Question

Which of the following would be the most effective thesis statement for an informative speech?

Answer 1

The correct answer is A: Three major themes of Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter are sin, forgiveness, and past vs. present.

Remember that a thesis statement is a one-sentence summary of an essay's main ideas. Because it is a summary, it should give a clear overview of the paper's main points.

Answer B does not fit this criteria -- what, specifically, is the symbolism the paper will discuss? This statement does not say; therefore, it is not an acceptable thesis.

Answer C is a question; therefore, it is automatically not a thesis statement.

Answer D sounds good, but it's either not a thesis for an informative paper or it is an analysis that should come somewhere later in a paper. It doesn't summarize the main points of the paper; it only draws a conclusion.

Answer A is the best answer. Notice that it names both the author and the title of the work being discussed, and it provides an oveview of the paper's main points. This thesis says it will discuss three themes and then specifically lists those themes. This is a good thesis for an informative paper.

Therefore, Answer A is the best thesis statement for an informative speech.

Answer 2

A thesis statement cannot be a question, so I'd rule C out. Also, B is very short for a thesis statement. 
So  the most effective thesis statement for an informative speech could either be A or D, but I'd pick A. Three major themes of Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter are sin, forgiveness, and past vs. present.