is dead in the water.

A thesis is never a list.  "For political, economic, social and cultural reasons, communism collapsed in Eastern Europe" does a good job of "telegraphing" the reader what to expect in the essay—a section about political reasons, a section about economic reasons, a section about social reasons, and a section about cultural reasons. However, political, economic, social and cultural reasons are pretty much the only possible reasons why communism could collapse. This sentence lacks tension and doesn't advance an argument. Everyone knows that politics, economics, and culture are important.

A thesis should never be vague, combative or confrontational.  An ineffective thesis would be, "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe because communism is evil." This is hard to argue (evil from whose perspective? what does evil mean?) and it is likely to mark you as moralistic and judgmental rather than rational and thorough. It also may spark a defensive reaction from readers sympathetic to communism. If readers strongly disagree with you right off the bat, they may stop reading.

An effective thesis has a definable, arguable claim.  "While cultural forces contributed to the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, the disintegration of economies played the key role in driving its decline" is an effective thesis sentence that "telegraphs," so that the reader expects the essay to have a section about cultural forces and another about the disintegration of economies. This thesis makes a definite, arguable claim: that the disintegration of economies played a more important role than cultural forces in defeating communism in Eastern Europe. The reader would react to this statement by thinking, "Perhaps what the author says is true, but I am not convinced. I want to read further to see how the author argues this claim."

A thesis should be as clear and specific as possible.  Avoid overused, general terms and abstractions. For example, "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe because of the ruling elite's inability to address the economic concerns of the people" is more powerful than "Communism collapsed due to societal discontent."

Copyright 1999, Maxine Rodburg and The Tutors of the Writing Center at Harvard University

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Tips for writing an effective thesis statement.

This handout is available for download in DOCX format and PDF format .

Thesis statements are essentially the driving force and backbone of an academic essay. Without a thesis statement, your essay will lack a cohesive argument and will read more like a list of statistics, quotations or connecting ideas. Before completing your thesis statement, ask yourself:

• Is your essay’s major claim complex? Is it insightful? Is it surprising or unexpected?
• Does your thesis respond to a question, tension or problem?
• Is your thesis stated clearly at the outset and does it evolve and develop throughout the paper?
• Does your thesis statement have a clear motive?

Effective thesis statements directly and boldly articulate a complex, arguable or surprising argument (or arguments) of your own which will need to develop throughout the essay. They should be intelligent, well thought-out responses to a question or problem your essay will address.

Weak Thesis Statements Often:

Make no claim.

• Example: This paper will examine the similarities and differences between two articles.
• Possible Solution: Put the articles in conversation with one another and raise specific issues they agree or disagree about.

Are Obviously True or Statements of Fact

• Example: Tourists are often out of place in other cultures.
• Possible Solution: Make an assertion your reader can argue with.

Restate Conventional Wisdom or Clichés

• Example: We shouldn’t judge others because it’s the inside that counts.
• Possible Solution: Seek to complicate your thesis by anticipating counterarguments; try offering something new to the cliché.

Offer Personal Conviction as the Basis for the Argument

• Example: Clearly, Kincaid is being one-sided.
• Possible Solution: Maintain some distance from your subject. Do not merely assume your idea is an objective or obvious truth.

Make Overly Broad Claims

• Example: Limerick shows her knowledge about the West.
• Possible Solution: Convert broad, generic categories into more specific, complex assertions. Find ways to bring out the complexity of your argument.

More Questions for Constructing Strong Thesis Statements:

A strong thesis statement is often not created all at once but will rather go through stages of revision. A thesis statement in its early form is called a “working thesis.” While honing and tightening your working thesis, ask yourself these questions:

• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? If a reader’s first response is likely to be “So what?” then you need to clarify it or connect it to some larger issue via a compelling motive.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? Thesis statements that are too vague often do not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like “good” or “successful,” see if you could be more specific: why is something “good”; what specifically makes something “successful?”
• Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering? If your thesis and the body of your essay do not seem to fit together, one of them has to change. It’s perfectly okay to change your working thesis to reflect things you have figured out in the course of writing your paper. Remember, always reassess and revise your writing as necessary!
• Does my thesis answer the question? Re-reading the question prompt after constructing a working thesis can help you fix an argument that misses the focus of the question.
• Does my thesis statement teach my reader something they did not already know? Am I bringing a new idea or perspective to the table on the issue or problem raised? Am I happy with what my thesis statement is saying?

Points to Remember:

• The thesis statement usually appears at the end of the first paragraph of a paper.
• A thesis is not the answer to a math problem; it is not supposed to be “correct.” Your thesis should be designed to persuade the reader that your point of view is valid and worthy of consideration.
• Make sure your thesis is your own argument and not simply the argument that you think your instructor or one of your sources would approve of.
• A thesis statement will never be perfect, because it is an attempt to encapsulate everything that will happen in your argument. Since it takes a whole paper to do that, your thesis will always lack something. Accept this and make it the best it can be regardless!

Credit: “Thesis Statements,” The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 25 October 2017, http://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/thesis-statements ; “Developing Strong Thesis Statements,” Purdue Online Writing Lab. 25 October 2017, https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/588/01/ .

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Writers must consider readers' expectations. For example, readers typically expect a written text that is organized and cohesive. One way of helping readers understand the organization and cohesion of ideas within a text is by including a clear thesis statement. Without a clear thesis statement, readers will not know what to expect in a text, they will struggle to follow ideas, and they might feel that the writer is unsure of his/her purpose for writing.

Summarized Explanation

• End an introduction with a thesis statement.
• Avoid using first-person perspective in a thesis statement.
• Create a concise thesis statement that is ideally one sentence long.
• Include a main statement and at least three key ideas to form the thesis statement.

Detailed Explanation

For starters, it is important to note that a thesis statement may take different forms depending on the type of text, and sometimes a thesis statement will be subtle. However, most written texts can benefit from a strong, distinct thesis statement at the very end of the introductory section. A thesis statement should ideally be a single sentence that presents a writer’s main statement about a topic along with at least three key ideas that will be used to prove the statement. Furthermore, it is best to avoid first-person perspective (I think, I feel, I believe), which can make the statement sound too informal. Lastly, a thesis statement serves as a road map for a written text, so the order of ideas presented in the thesis statement should be mirrored in the body section of the text.

Examples (all using the same general topic of this writing guide)

Consider using the Thesis Generator tool as a first step in creating a thesis statement with a main statement and three key ideas.

• Recorded Writing Workshops The writing workshops go into more detail regarding the topics presented in this writing guide.
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Writing a Paper: Thesis Statements

Basics of thesis statements.

The thesis statement is the brief articulation of your paper's central argument and purpose. You might hear it referred to as simply a "thesis." Every scholarly paper should have a thesis statement, and strong thesis statements are concise, specific, and arguable. Concise means the thesis is short: perhaps one or two sentences for a shorter paper. Specific means the thesis deals with a narrow and focused topic, appropriate to the paper's length. Arguable means that a scholar in your field could disagree (or perhaps already has!).

Strong thesis statements address specific intellectual questions, have clear positions, and use a structure that reflects the overall structure of the paper. Read on to learn more about constructing a strong thesis statement.

Being Specific

This thesis statement has no specific argument:

Needs Improvement: In this essay, I will examine two scholarly articles to find similarities and differences.

This statement is concise, but it is neither specific nor arguable—a reader might wonder, "Which scholarly articles? What is the topic of this paper? What field is the author writing in?" Additionally, the purpose of the paper—to "examine…to find similarities and differences" is not of a scholarly level. Identifying similarities and differences is a good first step, but strong academic argument goes further, analyzing what those similarities and differences might mean or imply.

Better: In this essay, I will argue that Bowler's (2003) autocratic management style, when coupled with Smith's (2007) theory of social cognition, can reduce the expenses associated with employee turnover.

The new revision here is still concise, as well as specific and arguable.  We can see that it is specific because the writer is mentioning (a) concrete ideas and (b) exact authors.  We can also gather the field (business) and the topic (management and employee turnover). The statement is arguable because the student goes beyond merely comparing; he or she draws conclusions from that comparison ("can reduce the expenses associated with employee turnover").

Making a Unique Argument

This thesis draft repeats the language of the writing prompt without making a unique argument:

Needs Improvement: The purpose of this essay is to monitor, assess, and evaluate an educational program for its strengths and weaknesses. Then, I will provide suggestions for improvement.

You can see here that the student has simply stated the paper's assignment, without articulating specifically how he or she will address it. The student can correct this error simply by phrasing the thesis statement as a specific answer to the assignment prompt.

Better: Through a series of student interviews, I found that Kennedy High School's antibullying program was ineffective. In order to address issues of conflict between students, I argue that Kennedy High School should embrace policies outlined by the California Department of Education (2010).

Words like "ineffective" and "argue" show here that the student has clearly thought through the assignment and analyzed the material; he or she is putting forth a specific and debatable position. The concrete information ("student interviews," "antibullying") further prepares the reader for the body of the paper and demonstrates how the student has addressed the assignment prompt without just restating that language.

Creating a Debate

This thesis statement includes only obvious fact or plot summary instead of argument:

Needs Improvement: Leadership is an important quality in nurse educators.

A good strategy to determine if your thesis statement is too broad (and therefore, not arguable) is to ask yourself, "Would a scholar in my field disagree with this point?" Here, we can see easily that no scholar is likely to argue that leadership is an unimportant quality in nurse educators.  The student needs to come up with a more arguable claim, and probably a narrower one; remember that a short paper needs a more focused topic than a dissertation.

Better: Roderick's (2009) theory of participatory leadership  is particularly appropriate to nurse educators working within the emergency medicine field, where students benefit most from collegial and kinesthetic learning.

Here, the student has identified a particular type of leadership ("participatory leadership"), narrowing the topic, and has made an arguable claim (this type of leadership is "appropriate" to a specific type of nurse educator). Conceivably, a scholar in the nursing field might disagree with this approach. The student's paper can now proceed, providing specific pieces of evidence to support the arguable central claim.

Choosing the Right Words

This thesis statement uses large or scholarly-sounding words that have no real substance:

Needs Improvement: Scholars should work to seize metacognitive outcomes by harnessing discipline-based networks to empower collaborative infrastructures.

There are many words in this sentence that may be buzzwords in the student's field or key terms taken from other texts, but together they do not communicate a clear, specific meaning. Sometimes students think scholarly writing means constructing complex sentences using special language, but actually it's usually a stronger choice to write clear, simple sentences. When in doubt, remember that your ideas should be complex, not your sentence structure.

Better: Ecologists should work to educate the U.S. public on conservation methods by making use of local and national green organizations to create a widespread communication plan.

Notice in the revision that the field is now clear (ecology), and the language has been made much more field-specific ("conservation methods," "green organizations"), so the reader is able to see concretely the ideas the student is communicating.

Leaving Room for Discussion

This thesis statement is not capable of development or advancement in the paper:

Needs Improvement: There are always alternatives to illegal drug use.

This sample thesis statement makes a claim, but it is not a claim that will sustain extended discussion. This claim is the type of claim that might be appropriate for the conclusion of a paper, but in the beginning of the paper, the student is left with nowhere to go. What further points can be made? If there are "always alternatives" to the problem the student is identifying, then why bother developing a paper around that claim? Ideally, a thesis statement should be complex enough to explore over the length of the entire paper.

Better: The most effective treatment plan for methamphetamine addiction may be a combination of pharmacological and cognitive therapy, as argued by Baker (2008), Smith (2009), and Xavier (2011).

In the revised thesis, you can see the student make a specific, debatable claim that has the potential to generate several pages' worth of discussion. When drafting a thesis statement, think about the questions your thesis statement will generate: What follow-up inquiries might a reader have? In the first example, there are almost no additional questions implied, but the revised example allows for a good deal more exploration.

Thesis Mad Libs

If you are having trouble getting started, try using the models below to generate a rough model of a thesis statement! These models are intended for drafting purposes only and should not appear in your final work.

• In this essay, I argue ____, using ______ to assert _____.
• While scholars have often argued ______, I argue______, because_______.
• Through an analysis of ______, I argue ______, which is important because_______.

Words to Avoid and to Embrace

When drafting your thesis statement, avoid words like explore, investigate, learn, compile, summarize , and explain to describe the main purpose of your paper. These words imply a paper that summarizes or "reports," rather than synthesizing and analyzing.

Instead of the terms above, try words like argue, critique, question , and interrogate . These more analytical words may help you begin strongly, by articulating a specific, critical, scholarly position.

Read Kayla's blog post for tips on taking a stand in a well-crafted thesis statement.

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Home / Guides / Writing Guides / Parts of a Paper / How to Write a Strong Thesis Statement

How to Write a Strong Thesis Statement

A thesis can be found in many places—a debate speech, a lawyer’s closing argument, even an advertisement. But the most common place for a thesis statement (and probably why you’re reading this article) is in an essay.

Whether you’re writing an argumentative paper, an informative essay, or a compare/contrast statement, you need a thesis. Without a thesis, your argument falls flat and your information is unfocused. Since a thesis is so important, it’s probably a good idea to look at some tips on how to put together a strong one.

Guide Overview

What is a “thesis statement” anyway.

• 2 categories of thesis statements: informative and persuasive
• 2 styles of thesis statements
• Formula for a strong argumentative thesis
• The qualities of a solid thesis statement (video)

You may have heard of something called a “thesis.” It’s what seniors commonly refer to as their final paper before graduation. That’s not what we’re talking about here. That type of thesis is a long, well-written paper that takes years to piece together.

Instead, we’re talking about a single sentence that ties together the main idea of any argument . In the context of student essays, it’s a statement that summarizes your topic and declares your position on it. This sentence can tell a reader whether your essay is something they want to read.

2 Categories of Thesis Statements: Informative and Persuasive

Just as there are different types of essays, there are different types of thesis statements. The thesis should match the essay.

For example, with an informative essay, you should compose an informative thesis (rather than argumentative). You want to declare your intentions in this essay and guide the reader to the conclusion that you reach.

To make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, you must procure the ingredients, find a knife, and spread the condiments.

This thesis showed the reader the topic (a type of sandwich) and the direction the essay will take (describing how the sandwich is made).

Most other types of essays, whether compare/contrast, argumentative, or narrative, have thesis statements that take a position and argue it. In other words, unless your purpose is simply to inform, your thesis is considered persuasive. A persuasive thesis usually contains an opinion and the reason why your opinion is true.

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are the best type of sandwich because they are versatile, easy to make, and taste good.

In this persuasive thesis statement, you see that I state my opinion (the best type of sandwich), which means I have chosen a stance. Next, I explain that my opinion is correct with several key reasons. This persuasive type of thesis can be used in any essay that contains the writer’s opinion, including, as I mentioned above, compare/contrast essays, narrative essays, and so on.

2 Styles of Thesis Statements

Just as there are two different types of thesis statements (informative and persuasive), there are two basic styles you can use.

The first style uses a list of two or more points . This style of thesis is perfect for a brief essay that contains only two or three body paragraphs. This basic five-paragraph essay is typical of middle and high school assignments.

C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia series is one of the richest works of the 20th century because it offers an escape from reality, teaches readers to have faith even when they don’t understand, and contains a host of vibrant characters.

In the above persuasive thesis, you can see my opinion about Narnia followed by three clear reasons. This thesis is perfect for setting up a tidy five-paragraph essay.

In college, five paragraph essays become few and far between as essay length gets longer. Can you imagine having only five paragraphs in a six-page paper? For a longer essay, you need a thesis statement that is more versatile. Instead of listing two or three distinct points, a thesis can list one overarching point that all body paragraphs tie into.

Good vs. evil is the main theme of Lewis’s Narnia series, as is made clear through the struggles the main characters face in each book.

In this thesis, I have made a claim about the theme in Narnia followed by my reasoning. The broader scope of this thesis allows me to write about each of the series’ seven novels. I am no longer limited in how many body paragraphs I can logically use.

Formula for a Strong Argumentative Thesis

One thing I find that is helpful for students is having a clear template. While students rarely end up with a thesis that follows this exact wording, the following template creates a good starting point:

___________ is true because of ___________, ___________, and ___________.

Conversely, the formula for a thesis with only one point might follow this template:

___________________ is true because of _____________________.

Students usually end up using different terminology than simply “because,” but having a template is always helpful to get the creative juices flowing.

The Qualities of a Solid Thesis Statement

When composing a thesis, you must consider not only the format, but other qualities like length, position in the essay, and how strong the argument is.

Length: A thesis statement can be short or long, depending on how many points it mentions. Typically, however, it is only one concise sentence. It does contain at least two clauses, usually an independent clause (the opinion) and a dependent clause (the reasons). You probably should aim for a single sentence that is at least two lines, or about 30 to 40 words long.

Position: A thesis statement always belongs at the beginning of an essay. This is because it is a sentence that tells the reader what the writer is going to discuss. Teachers will have different preferences for the precise location of the thesis, but a good rule of thumb is in the introduction paragraph, within the last two or three sentences.

Strength: Finally, for a persuasive thesis to be strong, it needs to be arguable. This means that the statement is not obvious, and it is not something that everyone agrees is true.

Example of weak thesis:

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are easy to make because it just takes three ingredients.

Most people would agree that PB&J is one of the easiest sandwiches in the American lunch repertoire.

Example of a stronger thesis:

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are fun to eat because they always slide around.

This is more arguable because there are plenty of folks who might think a PB&J is messy or slimy rather than fun.

Composing a thesis statement does take a bit more thought than many other parts of an essay. However, because a thesis statement can contain an entire argument in just a few words, it is worth taking the extra time to compose this sentence. It can direct your research and your argument so that your essay is tight, focused, and makes readers think.

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How to write a thesis statement, what is a thesis statement.

Almost all of us—even if we don’t do it consciously—look early in an essay for a one- or two-sentence condensation of the argument or analysis that is to follow. We refer to that condensation as a thesis statement.

Why Should Your Essay Contain a Thesis Statement?

• to test your ideas by distilling them into a sentence or two
• to better organize and develop your argument
• to provide your reader with a “guide” to your argument

In general, your thesis statement will accomplish these goals if you think of the thesis as the answer to the question your paper explores.

How Can You Write a Good Thesis Statement?

Here are some helpful hints to get you started. You can either scroll down or select a link to a specific topic.

How to Generate a Thesis Statement if the Topic is Assigned How to Generate a Thesis Statement if the Topic is not Assigned How to Tell a Strong Thesis Statement from a Weak One

How to Generate a Thesis Statement if the Topic is Assigned

Almost all assignments, no matter how complicated, can be reduced to a single question. Your first step, then, is to distill the assignment into a specific question. For example, if your assignment is, “Write a report to the local school board explaining the potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class,” turn the request into a question like, “What are the potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class?” After you’ve chosen the question your essay will answer, compose one or two complete sentences answering that question.

Q: “What are the potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class?” A: “The potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class are . . .”

A: “Using computers in a fourth-grade class promises to improve . . .”

The answer to the question is the thesis statement for the essay.

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How to Generate a Thesis Statement if the Topic is not Assigned

Even if your assignment doesn’t ask a specific question, your thesis statement still needs to answer a question about the issue you’d like to explore. In this situation, your job is to figure out what question you’d like to write about.

A good thesis statement will usually include the following four attributes:

• take on a subject upon which reasonable people could disagree
• deal with a subject that can be adequately treated given the nature of the assignment
• express one main idea
• assert your conclusions about a subject

Let’s see how to generate a thesis statement for a social policy paper.

Brainstorm the topic . Let’s say that your class focuses upon the problems posed by changes in the dietary habits of Americans. You find that you are interested in the amount of sugar Americans consume.

You start out with a thesis statement like this:

Sugar consumption.

This fragment isn’t a thesis statement. Instead, it simply indicates a general subject. Furthermore, your reader doesn’t know what you want to say about sugar consumption.

Narrow the topic . Your readings about the topic, however, have led you to the conclusion that elementary school children are consuming far more sugar than is healthy.

You change your thesis to look like this:

Reducing sugar consumption by elementary school children.

This fragment not only announces your subject, but it focuses on one segment of the population: elementary school children. Furthermore, it raises a subject upon which reasonable people could disagree, because while most people might agree that children consume more sugar than they used to, not everyone would agree on what should be done or who should do it. You should note that this fragment is not a thesis statement because your reader doesn’t know your conclusions on the topic.

Take a position on the topic. After reflecting on the topic a little while longer, you decide that what you really want to say about this topic is that something should be done to reduce the amount of sugar these children consume.

You revise your thesis statement to look like this:

More attention should be paid to the food and beverage choices available to elementary school children.

This statement asserts your position, but the terms more attention and food and beverage choices are vague.

Use specific language . You decide to explain what you mean about food and beverage choices , so you write:

Experts estimate that half of elementary school children consume nine times the recommended daily allowance of sugar.

This statement is specific, but it isn’t a thesis. It merely reports a statistic instead of making an assertion.

Make an assertion based on clearly stated support. You finally revise your thesis statement one more time to look like this:

Because half of all American elementary school children consume nine times the recommended daily allowance of sugar, schools should be required to replace the beverages in soda machines with healthy alternatives.

Notice how the thesis answers the question, “What should be done to reduce sugar consumption by children, and who should do it?” When you started thinking about the paper, you may not have had a specific question in mind, but as you became more involved in the topic, your ideas became more specific. Your thesis changed to reflect your new insights.

How to Tell a Strong Thesis Statement from a Weak One

1. a strong thesis statement takes some sort of stand..

Remember that your thesis needs to show your conclusions about a subject. For example, if you are writing a paper for a class on fitness, you might be asked to choose a popular weight-loss product to evaluate. Here are two thesis statements:

There are some negative and positive aspects to the Banana Herb Tea Supplement.

This is a weak thesis statement. First, it fails to take a stand. Second, the phrase negative and positive aspects is vague.

Because Banana Herb Tea Supplement promotes rapid weight loss that results in the loss of muscle and lean body mass, it poses a potential danger to customers.

This is a strong thesis because it takes a stand, and because it's specific.

2. A strong thesis statement justifies discussion.

Your thesis should indicate the point of the discussion. If your assignment is to write a paper on kinship systems, using your own family as an example, you might come up with either of these two thesis statements:

My family is an extended family.

This is a weak thesis because it merely states an observation. Your reader won’t be able to tell the point of the statement, and will probably stop reading.

While most American families would view consanguineal marriage as a threat to the nuclear family structure, many Iranian families, like my own, believe that these marriages help reinforce kinship ties in an extended family.

This is a strong thesis because it shows how your experience contradicts a widely-accepted view. A good strategy for creating a strong thesis is to show that the topic is controversial. Readers will be interested in reading the rest of the essay to see how you support your point.

3. A strong thesis statement expresses one main idea.

Readers need to be able to see that your paper has one main point. If your thesis statement expresses more than one idea, then you might confuse your readers about the subject of your paper. For example:

Companies need to exploit the marketing potential of the Internet, and Web pages can provide both advertising and customer support.

This is a weak thesis statement because the reader can’t decide whether the paper is about marketing on the Internet or Web pages. To revise the thesis, the relationship between the two ideas needs to become more clear. One way to revise the thesis would be to write:

Because the Internet is filled with tremendous marketing potential, companies should exploit this potential by using Web pages that offer both advertising and customer support.

This is a strong thesis because it shows that the two ideas are related. Hint: a great many clear and engaging thesis statements contain words like because , since , so , although , unless , and however .

4. A strong thesis statement is specific.

A thesis statement should show exactly what your paper will be about, and will help you keep your paper to a manageable topic. For example, if you're writing a seven-to-ten page paper on hunger, you might say:

World hunger has many causes and effects.

This is a weak thesis statement for two major reasons. First, world hunger can’t be discussed thoroughly in seven to ten pages. Second, many causes and effects is vague. You should be able to identify specific causes and effects. A revised thesis might look like this:

Hunger persists in Glandelinia because jobs are scarce and farming in the infertile soil is rarely profitable.

This is a strong thesis statement because it narrows the subject to a more specific and manageable topic, and it also identifies the specific causes for the existence of hunger.

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The thesis statement or main claim must be debatable

An argumentative or persuasive piece of writing must begin with a debatable thesis or claim. In other words, the thesis must be something that people could reasonably have differing opinions on. If your thesis is something that is generally agreed upon or accepted as fact then there is no reason to try to persuade people.

Example of a non-debatable thesis statement:

This thesis statement is not debatable. First, the word pollution implies that something is bad or negative in some way. Furthermore, all studies agree that pollution is a problem; they simply disagree on the impact it will have or the scope of the problem. No one could reasonably argue that pollution is unambiguously good.

Example of a debatable thesis statement:

This is an example of a debatable thesis because reasonable people could disagree with it. Some people might think that this is how we should spend the nation's money. Others might feel that we should be spending more money on education. Still others could argue that corporations, not the government, should be paying to limit pollution.

Another example of a debatable thesis statement:

In this example there is also room for disagreement between rational individuals. Some citizens might think focusing on recycling programs rather than private automobiles is the most effective strategy.

The thesis needs to be narrow

Although the scope of your paper might seem overwhelming at the start, generally the narrower the thesis the more effective your argument will be. Your thesis or claim must be supported by evidence. The broader your claim is, the more evidence you will need to convince readers that your position is right.

Example of a thesis that is too broad:

There are several reasons this statement is too broad to argue. First, what is included in the category "drugs"? Is the author talking about illegal drug use, recreational drug use (which might include alcohol and cigarettes), or all uses of medication in general? Second, in what ways are drugs detrimental? Is drug use causing deaths (and is the author equating deaths from overdoses and deaths from drug related violence)? Is drug use changing the moral climate or causing the economy to decline? Finally, what does the author mean by "society"? Is the author referring only to America or to the global population? Does the author make any distinction between the effects on children and adults? There are just too many questions that the claim leaves open. The author could not cover all of the topics listed above, yet the generality of the claim leaves all of these possibilities open to debate.

Example of a narrow or focused thesis:

In this example the topic of drugs has been narrowed down to illegal drugs and the detriment has been narrowed down to gang violence. This is a much more manageable topic.

We could narrow each debatable thesis from the previous examples in the following way:

Narrowed debatable thesis 1:

This thesis narrows the scope of the argument by specifying not just the amount of money used but also how the money could actually help to control pollution.

Narrowed debatable thesis 2:

This thesis narrows the scope of the argument by specifying not just what the focus of a national anti-pollution campaign should be but also why this is the appropriate focus.

Qualifiers such as " typically ," " generally ," " usually ," or " on average " also help to limit the scope of your claim by allowing for the almost inevitable exception to the rule.

Types of claims

Claims typically fall into one of four categories. Thinking about how you want to approach your topic, or, in other words, what type of claim you want to make, is one way to focus your thesis on one particular aspect of your broader topic.

Claims of fact or definition: These claims argue about what the definition of something is or whether something is a settled fact. Example:

Claims of cause and effect: These claims argue that one person, thing, or event caused another thing or event to occur. Example:

Claims about value: These are claims made of what something is worth, whether we value it or not, how we would rate or categorize something. Example:

Claims about solutions or policies: These are claims that argue for or against a certain solution or policy approach to a problem. Example:

Which type of claim is right for your argument? Which type of thesis or claim you use for your argument will depend on your position and knowledge of the topic, your audience, and the context of your paper. You might want to think about where you imagine your audience to be on this topic and pinpoint where you think the biggest difference in viewpoints might be. Even if you start with one type of claim you probably will be using several within the paper. Regardless of the type of claim you choose to utilize it is key to identify the controversy or debate you are addressing and to define your position early on in the paper.

Reference management. Clean and simple.

How to write a thesis statement + examples

What is a thesis statement?

Is a thesis statement a question, how do you write a good thesis statement, how do i know if my thesis statement is good, examples of thesis statements, helpful resources on how to write a thesis statement, frequently asked questions about writing a thesis statement, related articles.

A thesis statement is the main argument of your paper or thesis.

The thesis statement is one of the most important elements of any piece of academic writing . It is a brief statement of your paper’s main argument. Essentially, you are stating what you will be writing about.

You can see your thesis statement as an answer to a question. While it also contains the question, it should really give an answer to the question with new information and not just restate or reiterate it.

Your thesis statement is part of your introduction. Learn more about how to write a good thesis introduction in our introduction guide .

A thesis statement is not a question. A statement must be arguable and provable through evidence and analysis. While your thesis might stem from a research question, it should be in the form of a statement.

Tip: A thesis statement is typically 1-2 sentences. For a longer project like a thesis, the statement may be several sentences or a paragraph.

A good thesis statement needs to do the following:

• Condense the main idea of your thesis into one or two sentences.
• Answer your project’s main research question.
• Clearly state your position in relation to the topic .
• Make an argument that requires support or evidence.

Once you have written down a thesis statement, check if it fulfills the following criteria:

• Your statement needs to be provable by evidence. As an argument, a thesis statement needs to be debatable.
• Your statement needs to be precise. Do not give away too much information in the thesis statement and do not load it with unnecessary information.
• Your statement cannot say that one solution is simply right or simply wrong as a matter of fact. You should draw upon verified facts to persuade the reader of your solution, but you cannot just declare something as right or wrong.

As previously mentioned, your thesis statement should answer a question.

If the question is:

What do you think the City of New York should do to reduce traffic congestion?

A good thesis statement restates the question and answers it:

In this paper, I will argue that the City of New York should focus on providing exclusive lanes for public transport and adaptive traffic signals to reduce traffic congestion by the year 2035.

Here is another example. If the question is:

How can we end poverty?

A good thesis statement should give more than one solution to the problem in question:

In this paper, I will argue that introducing universal basic income can help reduce poverty and positively impact the way we work.

• The Writing Center of the University of North Carolina has a list of questions to ask to see if your thesis is strong .

A thesis statement is part of the introduction of your paper. It is usually found in the first or second paragraph to let the reader know your research purpose from the beginning.

In general, a thesis statement should have one or two sentences. But the length really depends on the overall length of your project. Take a look at our guide about the length of thesis statements for more insight on this topic.

Here is a list of Thesis Statement Examples that will help you understand better how to write them.

Every good essay should include a thesis statement as part of its introduction, no matter the academic level. Of course, if you are a high school student you are not expected to have the same type of thesis as a PhD student.

Here is a great YouTube tutorial showing How To Write An Essay: Thesis Statements .

25 Thesis Statement Examples

A thesis statement is needed in an essay or dissertation . There are multiple types of thesis statements – but generally we can divide them into expository and argumentative. An expository statement is a statement of fact (common in expository essays and process essays) while an argumentative statement is a statement of opinion (common in argumentative essays and dissertations). Below are examples of each.

Strong Thesis Statement Examples

1. School Uniforms

“Mandatory school uniforms should be implemented in educational institutions as they promote a sense of equality, reduce distractions, and foster a focused and professional learning environment.”

Best For: Argumentative Essay or Debate

Read More: School Uniforms Pros and Cons

2. Nature vs Nurture

“This essay will explore how both genetic inheritance and environmental factors equally contribute to shaping human behavior and personality.”

Best For: Compare and Contrast Essay

Read More: Nature vs Nurture Debate

3. American Dream

“The American Dream, a symbol of opportunity and success, is increasingly elusive in today’s socio-economic landscape, revealing deeper inequalities in society.”

Best For: Persuasive Essay

Read More: What is the American Dream?

4. Social Media

“Social media has revolutionized communication and societal interactions, but it also presents significant challenges related to privacy, mental health, and misinformation.”

Best For: Expository Essay

Read More: The Pros and Cons of Social Media

5. Globalization

“Globalization has created a world more interconnected than ever before, yet it also amplifies economic disparities and cultural homogenization.”

Read More: Globalization Pros and Cons

6. Urbanization

“Urbanization drives economic growth and social development, but it also poses unique challenges in sustainability and quality of life.”

Read More: Learn about Urbanization

7. Immigration

“Immigration enriches receiving countries culturally and economically, outweighing any perceived social or economic burdens.”

Read More: Immigration Pros and Cons

8. Cultural Identity

“In a globalized world, maintaining distinct cultural identities is crucial for preserving cultural diversity and fostering global understanding, despite the challenges of assimilation and homogenization.”

Best For: Argumentative Essay

Read More: Learn about Cultural Identity

9. Technology

“Medical technologies in care institutions in Toronto has increased subjcetive outcomes for patients with chronic pain.”

Best For: Research Paper

10. Capitalism vs Socialism

“The debate between capitalism and socialism centers on balancing economic freedom and inequality, each presenting distinct approaches to resource distribution and social welfare.”

11. Cultural Heritage

“The preservation of cultural heritage is essential, not only for cultural identity but also for educating future generations, outweighing the arguments for modernization and commercialization.”

12. Pseudoscience

“Pseudoscience, characterized by a lack of empirical support, continues to influence public perception and decision-making, often at the expense of scientific credibility.”

Read More: Examples of Pseudoscience

13. Free Will

“The concept of free will is largely an illusion, with human behavior and decisions predominantly determined by biological and environmental factors.”

Read More: Do we have Free Will?

14. Gender Roles

“Traditional gender roles are outdated and harmful, restricting individual freedoms and perpetuating gender inequalities in modern society.”

Read More: What are Traditional Gender Roles?

15. Work-Life Ballance

“The trend to online and distance work in the 2020s led to improved subjective feelings of work-life balance but simultaneously increased self-reported loneliness.”

Read More: Work-Life Balance Examples

16. Universal Healthcare

“Universal healthcare is a fundamental human right and the most effective system for ensuring health equity and societal well-being, outweighing concerns about government involvement and costs.”

Read More: The Pros and Cons of Universal Healthcare

17. Minimum Wage

“The implementation of a fair minimum wage is vital for reducing economic inequality, yet it is often contentious due to its potential impact on businesses and employment rates.”

Read More: The Pros and Cons of Raising the Minimum Wage

18. Homework

“The homework provided throughout this semester has enabled me to achieve greater self-reflection, identify gaps in my knowledge, and reinforce those gaps through spaced repetition.”

Best For: Reflective Essay

Read More: Reasons Homework Should be Banned

19. Charter Schools

“Charter schools offer alternatives to traditional public education, promising innovation and choice but also raising questions about accountability and educational equity.”

Read More: The Pros and Cons of Charter Schools

20. Effects of the Internet

“The Internet has drastically reshaped human communication, access to information, and societal dynamics, generally with a net positive effect on society.”

Read More: The Pros and Cons of the Internet

21. Affirmative Action

“Affirmative action is essential for rectifying historical injustices and achieving true meritocracy in education and employment, contrary to claims of reverse discrimination.”

Best For: Essay

Read More: Affirmative Action Pros and Cons

22. Soft Skills

“Soft skills, such as communication and empathy, are increasingly recognized as essential for success in the modern workforce, and therefore should be a strong focus at school and university level.”

Read More: Soft Skills Examples

23. Moral Panic

“Moral panic, often fueled by media and cultural anxieties, can lead to exaggerated societal responses that sometimes overlook rational analysis and evidence.”

Read More: Moral Panic Examples

24. Freedom of the Press

“Freedom of the press is critical for democracy and informed citizenship, yet it faces challenges from censorship, media bias, and the proliferation of misinformation.”

Read More: Freedom of the Press Examples

25. Mass Media

“Mass media shapes public opinion and cultural norms, but its concentration of ownership and commercial interests raise concerns about bias and the quality of information.”

Best For: Critical Analysis

Read More: Mass Media Examples

Checklist: How to use your Thesis Statement

✅ Position: If your statement is for an argumentative or persuasive essay, or a dissertation, ensure it takes a clear stance on the topic. ✅ Specificity: It addresses a specific aspect of the topic, providing focus for the essay. ✅ Conciseness: Typically, a thesis statement is one to two sentences long. It should be concise, clear, and easily identifiable. ✅ Direction: The thesis statement guides the direction of the essay, providing a roadmap for the argument, narrative, or explanation. ✅ Evidence-based: While the thesis statement itself doesn’t include evidence, it sets up an argument that can be supported with evidence in the body of the essay. ✅ Placement: Generally, the thesis statement is placed at the end of the introduction of an essay.

Try These AI Prompts – Thesis Statement Generator!

One way to brainstorm thesis statements is to get AI to brainstorm some for you! Try this AI prompt:

💡 AI PROMPT FOR EXPOSITORY THESIS STATEMENT I am writing an essay on [TOPIC] and these are the instructions my teacher gave me: [INSTUCTIONS]. I want you to create an expository thesis statement that doesn’t argue a position, but demonstrates depth of knowledge about the topic.

💡 AI PROMPT FOR ARGUMENTATIVE THESIS STATEMENT I am writing an essay on [TOPIC] and these are the instructions my teacher gave me: [INSTRUCTIONS]. I want you to create an argumentative thesis statement that clearly takes a position on this issue.

💡 AI PROMPT FOR COMPARE AND CONTRAST THESIS STATEMENT I am writing a compare and contrast essay that compares [Concept 1] and [Concept2]. Give me 5 potential single-sentence thesis statements that remain objective.

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 17 Behaviorism Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 25 Positive Psychology Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 15 Animism Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 10 Magical Thinking Examples

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How to develop a strong thesis statement for your academic paper, sponsored post.

• May 23, 2024

Introduction

In the realm of scholastic writing, a thesis statement operates as the linchpin of your paper, offering a clear and succinct summary of the main argument or position you will have. Crafting a strong thesis declaration is necessary for directing the instructions of your paper, informing your readers about the focus and scope of your argument, and laying the structure for a coherent and convincing piece of composing. In this short post, we will explore the treatment of developing a strong thesis statement, from identifying your subject and performing background research study to examining the strength of your thesis declaration and including it into your paper effectively. For those who require expert assistance in crafting a compelling thesis statement, services like “ write my paper ” can offer invaluable support in refining and perfecting your academic work.

Comprehending the Function of a Thesis Declaration

Before diving into the specifics of crafting a strong thesis statement, it is necessary to comprehend its function and significance in scholastic writing. A thesis statement is a single sentence that encapsulates the main argument or essence of your paper. It supplies a roadmap for your readers, explaining the scope of your argument and revealing the instructions your paper will take. A well-crafted thesis declaration not only notifies your readers about the function of your paper however likewise helps you remain focused and organized as you establish your argument.

Acknowledging the Topic and Scope

The first step in establishing a strong thesis declaration is to acknowledge your topic and define the scope of your paper. Your subject should specify adequate to be workable within the restraints of your job however broad enough to allow significant expedition. Spend some time to conceptualize possible subjects and consider their significance, significance, and efficiency. When you have chosen a topic, narrow it down to a specific aspect or concern that you can successfully check out in your paper. Specifying the scope of your paper will help you remain concentrated and assurance that your thesis declaration stays clear and succinct.

Performing Background Research

Once you have determined your topic and specified the scope of your paper, the next step is to perform background research study to collect information and proof to support your argument. This may consist of seeking advice from academic journals, books, and reliable websites to familiarize yourself with the existing literature on your topic. As you conduct your research study, remember and pay attention to essential themes, patterns, and patterns that emerge. This information will help you develop a much deeper understanding of your topic and inform the improvement of your thesis declaration.

Evaluating and Synthesizing Info

After gathering your research study materials, it’s time to analyze and manufacture the details you have collected. Search for typical styles, arguments, and viewpoints in the literature related to your subject. Identify gaps or variations in the existing research that your paper can fix. As you assess your research study, think about how the proof and examples you have actually gathered support your primary argument or position. This procedure of synthesis will help you improve your thesis declaration and ensure that it is grounded in strong proof and analysis.

Creating a Tentative Thesis Declaration

Geared up with a much deeper understanding of your subject and research study items, you are ready to establish a tentative thesis declaration. A tentative thesis declaration is an initial variation that catches the primary argument or position you will be presenting in your paper. It must be clear, concise, and arguable, inviting more conversation and analysis. Invest a long time to conceive possible thesis declarations and consider how they line up with the proof and analysis you have in fact gathered. Do not worry if your thesis statement advances as you continue to develop your paper– this is a natural part of the writing process.

Taking a look at the Strength of the Thesis Statement

When you have actually prepared a tentative thesis declaration, it is needed to assess its strength and efficiency. Think about whether your thesis statement is clear, specific, and focused, clearly articulating the main argument or position of your paper. Assess whether your thesis statement is supported by evidence and analysis, supplying a strong structure for your argument. Assess whether your thesis declaration is debatable, inviting additional discussion and analysis instead of mentioning a basic truth or observation. If needed, modify and improve your thesis statement to ensure that it satisfies these requirements.

Seeking Feedback and Modification

After assessing the strength of your thesis declaration, it’s an excellent concept to seek feedback from peers, trainers, or making up tutors. Share your thesis declaration with others and ask for their input and recommendations. Take note of any feedback you get and think of how it can help improve your thesis declaration. Be open to revising and improving your thesis statement based upon the feedback you get, consisting of originalities and perspectives as required. Keep in mind that writing is a collective treatment, and seeking feedback can assist enhance your thesis declaration and boost the overall quality of your paper.

Incorporating the Thesis Declaration into the Paper

As soon as you have in fact settled your thesis declaration, it’s time to include it into your paper effectively. Your thesis declaration should be plainly featured in the introduction of your paper, supplying readers with a clear roadmap for what to expect. It ought to also be strengthened throughout the paper, directing the company and structure of your argument. Each paragraph needs to contribute to and support your thesis declaration, supplying evidence, analysis, and examples to boost your primary argument or position. By integrating your thesis statement into your paper effectively, you will ensure that your argument is significant, rational, and convincing.

In conclusion, developing a strong thesis declaration is an essential step in the scholastic composing procedure. A well-crafted thesis statement works as the structure of your paper, providing a clear and succinct summary of your main argument or position. By following the steps detailed in this short post– from acknowledging your topic and performing background research to creating a tentative thesis declaration and looking for feedback– you can establish a thesis declaration that is clear, focused, and well-supported by evidence and analysis. By incorporating your thesis declaration into your paper effectively, you will guarantee that your argument is meaningful, sensible, and convincing, ultimately enhancing the quality and impact of your scholastic writing.

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Decatur police chief releases statement, leaving community with more questions and cops without accountability

D ecatur police chief Todd pinion released a statement on Wednesday addressing, "recent negative interactions between officers of the dictator police department and a few members within our community."

This comes just days after the gag order hearing for Mac Marquette - the former cop who killed Steve Perkins - which had current Decatur police lieutenant Joe Renshaw subpoenaed. Renshaw would admit to using a fake Facebook account "Phil McGroin" to comment on the case.

"This man deliberately, threatened people, intentionally... intentionally doxed citizens, which is a felony. And he did this all while hiding under a Decatur police officer badge," said Alainah Dailey. Dailey is active in the Justice for Steve Perkins movement. Renshaw "friended" her on Facebook using the "Phil McGroin" account to privately message her. Renshaw would cast doubt on the success of the legal cases against Marquette and the other Decatur policemen who killed Steve Perkins. Among the messages were ominous threats like "try burning something here and see how quickly you get yourself shot."

He harassed Dailey, while gloating about the supposed difficulty one would have were they trying to find out who was behind the "Phil McGroin" account.

"Alaina the more you talk, the dumber people see you really are," he said. Take, for instance, you keep saying you're a full time student and are pretty smart but you say you can find my IP address. You forget or don't know how many computer engineers are in this area that work for huge corporations. A simple VPN takes care of that, let alone what I'm running."

Whether or not Renshaw's account was what Pinion was referring to as the "negative interactions" in the statement is unclear. Just last Tuesday, May 21, was the Decatur City Council meeting where all five councilmembers express some form of displeasure in the police or the chief, himself.

"There's a significant void of leadership, specifically, in the police department," said Decatur City Councilman Kyle Pike (District 2).

Even Hunter Pepper, the Decatur City councilmember for District 4 and most steadfast in his support of DPD in light of any possible wrongdoing, called Pinion "bottom of the list" when it comes to communication personally and with the public. Carlton McMasters, the Decatur City councilmember for District 3 and police liaison, said the punishment for Renshaw should be "severe." McMasters was the one councilmember who did not explicitly critique Pinion when asked to evaluate the latter's job status. 

And while it's good to get Pinion on the record through this statement, some Decatur residents think he didn't say enough.

"Now he's speaking to the news after his entire, command staff of his police force was now put on trial. Now he comes out and speaks. The community really needs him to speak more than just when something drastic happens."

"there's no public discipline ... Has been has been even shared. But because it just keeps on happening. That lets us know that is not being enforced. Discipline is not being enforced."

Pinion's statement leaves some questions unanswered. For example, who is Pinion referencing in his statement? Having one cop break the law is one too many, especially for this police department, says Dailey and Gordon.

"We know that no discipline, no leadership," said Gordon. "There's no fear. There's no repercussions. There's no consequences. That's what that says."

As a note of procedure, pinion's statement says the unnamed officer was transferred to administrative duty until an internal review is complete. Then it will be transferred to the legal department to decide if any action is warranted. Then it goes to Decatur mayor tab bowling, who decides whether to hold a hearing on any referred action. 

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Statement from President Joe   Biden on $7.7 Billion in Student Debt Cancellation for 160,000   Borrowers

Today, my Administration is canceling student debt for 160,000 more people, bringing the total number of Americans who have benefitted from our debt relief actions to 4.75 million. Each of those borrowers has received an average of over $35,000 in debt cancellation. These 160,000 additional borrowers are people enrolled in my Administration’s SAVE Plan; are public service workers like teachers, nurses, or law enforcement officials; or are borrowers who were approved for relief because of fixes we made to Income-Driven Repayment. 

Today’s announcement comes on top of the significant progress we’ve made for students and borrowers over the past three years. That includes providing the largest increases to the maximum Pell Grant in over a decade; fixing Public Service Loan Forgiveness so teachers, nurses, police officers, and other public service workers get the relief they are entitled to under the law; and holding colleges accountable for taking advantage of students and families. And last month, I laid out my Administration’s new plans that would cancel student debt for more than 30 million Americans when combined with everything we’ve done so far. 

From day one of my Administration, I promised to fight to ensure higher education is a ticket to the middle class, not a barrier to opportunity. I will never stop working to cancel student debt – no matter how many times Republican elected officials try to stop us.

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WEATHER ALERT

2 warnings and 2 advisories in effect for 14 regions in the area

Mattress mack giving away more than 200 mattresses amid houston windstorm recovery efforts.

Ahmed Humble , Digital Content Producer

HOUSTON – Houston icon Jim ‘Mattress Mack’ McIngvale is once again showing love for the city by stepping up during storm recovery efforts by giving away hundreds of mattresses to affected residents.

The legendary furniture store mogul has always been known for acts of kindness during natural disasters in Houston. At the Gallery Furniture in north Houston, Mack is giving away more than 200 Tempur Pedic and Sealy mattresses for families impacted by the intense weather we experienced last week.

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SEE ALSO: Tide is providing free laundry services for Houston’s first responders amid storm recovery efforts

Based on a press release, Gallery Furniture explained how restless this past week has been for Houston and hoped this act of kindness will help provide some comfort.

“In the wake of the devastating floods and tornados, many Houstonians are grappling with the loss of their homes and belongings,” the statement reads. “For these families, a good night’s sleep on a brand new mattress can symbolize a step towards rebuilding their lives.”

The distribution takes place Friday, May 24 from 7 a.m. - 9 p.m. or until supplies last at their North Freeway location.

Gallery Furniture is here to support the community with a Flood Relief Mattress Giveaway on Friday, May 24, 2024, 7:00 AM at 6006 N. Freeway. Eligible zip codes and qualifications are available at https://galleryfurniture.biz/44JxkkK! Posted by Jim Mcingvale on Thursday, May 16, 2024

To be eligible for the giveaway, you must meet the following conditions:

• Each household is eligible to receive one mattress
• Recipients must have been impacted by the recent floods
• Recipients must bring a valid driver’s license that shows they live in one of the eligible zip codes listed below
• Mattress distribution will be on a first-come, first-served basis

MORE: ‘Several months of work’: Inside look at downtown Houston’s recovery after wind damages estimated 4,000 windows

See the eligible zip codes by clicking here. You can also find more information about the giveaway by visiting Gallery Furniture’s website.

Copyright 2024 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.

About the Author

Ahmed humble.

Historian, educator, writer, expert on "The Simpsons," amateur photographer, essayist, film & tv reviewer and race/religious identity scholar. Joined KPRC 2 in Spring 2024 but has been featured in various online newspapers and in the Journal of South Texas' Fall 2019 issue.

Scarlett Johansson says that OpenAI approached her to use her voice

OpenAI is removing one of the voices used by ChatGPT. Users found that it sounded similar to Scarlett Johansson, the company announced on Monday, and Johansson herself released a statement saying she hired legal council to inquire about the Sky voice and get exact details about how it was developed. Sky is now being paused after OpenAI used it when demoing its new GPT-4o model last week.

“We believe that AI voices should not deliberately mimic a celebrity’s distinctive voice — Sky’s voice is not an imitation of Scarlett Johansson but belongs to a different professional actress using her own natural speaking voice,” the company wrote in a blog post . “To protect their privacy, we cannot share the names of our voice talents.”

A video of the demo made the rounds on social media last week as users found the voice to be similar to Johansson’s. Some mocked the voice for being overly flirtatious , while others likened it to a male fantasy .

Say hello to GPT-4o, our new flagship model which can reason across audio, vision, and text in real time: https://t.co/MYHZB79UqN Text and image input rolling out today in API and ChatGPT with voice and video in the coming weeks. pic.twitter.com/uuthKZyzYx — OpenAI (@OpenAI) May 13, 2024

The flirty voice has drawn comparisons to the 2013 film “Her,” in which Johansson voices a sultry virtual assistant. The film’s main character, played by Joaquin Phoenix, ends up falling in love with the virtual assistant.

Although the company hasn’t compared Sky’s voice to Johansson’s, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman tweeted the word “Her” following the company’s event.

her — Sam Altman (@sama) May 13, 2024

TechCrunch confirmed that Johansson released a statement later on Monday saying that OpenAI approached her in September about supplying the voice, which was first reported by NPR correspondent Bobby Allyn. In the statement, she said that she declined “after much consideration and for personal reasons” and was “shocked” when she heard the released demo.

The statement also says that she was “forced to hire legal counsel” and that the company “reluctantly agreed” to change the Sky voice.

OpenAI’s demo last week aimed to showcase the chatbot’s enhanced conversational abilities but went viral after the sultry voice giggled at almost everything an OpenAI employee was saying. At one point, the chatbot told the employee: “Wow, that’s quite the outfit you’ve got on.” At another point, the chatbot said, “Stop it, you’re making me blush” after receiving a compliment.

In its blog post, OpenAI says it wants its chatbots’ voices to sound “approachable” and to “inspire trust.” It also wants them to have a “warm, engaging, confidence-inspiring, charismatic voice.”

Going forward, OpenAI says it plans to “introduce additional voices in ChatGPT to better match the diverse interests and preferences of users.”

Here is Johansson’s statement in full:

“Last September, I received an offer from Sam Altman, who wanted to hire me to voice the current ChatGPT 4.0 system. He told me that he felt that by my voicing the system, I could bridge the gap between tech companies and creatives and help consumers to feel comfortable with the seismic shift concerning humans and AI. He said he felt that my voice would be comforting to people. After much consideration and for personal reasons, I declined the offer. Nine months later, my friends, family and the general public all noted how much the newest system named “Sky” sounded like me. When I heard the released demo, I was shocked, angered and in disbelief that Mr. Altman would pursue a voice that sounded so eerily similar to mine that my closest friends and news outlets could not tell the difference. Mr. Altman even insinuated that the similarity was intentional, tweeting a single word “her” — a reference to the film in which I voiced a chat system, Samantha, who forms an intimate relationship with a human. Two days before the ChatGPT 4.0 demo was released, Mr. Altman contacted my agent, asking me to reconsider. Before we could connect, the system was out there. As a result of their actions, I was forced to hire legal counsel, who wrote two letters to Mr. Altman and OpenAI, setting out what they had done and asking them to detail the exact process by which they created the “Sky” voice. Consequently, OpenAI reluctantly agreed to take down the “Sky” voice. In a time when we are all grappling with deepfakes and the protection of our own likeness, our own work, our own identities, I believe these are questions that deserve absolute clarity. I look forward to resolution in the form of transparency and the passage of appropriate legislation to help ensure that individual rights are protected.”

OpenAI shared the following statement from Altman: “The voice of Sky is not Scarlett Johansson’s, and it was never intended to resemble hers. We cast the voice actor behind Sky’s voice before any outreach to Ms. Johansson. Out of respect for Ms. Johansson, we have paused using Sky’s voice in our products. We are sorry to Ms. Johansson that we didn’t communicate better.”

Update: This story originally published at 8 a.m. PT Monday and was updated to include Johansson’s and Altman’s statements.

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Biden Draws on Themes of Manhood and Faith at Morehouse Commencement

The president’s appearance at the historically Black college in Atlanta drew some respectful but noticeable protest over U.S. support for Israel’s war in Gaza.

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Biden Calls on Morehouse College Graduates to Defend Democracy

In a commencement speech at morehouse, the historically black men’s college in atlanta, president biden condemned white supremacy and “extremist forces aligned against the meaning and message of morehouse.”.

You started college just as George Floyd was murdered and there was a reckoning on race. It’s natural to wonder if democracy you hear about actually works for you. What is democracy if Black men are being killed in the street? What is democracy if the trail of broken promises still leave Black communities behind? What is democracy if you have to be 10 times better than anyone else to get a fair shot? Well that’s my commitment to you. To show you democracy, democracy, democracy, is still the way. That Black men are being killed in the streets, we bear witness. For me, that means to call out the poison of white supremacy. Graduates, this is what we’re up against: extremist forces aligned against the meaning and message of Morehouse. And they peddle a fiction, a caricature, of what being a man is about — tough talk, abusing power, bigotry. But that’s not you. It’s not us. You all know and demonstrate what it really means to be a man. Being a man is about strength of respect and dignity. It’s about showing up because it’s too late, if you have to ask. It’s about giving hate no safe harbor.

By Katie Rogers and Maya King

Katie Rogers and Maya King reported from the Morehouse College commencement ceremony in Atlanta.

• May 19, 2024

President Biden invoked scripture and lessons from his own tragic past on Sunday in a commencement address to hundreds of young Black men at Morehouse College, saying he believes there are “extremist forces aligned against the meaning and message” of the prestigious institution.

Mr. Biden’s speech, delivered at the historically Black men’s college in Atlanta, put him directly in front of hundreds who represent a slice of the electorate that is drifting away from him over the war in Gaza and growing apathy about their choices ahead of the election. Mr. Biden used the moment to say that manhood was not about “tough talk” and “bigotry” but about calling out hate.

“Their idea of being a man is toxic,” Mr. Biden told the graduates, a reference to adversaries he did not name — but, given that his other events this weekend were focused on attacking his Republican competitor, Donald J. Trump, it was little mystery who he was talking about. “That is not you. That is not us. Being a man is about strength and respect and dignity.”

Those who stormed the Capitol with Confederate flags “are called patriots by some,” he said — a clear reference to Mr. Trump. “Not in my house.”

Mr. Biden’s speech was his first significant appearance before college students since protests over the war in Gaza began roiling campuses. For a ceremony in which students are discouraged even from decorating their caps, the signs of protest were respectful but noticeable: A small group of graduates turned to sit with their backs to Mr. Biden as he spoke, and several graduates wore the kaffiyeh, a traditional scarf associated with the Palestinians, draped over their shoulders. Some parents urged their graduating sons not to protest.

Mr. Biden also called for an immediate cease-fire and said that his administration was working to secure one. He said that members of his family had been upset by the war, a group that includes Jill Biden, the first lady, who has urged her husband in private to bring a stop to it.

“What’s happening in Gaza, in Israel, is heartbreaking,” Mr. Biden said. “It’s a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.”

In a statement, Morehouse said that discussions between White House officials and students, faculty and alumni had helped shape Mr. Biden’s speech and his calls for a cease-fire in Gaza. The school also praised its graduates. “It is fitting that a moment of organized, peaceful activism would occur on our campus while the world is watching to continue a critical conversation,” the statement read.

During his 27-minute speech, Mr. Biden tried to stress to the graduates — none of whom stood for him as he took the lectern — that throughout his life he had respected and espoused the same ideas they care about.

He said he had worked throughout his life, as a public defender, senator and president, to correct inequalities. He outlined the work his administration has done that he and his advisers believe deserves more credit than it receives, including the forgiveness of large amounts of student loan debt and reducing the poverty rate for Black children.

“We know Black history is American history,” Mr. Biden said at one point, urging the crowd to “check my record,” which includes choosing the first Black female Supreme Court justice, Ketanji Brown Jackson, and the first Black woman to hold the vice presidency, Kamala Harris.

By focusing on matters of adversity and strength, Mr. Biden also sought to strike a contrast with Mr. Trump not on the grounds of politics or policy but through the lessons of keeping faith in moments of hopelessness. He spoke of the death of his first wife and daughter as well as his eldest son, Beau, from brain cancer.

He told the Morehouse graduates, a class that weathered the chaos of the pandemic and the tumult of widespread protests over the police killings of Black men, that it was natural for them to question whether there was a place for them in democracy at all.

“What is democracy when Black men are being killed in the streets?” he said. “What is democracy when a trail of broken promises still leave Black communities behind? What is democracy when you have to be 10 times better than anyone else to get a fair shot?”

Repeatedly, Mr. Biden reached for religious inspiration, recalling that Jesus was buried on Friday and resurrected on Sunday, leaving Saturday as a day of hopelessness. He suggested that 2020 — the year he was elected, with its twin traumas of the Covid-19 pandemic and the police killing of George Floyd — had been one such Saturday.

At one point, Mr. Biden said, “I’ve learned there was no easy optimism but by faith, by faith you can find redemption.”

Mr. Biden, who has a bust of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the Oval Office — and who is old enough to have shared his memories of Dr. King’s assassination in his speech — walked into commencement on Sunday unsure of how the crowd would receive him.

Morehouse, which was established in Atlanta in 1867, is a school whose culture is steeped in tradition. Students spend their years working toward becoming the embodiment of the Morehouse man: well traveled, well read and civically engaged. As the alma mater of Dr. King, there is also a proud history of protesting for social justice.

Mr. Biden’s visit to Morehouse drew the objections of some faculty members, alumni and students, who have voiced anger over the war in Gaza and the American government’s support for Israel. The tension drew so much attention that the school’s president, David A. Thomas, publicly warned that he would stop the commencement if graduates shouted at the president or disrupted the event.

The men of Morehouse found ways to work their opposition to the war into the ceremony. DeAngelo Jeremiah Fletcher, the class valedictorian, took the stage with the Palestinian flag pinned on his stole and on his cap.

“It is my stance as a Morehouse man, nay, as a human being, to call for an immediate and permanent cease-fire, in the Gaza Strip,” Mr. Fletcher said. Mr. Biden joined the crowd in standing up and clapping when Mr. Fletcher finished, and he shook the graduate’s hand.

But by the end of Mr. Biden’s speech, signs of support were visible, too. As Mr. Biden received an honorary doctorate of law, Mr. Thomas praised the president for listening to the concerns of the graduating class. And some people chanted “four more years” as Mr. Biden left the stage.

After addressing Morehouse, Mr. Biden was set to travel to Detroit to speak at a dinner hosted by the N.A.A.C.P.

Hitting two battleground states in eight hours was the clearest sign yet that Mr. Biden is serious about reintroducing himself to voters who carried him to the White House in 2020 and whose support he will need to win to stay in office for a second term.

In 2020 , 95 percent of Black women and 87 percent of Black men voted for Mr. Biden, according to the Pew Research Center. But in April, only 55 percent of Black voters told Pew that they approved of his job performance. A recent poll by Ipsos and The Washington Post showed that 62 percent of Black Americans planned to vote in 2024, down from 74 percent in 2020.

In recent days, both Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris have traveled outside of Washington to host events geared toward bringing those voters back into the fold.

Mr. Biden’s trip to Detroit comes as the latest New York Times/Siena College poll shows him winning support from less than half of Black voters in Michigan in a five-way race. In 2020, he won more than 90 percent of Black voters in the state, exit polls show.

The war in Gaza and concerns about the economy are driving factors behind what analysts say is an increase in apathy. In Michigan, nearly nine in 10 Black voters rated the economy as being in “fair” or “poor” condition, a higher rate than white voters, the Times/Siena poll found.

Alexis Wiley, the founder of a strategic communications firm in Detroit and a former member of the Democratic National Committee, said the Biden administration had to do more to communicate its victories.

“I think that they’re finally catching up to the fact that people aren’t feeling great,” Ms. Wiley said, “and now there’s this mad dash to try to correct it.”

Reporting was contributed by Nicholas Nehamas in Washington and Chevaz Clarke-Williams , Alan Blinder and Sean Keenan in Atlanta.

Katie Rogers is a White House correspondent. For much of the past decade, she has focused on features about the presidency, the first family, and life in Washington, in addition to covering a range of domestic and foreign policy issues. She is the author of a book on first ladies. More about Katie Rogers

Maya King is a politics reporter covering the Southeast, based in Atlanta. She covers campaigns, elections and movements in the American South, as well as national trends relating to Black voters and young people. More about Maya King

Our Coverage of the 2024 Election

Presidential Race: News and Analysis

President Biden’s campaign released a new advertisement aimed at Black voters . It comes as Donald Trump railed against Biden and the migrant crisis at a rally in the Bronx , the latest in a series of stops campaigning in New York City  in a push to win his home state.

Trump has baselessly and publicly cast doubt about the fairness  of the 2024 election about once a day, on average, a significant escalation since he announced his candidacy for president.

A state dinner held in honor of Kenya, with Barack Obama as a surprise guest , was more about keeping Democratic allies close as campaign season intensifies. Here is the full guest list .

Trump praised Nikki Haley , once his bitter rival for the Republican nomination, a day after she said that she would vote for him , opening the door to bringing Haley into his circle.

Special Legislative Session:  Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio has called a special session to resolve an issue  that would prevent Biden from being placed on the November ballot there.

Protest Zone Clash:  The Republican National Committee, alarmed by what it sees as a significantly worsening security threat, asked that the director of the Secret Service intervene  and move a designated protest zone farther away at an upcoming convention.

A.I.’s Role:  The era of A.I. has officially arrived on the campaign trail. But so far, the political uses of the much-anticipated, and feared, technology are more theoretical than transformational .

Scarlett Johansson says OpenAI copied ‘Her’ voice after she said no

The actress alleges OpenAI CEO Sam Altman tried to hire her, then copied her voice when she said no.

Key takeaways

Summary is AI-generated, newsroom-reviewed.

• She is threatening to sue OpenAI over an AI voice that seems similar to hers in the film “Her.”
• OpenAI CEO Sam Altman twice sought Johansson’s voice to use with its AI, but she declined.
• OpenAI suspended its “Sky” voice after the backlash and denies copying Johansson.

Did our AI help? Share your thoughts.

Actress Scarlett Johansson is threatening legal action against OpenAI, alleging the artificial intelligence start-up copied her voice after she refused to license it to the company.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman asked Johansson in September to be the voice of the company’s conversational AI system, the actress said in a statement provided to The Washington Post.

Johansson declined. In May, two days before OpenAI planned to demonstrate the technology, Altman contacted her again, asking her to reconsider, she said. Before she could respond, OpenAI released a demo of its improved audio technology, featuring a voice called “Sky.” Many argued the coquettish voice — which flirted with OpenAI employees in the presentation — bore an uncanny resemblance to Johansson’s character in the 2013 movie “Her,” in which she performed the voice of a super-intelligent AI assistant.

“When I heard the released demo, I was shocked, angered and in disbelief that Mr. Altman would pursue a voice that sounded so eerily similar to mine that my closest friends and news outlets could not tell the difference,” Johansson wrote.

“Mr. Altman even insinuated that the similarity was intentional, tweeting a single word ‘her’ — a reference to the film in which I voiced a chat system, Samantha, who forms an intimate relationship with a human,” she added.

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Sky was one of five voices OpenAI unveiled in September when it added an audio conversation mode to its ChatGPT chatbot. The Post noted at the time that Sky sounded similar to Johansson.

In a September interview, The Post asked Peter Deng, OpenAI’s vice president of consumer products, whether the voice was meant to resemble the actress’s. “No, we actually have five different voices we’ll be launching with. It’s all personal preference,” Deng said.

OpenAI suspended the Sky voice on Sunday, announcing the change in a blog post titled “How the voices for ChatGPT were chosen.” The company said it launched an extensive search and reviewed the submissions of 400 voice actors. It said it paid “above top-of-market rates” to the five chosen to participate.

“The voice of Sky is not Scarlett Johansson’s, and it was never intended to resemble hers. We cast the voice actor behind Sky’s voice before any outreach to Ms. Johansson,” Altman said in an emailed statement. “We are sorry to Ms. Johansson that we didn’t communicate better.”

After the demo, critics including “The Daily Show” said the Sky voice sounded like a male fantasy of a subservient and sentient AI. Researchers have warned against using the current breed of large language models to mimic human speech because people can be misled into believing the technology is conscious . Altman has previously said AI should not be anthropomorphized, calling it a tool, not a creature, in interviews last fall.

In her statement, which was first reported by NPR , Johansson said OpenAI’s decision to go ahead with the demo forced her to take legal action.

Johansson’s action highlights the limited legal apparatus to prevent actors from having their likeness mimicked by artificial intelligence.

In conversations last fall, Johansson wrote, Altman “told me that he felt that by my voicing the system, I could bridge the gap between tech companies and creatives and help consumers to feel comfortable with the seismic shift concerning humans and AI.”

“He said he felt that my voice would be comforting to people,” she added. “I declined the offer.”

Federal copyright law has not matured to protect a person’s voice from AI, and local laws vary by state, experts told The Post . A bipartisan group of senators floated a bill last year aimed at stopping people from using AI to reproduce a musician’s voice or actor’s likeness, except in certain cases such as for parody. Tennessee in March passed a similar law.

OpenAI is facing a wave of lawsuits by authors including “Game of Thrones” writer George R.R. Martin, and news organizations including the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune, which allege the company violated copyright law by using their content to train its AI models. OpenAI has hired a legal team to handle a slew of legal and regulatory challenges, including a Federal Trade Commission investigation into whether it violated consumer protection laws.

Johansson said “transparency” and “appropriate legislation” is needed.

“In a time when we are all grappling with deepfakes and the protection of our own likeness, our own work, our own identities, I believe these are questions that deserve absolute clarity,” Johansson said.

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Announcement

Statement on the application of ifrs 19, subsidiaries without public accountability: disclosures , in filings with the sec [1], may 17, 2024, erik gerding, director, division of corporation finance paul munter, chief accountant.

In May 2024, the International Accounting Standards Board (“IASB”) issued International Financial Reporting Standard (“IFRS”) 19, Subsidiaries without Public Accountability: Disclosures (“IFRS 19”), which permits certain subsidiaries of reporting companies to provide reduced disclosures when applying recognition, measurement, and presentation requirements of IFRS Accounting Standards . [2] IFRS 19 also specifies that eligible subsidiaries that elect to apply the standard must provide additional material disclosures when it determines that information is necessary to enable financial statement users to understand the impact of transactions, events, and conditions on the subsidiary’s financial position and financial performance. [3] Although the scope of IFRS 19 is limited to entities that do not have public accountability [4] at the end of their financial statement reporting period, there may be situations when financial statements that apply IFRS 19 are included in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC” or the “Commission”). In these situations, we believe that the requirements of IFRS 19 are likely to necessitate additional disclosures in financial statements filed with the SEC because such financial statements are intended for use by investors in our public capital markets for making investment and voting decisions.

Under SEC rules, registrants are generally required to file certain financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. [5] Foreign private issuers, [6] however, are permitted to file financial statements that are prepared in accordance with IFRS as issued by the IASB, or, alternatively, in accordance with their home country GAAP with reconciliation to U.S. GAAP. [7] High quality financial information provided to investors is foundational to the integrity of our capital markets system. SEC rules specify that financial statements prepared in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework (i.e., U.S. GAAP or IFRS as issued by the IASB) is the minimum requirement and registrants are required to consider whether additional material information is needed so that the required financial statements are not misleading. [8] This principle guides our interpretation of the application of IFRS 19 to the U.S. public securities markets.

In establishing the rules governing disclosure by foreign private issuers with securities trading in U.S. public securities markets, the Commission has recognized the importance of balancing the information needs of investors with the public interest served by opportunities to invest in a variety of securities. Historically, the Commission has supported initiatives to reduce regulatory burdens on foreign private issuers that are consistent with the Commission’s investor protection mandate. [9] We acknowledge the IASB’s efforts in promulgating IFRS 19 to promote efficiency for subsidiaries that do not have public accountability, whose parent company issues consolidated financial statements, inclusive of all disclosure requirements, in accordance with IFRS Accounting Standards, [10] while maintaining decision-useful information for users of financial statements in certain contexts. We also believe the requirement in IFRS 19 for entities to consider whether additional disclosures are necessary to provide an understanding of particular events or circumstances is critical for investor protection purposes in U.S. public securities markets. Disclosures that are fit for other purposes for entities without public accountability may not be sufficient to satisfy the needs of investors in the U.S. public securities markets. [11]

As just one example, if a foreign private issuer files documents with the SEC related to a merger with a foreign business that qualifies for and elects to apply IFRS 19, and the registrant is required to provide financial statements of the foreign business, the foreign business is required by IFRS 19 to consider whether additional material disclosures need to be included in its financial statements to enable investors to understand the impact of transactions, other events, and conditions on the foreign business’s financial position and financial performance. The purpose of including the foreign business’s financial statements in the SEC filing at the time of the transaction is to help investors better understand the nature and extent of the business being acquired and the resulting combined entity when making their voting or investment decisions. Given the purpose of inclusion of the foreign business’s financial statements in the registration statement, the needs of investors would likely be similar to the needs of investors in an entity with public accountability. [12] In such a scenario, even though the foreign business may be eligible to and has elected to apply IFRS 19 in order to benefit from reduced disclosures, it should carefully consider whether it is nevertheless required to include additional material disclosures from other IFRS Accounting Standards to achieve the objectives of financial reporting given the use of those financial statements in a filing with the SEC. [13]

We are committed to assisting registrants in fulfilling their responsibilities related to providing high-quality financial information to investors and other users of financial statements, and we remain available for consultation on issues related to the form and content of financial statements [14] and technical accounting matters, [15] including application of IFRS 19 in Commission filings.

[1] This statement is provided in the authors’ respective official capacities as the Director of the Division of Corporation Finance and the Commission’s Chief Accountant but does not necessarily reflect the views of the Commission, the Commissioners, or other members of the staff. It is not a rule, regulation, or statement of the Commission. The Commission has neither approved nor disapproved its content. This statement, like all staff statements, has no legal force or effect. It does not alter or amend applicable law, and it creates no new or additional obligations for any person. “Our” and “we” are used throughout this statement to refer to the staff of the Division of Corporation Finance and the Office of the Chief Accountant.

[2] See paragraph 2 of IFRS 19.

[3] See paragraph 6 of IFRS 19.

[4] See paragraph 11 of IFRS 19 (providing “[a]n entity has public accountability if: (a) its debt or equity instruments are traded in a public market or it is in the process of issuing such instruments for trading in a public market (a domestic or foreign stock exchange or an over-the-counter market, including local and regional markets); or (b) it holds assets in a fiduciary capacity for a broad group of outsiders as one of its primary businesses (for example, banks, credit unions, insurance companies, securities brokers/dealers, mutual funds and investment banks often meet this second criterion”) .

[5] See Regulation S-X Rule 4-01(a)(1) (stating that financial statements not prepared in accordance with “generally accepted accounting principles” are presumed to be misleading or inaccurate) [17 CFR 210.4-01(a)(1)]; see also Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) and Commission Statement of Policy Reaffirming the Status of the FASB as a Designed Private-Sector Standard Setter, Release No. 33-8221 (together, designating the financial accounting and reporting standards promulgated by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to be “generally accepted” for purposes of the securities laws).

[6] See Rule 405 of Regulation C under the Securities Act and Rule 3b-4 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) (defining “foreign private issuer”).

[7] See Rule 4-01(a)(2) of Regulation S-X [17 CFR 210.4-01(a)(2)].

[8] See Rule 4-01(a) of Regulation S-X [17 CFR 210.4-01].

[9] Securities Act Release No. 33-7745 (Sept. 28, 1999) [64 FR 53900] (citing Securities Act Release No. 6360 (Nov. 20, 1981) [46 FR 58511]).

[10] See paragraphs 7 to 12 of IFRS 19.

[11] See, e.g. , Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Update No. 2013-12, Definition of a Public Business Entity , at paragraph BC11. See also Chair Gary Gensler, Prepared Remarks Before the Investor Advisory Committee, available at https://www.sec.gov/news/speech/gensler-remarks-iac-092123 (noting that Congress and the Commission have recognized that certain transactions or issuers should be exempt from the typical disclosure requirements, giving rise to the private markets, which have exemptions to certain disclosure requirements).

[12] See, e.g., Item 17(b) of Form 20-F (providing that, “[t]he financial statements shall disclose an information content substantially similar to financial statements that comply with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and Regulation S-X”).

[13] See International Accounting Standards Board, The Conceptual Framework of Financial Reporting , at para. 1.2 (the objective of general purpose financial reporting is to provide information that is useful to investors in making decisions about (a) buying, selling, or holding securities, (b) providing or settling loans and other forms of credit, or (c) exercising rights to vote on management’s actions that affect the use of the entity’s economic resources).

[14] More information about how to submit requests for no-action, interpretive, or exemptive letters regarding the form and content of financial statements and other financial information required to be included in Commission filings is available on the Division of Corporation Finance’s webpage, available at https://www.sec.gov/about/divisions-offices/division-corporation-finance/contact-us .

[15] More information about how to initiate a dialogue with OCA, what to expect from the consultation process, and what information should be included in a consultation submission in order for OCA to most quickly address a company’s or auditor’s question is available on OCA’s webpage, available at https://www.sec.gov/page/communicating-oca .