Once you have an arguable statement, you need to develop it into a working thesis (3c). One way to do so—often called the Toulmin system—is to identify the elements of an argument (8e and 9j), which include the following: the claim or arguable statement; one or more reasons for the claim; and assumptions—sometimes unstated—that underlie the claim and reasons. Let’s apply these elements to a specific topic—the use of pesticides.
Begin with an arguable statement (or initial claim). The following statement is arguable because it aims to convince, it addresses an issue with no one identifiable answer, and it can realistically be disputed.
| ARGUABLE STATEMENT (OR INITIAL CLAIM) | Pesticides should be banned. |
Attach a good reason. Although the preceding statement does make a claim—that pesticides should be banned—it offers no reason for doing so. To turn a claim into a working thesis for an argument, you need to include at least one good reason to support the arguable statement.
| REASON | They endanger the lives of farmworkers. |
| WORKING THESIS (CLAIM WITH REASON ATTACHED) | Because they endanger the lives of farmworkers, pesticides should be banned. |
Develop or identify assumptions underlying the claim and reasons. Once you have a working thesis, examine your assumptions to help test your reasoning and strengthen your argument. Begin by identifying underlying assumptions that support the working thesis.
| WORKING THESIS | Because they endanger the lives of farmworkers, pesticides should be banned. |
| ASSUMPTION 1 | Workers have a right to a safe working environment. |
| ASSUMPTION 2 | Substances that endanger the lives of workers deserve to be banned. |
Once you have a working thesis, you may want to use qualifiers to make it more precise and thus less susceptible to criticism. The preceding thesis might be qualified in this way:
Because they may endanger the lives of farmworkers, most pesticides should be banned.