thesis statement about running

Margaret H. Ordoubadian University Writing Center at MTSU

University writing center, com 5: thesis statements.

Dynamic PDF:   Thesis Statements

The  thesis statement  is perhaps the most crucial part of your essay because it presents the main idea or main argument of the piece of writing. In academic essays, your thesis statement is often located in the introductory paragraph; however, this is not always the case. Consider the rhetorical situation and assignment guidelines to determine where to best place your thesis.  

What does a thesis statement do?

• Informs the reader how to interpret the paper’s significance
• Serves as a sign post for the essay, showing where the rest of the paper is headed
• Offers a unique perspective on the topic at hand
• Makes a claim or argument about a topic or issue

Creating a Thesis Statement

Once you have brainstormed about a topic, collected evidence to support your claims, and thought about the significance of your ideas, you should decide what you are arguing about the topic at hand. After this consideration, you’ll likely find yourself with a working thesis statement that expresses your main idea. You may have to write your thesis multiple times before you feel it captures all you want to say about your argument.

Remember, your thesis statement is different from the topic itself. For example, the  topic  of your paper might be “Running” or even “Why People Should Run.” Your  thesis statement , however, will present an argument about running and explain the significance.

There are two types of thesis statements, blueprint and umbrella.

• A  blueprint thesis  lists what will be discussed in your paper (EX: Running is important because A, B, and C.). While blueprint thesis statements are sometimes appropriate, you may find them limiting, especially for longer papers.
• An  umbrella thesis  presents an overview of your argument without listing all of the individual components. An umbrella thesis allows you to express your argument in a condensed, concise way (EX: People who are interested in starting an exercise program should consider running because of the instant health benefits, both physical and mental.) While we know this paper will argue that running provides physical and mental health benefits, the writer does not have to list each one that will be discussed in the essay.

After you craft your thesis statement, ask yourself some questions about what your thesis statement accomplishes. This will help strengthen and clarify your main idea:

• Do I answer the question asked of me by this assignment?
• If this essay is argumentative, have I taken a clear position?
• Is my thesis statement specific enough?
• Does my thesis pass the “so what?” test? How is this idea related to a larger significance?

Remember,  as you continue to develop your paper, your thesis statement may evolve. While your original thesis can serve as a guide, you should feel free to change your thesis based on the research you conduct or the ideas you further develop.

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How to Write a Strong Thesis Statement: 4 Steps + Examples

What’s Covered:

What is the purpose of a thesis statement, writing a good thesis statement: 4 steps, common pitfalls to avoid, where to get your essay edited for free.

When you set out to write an essay, there has to be some kind of point to it, right? Otherwise, your essay would just be a big jumble of word salad that makes absolutely no sense. An essay needs a central point that ties into everything else. That main point is called a thesis statement, and it’s the core of any essay or research paper.

You may hear about Master degree candidates writing a thesis, and that is an entire paper–not to be confused with the thesis statement, which is typically one sentence that contains your paper’s focus. 

Read on to learn more about thesis statements and how to write them. We’ve also included some solid examples for you to reference.

Typically the last sentence of your introductory paragraph, the thesis statement serves as the roadmap for your essay. When your reader gets to the thesis statement, they should have a clear outline of your main point, as well as the information you’ll be presenting in order to either prove or support your point. 

The thesis statement should not be confused for a topic sentence , which is the first sentence of every paragraph in your essay. If you need help writing topic sentences, numerous resources are available. Topic sentences should go along with your thesis statement, though.

Since the thesis statement is the most important sentence of your entire essay or paper, it’s imperative that you get this part right. Otherwise, your paper will not have a good flow and will seem disjointed. That’s why it’s vital not to rush through developing one. It’s a methodical process with steps that you need to follow in order to create the best thesis statement possible.

Step 1: Decide what kind of paper you’re writing

When you’re assigned an essay, there are several different types you may get. Argumentative essays are designed to get the reader to agree with you on a topic. Informative or expository essays present information to the reader. Analytical essays offer up a point and then expand on it by analyzing relevant information. Thesis statements can look and sound different based on the type of paper you’re writing. For example:

• Argumentative: The United States needs a viable third political party to decrease bipartisanship, increase options, and help reduce corruption in government.
• Informative: The Libertarian party has thrown off elections before by gaining enough support in states to get on the ballot and by taking away crucial votes from candidates.
• Analytical: An analysis of past presidential elections shows that while third party votes may have been the minority, they did affect the outcome of the elections in 2020, 2016, and beyond.

Step 2: Figure out what point you want to make

Once you know what type of paper you’re writing, you then need to figure out the point you want to make with your thesis statement, and subsequently, your paper. In other words, you need to decide to answer a question about something, such as:

• What impact did reality TV have on American society?
• How has the musical Hamilton affected perception of American history?
• Why do I want to major in [chosen major here]?

If you have an argumentative essay, then you will be writing about an opinion. To make it easier, you may want to choose an opinion that you feel passionate about so that you’re writing about something that interests you. For example, if you have an interest in preserving the environment, you may want to choose a topic that relates to that. 

If you’re writing your college essay and they ask why you want to attend that school, you may want to have a main point and back it up with information, something along the lines of:

“Attending Harvard University would benefit me both academically and professionally, as it would give me a strong knowledge base upon which to build my career, develop my network, and hopefully give me an advantage in my chosen field.”

Step 3: Determine what information you’ll use to back up your point

Once you have the point you want to make, you need to figure out how you plan to back it up throughout the rest of your essay. Without this information, it will be hard to either prove or argue the main point of your thesis statement. If you decide to write about the Hamilton example, you may decide to address any falsehoods that the writer put into the musical, such as:

“The musical Hamilton, while accurate in many ways, leaves out key parts of American history, presents a nationalist view of founding fathers, and downplays the racism of the times.”

Once you’ve written your initial working thesis statement, you’ll then need to get information to back that up. For example, the musical completely leaves out Benjamin Franklin, portrays the founding fathers in a nationalist way that is too complimentary, and shows Hamilton as a staunch abolitionist despite the fact that his family likely did own slaves. 

Step 4: Revise and refine your thesis statement before you start writing

Read through your thesis statement several times before you begin to compose your full essay. You need to make sure the statement is ironclad, since it is the foundation of the entire paper. Edit it or have a peer review it for you to make sure everything makes sense and that you feel like you can truly write a paper on the topic. Once you’ve done that, you can then begin writing your paper.

When writing a thesis statement, there are some common pitfalls you should avoid so that your paper can be as solid as possible. Make sure you always edit the thesis statement before you do anything else. You also want to ensure that the thesis statement is clear and concise. Don’t make your reader hunt for your point. Finally, put your thesis statement at the end of the first paragraph and have your introduction flow toward that statement. Your reader will expect to find your statement in its traditional spot.

If you’re having trouble getting started, or need some guidance on your essay, there are tools available that can help you. CollegeVine offers a free peer essay review tool where one of your peers can read through your essay and provide you with valuable feedback. Getting essay feedback from a peer can help you wow your instructor or college admissions officer with an impactful essay that effectively illustrates your point.

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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 .

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How to write Evaluative Thesis

September 5 2023 03:02 PM

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In the realm of academic writing, the thesis statement reigns supreme. It serves as the North Star, guiding writers and readers through the complex terrain of ideas and arguments. A well-crafted thesis statement can distinguish between a compelling, thought-provoking essay and one that leaves the audience bewildered or unengaged. Among the various types of thesis statements, the evaluative thesis is a testament to the writer's ability to critically assess and form judgments on a subject.

In this article, we explore evaluative theses, exploring what they are, why they matter, and how to craft them effectively. Whether you're a seasoned academic or a budding writer seeking to hone your skills, understanding evaluative theses will undoubtedly enhance your ability to communicate and persuade through the written word.

Definition of an Evaluative Thesis

Before we delve deeper into the nuances of evaluative theses, let's establish a clear understanding of what they entail. An evaluative thesis is a concise, arguable statement that expresses a judgment or assessment about a particular subject, backed by evidence and analysis. Unlike informative theses that merely inform the reader about a topic or argumentative theses that take a position on an issue, evaluative theses go further. They require writers to critically examine a subject and provide a well-reasoned evaluation, offering insight into its quality, significance, or effectiveness.

Imagine you're a film critic tasked with reviewing a recently released movie. Your evaluative thesis would serve as the core of your review, encapsulating your overall assessment of the film's merits or shortcomings. This thesis statement sets the tone for your review and informs readers about the lens through which you'll analyze the movie's various elements - plot, acting, cinematography, and more.

The Importance of Having a Clear Thesis Statement

In the vast sea of words that constitute the world of writing, a thesis statement is a lighthouse, guiding both the writer and the reader toward a focused, well-structured narrative. Without a strong thesis, an essay can meander aimlessly, leaving the reader uncertain about the writer's intentions or conclusions. Conversely, a well-crafted thesis provides a roadmap for the writer, ensuring that every subsequent paragraph and sentence contributes to the overarching argument or evaluation.

A clear statement is particularly crucial in an evaluative thesis. It sets the stage for your evaluation and helps readers understand how you view the subject. Are you assessing a work of literature for its thematic depth, a scientific theory for its empirical support, or a product for its market viability? Your evaluative thesis tells your audience what to expect and why they should care.

Understanding the Basics 

We must start with a solid foundation to unravel the intricacies of evaluative theses. In this chapter, we will explore the fundamental concepts that underpin the art of evaluative thesis writing. We will define a thesis statement, distinguish between different types of theses, and elucidate the unique role of evaluative theses in academic discourse.

What is a Thesis Statement?

A thesis statement is a sentence or two that briefly and clearly expresses the main point or argument of an essay, research paper, or any written work. Think of it as the compass guiding the writer and the reader through the text's intricate terrain. It serves as a promise to your audience, indicating the direction your writing will take and the purpose it aims to fulfill.

The Essence of a Thesis Statement:

• Clarity : A good thesis statement is unambiguous and leaves no room for ambiguity. It provides a clear and specific focus for the entire piece of writing.
• Conciseness : A thesis statement should be brief and to the point, capturing the essence of your argument without unnecessary jargon.
• Arguability : An effective thesis statement is debatable. It presents an assertion that can be challenged, discussed, or supported with evidence and analysis.
• Relevance : A thesis statement must be directly relevant to the topic and align with the subject of your writing.

Different Types of Thesis Statements

Not all thesis statements are created equal. Depending on the writer's objectives, different types of thesis statements can be employed. It's important to recognize the distinctions between these types to choose the most appropriate one for your writing task. The three primary types of thesis statements are:

• Informative Thesis

An informative thesis statement merely informs the reader about a topic, presenting facts straightforwardly. It does not take a position, make an argument, or provide an evaluation. Informative theses are commonly used in expository and descriptive essays.

Example: "The history of the Great Wall of China spans over 2,000 years."

• Argumentative Thesis

An argumentative thesis statement takes a clear position on a specific issue or topic and presents an argument the writer intends to prove or defend. It is the cornerstone of persuasive essays and research papers, where the writer seeks to persuade the audience of a particular viewpoint.

Example: "The government should implement stricter regulations on carbon emissions to combat climate change."

• Evaluative Thesis

Example: "The novel 'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee is a timeless masterpiece due to its profound exploration of social injustice and moral growth."

The Role of an Evaluative Thesis in Academic Writing

Evaluative theses are a distinctive breed among thesis statements. They play a crucial role in academic writing by requiring writers to assert their position and critically analyze and evaluate a subject's merits or shortcomings. Here are some key aspects that highlight the significance of evaluative theses in academic discourse:

• Critical Thinking : Evaluative theses demand rigorous critical thinking. Writers must weigh evidence, consider multiple perspectives, and make informed judgments.
• Depth of Analysis : They require in-depth analysis and exploration of a subject, often delving into various facets such as quality, significance, effectiveness, or impact.
• Nuanced Perspective : Evaluative theses foster a nuanced perspective. Writers must distinguish between objectivity and subjectivity, avoiding overly biased or unsubstantiated claims.

With these foundational concepts in mind, we are now equipped to explore the unique characteristics of evaluative theses in greater detail. In the following chapters, we will delve into the art of crafting evaluative thesis statements, selecting appropriate topics for evaluation, and providing robust evidence and analysis to support your judgments.

Characteristics of an Evaluative Thesis

In exploring evaluative theses, one must grasp the distinctive features that set them apart from other thesis statements. Evaluative theses are the analytical bedrock of critical essays and reviews, demanding writers' specific approaches and mindsets. In this chapter, we will delve into the key characteristics that define an evaluative thesis.

• Objective Evaluation vs. Subjective Opinion

One of the defining characteristics of an evaluative thesis is its emphasis on objective evaluation rather than subjective opinion. While evaluative theses involve making judgments, these judgments must be grounded in evidence, analysis, and established criteria.

Objective Evaluation : In an evaluative thesis, objectivity is paramount. Writers should strive to evaluate a subject based on universally accepted standards, established criteria, or commonly recognized principles. The goal is to provide an assessment that others can reasonably agree or disagree with, regardless of personal preferences.

Subjective Opinion : In contrast, subjective opinions are based on personal feelings, tastes, or preferences and may not be universally applicable. An evaluative thesis should avoid being overly reliant on the writer's personal biases or emotions.

• The Need for Evidence and Analysis

Evaluative theses are not mere declarations of judgment; they require robust support through evidence and analysis. This support serves two essential purposes:

Substantiating the Judgment : To make a convincing evaluation, writers must present credible evidence that supports their judgment. This can include facts, statistics, examples, or expert opinions.

Demonstrating Critical Thinking : Evaluation demands critical thinking and analysis. Writers must present evidence and analyze it in the context of the subject and criteria. This analysis forms the backbone of a well-constructed evaluative thesis.

• Expressing a Judgment or Assessment

At the heart of an evaluative thesis lies judgment or assessment. This judgment can take various forms, depending on the nature of the subject and the writer's purpose:

Positive Evaluation : An evaluative thesis may express a positive judgment, highlighting the subject's merits, strengths, or positive attributes. This type of evaluation often seeks to persuade the audience of the subject's value or significance.

Example: "The innovative use of symbolism in F. Scott Fitzgerald's 'The Great Gatsby' enhances the novel's thematic depth and literary brilliance."

Negative Evaluation : Conversely, an evaluative thesis may convey a negative judgment, focusing on the subject's flaws, weaknesses, or shortcomings. This type of evaluation aims to critique or discourage engagement with the subject.

Example:  "The film's weak character development and clichéd plot detract from its overall quality, disappointing it."

Balanced Evaluation : In some cases, evaluative theses may strike a balanced tone, acknowledging the subject's strengths and weaknesses. This approach fosters a nuanced perspective and may be particularly relevant for complex or multifaceted subjects.

Example:  "While the smartphone offers cutting-edge technology and convenience, its high cost and potential privacy concerns should not be overlooked."

Selecting Your Topic

The choice of topic is a crucial starting point in crafting an evaluative thesis. A well-chosen topic not only sets the stage for a meaningful evaluation but also determines the relevance and engagement of your essay. In this chapter, we will explore the intricacies of selecting a suitable topic for evaluation.

Choosing a Subject for Evaluation

Selecting the right subject is the cornerstone of crafting a compelling evaluative thesis. Here are some considerations to guide you in the process:

• Relevance and Interest : Choose a subject that is relevant to your audience and aligns with your interests. An engaging topic will capture your reader's attention and motivate you throughout the writing process.
• Clarity and Specificity : Opt for a subject that can be clearly defined and evaluated within the scope of your essay. Avoid overly broad or vague topics that may lead to unfocused writing.
• Availability of Information : Ensure you can access sufficient information, evidence, or examples to support your evaluation. A lack of credible sources or data can hinder your ability to make a convincing argument.
• Significance : Consider the importance of the subject within its relevant context. Evaluating a topic that holds significance in academia, society, or a specific field can add depth and relevance to your writing.
• Controversy or Complexity : Topics that are controversial or multifaceted often provide rich material for evaluation. They invite critical thinking and analysis, leading to more robust evaluative theses.

Narrowing Down Your Focus

Once you have identified a general subject for evaluation, the next step is to narrow down your focus. This involves defining the specific aspect or dimension of the subject you intend to evaluate. Consider the following strategies:

• Establish Criteria : Determine the criteria or standards against which you will evaluate the subject. These criteria will serve as the basis for your judgment. For example, if you are evaluating a restaurant, your criteria might include food quality, service, ambiance, and value for money.
• Focus on Specific Elements : Choose specific elements or components of the subject to evaluate. For instance, if you are evaluating a book, you might focus on its characterization, plot development, or thematic depth.
• Identify a Research Question : Formulate a research question that encapsulates the core of your evaluation. This question should guide your analysis and help you stay on track as you gather evidence and develop your thesis.
• Consider Audience Expectations : Consider your audience. What aspects of the subject are likely to interest or concern your readers? Tailor your evaluation accordingly.

The Relevance of Your Topic to Your Audience

While your evaluative thesis primarily reflects your assessment, it is essential to consider the relevance of your chosen topic to your audience. Consider why your readers should care about your evaluation and how it might impact them. Aligning your evaluation with your audience's interests or concerns can enhance the significance of your writing.

In the next chapter, we will delve into the process of crafting your evaluative thesis statement, which will serve as the compass guiding your evaluation. Selecting a relevant and well-defined topic lays the foundation for a compelling and persuasive evaluative thesis.

Crafting Your Evaluative Thesis

As we continue our journey into evaluative theses, we arrive at a critical juncture: crafting the very heart of your evaluation - the evaluative thesis statement. This chapter will explore the art of formulating clear, concise, and compelling evaluative thesis statements that will guide your entire essay.

Developing a Clear and Concise Thesis Statement

The evaluative thesis statement is the anchor of your essay, encapsulating your central judgment and providing a roadmap for your readers. Here's how to craft a clear and concise evaluative thesis statement:

1. Be Specific: Your thesis should focus on the subject of evaluation and the criteria by which you will judge it. Avoid vague or overly general statements.

Vague Statement: "This restaurant has its pros and cons."

Specific Statement: "The restaurant's exceptional food quality and attentive service outweigh its high prices."

2. Express a Judgment: Clearly express your judgment or assessment of the subject. Whether positive, negative, or balanced, your thesis should leave no doubt about your stance.

Positive Evaluation: "The documentary 'Planet Earth' is a stunning achievement in wildlife filmmaking."

Negative Evaluation: "The smartphone's sleek design is overshadowed by its short battery life."

Balanced Evaluation: "While the novel '1984' has enduring relevance, its pacing can be challenging for modern readers."

3. Include Criteria: Indicate the criteria or standards by which you are evaluating the subject. This provides context for your judgment and guides your analysis.

"The film's captivating cinematography and powerful performances make it a must-see."

4. Avoid Ambiguity: Ensure that your thesis statement is unambiguous. Readers should immediately understand the essence of your evaluation and the direction of your essay.

Ambiguous Statement: "The latest software update has pros and cons."

Clear Statement: "The latest software update enhances user interface functionality but introduces stability issues."

Including the Subject of Evaluation and the Criteria

A well-constructed evaluative thesis statement typically comprises two essential components: the subject of evaluation and the criteria by which you are evaluating it. These components work in tandem to provide clarity and focus. Consider the following example:

Evaluative Thesis: "The novel 'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee is a timeless masterpiece due to its profound exploration of social injustice and moral growth."

The subject of Evaluation: "The novel 'To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee."

Criteria for Evaluation: "Profound exploration of social injustice and moral growth."

By including both the subject and criteria, your evaluative thesis sets the stage for your essay's subsequent analysis and discussion.

Avoiding Vague or Overly Broad Statements

Vague or overly broad evaluative thesis statements can lead to unfocused and ineffective essays. Consider these strategies to avoid common pitfalls:

• Vague Statements: Statements that lack specificity and fail to convey a clear judgment can confuse readers.

"This movie has its good and bad aspects."

• Overly Broad Statements: Overgeneralized statements may be too broad to address effectively in one essay.

"Technology has both positive and negative effects on society."

• Lack of Criteria: Ensure that your thesis includes specific criteria for evaluation, as this forms the basis for your judgment.

"The book 'The Great Gatsby' has strengths and weaknesses."

Providing Evidence and Support

A compelling evaluative thesis statement is just the beginning of your journey in crafting a persuasive evaluation. You must provide robust evidence and support to substantiate your judgment and convince your readers. This chapter will explore the critical role of evidence and analysis in bolstering your evaluative thesis.

• Gathering Relevant Evidence and Examples

Effective evaluation relies on credible evidence and concrete examples that illustrate the merits or shortcomings of your subject. Here's how to gather relevant evidence:

Research: Conduct thorough research to gather facts, data, and expert opinions about your subject. Look for reputable sources, such as scholarly articles, books, websites, or expert interviews.

Direct Observation: If applicable, use direct observation or personal experiences to collect firsthand information about your subject. For example, if you are evaluating a restaurant, visit it and make detailed observations.

Case Studies: Seek out case studies, real-world examples, or case-specific evidence that support your judgment. These can provide powerful illustrations of your evaluation.

Historical Context: Consider your subject's historical context or background, as it can shed light on its significance or evolution over time.

• Citing Credible Sources

When incorporating evidence into your evaluative essay, it's essential to cite credible sources transparently. Proper citation serves two crucial purposes:

Establishing Credibility: Citing reputable sources lends credibility to your evaluation. It shows that expert opinions or well-documented facts inform your judgment.

Providing a Reference: Citations provide a reference point for readers who wish to explore the evidence further or verify your claims.

Follow the citation style specified by your academic institution or publication guidelines (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago) to ensure consistency and accuracy.

• Demonstrating Critical Thinking and Analysis

The mere presentation of evidence is insufficient; you must also engage in critical thinking and analysis. Here's how to effectively analyze and interpret your evidence:

Interpretation: Explain the significance of the evidence in the context of your evaluation. Describe how it supports or challenges your thesis statement.

Comparative Analysis: Compare and contrast different pieces of evidence or examples to highlight patterns or trends. This can add depth to your evaluation.

Consider Counterarguments: Acknowledge and address counterarguments or opposing viewpoints. Demonstrating awareness of different perspectives adds credibility to your evaluation.

Cause and Effect: Analyze the cause-and-effect relationships between your evidence and the subject of evaluation. How do specific aspects of your subject lead to your judgments?

Critically analyzing your evidence strengthens your argument and demonstrates your ability to think deeply and objectively about the subject.

• Maintaining a Balanced Approach

Balancing your evaluation is essential, especially when dealing with complex or multifaceted subjects. While providing evidence that supports your judgment is crucial, avoid cherry-picking evidence that only confirms your preconceived notions. Embrace a balanced approach that acknowledges both strengths and weaknesses.

• Presenting Evidence Effectively

The presentation of evidence in your evaluative essay should be clear and logically organized. Consider the following strategies:

Use of Examples: Incorporate illustrative examples or anecdotes to make your evidence relatable and memorable for your readers.

Organization: Structure your essay logically, each paragraph focusing on a specific evidence or aspect of your evaluation.

Transitions: Use transitional phrases and sentences to guide readers from one piece of evidence to the next, creating a seamless flow of ideas.

Structuring Your Essay 

A well-structured essay is the canvas on which your evaluative thesis comes to life. In this chapter, we will explore the structural components of your evaluative essay, from the introduction that hooks your readers to the conclusion that reinforces your thesis.

• Introduction with the Evaluative Thesis Statement

Hook Your Readers: Begin your essay with a compelling hook that grabs your reader's attention and introduces the subject of evaluation. This can be a thought-provoking question, a surprising fact, a relevant quote, or an engaging anecdote.

Evaluative Thesis Statement: In the introductory paragraph, present your evaluative thesis statement clearly and concisely. Ensure it includes the subject of evaluation and the criteria by which you will judge it. The thesis should serve as the guiding beacon for your entire essay.

Contextual Background: Provide some background information about the subject of evaluation, especially if it's not widely known or understood. This helps readers understand its significance.

Body Paragraphs Presenting Evidence and Analysis

The body of your essay is where you present your evidence, analysis, and discussion. Each body paragraph should focus on a specific piece of evidence or aspect of your evaluation:

Topic Sentence: Begin each body paragraph with a clear topic sentence that introduces the paragraph's main point. This should connect to your evaluative thesis.

Evidence Presentation: Present your evidence or examples logically and organized. Use descriptive language and context to help readers understand the relevance of the evidence.

Analysis: After presenting evidence, engage in critical analysis. Explain how the evidence supports or challenges your evaluative thesis. Address questions like "Why is this evidence significant?" and "How does it relate to the criteria?"

Transitions: Use transitional phrases and sentences to smoothly transition from one body paragraph to the next. This creates a coherent flow of ideas and arguments throughout your essay.

• Conclusion Summarizing the Evaluation

The conclusion is where you tie everything together and leave a lasting impression on your readers:

Restate Your Thesis: Begin your conclusion by restating your evaluative thesis statement. This reinforces your central judgment.

Summarize Key Points: Summarize the key points you've discussed in your essay. Highlight the most significant evidence and analysis that support your evaluation.

Final Thoughts: Offer some final thoughts or insights that encapsulate the essence of your evaluation. Reflect on the broader implications or significance of your judgment.

Call to Action or Consideration: Depending on your essay's purpose, you might include a call to action, a thought-provoking question, or an invitation for further consideration of the subject.

Tips for Effective Writing

While mastering the art of crafting evaluative theses is essential, effective writing goes beyond thesis statements. It encompasses the entire process, from brainstorming ideas to polishing your final draft. This chapter will explore tips and strategies for enhancing your writing skills and producing compelling evaluative essays.

Use of Language and Tone

Clarity is Key: Strive for clarity in your writing. Use clear and straightforward language to convey your ideas. Avoid convoluted sentences or overly complex vocabulary that may confuse your readers.

Formal Tone: Maintain a formal and professional tone in academic writing. Avoid overly informal language, slang, or colloquialisms.

Precision: Choose words and phrases that convey your intended meaning precisely. Avoid vague or ambiguous language.

Transitions: Use transitional words and phrases to guide your readers through your essay. This helps create a seamless flow of ideas.

• Avoiding Bias and Maintaining Objectivity

Balance Perspectives: When presenting evidence or discussing your evaluation, strive for balance. Acknowledge the subject's strengths and weaknesses, even if your overall evaluation leans in one direction.

Avoid Personal Pronouns: Minimize using personal pronouns like "I" or "you." Instead, opt for a more objective third-person perspective.

Cite Expert Opinions: Incorporate expert opinions or scholarly sources to support your arguments. This demonstrates that your evaluation is grounded in authoritative perspectives.

Objective Language: When presenting evidence or analysis, use objective language. Avoid emotionally charged or judgmental language that may bias your readers.

• Revision and Proofreading

Multiple Drafts: Never settle for your first draft. Writing is a process, and revision is where your work truly shines. Review and revise your essay multiple times to refine your arguments and improve clarity.

Fresh Eyes: Take breaks between writing and revising sessions. Returning to your work with fresh eyes allows you to spot errors or areas that need improvement more effectively.

Peer Review: Consider seeking peer, mentor, or writing tutor feedback. Fresh perspectives can provide valuable insights and suggestions for improvement.

Grammar and Mechanics: Pay attention to grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Errors in these areas can detract from your writing's professionalism and credibility.

• Conciseness and Efficiency

Avoid Repetition: Eliminate unnecessary repetition of ideas or words. Each sentence and paragraph should contribute something new to your argument.

Cut Unnecessary Words: Trim excessive words or phrases that do not add value to your writing. Be concise while retaining clarity.

Active Voice: Use the active voice to make your writing more direct and engaging. Passive voice can sometimes make sentences more convoluted.

• Seek Feedback and Revise

Welcome Feedback: Embrace feedback from others as an opportunity to improve your writing. Constructive criticism helps you grow as a writer.

Multiple Revisions: Don't be afraid to revise your work extensively. The best writing often comes after multiple revisions and refinements.

Read Aloud: Reading your essay aloud can help you catch awkward phrasing, unclear sentences, or errors you might miss when reading silently.

• Follow Guidelines and Requirements

Adhere to Guidelines: Follow any specific guidelines or requirements from your instructor or publication. This includes formatting, citation styles, and word count.

Meet Deadlines: Submit your essay on time. Effective time management is crucial for producing high-quality work.

Examples of Evaluative Theses

Example 1: Film Evaluation

Evaluative Thesis: "Christopher Nolan's 'Inception' is a cinematic masterpiece due to its innovative narrative structure, breathtaking visual effects, and thought-provoking exploration of dreams and reality."

Analysis: This evaluative thesis provides a clear judgment (positive) and presents the subject ("Inception") along with specific criteria for evaluation (narrative structure, visual effects, exploration of dreams and reality). The criteria offer insight into why the film is deemed a masterpiece.

Example 2: Book Evaluation

Evaluative Thesis: "Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice' remains a timeless classic because of its sharp social commentary, memorable characters, and enduring relevance in exploring themes of love and societal expectations."

Analysis: This evaluative thesis takes a positive stance on the novel and presents the subject ("Pride and Prejudice") along with specific criteria for evaluation (social commentary, characters, exploration of themes). The thesis highlights the novel's timeless qualities.

Example 3: Restaurant Review

Evaluative Thesis: "The 'Mediterraneo' restaurant provides a delightful dining experience with its flavorful cuisine, attentive service, and inviting ambiance, making it a must-visit for food enthusiasts."

Analysis: This evaluative thesis expresses a positive judgment and introduces the subject ("Mediterraneo" restaurant) along with the evaluation criteria (cuisine, service, ambiance). The thesis highlights the restaurant's appeal to food enthusiasts.

Example 4: Technology Assessment

Evaluative Thesis: "The latest smartphone model, while offering innovative features and enhanced performance, falls short in battery life, significantly impacting its overall user experience."

Analysis: This evaluative thesis conveys a balanced evaluation, acknowledging the smartphone's positive and negative aspects. The subject ("latest smartphone model") and evaluation criteria (features, performance, battery life) are clearly outlined.

Example 5: Film Critique

Evaluative Thesis: "While 'Avatar' is visually stunning and groundbreaking in its use of technology, its reliance on a familiar storyline and one-dimensional characters diminishes its overall impact as a cinematic experience."

Analysis: This evaluative thesis presents a balanced judgment, recognizing both the film's strengths and weaknesses. The subject ("Avatar") and evaluation criteria (visuals, technology, storyline, characters) are explicitly mentioned.

Example 6: Product Review

Evaluative Thesis: "The 'EcoClean' laundry detergent offers an eco-friendly alternative to traditional detergents, effectively removing stains and reducing environmental impact, making it an ideal choice for environmentally conscious consumers."

Analysis: This evaluative thesis takes a positive stance and introduces the subject ("EcoClean" laundry detergent) along with criteria for evaluation (efficacy in stain removal, eco-friendliness). The thesis caters to environmentally conscious consumers.

Example 7: Literary Analysis

Evaluative Thesis: "Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' stands as a profound exploration of human nature, with its intricate characters, moral dilemmas, and timeless themes of revenge and madness."

Analysis: This evaluative thesis expresses a positive judgment and presents the subject ("Hamlet") along with evaluation criteria (characters, moral dilemmas, exploration of themes). The thesis underscores the play's enduring significance.

Example 8: Art Critique

Evaluative Thesis: "Van Gogh's 'Starry Night' is a masterpiece of post-impressionist art, captivating viewers with its vivid colors, expressive brushwork, and emotional depth."

Analysis: This evaluative thesis takes a positive stance and introduces the subject ("Starry Night" by Van Gogh) along with criteria for evaluation (colors, brushwork, emotional depth). The thesis emphasizes the artwork's artistic merits.

By examining these diverse examples of evaluative thesis statements, you can discern common elements, such as clear judgment, subject identification, and evaluation criteria. These examples illustrate the versatility of evaluative theses across different domains, from literature and art to technology and dining experiences.

Our exploration of evaluative theses is foundational in developing strong critical analysis and persuasive writing skills. As you continue to hone your abilities, remember that evaluative theses are powerful tools for engaging, informing, and persuading your readers.

In conclusion, evaluative theses are not just statements but catalysts of insightful analysis and persuasive communication. By mastering the art of crafting evaluative thesis statements and refining your writing skills, you can influence, inform, and engage with the world through critical evaluation.

Thank you for joining us on this journey of discovery. We wish you success in your future endeavors as a critical thinker and persuasive writer.

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25 Thesis Statement Examples That Will Make Writing a Breeze

Understanding what makes a good thesis statement is one of the major keys to writing a great research paper or argumentative essay. The thesis statement is where you make a claim that will guide you through your entire paper. If you find yourself struggling to make sense of your paper or your topic, then it's likely due to a weak thesis statement.

Let's take a minute to first understand what makes a solid thesis statement, and what key components you need to write one of your own.

A thesis statement always goes at the beginning of the paper. It will typically be in the first couple of paragraphs of the paper so that it can introduce the body paragraphs, which are the supporting evidence for your thesis statement.

Your thesis statement should clearly identify an argument. You need to have a statement that is not only easy to understand, but one that is debatable. What that means is that you can't just put any statement of fact and have it be your thesis. For example, everyone knows that puppies are cute . An ineffective thesis statement would be, "Puppies are adorable and everyone knows it." This isn't really something that's a debatable topic.

Something that would be more debatable would be, "A puppy's cuteness is derived from its floppy ears, small body, and playfulness." These are three things that can be debated on. Some people might think that the cutest thing about puppies is the fact that they follow you around or that they're really soft and fuzzy.

All cuteness aside, you want to make sure that your thesis statement is not only debatable, but that it also actually thoroughly answers the research question that was posed. You always want to make sure that your evidence is supporting a claim that you made (and not the other way around). This is why it's crucial to read and research about a topic first and come to a conclusion later. If you try to get your research to fit your thesis statement, then it may not work out as neatly as you think. As you learn more, you discover more (and the outcome may not be what you originally thought).

Additionally, your thesis statement shouldn't be too big or too grand. It'll be hard to cover everything in a thesis statement like, "The federal government should act now on climate change." The topic is just too large to actually say something new and meaningful. Instead, a more effective thesis statement might be, "Local governments can combat climate change by providing citizens with larger recycling bins and offering local classes about composting and conservation." This is easier to work with because it's a smaller idea, but you can also discuss the overall topic that you might be interested in, which is climate change.

So, now that we know what makes a good, solid thesis statement, you can start to write your own. If you find that you're getting stuck or you are the type of person who needs to look at examples before you start something, then check out our list of thesis statement examples below.

Thesis statement examples

A quick note that these thesis statements have not been fully researched. These are merely examples to show you what a thesis statement might look like and how you can implement your own ideas into one that you think of independently. As such, you should not use these thesis statements for your own research paper purposes. They are meant to be used as examples only.

• Vaccinations Because many children are unable to vaccinate due to illness, we must require that all healthy and able children be vaccinated in order to have herd immunity.
• Educational Resources for Low-Income Students Schools should provide educational resources for low-income students during the summers so that they don't forget what they've learned throughout the school year.
• School Uniforms School uniforms may be an upfront cost for families, but they eradicate the visual differences in income between students and provide a more egalitarian atmosphere at school.
• Populism The rise in populism on the 2016 political stage was in reaction to increasing globalization, the decline of manufacturing jobs, and the Syrian refugee crisis.
• Public Libraries Libraries are essential resources for communities and should be funded more heavily by local municipalities.
• Cyber Bullying With more and more teens using smartphones and social media, cyber bullying is on the rise. Cyber bullying puts a lot of stress on many teens, and can cause depression, anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts. Parents should limit the usage of smart phones, monitor their children's online activity, and report any cyber bullying to school officials in order to combat this problem.
• Medical Marijuana for Veterans Studies have shown that the use of medicinal marijuana has been helpful to veterans who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Medicinal marijuana prescriptions should be legal in all states and provided to these veterans. Additional medical or therapy services should also be researched and implemented in order to help them re-integrate back into civilian life.
• Work-Life Balance Corporations should provide more work from home opportunities and six-hour workdays so that office workers have a better work-life balance and are more likely to be productive when they are in the office.
• Teaching Youths about Consensual Sex Although sex education that includes a discussion of consensual sex would likely lead to less sexual assault, parents need to teach their children the meaning of consent from a young age with age appropriate lessons.
• Whether or Not to Attend University A degree from a university provides invaluable lessons on life and a future career, but not every high school student should be encouraged to attend a university directly after graduation. Some students may benefit from a trade school or a "gap year" where they can think more intensely about what it is they want to do for a career and how they can accomplish this.
• Studying Abroad Studying abroad is one of the most culturally valuable experiences you can have in college. It is the only way to get completely immersed in another language and learn how other cultures and countries are different from your own.
• Women's Body Image Magazines have done a lot in the last five years to include a more diverse group of models, but there is still a long way to go to promote a healthy woman's body image collectively as a culture.
• Cigarette Tax Heavily taxing and increasing the price of cigarettes is essentially a tax on the poorest Americans, and it doesn't deter them from purchasing. Instead, the state and federal governments should target those economically disenfranchised with early education about the dangers of smoking.
• Veganism A vegan diet, while a healthy and ethical way to consume food, indicates a position of privilege. It also limits you to other cultural food experiences if you travel around the world.
• University Athletes Should be Compensated University athletes should be compensated for their service to the university, as it is difficult for these students to procure and hold a job with busy academic and athletic schedules. Many student athletes on scholarship also come from low-income neighborhoods and it is a struggle to make ends meet when they are participating in athletics.
• Women in the Workforce Sheryl Sandberg makes a lot of interesting points in her best-selling book, Lean In , but she only addressed the very privileged working woman and failed to speak to those in lower-skilled, lower-wage jobs.
• Assisted Suicide Assisted suicide should be legal and doctors should have the ability to make sure their patients have the end-of-life care that they want to receive.
• Celebrity and Political Activism Although Taylor Swift's lyrics are indicative of a feminist perspective, she should be more politically active and vocal to use her position of power for the betterment of society.
• The Civil War The insistence from many Southerners that the South seceded from the Union for states' rights versus the fact that they seceded for the purposes of continuing slavery is a harmful myth that still affects race relations today.
• Blue Collar Workers Coal miners and other blue-collar workers whose jobs are slowly disappearing from the workforce should be re-trained in jobs in the technology sector or in renewable energy. A program to re-train these workers would not only improve local economies where jobs have been displaced, but would also lead to lower unemployment nationally.
• Diversity in the Workforce Having a diverse group of people in an office setting leads to richer ideas, more cooperation, and more empathy between people with different skin colors or backgrounds.
• Re-Imagining the Nuclear Family The nuclear family was traditionally defined as one mother, one father, and 2.5 children. This outdated depiction of family life doesn't quite fit with modern society. The definition of normal family life shouldn't be limited to two-parent households.
• Digital Literacy Skills With more information readily available than ever before, it's crucial that students are prepared to examine the material they're reading and determine whether or not it's a good source or if it has misleading information. Teaching students digital literacy and helping them to understand the difference between opinion or propaganda from legitimate, real information is integral.
• Beauty Pageants Beauty pageants are presented with the angle that they empower women. However, putting women in a swimsuit on a stage while simultaneously judging them on how well they answer an impossible question in a short period of time is cruel and purely for the amusement of men. Therefore, we should stop televising beauty pageants.
• Supporting More Women to Run for a Political Position In order to get more women into political positions, more women must run for office. There must be a grassroots effort to educate women on how to run for office, who among them should run, and support for a future candidate for getting started on a political career.

Still stuck? Need some help with your thesis statement?

If you are still uncertain about how to write a thesis statement or what a good thesis statement is, be sure to consult with your teacher or professor to make sure you're on the right track. It's always a good idea to check in and make sure that your thesis statement is making a solid argument and that it can be supported by your research.

After you're done writing, it's important to have someone take a second look at your paper so that you can ensure there are no mistakes or errors. It's difficult to spot your own mistakes, which is why it's always recommended to have someone help you with the revision process, whether that's a teacher, the writing center at school, or a professional editor such as one from ServiceScape .

Thesis Statements

What this handout is about.

This handout describes what a thesis statement is, how thesis statements work in your writing, and how you can craft or refine one for your draft.

Introduction

Writing in college often takes the form of persuasion—convincing others that you have an interesting, logical point of view on the subject you are studying. Persuasion is a skill you practice regularly in your daily life. You persuade your roommate to clean up, your parents to let you borrow the car, your friend to vote for your favorite candidate or policy. In college, course assignments often ask you to make a persuasive case in writing. You are asked to convince your reader of your point of view. This form of persuasion, often called academic argument, follows a predictable pattern in writing. After a brief introduction of your topic, you state your point of view on the topic directly and often in one sentence. This sentence is the thesis statement, and it serves as a summary of the argument you’ll make in the rest of your paper.

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement:

• tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.
• is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.
• directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel.
• makes a claim that others might dispute.
• is usually a single sentence near the beginning of your paper (most often, at the end of the first paragraph) that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.

If your assignment asks you to take a position or develop a claim about a subject, you may need to convey that position or claim in a thesis statement near the beginning of your draft. The assignment may not explicitly state that you need a thesis statement because your instructor may assume you will include one. When in doubt, ask your instructor if the assignment requires a thesis statement. When an assignment asks you to analyze, to interpret, to compare and contrast, to demonstrate cause and effect, or to take a stand on an issue, it is likely that you are being asked to develop a thesis and to support it persuasively. (Check out our handout on understanding assignments for more information.)

How do I create a thesis?

A thesis is the result of a lengthy thinking process. Formulating a thesis is not the first thing you do after reading an essay assignment. Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to collect and organize evidence, look for possible relationships between known facts (such as surprising contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance of these relationships. Once you do this thinking, you will probably have a “working thesis” that presents a basic or main idea and an argument that you think you can support with evidence. Both the argument and your thesis are likely to need adjustment along the way.

Writers use all kinds of techniques to stimulate their thinking and to help them clarify relationships or comprehend the broader significance of a topic and arrive at a thesis statement. For more ideas on how to get started, see our handout on brainstorming .

How do I know if my thesis is strong?

If there’s time, run it by your instructor or make an appointment at the Writing Center to get some feedback. Even if you do not have time to get advice elsewhere, you can do some thesis evaluation of your own. When reviewing your first draft and its working thesis, ask yourself the following :

• Do I 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. If the prompt isn’t phrased as a question, try to rephrase it. For example, “Discuss the effect of X on Y” can be rephrased as “What is the effect of X on Y?”
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? If your thesis simply states facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it’s possible that you are simply providing a summary, rather than making an argument.
• 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 thesis pass the “So what?” test? If a reader’s first response is likely to  be “So what?” then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue.
• Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering? If your thesis and the body of your essay do not seem to go together, one of them has to change. It’s 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 pass the “how and why?” test? If a reader’s first response is “how?” or “why?” your thesis may be too open-ended and lack guidance for the reader. See what you can add to give the reader a better take on your position right from the beginning.

Suppose you are taking a course on contemporary communication, and the instructor hands out the following essay assignment: “Discuss the impact of social media on public awareness.” Looking back at your notes, you might start with this working thesis:

Social media impacts public awareness in both positive and negative ways.

You can use the questions above to help you revise this general statement into a stronger thesis.

• Do I answer the question? You can analyze this if you rephrase “discuss the impact” as “what is the impact?” This way, you can see that you’ve answered the question only very generally with the vague “positive and negative ways.”
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not likely. Only people who maintain that social media has a solely positive or solely negative impact could disagree.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? No. What are the positive effects? What are the negative effects?
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? No. Why are they positive? How are they positive? What are their causes? Why are they negative? How are they negative? What are their causes?
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? No. Why should anyone care about the positive and/or negative impact of social media?

After thinking about your answers to these questions, you decide to focus on the one impact you feel strongly about and have strong evidence for:

Because not every voice on social media is reliable, people have become much more critical consumers of information, and thus, more informed voters.

This version is a much stronger thesis! It answers the question, takes a specific position that others can challenge, and it gives a sense of why it matters.

Let’s try another. Suppose your literature professor hands out the following assignment in a class on the American novel: Write an analysis of some aspect of Mark Twain’s novel Huckleberry Finn. “This will be easy,” you think. “I loved Huckleberry Finn!” You grab a pad of paper and write:

Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is a great American novel.

You begin to analyze your thesis:

• Do I answer the question? No. The prompt asks you to analyze some aspect of the novel. Your working thesis is a statement of general appreciation for the entire novel.

Think about aspects of the novel that are important to its structure or meaning—for example, the role of storytelling, the contrasting scenes between the shore and the river, or the relationships between adults and children. Now you write:

In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a contrast between life on the river and life on the shore.

• Do I answer the question? Yes!
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not really. This contrast is well-known and accepted.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? It’s getting there–you have highlighted an important aspect of the novel for investigation. However, it’s still not clear what your analysis will reveal.
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? Not yet. Compare scenes from the book and see what you discover. Free write, make lists, jot down Huck’s actions and reactions and anything else that seems interesting.
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? What’s the point of this contrast? What does it signify?”

After examining the evidence and considering your own insights, you write:

Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain’s Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of American democratic ideals, one must leave “civilized” society and go back to nature.

This final thesis statement presents an interpretation of a literary work based on an analysis of its content. Of course, for the essay itself to be successful, you must now present evidence from the novel that will convince the reader of your interpretation.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Anson, Chris M., and Robert A. Schwegler. 2010. The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers , 6th ed. New York: Longman.

Lunsford, Andrea A. 2015. The St. Martin’s Handbook , 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St Martin’s.

Ramage, John D., John C. Bean, and June Johnson. 2018. The Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing , 8th ed. New York: Pearson.

Ruszkiewicz, John J., Christy Friend, Daniel Seward, and Maxine Hairston. 2010. The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers , 9th ed. Boston: Pearson Education.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Developing Strong Thesis Statements

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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.

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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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“Do not waste water even if you were at a running stream” CSS ESSAY 2021

Table of Contents

Thesis Statement

Despite the abundance of water in some regions, it is crucial to conserve and value this precious resource. Wasting water, even in the presence of a running stream, has significant environmental, economic, and social consequences that demand our attention and responsible actions.

Introduction

Water is an indispensable resource for all forms of life on Earth. It sustains ecosystems, supports agriculture, and fulfills our basic needs. However, the availability of clean and fresh water is not infinite. The global water crisis and the growing scarcity of water resources have brought the issue of water conservation to the forefront. It is crucial to recognize the importance of water conservation and avoid wasting water, even if we find ourselves near a running stream. This essay explores the reasons why wasting water can have detrimental effects and emphasizes the need for responsible water management.

Exposition: The Importance of Water Conservation

Water is often taken for granted, especially in regions where it appears to be abundant. However, the reality is that only a small percentage of the Earth’s water is accessible and suitable for human use. The global water crisis is a pressing issue affecting millions of people around the world. According to the United Nations, around 2.2 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water services. Water scarcity is exacerbated by population growth, climate change, pollution, and inefficient water management practices.

Description: Wasting Water and its Consequences

Wasting water is a common occurrence in our daily lives, often due to a lack of awareness or disregard for its finite nature. Activities such as leaving taps running, excessive irrigation, and inefficient water use contribute to water waste. The consequences of such wasteful practices are significant. Environmentally, water waste depletes natural water sources, disrupts ecosystems, and threatens biodiversity. Economically, water scarcity and inefficient use lead to increased costs, agricultural losses, and limited economic development. Socially, water scarcity affects vulnerable communities, particularly women and children, who bear the burden of fetching water over long distances.

Argumentation: Reasons to Conserve Water Even at a Running Stream

Conserving water, even when surrounded by a running stream, is essential for several reasons. Firstly, it is a responsible action towards the environment and future generations. By valuing water and using it efficiently, we ensure its availability for years to come. Secondly, water conservation is closely linked to sustainable water management. Efficient use of water resources minimizes waste, reduces the need for costly infrastructure development, and helps maintain ecological balance. Lastly, individual actions have a ripple effect. When one person conserves water, it inspires others to follow suit, creating a collective impact on water conservation efforts.

Narration: Real-life Examples and Success Stories

Throughout the world, there are numerous examples of successful water conservation initiatives and inspiring stories of individuals and communities making a difference. From rainwater harvesting projects in arid regions to water recycling programs in urban areas, innovative approaches to water conservation have proven effective. Personal experiences of individuals adopting water-saving habits and implementing efficient water management practices serve as beacons of hope and demonstrate the positive outcomes that can be achieved.

Counterargument and Refutation: Addressing Resistance to Water Conservation

Despite the compelling arguments for water conservation, some individuals may resist the idea for various reasons. Common arguments include the perception of abundant water supply, inconvenience in adopting water-saving practices, and the belief that individual actions have little impact. However, it is crucial to address these counterarguments and provide counterpoints. By highlighting the finite nature of water resources, showcasing the ease of adopting water-saving habits, and emphasizing the collective impact of individual actions, the resistance to water conservation can be overcome.

In conclusion, wasting water, even when near a running stream, is a detrimental practice that should be avoided. The importance of water conservation cannot be understated in the face of the global water crisis and the need for sustainable water management. By valuing and conserving water, we contribute to environmental preservation, economic stability, and social equity. Every individual’s actions matter in the collective effort to ensure water security for current and future generations. Let us recognize the significance of water conservation and pledge to protect this precious resource for a sustainable and thriving world.

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It is very short In css exam it should be 2500-3000 words

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• What Is a Thesis? | Ultimate Guide & Examples

What Is a Thesis? | Ultimate Guide & Examples

Published on September 14, 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on April 16, 2024.

A thesis is a type of research paper based on your original research. It is usually submitted as the final step of a master’s program or a capstone to a bachelor’s degree.

Writing a thesis can be a daunting experience. Other than a dissertation , it is one of the longest pieces of writing students typically complete. It relies on your ability to conduct research from start to finish: choosing a relevant topic , crafting a proposal , designing your research , collecting data , developing a robust analysis, drawing strong conclusions , and writing concisely .

Thesis template

You can also download our full thesis template in the format of your choice below. Our template includes a ready-made table of contents , as well as guidance for what each chapter should include. It’s easy to make it your own, and can help you get started.

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Table of contents

Thesis vs. thesis statement, how to structure a thesis, acknowledgements or preface, list of figures and tables, list of abbreviations, introduction, literature review, methodology, reference list, proofreading and editing, defending your thesis, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about theses.

You may have heard the word thesis as a standalone term or as a component of academic writing called a thesis statement . Keep in mind that these are two very different things.

• A thesis statement is a very common component of an essay, particularly in the humanities. It usually comprises 1 or 2 sentences in the introduction of your essay , and should clearly and concisely summarize the central points of your academic essay .
• A thesis is a long-form piece of academic writing, often taking more than a full semester to complete. It is generally a degree requirement for Master’s programs, and is also sometimes required to complete a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts colleges.
• In the US, a dissertation is generally written as a final step toward obtaining a PhD.
• In other countries (particularly the UK), a dissertation is generally written at the bachelor’s or master’s level.

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The final structure of your thesis depends on a variety of components, such as:

• Your discipline
• Your theoretical approach

Humanities theses are often structured more like a longer-form essay . Just like in an essay, you build an argument to support a central thesis.

In both hard and social sciences, theses typically include an introduction , literature review , methodology section ,  results section , discussion section , and conclusion section . These are each presented in their own dedicated section or chapter. In some cases, you might want to add an appendix .

Thesis examples

We’ve compiled a short list of thesis examples to help you get started.

• Example thesis #1:   “Abolition, Africans, and Abstraction: the Influence of the ‘Noble Savage’ on British and French Antislavery Thought, 1787-1807” by Suchait Kahlon.
• Example thesis #2: “’A Starving Man Helping Another Starving Man’: UNRRA, India, and the Genesis of Global Relief, 1943-1947″ by Julian Saint Reiman.

The very first page of your thesis contains all necessary identifying information, including:

• Your full title
• Your full name
• Your department
• Your institution and degree program
• Your submission date.

Sometimes the title page also includes your student ID, the name of your supervisor, or the university’s logo. Check out your university’s guidelines if you’re not sure.

Read more about title pages

The acknowledgements section is usually optional. Its main point is to allow you to thank everyone who helped you in your thesis journey, such as supervisors, friends, or family. You can also choose to write a preface , but it’s typically one or the other, not both.

Read more about acknowledgements Read more about prefaces

Receive feedback on language, structure, and formatting

Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:

• Academic style
• Vague sentences
• Style consistency

See an example

An abstract is a short summary of your thesis. Usually a maximum of 300 words long, it’s should include brief descriptions of your research objectives , methods, results, and conclusions. Though it may seem short, it introduces your work to your audience, serving as a first impression of your thesis.

Read more about abstracts

A table of contents lists all of your sections, plus their corresponding page numbers and subheadings if you have them. This helps your reader seamlessly navigate your document.

Your table of contents should include all the major parts of your thesis. In particular, don’t forget the the appendices. If you used heading styles, it’s easy to generate an automatic table Microsoft Word.

Read more about tables of contents

While not mandatory, if you used a lot of tables and/or figures, it’s nice to include a list of them to help guide your reader. It’s also easy to generate one of these in Word: just use the “Insert Caption” feature.

Read more about lists of figures and tables

If you have used a lot of industry- or field-specific abbreviations in your thesis, you should include them in an alphabetized list of abbreviations . This way, your readers can easily look up any meanings they aren’t familiar with.

Read more about lists of abbreviations

Relatedly, if you find yourself using a lot of very specialized or field-specific terms that may not be familiar to your reader, consider including a glossary . Alphabetize the terms you want to include with a brief definition.

Read more about glossaries

An introduction sets up the topic, purpose, and relevance of your thesis, as well as expectations for your reader. This should:

• Ground your research topic , sharing any background information your reader may need
• Define the scope of your work
• Introduce any existing research on your topic, situating your work within a broader problem or debate
• State your research question(s)
• Outline (briefly) how the remainder of your work will proceed

In other words, your introduction should clearly and concisely show your reader the “what, why, and how” of your research.

Read more about introductions

A literature review helps you gain a robust understanding of any extant academic work on your topic, encompassing:

• Selecting relevant sources
• Determining the credibility of your sources
• Critically evaluating each of your sources
• Drawing connections between sources, including any themes, patterns, conflicts, or gaps

A literature review is not merely a summary of existing work. Rather, your literature review should ultimately lead to a clear justification for your own research, perhaps via:

• Addressing a gap in the literature
• Building on existing knowledge to draw new conclusions
• Exploring a new theoretical or methodological approach
• Introducing a new solution to an unresolved problem
• Definitively advocating for one side of a theoretical debate

Read more about literature reviews

Theoretical framework

Your literature review can often form the basis for your theoretical framework, but these are not the same thing. A theoretical framework defines and analyzes the concepts and theories that your research hinges on.

Read more about theoretical frameworks

Your methodology chapter shows your reader how you conducted your research. It should be written clearly and methodically, easily allowing your reader to critically assess the credibility of your argument. Furthermore, your methods section should convince your reader that your method was the best way to answer your research question.

A methodology section should generally include:

• Your overall approach ( quantitative vs. qualitative )
• Your research methods (e.g., a longitudinal study )
• Your data collection methods (e.g., interviews or a controlled experiment
• Any tools or materials you used (e.g., computer software)
• The data analysis methods you chose (e.g., statistical analysis , discourse analysis )
• A strong, but not defensive justification of your methods

Read more about methodology sections

Your results section should highlight what your methodology discovered. These two sections work in tandem, but shouldn’t repeat each other. While your results section can include hypotheses or themes, don’t include any speculation or new arguments here.

Your results section should:

• State each (relevant) result with any (relevant) descriptive statistics (e.g., mean , standard deviation ) and inferential statistics (e.g., test statistics , p values )
• Explain how each result relates to the research question
• Determine whether the hypothesis was supported

Additional data (like raw numbers or interview transcripts ) can be included as an appendix . You can include tables and figures, but only if they help the reader better understand your results.

Read more about results sections

Your discussion section is where you can interpret your results in detail. Did they meet your expectations? How well do they fit within the framework that you built? You can refer back to any relevant source material to situate your results within your field, but leave most of that analysis in your literature review.

For any unexpected results, offer explanations or alternative interpretations of your data.

Read more about discussion sections

Your thesis conclusion should concisely answer your main research question. It should leave your reader with an ultra-clear understanding of your central argument, and emphasize what your research specifically has contributed to your field.

Why does your research matter? What recommendations for future research do you have? Lastly, wrap up your work with any concluding remarks.

Read more about conclusions

In order to avoid plagiarism , don’t forget to include a full reference list at the end of your thesis, citing the sources that you used. Choose one citation style and follow it consistently throughout your thesis, taking note of the formatting requirements of each style.

Which style you choose is often set by your department or your field, but common styles include MLA , Chicago , and APA.

Create APA citations Create MLA citations

In order to stay clear and concise, your thesis should include the most essential information needed to answer your research question. However, chances are you have many contributing documents, like interview transcripts or survey questions . These can be added as appendices , to save space in the main body.

Read more about appendices

Once you’re done writing, the next part of your editing process begins. Leave plenty of time for proofreading and editing prior to submission. Nothing looks worse than grammar mistakes or sloppy spelling errors!

Consider using a professional thesis editing service or grammar checker to make sure your final project is perfect.

Once you’ve submitted your final product, it’s common practice to have a thesis defense, an oral component of your finished work. This is scheduled by your advisor or committee, and usually entails a presentation and Q&A session.

After your defense , your committee will meet to determine if you deserve any departmental honors or accolades. However, keep in mind that defenses are usually just a formality. If there are any serious issues with your work, these should be resolved with your advisor way before a defense.

If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or research bias, make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

Research bias

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The conclusion of your thesis or dissertation shouldn’t take up more than 5–7% of your overall word count.

If you only used a few abbreviations in your thesis or dissertation , you don’t necessarily need to include a list of abbreviations .

If your abbreviations are numerous, or if you think they won’t be known to your audience, it’s never a bad idea to add one. They can also improve readability, minimizing confusion about abbreviations unfamiliar to your reader.

When you mention different chapters within your text, it’s considered best to use Roman numerals for most citation styles. However, the most important thing here is to remain consistent whenever using numbers in your dissertation .

A thesis or dissertation outline is one of the most critical first steps in your writing process. It helps you to lay out and organize your ideas and can provide you with a roadmap for deciding what kind of research you’d like to undertake.

Generally, an outline contains information on the different sections included in your thesis or dissertation , such as:

• Your anticipated title
• Your abstract
• Your chapters (sometimes subdivided into further topics like literature review , research methods , avenues for future research, etc.)

A thesis is typically written by students finishing up a bachelor’s or Master’s degree. Some educational institutions, particularly in the liberal arts, have mandatory theses, but they are often not mandatory to graduate from bachelor’s degrees. It is more common for a thesis to be a graduation requirement from a Master’s degree.

Even if not mandatory, you may want to consider writing a thesis if you:

• Plan to attend graduate school soon
• Have a particular topic you’d like to study more in-depth
• Are considering a career in research
• Would like a capstone experience to tie up your academic experience

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