what does a clear thesis statement look like

Research Paper: A step-by-step guide: 3. Thesis Statement & Outline

1. Getting Started
2. Topic Ideas
3. Thesis Statement & Outline
4. Appropriate Sources
5. Search Techniques
6. Taking Notes & Documenting Sources
7. Evaluating Sources
8. Citations & Plagiarism
9. Writing Your Research Paper

About Thesis Statements

Qualities of a thesis statement.

Thesis statements:

state the subject matter and main ideas of a paper.
appear in the first paragraph and announces what you will discuss in your paper.
define the scope and focus of your essay, and tells your reader what to expect.
are not a simple factual statement. It is an assertion that states your claims and that you can prove with evidence.
should be the product of research and your own critical thinking.
can be very helpful in constructing an outline for your essay; for each point you make, ask yourself whether it is relevant to the thesis.

Steps you can use to create a thesis statement

1. Start out with the main topic and focus of your essay.

youth gangs + prevention and intervention programs

2. Make a claim or argument in one sentence. It can be helpful to start with a question which you then turn into an argument

Can prevention and intervention programs stop youth gang activities? How? ►►► "Prevention and intervention programs can stop youth gang activities by giving teens something else to do."

3. Revise the sentence by using specific terms.

"Early prevention programs in schools are the most effective way to prevent youth gang involvement by giving teens good activities that offer a path to success."

4. Further revise the sentence to cover the scope of your essay and make a strong statement.

"Among various prevention and intervention efforts that have been made to deal with the rapid growth of youth gangs, early school-based prevention programs are the most effective way to prevent youth gang involvement, which they do by giving teens meaningful activities that offer pathways to achievement and success."

5. Keep your thesis statement flexible and revise it as needed. In the process of researching and writing, you may find new information or refine your understanding of the topic.

You can view this short video for more tips on how to write a clear thesis statement.

An outline is the skeleton of your essay, in which you list the arguments and subtopics in a logical order. A good outline is an important element in writing a good paper. An outline helps to target your research areas, keep you within the scope without going off-track, and it can also help to keep your argument in good order when writing the essay. Once your outline is in good shape, it is much easier to write your paper; you've already done most of the thinking, so you just need to fill in the outline with a paragraph for each point.

To write an outline: The most common way to write an outline is the list format. List all the major topics and subtopics with the key points that support them. Put similar topics and points together and arrange them in a logical order. Include an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.

A list outline should arrange the main points or arguments in a hierarchical structure indicated by Roman numerals for main ideas (I, II, III...), capital letters for subtopics (A, B, C...), Arabic numerals for details (1,2,3...), and lower-case letters for fine details if needed (a,b,c...). This helps keep things organized.

Here is a shortened example of an outline:

Introduction: background and thesis statement

I. First topic

1. Supporting evidence 2. Supporting evidence

II. Second Topic

III. Third Topic

I. Summarize the main points of your paper II. Restate your thesis in different words III. Make a strong final statement

You can see examples of a few different kinds of outlines and get more help at the Purdue OWL .

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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 .

what does a clear thesis statement look like

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

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

Why Should Your Essay Contain a Thesis Statement?

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

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

How Can You Write a Good Thesis Statement?

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

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

How to Generate a Thesis Statement if the Topic is Assigned

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You start out with a thesis statement like this:

Sugar consumption.

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

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

You change your thesis to look like this:

Reducing sugar consumption by elementary school children.

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

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

You revise your thesis statement to look like this:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to Tell a Strong Thesis Statement from a Weak One

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

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

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

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

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

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

2. A strong thesis statement justifies discussion.

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

My family is an extended family.

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

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

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

3. A strong thesis statement expresses one main idea.

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

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

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

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

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

4. A strong thesis statement is specific.

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

World hunger has many causes and effects.

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

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

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

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The Writing Center • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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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Knowledge Base
Dissertation
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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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.

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Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:

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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.

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.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

George, T. (2024, April 16). What Is a Thesis? | Ultimate Guide & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved August 29, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/dissertation/thesis/

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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.

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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Didn't find what you need? Email us at [email protected] .

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9.1 Developing a Strong, Clear Thesis Statement

Learning objectives.

Develop a strong, clear thesis statement with the proper elements.
Revise your thesis statement.

Have you ever known a person who was not very good at telling stories? You probably had trouble following his train of thought as he jumped around from point to point, either being too brief in places that needed further explanation or providing too many details on a meaningless element. Maybe he told the end of the story first, then moved to the beginning and later added details to the middle. His ideas were probably scattered, and the story did not flow very well. When the story was over, you probably had many questions.

Just as a personal anecdote can be a disorganized mess, an essay can fall into the same trap of being out of order and confusing. That is why writers need a thesis statement to provide a specific focus for their essay and to organize what they are about to discuss in the body.

Just like a topic sentence summarizes a single paragraph, the thesis statement summarizes an entire essay. It tells the reader the point you want to make in your essay, while the essay itself supports that point. It is like a signpost that signals the essay’s destination. You should form your thesis before you begin to organize an essay, but you may find that it needs revision as the essay develops.

Elements of a Thesis Statement

For every essay you write, you must focus on a central idea. This idea stems from a topic you have chosen or been assigned or from a question your teacher has asked. It is not enough merely to discuss a general topic or simply answer a question with a yes or no. You have to form a specific opinion, and then articulate that into a controlling idea —the main idea upon which you build your thesis.

Remember that a thesis is not the topic itself, but rather your interpretation of the question or subject. For whatever topic your professor gives you, you must ask yourself, “What do I want to say about it?” Asking and then answering this question is vital to forming a thesis that is precise, forceful and confident.

A thesis is one sentence long and appears toward the end of your introduction. It is specific and focuses on one to three points of a single idea—points that are able to be demonstrated in the body. It forecasts the content of the essay and suggests how you will organize your information. Remember that a thesis statement does not summarize an issue but rather dissects it.

A Strong Thesis Statement

A strong thesis statement contains the following qualities.

Specificity. A thesis statement must concentrate on a specific area of a general topic. As you may recall, the creation of a thesis statement begins when you choose a broad subject and then narrow down its parts until you pinpoint a specific aspect of that topic. For example, health care is a broad topic, but a proper thesis statement would focus on a specific area of that topic, such as options for individuals without health care coverage.

Precision. A strong thesis statement must be precise enough to allow for a coherent argument and to remain focused on the topic. If the specific topic is options for individuals without health care coverage, then your precise thesis statement must make an exact claim about it, such as that limited options exist for those who are uninsured by their employers. You must further pinpoint what you are going to discuss regarding these limited effects, such as whom they affect and what the cause is.

Ability to be argued. A thesis statement must present a relevant and specific argument. A factual statement often is not considered arguable. Be sure your thesis statement contains a point of view that can be supported with evidence.

Ability to be demonstrated. For any claim you make in your thesis, you must be able to provide reasons and examples for your opinion. You can rely on personal observations in order to do this, or you can consult outside sources to demonstrate that what you assert is valid. A worthy argument is backed by examples and details.

Forcefulness. A thesis statement that is forceful shows readers that you are, in fact, making an argument. The tone is assertive and takes a stance that others might oppose.

Confidence. In addition to using force in your thesis statement, you must also use confidence in your claim. Phrases such as I feel or I believe actually weaken the readers’ sense of your confidence because these phrases imply that you are the only person who feels the way you do. In other words, your stance has insufficient backing. Taking an authoritative stance on the matter persuades your readers to have faith in your argument and open their minds to what you have to say.

Even in a personal essay that allows the use of first person, your thesis should not contain phrases such as in my opinion or I believe . These statements reduce your credibility and weaken your argument. Your opinion is more convincing when you use a firm attitude.

On a separate sheet of paper, write a thesis statement for each of the following topics. Remember to make each statement specific, precise, demonstrable, forceful and confident.

Texting while driving
The legal drinking age in the United States
Steroid use among professional athletes

Examples of Appropriate Thesis Statements

Each of the following thesis statements meets several of the following requirements:

Specificity
Ability to be argued
Ability to be demonstrated
Forcefulness
The societal and personal struggles of Troy Maxon in the play Fences symbolize the challenge of black males who lived through segregation and integration in the United States.
Closing all American borders for a period of five years is one solution that will tackle illegal immigration.
Shakespeare’s use of dramatic irony in Romeo and Juliet spoils the outcome for the audience and weakens the plot.
J. D. Salinger’s character in Catcher in the Rye , Holden Caulfield, is a confused rebel who voices his disgust with phonies, yet in an effort to protect himself, he acts like a phony on many occasions.
Compared to an absolute divorce, no-fault divorce is less expensive, promotes fairer settlements, and reflects a more realistic view of the causes for marital breakdown.
Exposing children from an early age to the dangers of drug abuse is a sure method of preventing future drug addicts.
In today’s crumbling job market, a high school diploma is not significant enough education to land a stable, lucrative job.

You can find thesis statements in many places, such as in the news; in the opinions of friends, coworkers or teachers; and even in songs you hear on the radio. Become aware of thesis statements in everyday life by paying attention to people’s opinions and their reasons for those opinions. Pay attention to your own everyday thesis statements as well, as these can become material for future essays.

Now that you have read about the contents of a good thesis statement and have seen examples, take a look at the pitfalls to avoid when composing your own thesis:

A thesis is weak when it is simply a declaration of your subject or a description of what you will discuss in your essay.

Weak thesis statement: My paper will explain why imagination is more important than knowledge.

A thesis is weak when it makes an unreasonable or outrageous claim or insults the opposing side.

Weak thesis statement: Religious radicals across America are trying to legislate their Puritanical beliefs by banning required high school books.

A thesis is weak when it contains an obvious fact or something that no one can disagree with or provides a dead end.

Weak thesis statement: Advertising companies use sex to sell their products.

A thesis is weak when the statement is too broad.

Weak thesis statement: The life of Abraham Lincoln was long and challenging.

Read the following thesis statements. On a separate piece of paper, identify each as weak or strong. For those that are weak, list the reasons why. Then revise the weak statements so that they conform to the requirements of a strong thesis.

The subject of this paper is my experience with ferrets as pets.
The government must expand its funding for research on renewable energy resources in order to prepare for the impending end of oil.
Edgar Allan Poe was a poet who lived in Baltimore during the nineteenth century.
In this essay, I will give you lots of reasons why slot machines should not be legalized in Baltimore.
Despite his promises during his campaign, President Kennedy took few executive measures to support civil rights legislation.
Because many children’s toys have potential safety hazards that could lead to injury, it is clear that not all children’s toys are safe.
My experience with young children has taught me that I want to be a disciplinary parent because I believe that a child without discipline can be a parent’s worst nightmare.

Writing at Work

Often in your career, you will need to ask your boss for something through an e-mail. Just as a thesis statement organizes an essay, it can also organize your e-mail request. While your e-mail will be shorter than an essay, using a thesis statement in your first paragraph quickly lets your boss know what you are asking for, why it is necessary, and what the benefits are. In short body paragraphs, you can provide the essential information needed to expand upon your request.

Thesis Statement Revision

Your thesis will probably change as you write, so you will need to modify it to reflect exactly what you have discussed in your essay. Remember from Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” that your thesis statement begins as a working thesis statement , an indefinite statement that you make about your topic early in the writing process for the purpose of planning and guiding your writing.

Working thesis statements often become stronger as you gather information and form new opinions and reasons for those opinions. Revision helps you strengthen your thesis so that it matches what you have expressed in the body of the paper.

The best way to revise your thesis statement is to ask questions about it and then examine the answers to those questions. By challenging your own ideas and forming definite reasons for those ideas, you grow closer to a more precise point of view, which you can then incorporate into your thesis statement.

Ways to Revise Your Thesis

You can cut down on irrelevant aspects and revise your thesis by taking the following steps:

1. Pinpoint and replace all nonspecific words, such as people , everything , society , or life , with more precise words in order to reduce any vagueness.

Working thesis: Young people have to work hard to succeed in life.

Revised thesis: Recent college graduates must have discipline and persistence in order to find and maintain a stable job in which they can use and be appreciated for their talents.

The revised thesis makes a more specific statement about success and what it means to work hard. The original includes too broad a range of people and does not define exactly what success entails. By replacing those general words like people and work hard , the writer can better focus his or her research and gain more direction in his or her writing.

2. Clarify ideas that need explanation by asking yourself questions that narrow your thesis.

Working thesis: The welfare system is a joke.

Revised thesis: The welfare system keeps a socioeconomic class from gaining employment by alluring members of that class with unearned income, instead of programs to improve their education and skill sets.

A joke means many things to many people. Readers bring all sorts of backgrounds and perspectives to the reading process and would need clarification for a word so vague. This expression may also be too informal for the selected audience. By asking questions, the writer can devise a more precise and appropriate explanation for joke . The writer should ask himself or herself questions similar to the 5WH questions. (See Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” for more information on the 5WH questions.) By incorporating the answers to these questions into a thesis statement, the writer more accurately defines his or her stance, which will better guide the writing of the essay.

3. Replace any linking verbs with action verbs. Linking verbs are forms of the verb to be , a verb that simply states that a situation exists.

Working thesis: Kansas City schoolteachers are not paid enough.

Revised thesis: The Kansas City legislature cannot afford to pay its educators, resulting in job cuts and resignations in a district that sorely needs highly qualified and dedicated teachers.

The linking verb in this working thesis statement is the word are . Linking verbs often make thesis statements weak because they do not express action. Rather, they connect words and phrases to the second half of the sentence. Readers might wonder, “Why are they not paid enough?” But this statement does not compel them to ask many more questions. The writer should ask himself or herself questions in order to replace the linking verb with an action verb, thus forming a stronger thesis statement, one that takes a more definitive stance on the issue:

Who is not paying the teachers enough?
What is considered “enough”?
What is the problem?
What are the results

4. Omit any general claims that are hard to support.

Working thesis: Today’s teenage girls are too sexualized.

Revised thesis: Teenage girls who are captivated by the sexual images on MTV are conditioned to believe that a woman’s worth depends on her sensuality, a feeling that harms their self-esteem and behavior.

It is true that some young women in today’s society are more sexualized than in the past, but that is not true for all girls. Many girls have strict parents, dress appropriately, and do not engage in sexual activity while in middle school and high school. The writer of this thesis should ask the following questions:

Which teenage girls?
What constitutes “too” sexualized?
Why are they behaving that way?
Where does this behavior show up?
What are the repercussions?

In the first section of Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” , you determined your purpose for writing and your audience. You then completed a freewriting exercise about an event you recently experienced and chose a general topic to write about. Using that general topic, you then narrowed it down by answering the 5WH questions. After you answered these questions, you chose one of the three methods of prewriting and gathered possible supporting points for your working thesis statement.

Now, on a separate sheet of paper, write down your working thesis statement. Identify any weaknesses in this sentence and revise the statement to reflect the elements of a strong thesis statement. Make sure it is specific, precise, arguable, demonstrable, forceful, and confident.

Collaboration

Please share with a classmate and compare your answers.

In your career you may have to write a project proposal that focuses on a particular problem in your company, such as reinforcing the tardiness policy. The proposal would aim to fix the problem; using a thesis statement would clearly state the boundaries of the problem and tell the goals of the project. After writing the proposal, you may find that the thesis needs revision to reflect exactly what is expressed in the body. Using the techniques from this chapter would apply to revising that thesis.

Key Takeaways

Proper essays require a thesis statement to provide a specific focus and suggest how the essay will be organized.
A thesis statement is your interpretation of the subject, not the topic itself.
A strong thesis is specific, precise, forceful, confident, and is able to be demonstrated.
A strong thesis challenges readers with a point of view that can be debated and can be supported with evidence.
A weak thesis is simply a declaration of your topic or contains an obvious fact that cannot be argued.
Depending on your topic, it may or may not be appropriate to use first person point of view.
Revise your thesis by ensuring all words are specific, all ideas are exact, and all verbs express action.

How to Write a Solid Thesis Statement

The important sentence expresses your central assertion or argument

arabianEye / Getty Images

Writing Research Papers
Writing Essays
English Grammar
M.Ed., Education Administration, University of Georgia
B.A., History, Armstrong State University

A thesis statement provides the foundation for your entire research paper or essay. This statement is the central assertion that you want to express in your essay. A successful thesis statement is one that is made up of one or two sentences clearly laying out your central idea and expressing an informed, reasoned answer to your research question.

Usually, the thesis statement will appear at the end of the first paragraph of your paper. There are a few different types, and the content of your thesis statement will depend upon the type of paper you’re writing.

Key Takeaways: Writing a Thesis Statement

A thesis statement gives your reader a preview of your paper's content by laying out your central idea and expressing an informed, reasoned answer to your research question.
Thesis statements will vary depending on the type of paper you are writing, such as an expository essay, argument paper, or analytical essay.
Before creating a thesis statement, determine whether you are defending a stance, giving an overview of an event, object, or process, or analyzing your subject

Expository Essay Thesis Statement Examples

An expository essay "exposes" the reader to a new topic; it informs the reader with details, descriptions, or explanations of a subject. If you are writing an expository essay , your thesis statement should explain to the reader what she will learn in your essay. For example:

The United States spends more money on its military budget than all the industrialized nations combined.
Gun-related homicides and suicides are increasing after years of decline.
Hate crimes have increased three years in a row, according to the FBI.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) increases the risk of stroke and arterial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat).

These statements provide a statement of fact about the topic (not just opinion) but leave the door open for you to elaborate with plenty of details. In an expository essay, you don't need to develop an argument or prove anything; you only need to understand your topic and present it in a logical manner. A good thesis statement in an expository essay always leaves the reader wanting more details.

Types of Thesis Statements

Before creating a thesis statement, it's important to ask a few basic questions, which will help you determine the kind of essay or paper you plan to create:

Are you defending a stance in a controversial essay ?
Are you simply giving an overview or describing an event, object, or process?
Are you conducting an analysis of an event, object, or process?

In every thesis statement , you will give the reader a preview of your paper's content, but the message will differ a little depending on the essay type .

Argument Thesis Statement Examples

If you have been instructed to take a stance on one side of a controversial issue, you will need to write an argument essay . Your thesis statement should express the stance you are taking and may give the reader a preview or a hint of your evidence. The thesis of an argument essay could look something like the following:

Self-driving cars are too dangerous and should be banned from the roadways.
The exploration of outer space is a waste of money; instead, funds should go toward solving issues on Earth, such as poverty, hunger, global warming, and traffic congestion.
The U.S. must crack down on illegal immigration.
Street cameras and street-view maps have led to a total loss of privacy in the United States and elsewhere.

These thesis statements are effective because they offer opinions that can be supported by evidence. If you are writing an argument essay, you can craft your own thesis around the structure of the statements above.

Analytical Essay Thesis Statement Examples

In an analytical essay assignment, you will be expected to break down a topic, process, or object in order to observe and analyze your subject piece by piece. Examples of a thesis statement for an analytical essay include:

The criminal justice reform bill passed by the U.S. Senate in late 2018 (" The First Step Act ") aims to reduce prison sentences that disproportionately fall on nonwhite criminal defendants.
The rise in populism and nationalism in the U.S. and European democracies has coincided with the decline of moderate and centrist parties that have dominated since WWII.
Later-start school days increase student success for a variety of reasons.

Because the role of the thesis statement is to state the central message of your entire paper, it is important to revisit (and maybe rewrite) your thesis statement after the paper is written. In fact, it is quite normal for your message to change as you construct your paper.

The Introductory Paragraph: Start Your Paper Off Right
Revising a Paper
Your Personal Essay Thesis Sentence
How to Develop a Research Paper Timeline
Ethos, Logos, Pathos for Persuasion
How to Narrow the Research Topic for Your Paper
World War II Research Essay Topics
What Is a Senior Thesis?
How to Use Verbs Effectively in Your Research Paper
When to Cite a Source in a Paper
Writing an Annotated Bibliography for a Paper
Finding Trustworthy Sources
How to Write a 10-Page Research Paper
5 Steps to Writing a Position Paper
What Is an Autobiography?
Finding Statistics and Data for Research Papers

How To Write a Thesis Statement (with Useful Steps and Tips)

How To Write A Thesis Statement? Writing a thesis statement is one of the most important parts of crafting an essay. Without it, the audience is not informed as to what the purpose of the essay is or your take on it. In this article, we are going to be looking at how to write an effective and hard-hitting thesis statement that will enable you to write an excellent essay .

How To Write A Thesis Statement

What Is A Thesis Statement?

Before we begin looking at how to write a thesis statement , it is important to fully understand what one is. In short, a thesis statement is a short statement which offers the reader information on what the essay is about, stating its main point or argument. A thesis statement should appear in both the introduction paragraph as well as the conclusion paragraph of the essay .

Now that we are fully aware as to what a thesis statement is and what it is used for, we can begin to look at how to write one.

For Assigned Subjects

If you have been asked to write an essay on a specific subject or topic, you can model your thesis statement around this. For example, if you have been given the essay question of ‘How does unemployment affect homelessness?’ you could write a thesis statement in direct reply to this, it might look something like the following…

Unemployment affects homelessness in two ways, it causes a rise in how many homeless people there are which in turn has an effect on how much money is being spent on charities such as food banks and homeless shelters.

This statement neatly sums up the main point of the essay and gives a brief look into what is going to be discussed in more depth throughout the piece of writing.

For Non-Assigned Subjects

If you have free reign over the essay topic, you must first select what you are going to write about. Once you have decided on this, you can begin crafting your thesis statement. You should remember to ensure that the thesis statement takes care of the following points:

Show one main argument or idea
Gives space for people to disagree.
Shows your personal conclusion on the topic.

Now let’s presume that you have chosen the topic of whether homework is conducive to learning, you need to take into consideration the following points:

What is the main point of the essay?
What are your views on the topic?
Can you find any research to back your opinion or even change it?

When you have answered these questions, you are then more easily able to come up with a good thesis statement. As with the assigned essay, it is important to answer a question with your thesis statement. So, considering we are writing an essay on the subject of homework, you could then turn that subject into a question ‘Is homework conducive to learning?’ Your thesis statement might look something like this:

More and more parents are refusing to allow their children to do homework, saying that it eats into their free time and provides no benefit to learning. It has been shown that this is not true, in a study conducted in Germany, 90% of children who completed homework passed their exams with a higher grade.

The above thesis statement is strong because it:

Shows the author’s stance on the topic.
Provides a clear insight to the essay purpose.
Uses clear and concise language and does not waffle .
Expresses one main argument.

When writing your thesis statement it is important to ensure that it actively meets the above criteria in order for it to be strong and effective.

Creating a Strong Thesis Statement

Identifying the main idea.

A key step in crafting a strong thesis statement is identifying the main idea of your essay. The main idea reflects the primary subject or topic you will be discussing. To begin, make sure to have a clear understanding of the assignment and the specific requirements. If you are having trouble pinpointing the main idea, start by asking yourself what problem or question your essay aims to solve or answer. Once you have identified the main idea, use it as the focal point for your thesis statement.

Narrowing the Focus

Another crucial element in creating a solid thesis statement is narrowing the focus. Instead of attempting to address a broad topic, focus on a smaller, more specific aspect of the subject. This will help you create a strong and concise thesis statement that effectively addresses the primary question or issue.

Consider the following steps to narrow your focus:

Break down the main idea into smaller, related components
Determine which aspect of the topic is most relevant to your essay
Evaluate the scope of your research and analysis

By narrowing the focus, you provide a clear and specific direction for your essay, making it easier for both you and your reader to understand the central argument.

Taking a Stand

A strong thesis statement should not only present the main idea but also take a stand. It is important to make a clear, decisive assertion that demonstrates your perspective on the subject. This means avoiding vague or weak statements, and instead, confidently presenting a well-informed and well-reasoned argument.

To create a thesis statement that takes a strong stand, ensure that it:

Clearly articulates your position on the topic
Is debatable, meaning that it can be supported by evidence and allows for differing opinions
Presents a specific and strong point of view

By incorporating these elements, you demonstrate that you are knowledgeable about the subject and have formed an educated opinion based on your research and analysis.

In summary, to craft a strong thesis statement, start by identifying the main idea, narrow the focus of your essay, and take a clear stand on the subject. These steps will help ensure that your paper is well-organized, compelling, and effectively communicates your central argument.

Testing and Refining Your Thesis Statement

Evaluating your working thesis.

It is crucial to evaluate your working thesis throughout the writing process. This allows you to determine if your thesis is focused, clear, and relevant to your research. Keep these questions in mind when evaluating your thesis:

Does it answer the research question or address the main issue?
Is it specific and concise?
Does it serve as a guide for your ideas and analysis?

Revise your thesis if it does not fulfill these criteria or needs improvement.

Considering Counterarguments

A powerful thesis statement should take into account potential counterarguments. By considering negative perspectives and possible objections to your argument, you can refine your thesis and ensure its strength. Examine your thesis to see if it can withstand opposing views:

Can you think of any counterarguments?
Do your research and analysis support the thesis statement in light of these counterarguments?
Can you provide plausible evidence to refute the counterarguments?

If your thesis can stand up to scrutiny and maintain its focus in spite of potential objections, it is on the right track.

Revising for Clarity and Strength

Once you have evaluated your working thesis and accounted for counterarguments, it is time to revise your thesis statement for clarity and strength. To do this, follow these steps:

Remove any vague phrases and make your thesis statement as specific as possible.
Ensure that your thesis does not try to cover too many ideas or provide unrelated information.
Test your thesis against new research and perspectives that emerge throughout your writing process.

By revising your thesis statement and ensuring that it is clear, concise, and backed by relevant research and analysis, you will create a strong foundation for your paper.

Supporting Your Thesis Statement

Gathering evidence.

When working on a thesis statement, it is essential to gather relevant evidence to support your position. Evidence can include statistics, research findings, primary sources, or expert opinions. Start by reviewing available material, assessing its credibility and reliability, and choosing the most reliable and valuable sources. Organize the evidence in a logical manner to make it easy for the reader to understand and follow your argument.

Understanding Topic Sentences

A well-structured paper begins with clear and concise topic sentences. Each paragraph should begin with a topic sentence that identifies the main idea of the paragraph, and it should link back to the thesis statement. This helps maintain focus and coherence throughout the paper. For example:

In a paper about the benefits of renewable energy, a topic sentence could be: “Solar energy is a reliable and cost-effective alternative to fossil fuels.”

Analyzing Sources and Facts

Thoroughly analyze your sources to determine their relevance, credibility, and accuracy. An effective way to do this is through the following steps:

Check the author’s background and expertise.
Evaluate the source’s publication date and ensure it is up-to-date.
Determine if the source is peer-reviewed or published by a reputable organization.
Check for biased language or exaggerated claims.

When presenting facts, remain neutral and unbiased, accurately representing the information you’ve gathered. Lastly, provide proper citations to give credit to the authors and avoid plagiarism.

Organizing Your Material

Effectively organizing your material is crucial for a well-structured and coherent paper. Make sure to:

Create an outline to map out the flow of your argument.
Group related pieces of evidence together, using bullet points or tables when necessary for clarity.
Transition smoothly between paragraphs to maintain the reader’s interest and understanding.

By following these steps, your paper will effectively support your thesis statement, convincingly presenting your argument and contributing to the field of education.

Additional Tips For A Good Thesis Statement

We are now going to look at some final hints to ensure that you write the best thesis statement possible.

Ensure that your thesis statement appears in your introduction and conclusion and does not get burying deep within the body of the essay.
Make sure that the thesis statement does not exceed two sentences.
Avoid making obvious statements such as ‘this is an essay about….’ or ‘the point of this paper is….’ The thesis statement should be able to convey this without using such up-front language.
Write clearly and articulately.

In conclusion, a thesis statement is a critical element in the process of writing a research paper, essay, or dissertation. It serves to provide focus, direction, and convey the main argument of the work. The following paragraphs will explore some examples, tips, and guidelines on effective thesis statement writing.

When crafting a thesis statement, it is essential to ensure it is clear, concise, and focused. One way to create a strong thesis is to consider the scope of your research and align your statement with the overall themes and objectives of the project. Using specific, well-defined language helps to articulate your argument and demonstrate a solid understanding of the topic. Consider the following example:

Example: “Through a comparative analysis of European and American film noir, this paper will reveal the influence of post-WWII societal anxieties on the genre’s distinctive narrative and stylistic elements.”

In this example, the thesis statement clearly states the research question, the subject matter, and the intended scope of the analysis.

Additionally, it is important to be consistent with the type of paper you are writing. For instance, if you are writing an analytical paper, your thesis statement should break down the issue and present an evaluation. However, if your paper is argumentative, your thesis should make a claim and justify your stance. Here are few examples for each type:

Analytical paper: “Through an examination of campaign strategies, this study will explore the effectiveness of social media in modern political discourse.”

Argumentative paper: “Despite the widespread use of social media in political discourse, it is argued that traditional media continues to be pivotal in shaping public opinion.”

Finally, to aid in the comprehension and readability of your work, consider employing formatting elements such as tables and bullet points when presenting complex information. This will help ensure your thesis statement and research paper is understandable and effective in conveying your main argument.

How To Write A Thesis Statement Infographic

How To Write A Thesis Statement (with Useful Examples)

Writing a good thesis statement can have a big impact on your essay. A thesis statement should include the point of view of the author , the main point of the writing and be clear and easy to understand.

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A thesis statement is a declarative sentence that asserts the position a paper will be taking. This statement should be both specific and arguable. Generally, the thesis statement will be placed at the end of the first paragraph of your paper. The remainder of your paper will support this thesis.

After you've landed on a satisfactory topic, your next step will be to solidify the position you would like to take and write a clear and succinct thesis statement which will lay the foundation for the rest of your paper.

For the sake of example, let's say that you've chosen to argue the merits of eating locally grown foods. You want to focus on the positive effects that this will have on one's health, the local economy, and on global ecology. You also want to dispel the myth that eating locally is more expensive, and therefore, the exclusive purview of the upper middle class.

An example of a thesis statement outlining your position might look like this:

The locavore movement that has gained popularity in the United States over the past several years offers a way to increase health, support the local economy, and promote global ecology by making some simple changes to the way that you and your family eat. Although frequently criticized for being far more expensive than eating factory-farmed foods, the truth is that the costs of home gardening and the prices for which you can purchase food at your local farmer's market are often far less expensive alternatives than buying from a chain grocer, not to mention safer and more nutritious.

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How to write a thesis statement (with examples)

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What exactly is a thesis statement?

What if I told you that one sentence in your essay or thesis could be the difference between a First and a Fail?

It may sound absurd – perhaps even unfair – but it’s true. I refer, of course, to the thesis statement. A thesis statement is your entire essay if it were condensed into a single sentence. If your essay title is a question, then your thesis statement is the one-sentence answer.

It tends to arrive near the end of the first paragraph of a thesis.

Let’s take a look at an example from a Master of Education degree thesis:

Thesis title What constitutes ‘good writing’ for GCSE students of English?

Thesis statement The examination rubric by which GCSE English writing performance is assessed, influenced by a long history of variable ‘tastes’, may now be said to describe ‘good writing’ as that which is grammatically accurate, sophisticated, and suited to purpose, genre and audience.

(The thesis statement would be located in paragraph 1, after a brief overview of the subject).

Why is a thesis statement important?

As I mentioned, the way your thesis statement is written can be the difference between a First and a Fail. But how?

To answer that, let’s think about what ‘thesis’ means. From the Greek thésis, meaning ‘proposition’, your thesis is your main argument.

It is the position you have to support and defend for the remainder of your essay. Without something clear to defend, the fortress you build will crumble and the army you deploy will run about like headless chickens.

In essence: without a clear thesis statement, you don’t have an essay.

“Establishing a clear thesis at the start of your essay is crucial for both you and your examiner. For your examiner, it’s evidence that you have answered the question. For you, it can function as an essay plan.”

For both of you, it’s a litmus test for the quality of the argument: if you can’t fit your essay’s arguments into a sentence, they are too diffuse; and if you can’t stick to your thesis statement’s focus throughout your essay, you are not focused.

A precisely focused and well-grounded essay is more worthy of a First Class grade than one with a scattergun approach.

What should a thesis statement include?

What your thesis statement includes is determined by three things:

1. The subject and topic of the essay. 2. The purpose of the essay. 3. The length of the essay.

Let’s examine each of those in more detail to see how they can help us refine our thesis statement.

The subject and topic of the essay

Look at this real-life title from an undergraduate Sports Science essay:

What are the key differences between training recommendations for maximising muscular strength and maximising muscular hypertrophy?

The first task is, of course, to determine the subject of the essay.

In this example, that would be ‘training recommendations for maximising muscular strength and training recommendations for maximising muscular hypertrophy’.

Knowing that means that I know I will need to deploy my knowledge about those two similar but distinct areas. It also means that I should be using the specialist terminology relevant to the field, such as load, isotonic and volume.

Next, I need to determine the topic.

Here it would be ‘the key differences’ between training recommendations for those two goals. That phrase ‘key differences’ is likely to be at the heart of my thesis statement, to show that I’m on track.

With that in mind, my thesis statement might look like this:

Whilst both training outcomes require resistance training centred upon isotonic contractions, it is likely that the absolute load requirements may need to be higher for strength purposes, whilst the total training volume may need to be higher for hypertrophy purposes.

It is by no means a complete essay, but it states clearly what the ‘short answer’ to the question is, whilst paving the way for the ‘long answer’ to follow.

But what if the essay isn’t just looking for the facts organised into a specific order? What if the essay is asking for analysis? Or an argument?

The purpose of the essay

Different essay purposes require different thesis statements. Fortunately, there are only three main essay purposes, and they’re pretty easy to recognise:

1. The expository essay: This is an essay type that asks for the key facts on a subject to be laid out, with explanations. The Sports Science question above is an example of this. It asks for the WHAT and HOW of something.

2. The analytical essay: This essay type asks you not only to lay out the facts, but also to analyse and deconstruct them to better understand them. It is typical in subjects such as English Literature and Fine Art. It asks for the WHY of something.

3. The argumentative essay: This type of essay asks you to use the facts available, to analyse them for value, and then to provide a point of view about the subject. It moves more quickly through the WHAT, HOW and WHY of a topic through to: WHY DOES IT MATTER?

All of the above essay types need a thesis statement that includes a proposition (a statement which answers the question or addresses the title).

Beyond that, these three essay types all require different additions.

For the expository essay , you need to add an overview of the details of the conclusion. Let’s look at an example:

Expository essay title: What are the key differences between training recommendations for maximising muscular strength and maximising muscular hypertrophy? (BSc in Sports Science)

Expository thesis statement: Whilst both training outcomes require resistance training centred upon isotonic contractions, it is likely that the absolute load requirements may need to be higher for strength purposes, whilst the total training volume may need to be higher for hypertrophy purposes. (The basic conclusion is that both approaches need isotonic resistance training; the details are teased out in bold.)

For the analytical essay , you need to add an overview of the analysis performed. Here’s an example:

Analytical essay title: Why did England and Wales vote to leave the European Union? (BA in Politics)

Analytical thesis statement: A close consideration of the voter demographics, the populist nature of political messages leading up to the referendum, and the history of Britain’s status in the EU, will demonstrate that Brexit was primarily motivated by the machinations of the Right.

(The basic conclusion is that Brexit was influenced by politicians; the analytical approach is in bold.)

For the argumentative essay , you need to add an overview of your reasoning. Another example:

Argumentative essay title: To what extent do you consider the authorship of Shakespeare’s plays to be in question? (BA in English Literature)

Argumentative thesis statement: Shakespeare’s authorship of his plays is beyond question, given both the entirely unconvincing nature of any counter-theories and the relatively unstable conception of the playwright’s identity as it stands. (The basic conclusion is that Shakespeare did write his plays; the reasoning is in bold.)

As you can see from these examples, the purpose of the essay gives a very clear demand for something beyond a simple answer.

But, there’s more!

The length of the essay

The prescribed length of the essay also defines what you need to do with your thesis statement.

Your thesis statement is a microcosm : a miniature, compressed version of your whole essay.

So, it makes sense that the length of the actual essay is going to impact upon the content of the thesis statement.

If, for example, your essay is expected to be 800 words long and on the subject of Eve in the Bible, then it would be overly ambitious for your thesis statement to say: ‘through comprehensive study of the Bible and extant criticism’. For an 800 essay, more precision will be necessary. It would be better for your thesis statement to say: ‘with due awareness of the complexity of the issue, focusing on feminist readings of Genesis .’

“Matching the scope given in your thesis statement to the depth you provide in your essay is a very effective way to ensure precision.”

Contrastingly, if your essay is expected to be 80,000 words long (a PhD thesis, for example), on the subject of stop-motion animation, it would be rather unambitious to suggest that the essay will ‘provide a visual analysis of Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers’, only. For a PhD, we would expect more content to be covered, and multiple approaches to analysis to be considered.

Indeed, matching the scope given in your thesis statement to the depth you provide in your essay is a very effective way to ensure precision.

So, to summarise, how do I write a thesis statement?

It’s a simple, three-part process:

1. Identify the question in the title (or make a question from the statement). 2. Answer that question in as few words as possible. 3. Complete the sentence by providing an overview of the foundation behind your answer.

Easy, right? It can be!

That said, there are plenty of traps that essayists can fall into with this part of the essay. Let’s look at some of these pitfalls and how to avoid them.

Pitalls to Avoid

Pitfall #1: amateurish style.

This is common throughout academic essays written by beginners. It’s not just the thesis statement that falls foul of sounding amateurish. There are plenty of ways this happens, which are beyond the scope of this argument, but the following example is a prime example: In this essay, I will explore the various pieces of evidence before concluding.

This is amateurish for a few reasons. Firstly, it doesn’t actually say anything. You could otherwise word it, ‘I will write an essay which answers the question’ – a rather wasted sentence. The next, and more forgivable issue is the use of the first-person. We want to get a sense that an individual wrote this essay, but we never want to hear them mentioned! Make sense? No? Sorry.

This should instead read more like:

This essay considers evidence from X in light of Y which ultimately reveals Z at the heart of the issue.

(It focuses on the specifics, X, Y, and Z, and is devoid of any mention of its author.)

Pitfall #2: empty phrasing

This is similar to amateurish style. However, empty phrasing is not just amateur-sounding; it’s manipulative-sounding.

Using phrases such as “in order to” instead of, simply, “to” – or “due to the fact that” instead of just “as” – look like attempts to fill up the word count with waffle rather than content. The same goes for phrases that can be substituted for one word: ‘it is evident that’ can (and should) become ‘evidently’.

Watch this thesis statement from a GCSE essay on Music go from hideous to tolerable:

Beethoven was unable to hear his work, due to the fact that he was deaf, so it is evident that he musically conceptualised the notes in order to compose. (Wordy!)

Beethoven was unable to hear his work, as he was deaf, so it is evident that he musically conceptualised the notes to compose. (Slightly less wordy.)

Beethoven’s deafness made him unable to hear his work, so evidently he musically conceptualised the notes to compose. (About as concise as such a complex sentence will get…)

Do not mistake wordiness for sophistication. Your ideas should be sophisticated; your writing should be clear.

Pitfall #3: non-standard grammar

For an examiner, the English language is not just a vehicle for your ideas. It should be, but the academic process always involves the assessment of your expression.

So, to satisfy our examiners’ prescriptive tastes, we need to adhere to the basic tenets of Standard English.

Take a look at the following thesis statement example from an A Level Sociology essay: Considering the status of BAME in Internet culture, the demonstrably racist treatment at the hands of the police, and the energy behind the BLM protests, concluding that there is hope for the future.

This sentence has no finite main verb, so it is technically not a sentence. To become a grammatical sentence, we would need to make ‘concluding’ finite: ‘it can be concluded’, or ‘we conclude’.

The writer got lost in this example because the sentence was so long!

Long sentences can also lead to a failure to make subject and verb agree, like in the next thesis statement example from a school Geography essay:

The most populous municipalities of Spain, Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, and Zaragoza, does not rank in the top ten most dense populations of the country, with the exception of Barcelona.

Because the subject ‘municipalities’ is separated from the verb ‘does’ by eight words, it is easy to forget that they do not agree. It should, of course, be ‘do, not ‘does’.

Final words

The thesis statement, as I said at the start, can be the difference between a First and a Fail. So, take your time with it.

Write it carefully.

Then redraft and refine it several times, until it’s as good as you can make it.

The payoff is a slick, coherent thesis statement that paves the way to a great essay that really impresses your examiner.

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Topic Sentences

Thesis Statements

A thesis statement is a sentence (sometimes more than one sentence) in the introduction that tells the reader the following information:

What the topic of the paper is
How the writer intends to discuss that topic
It gives a blueprint for how the essay will be structured
How the writer intends to prove or demonstrate his or her main points.

Think of your paper as a human body, and your thesis statement as the spinal cord. Without it, there is no structure.

For you as the writer, the thesis statement:

Develops through the interrelationship of thinking, reading, and writing;

Limits your research by providing you with one controlling main idea that intrigues you;

Narrows your writing to one specific claim that you can develop or prove;

Organizes your ideas so you know the important points you want to make in your paper; and

Clarifies your writing by keeping you on target to fulfill your proposed purpose.

For your readers, the thesis statement:

Identifies the main point and sub-points of your essay clearly and quickly;

Functions as a road map so your readers can easily follow your ideas; and

Gives satisfaction at the conclusion of the paper when your readers discover you have fulfilled your promise by proving or developing your main point.

Characteristics of Effective Thesis Statements

An effective thesis statement must be factual and narrow.

An effective thesis statement prepares readers for facts and details, but it cannot itself be a fact. It must always be an inference that demands proof or further development. These proofs come from the literature.

UNT Dallas campus has two buildings.

Not factual enough: The UNT Dallas campus is the perfect size.

Just Right: While some might see small universities as a disadvantage, the small campus of UNT Dallas holds many advantages for students, including a close-knit campus community, smaller class sizes, and better support from professors.

2. Narrow Topic

A good thesis should be narrow, and not too broad or too vague. If the topic is too broad, you won’t be able to cover the entire topic in your paper. If it’s too narrow, you might not be able to find research, and your paper probably won’t be long enough.

Too Broad: College students have a lot of responsibilities.

Too Narrow: Student workers in the Learning Commons at UNT Dallas have many responsibilities in their course work and tutoring.

Just Right: College students who are financially independent have many responsibilities as they must maintain good grades, pay living expenses, and balance work and school.

Remember, a thesis statement is not:

Instead , you should argue, based on facts and literature, why or why not NASA should receive more funding.
Ask yourself--can I find anything in literature to prove this point, or is this MY opinion?
Instead, you should argue why or why not people like chocolate OR why or why not chocolate is healthy for you based on facts and literature findings.
Similar to the subjective opinion, ask yourself is this statement is based on facts and literature findings or if this is YOUR opinion. Although it is ok to have your own opinion, professors usually do not like to read articles about beliefs (students have been writing about these for years and years).
Instead, you could discuss theories about politics or religions and use literature to prove or disprove those theories.
This is too factual (the Himalayas WERE formed from a collision of tectonic plates), and there is nothing to discuss because this IS a fact in itself.
Instead, you could compare and contrast the tectonic plate formation of different mountains.

Examples of Thesis Statements

A thesis statement f or a 5 paragraph essay conta ins three parts:.

1. A Topic: the main idea of the essay

2. The Controlling Idea: what you want to say about the topic

3. The subtopics: usually 3 examples/reasons you will discuss in your paper

Here is an example of a thesis statement.

Ex: Regularly visiting the Writing Center at UNT Dallas will help you become the best writer on the planet because it offers superhero tutors, current technology, and fantastic handouts.

The main topic explores the idea that regularly vsiting the writing center will help you become the best writer on the planet, and the subtopics further expand this opinion with three distinct examples: 1) tutors, 2) technology, and 3) the handouts.

Outline Example

The paper should be organized around the subtopics. For example, for the thesis written above, the writer would write one body paragraph about the tutors, one about technology, and one about the handouts.

Here is a sample essay outline based on this thesis:

Introduce the topic of tutoring
Thesis (last sentence of intro): Regularly visiting the Writing Center at UNT Dallas will help you become the best writer on the planet because it offers superhero tutors, current technology, and fantastic handouts.
topic sentence
Restate thesis
Concluding remarks

For further assistance with the structure, see our handouts on Introductions and Conclusions and Topic Sentences.

A thesis statement for a LONG ESSAY contains two parts: A Topic: the main idea of the essay The Controlling Idea: what you want to say about the topic

Throughout the paper, your thesis promises your readers that you will prove specific facts or develop certain ideas ; therefore, every paragraph, sentence, and word in your paper must relate to this controlling idea.

Here are some examples of thesis statements.

Baseball, once a national pastime and even an addiction, has lost its popularity because of the new interest in more violent sports.
Since the space program has yet to provide the American people with any substantial, practical returns, it is a waste of money and should be dissolved.
To stop the alarming rise in the number of violent crimes committed every year, our courts must hand out tougher sentences.
Detective stories appeal to the basic human desire for thrills.
Hemingway's war stories helped to create a new prose style.
Bronte utilizes light and fire to symbolize the emotional expressions of the characters.

Here is a suggested outline for a long essay and how that would look in terms of your thesis statement, topic, and controlling ideas:

Introduce the novel Jane Eyre and the topic of symbolism
Thesis (last sentence of intro): Bronte utilizes light and fire to symbolize the emotional expressions of the characters.
textual examples and elaboration

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Chapter 5: Putting the Pieces Together with a Thesis Statement

5.2 Developing a Strong, Clear Thesis Statement

Learning Objectives

Develop a strong, clear thesis statement with the proper elements
Revise your thesis statement

Have you ever known someone who was not very good at telling stories? You probably had trouble following the train of thought as the storyteller jumped from point to point, either being too brief in places that needed further explanation or providing too many details on a meaningless element. Maybe the person told the end of the story first, then moved to the beginning and later added details to the middle. The ideas were probably scattered, and the story did not flow very well. When the story was over, you probably had many questions.

Elements of a Thesis Statement

Remember that a thesis is not the topic itself, but rather your interpretation of the question or subject. For whatever topic your instructor gives you, you must ask yourself, “What do I want to say about it?” Asking and then answering this question is vital to forming a thesis that is precise, forceful, and confident.

A Strong Thesis Statement

A strong thesis statement contains the following qualities:

Specificity: A thesis statement must concentrate on a specific area of a general topic. As you may recall, the creation of a thesis statement begins when you choose a broad subject and then narrow down its parts until you pinpoint a specific aspect of that topic. For example, health care is a broad topic, but a proper thesis statement would focus on a specific area of that topic, such as options for individuals without health care coverage.

Precision: A strong thesis statement must be precise enough to allow for a coherent argument and to remain focused on the topic. If the specific topic is options for individuals without health care coverage, then your precise thesis statement must make an exact claim about it, such as that limited options exist for those who are uninsured by their employers. You must further pinpoint what you are going to discuss regarding these limited effects, such as whom they affect and what the cause is.

Arguability: A thesis statement must present a relevant and specific argument. A factual statement often is not considered arguable. Be sure your thesis statement contains a point of view that can be supported with evidence.

Demonstrability: For any claim you make in your thesis, you must be able to provide reasons and examples for your opinion. You can rely on personal observations in order to do this, or you can consult outside sources to demonstrate that what you assert is valid. A worthy argument is backed by examples and details.

Forcefulness/Assertiveness: A thesis statement that is forceful shows readers that you are, in fact, making an argument. The tone is assertive and takes a stance that others might oppose.

Confidence: In addition to using force in your thesis statement, you must also use confidence in your claim. Phrases such as I feel or I believe actually weaken the readers’ sense of your confidence because these phrases imply that you are the only person who feels the way you do. In other words, your stance has insufficient backing. Taking an authoritative stance on the matter persuades your readers to have faith in your argument and open their minds to what you have to say.

Self-Practice Exercise 5.4

H5P: Drafting Thesis StatementsWrite a clear, confident thesis statement for an essay on the following topic:

Texting while driving.
The legal drinking age in different provinces of Canada.
Steroid use among professional athletes.

Examples of Appropriate Thesis Statements

Each of the following thesis statements meets several of the qualities discussed above: specificity, precision, arguability, demonstrability, forcefulness/assertiveness, and confidence.

The societal and personal struggles of Floyd in the play Where the Blood Mixes, by Kevin Loring, symbolize the challenge of First Nations people of Canada who lived through segregation and placement into residential schools.
Closing all American borders for a period of five years is one solution that will tackle illegal immigration.
Shakespeare’s use of dramatic irony in Romeo and Juliet spoils the outcome for the audience and weakens the plot.
J. D. Salinger’s character in Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield, is a confused rebel who voices his disgust with phonies, yet in an effort to protect himself, he acts like a phony on many occasions.
Compared to an absolute divorce, no-fault divorce is less expensive, promotes fairer settlements, and reflects a more realistic view of the causes for marital breakdown.
Exposing children from an early age to the dangers of drug abuse is a sure method of preventing future drug addicts.
In today’s crumbling job market, a high school diploma is not significant enough education to land a stable, lucrative job.

Now that you have read about the contents of a good thesis statement and have seen examples, take a look four pitfalls to avoid when composing your own thesis.

A thesis is weak when it is simply a declaration of your subject or a description of what you will discuss in your essay. Weak thesis statement: My paper will explain why imagination is more important than knowledge.
A thesis is weak when it makes an unreasonable or outrageous claim or insults the opposing side. Weak thesis statement: Religious radicals across the country are trying to legislate their puritanical beliefs by banning required high school books.
A thesis is weak when it contains an obvious fact or something that no one can disagree with or provides a dead end. Weak thesis statement: Advertising companies use sex to sell their products.
A thesis is weak when the statement is too broad. Weak thesis statement : The life of Pierre Trudeau was long and accomplished.

Self-Practice Exercise 5.5

H5P: Read the following thesis statements and identify each as weak or strong.

“The subject of this paper is my experience with ferrets as pets.”
“The government must expand its funding for research on renewable energy resources in order to prepare for the impending end of oil.”
“Edgar Allan Poe was a poet who lived in Baltimore during the 19th century.”
“In this essay, I will give you a lot of reasons why marijuana should not be legalized in British Columbia.”
“Because many children’s toys have potential safety hazards that could lead to injury, it is clear that not all children’s toys are safe.”
“My experience with young children has taught me that I want to be a disciplinary parent because I believe that a child without discipline can be a parent’s worst nightmare.”

Writing at Work

Often in your career, you will need to ask your boss for something through an email. Just as a thesis statement organizes an essay, it can also organize your email request. While your email will be shorter than an essay, using a thesis statement in your first paragraph quickly lets your boss know what you are asking for, why it is necessary, and what the benefits are. In short body paragraphs, you can provide the essential information needed to expand upon your request.

Writing a Thesis Statement

One legitimate question readers always ask about a piece of writing is “What is the big idea?” (You may even ask this question when you are the reader, critically reading an assignment or another document.) Every nonfiction writing task—from the short essay to the 10-page term paper to the lengthy senior thesis—needs a big idea, or a controlling idea, as the “spine” for the work. The controlling idea is the main idea that you want to present and develop.

The big idea, or controlling idea, you want to present in an essay is expressed in your thesis statement. Remember that a thesis statement is often one sentence long, and it states your point of view. The thesis statement is not the topic of the piece of writing but rather what you have to say about that topic and what is important to tell readers.

Look at Table 5.1: Topics and Thesis Statements for a comparison of topics and thesis statements.

Table 5.1 Topics and Thesis Statements: A Comparison
Topic	Thesis Statement
Music piracy	The recording industry fears that so-called music piracy will diminish profits and destroy markets, but it cannot be more wrong.
The number of consumer choices available in media gear	Everyone wants the newest and the best digital technology, but the choices are extensive, and the specifications are often confusing.
E-books and online newspapers increasing their share of the market	E-books and online newspapers will bring an end to print media as we know it.
Online education and the new media	Someday, students and teachers will send avatars to their online classrooms.

The first thesis statement you write will be a preliminary thesis statement , or a working thesis statement . You will need it when you begin to outline your assignment as a way to organize it. As you continue to develop the arrangement, you can limit your working thesis statement if it is too broad or expand it if it proves too narrow for what you want to say.

Self-Practice Exercise 5.6

H5P: Working Toward a Working Thesis

We’re going to use that free writing strategy again. This time, try to write for ten minutes, and write down anything you know right now about your newly narrowed thesis statement. Don’t worry about looking material up or whether you’re getting everything exactly right. Instead, just focus on getting words on the screen. This is rough work to help you approach an answer to a question, not the final essay. So just keep writing.

Can you find something in your freewriting that looks like a “controlling idea”? Something that might centre your argument, something you can structure your argument around? We’ll call that your working thesis. Draft a working thesis below.

Collaboration: Please share with a classmate and compare your answers.

Revising a Thesis Statement

Your thesis will probably change as you write, so you will need to modify it to reflect exactly what you have discussed in your essay. Remember, you begin with a working thesis statement, an indefinite statement that you make about your topic early in the writing process for the purpose of planning and guiding your writing.

You can cut down on irrelevant aspects and revise your thesis by taking the following steps:

Working thesis: Young people have to work hard to succeed in life.
Revised thesis: Recent college graduates must have discipline and persistence in order to find and maintain a stable job in which they can use and be appreciated for their talents.
Working thesis: The welfare system is a joke.
Revised thesis: The welfare system keeps a socioeconomic class from gaining employment by alluring members of that class with unearned income, instead of programs to improve their education and skill sets.
Working thesis: British Columbian schoolteachers are not paid enough.
Revised thesis: The legislature of British Columbia cannot afford to pay its educators, resulting in job cuts and resignations in a district that sorely needs highly qualified and dedicated teachers.

The linking verb in this working thesis statement is the word are. Linking verbs often make thesis statements weak because they do not express action. Reading the original thesis statement above, readers might wonder why teachers are not paid enough, but the statement does not compel them to ask many more questions. The writer should ask him- or herself questions in order to replace the linking verb with an action verb, thus forming a stronger thesis statement, one that takes a more definitive stance on the issue. For example, the writer could ask:

Who is not paying the teachers enough?
What is considered “enough”?
What is the problem?
What are the results
Working thesis: Today’s teenage girls are too sexualized.
Which teenage girls?
What constitutes “too” sexualized?
Why are they behaving that way?
Where does this behaviour show up?
What are the repercussions?

Self-practice exercise 5.7

H5P: Polishing the Thesis Statement

A working thesis statement is always a work in progress, and we make it stronger by asking questions of it and challenging the first draft. That’s the next job you have! It takes many revisions to make your work the best it can be, so try not to get frustrated by the process.

Copy your working thesis statement for reference here.
Pinpoint and replace all nonspecific words, such as people, everything, society, or life, with more precise words in order to reduce any vagueness. Recopy the newly revised thesis below.
Replace any linking verbs with action verbs. Linking verbs gives information about the subject, such as a condition or relationship (is, appear, smell, sound), but they do not show any action. The most common linking verb is any forms of the verb to be, a verb that simply states that a situation exists. Recopy the newly revised thesis below.
Omit any general claims that are hard to support. Recopy the newly revised thesis below.

Just Asking Questions

Clarify ideas that need explanation by asking yourself questions that narrow your thesis. The most straightforward way to do this is to ask yourself the 5WHs again — who, what, where, when, why, and how — and see were you can make your thesis statement more specific. List the questions you have about your own thesis below.

Now do your best to answer those questions.

And finally, revise your thesis in relation to these points and share it below.

In your career you may have to write a project proposal that focuses on a particular problem in your company, such as reinforcing the tardiness policy. The proposal would aim to fix the problem; using a thesis statement would clearly state the boundaries of the problem and the goals of the project. After writing the proposal, you may find that the thesis needs revising to reflect exactly what is expressed in the body. The techniques from this chapter would apply to revising that thesis.

Key Takeaways

Proper essays require a thesis statement to provide a specific focus and suggest how the essay will be organized.
A thesis statement is your interpretation of the subject, not the topic itself.
A strong thesis is specific, precise, forceful, confident, and is able to be demonstrated.
A strong thesis challenges readers with a point of view that can be debated and supported with evidence.
A weak thesis is simply a declaration of your topic or contains an obvious fact that cannot be argued.
Depending on your topic, it may or may not be appropriate to use first person point of view.
Revise your thesis by ensuring all words are specific, all ideas are exact, and all verbs express action.

Writing for Success - 1st Canadian H5P Edition Copyright © 2021 by Tara Horkoff is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Developing a Strong Thesis Statement for Your English Essay

Home > Blog > Thesis Statement Essays Examples

Thesis Statement Essays Examples

Smodin Editorial Team
Updated: August 30, 2024
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Step-by-Step Instructions for Writing

Writing an essay can seem challenging, but a solid thesis statement can make it easier. A thesis statement is a crucial part of any essay. It gives your reader a clear understanding of your main idea. The goal should be to deliver a strong, concise, yet compelling statement that immerses the reader in your writing. A strong thesis statement means a strong start to your essay !

We’ve developed this comprehensive guide to explore what makes a good thesis statement. We’ll discuss different thesis statement essay examples and show you steps on how to write a strong statement. Whether you’re writing a research paper, argumentative essay, or policy proposal, a solid thesis statement is key.

A student writing on a desk in front of a laptop.

What Is a Thesis Statement?

To put it simply, a thesis statement summarizes your entire paper. It usually appears at the end of the first paragraph, known as the essay introduction. Your thesis should be specific, concise, and clear.

It should express one main idea and guide your writing. For example, if your paper explains climate change, your thesis might assert that “Climate change poses a significant threat to global ecosystems.”

How To Write a Thesis Statement: Example and What To Include

In this section, we include how to write a thesis statement with an example to help you out in the process. Below, we have listed some of the steps involved, while compiling a thesis statement.

Start With a Question

Every good thesis statement starts with a question. Think about what you want to explore or decide about your topic. For example, “Has the internet had a positive or negative impact on education?”

Write Your Initial Answer

After some research, write a simple, tentative answer to your question. This will guide your research and writing process. For example, “The internet has had a positive impact on education.”

Refine Your Thesis Statement

Your final thesis should ultimately tell the reader why you hold this position. You can elaborate and explain what they’ll learn from your essay and the key points of your argument.

For example, “The internet’s positive impact on education outweighs its negatives by providing easier access to information. Exposure to different perspectives and a flexible learning environment for students and teachers contributes to this”.

Two students smiling while working on a project outdoors.

A Good Thesis Statement Example

A good thesis statement is concise, coherent, and contentious. It should clearly state your main idea and be backed up by specific evidence. Take a look at the following good thesis statement example:

“While many people believe climate change is a natural phenomenon, evidence shows that human activities significantly contribute to its acceleration.”

This statement is clear, concise, and debatable. It presents a strong position that can be supported with evidence.

Types of Thesis Statements

Your thesis should match the type of essay you’re writing. Here are some examples of different types of thesis statements.

Argumentative Thesis Statement

In an argumentative essay , your thesis should take a strong position.

For example:

“The government should implement stricter regulations on carbon emissions to combat climate change.”

An argumentative paper makes a clear, debatable claim that requires evidence and reasoning. This thesis presents a clear argument that will be supported with evidence throughout the essay.

Expository Thesis Statement

In an expository essay , your thesis should explain the facts of a topic or process.

“The invention of braille improved the lives of blind people by allowing them to read and write independently.”

This statement explains the impact of braille without taking a position.

A girl in a yellow t-shirt working on a desk in front of a laptop and smiling.

Thesis Statement Essay Examples for Different Types of Papers

Let’s look at some thesis statement essay examples to understand how to craft one effectively.

Example 1: Argumentative Paper

Topic: The impact of surveillance on society

Thesis statement: “Although surveillance is often viewed negatively, its positive effects on public safety outweigh its downsides.”

This thesis presents a clear argument that will be supported with evidence throughout the essay.

Example 2: Expository Paper

Topic: The history of the internet

Thesis statement: “The internet revolutionized communication by allowing instant access to information and connecting people globally.”

This statement explains how the internet has changed communication without presenting an argument.

In both examples, the thesis statements are clear and concise, and provide a roadmap for the essay.

Example 3: Analytical Paper

Topic: The impact of social media on mental health

Thesis statement: “Social media influences mental health by increasing anxiety, promoting unrealistic body images, and enhancing social connections.”

An analytical thesis statement breaks down an idea into parts to examine and interpret. This example shows the impact of social media into specific components for detailed analysis. An analytical paper breaks complex subjects into components for detailed examination and analysis.

Characteristics of a Good Thesis Statement

An effective thesis statement is the backbone of a well-structured essay. Thesis statement examples help illustrate the differences between strong and weak thesis statements. Here are the essential characteristics of a good thesis statement.

Concise Summary

The best thesis statements should be brief and to the point. Avoid unnecessary words. For instance, instead of saying, “In this essay, I will discuss the reasons why climate change is a critical issue that needs urgent attention,” you can say, “Climate change demands urgent attention due to its severe impact on global ecosystems.” This keeps your thesis clear and focused.

The aim is to bring the statement to the concluding point as effectively as possible.

Specific Evidence

In academic writing, your thesis statement should be backed up by specific evidence. It should not just make a claim but also provide a hint of the evidence that supports it. For example, “Human activities, such as deforestation and fossil fuel consumption, significantly contribute to climate change,” indicates that the essay will discuss these specific activities.

A strong thesis statement clearly states your main idea. It should convey the central point of your essay in a way that is easy to understand. For example, “Renewable energy sources are essential for reducing carbon emissions and combating climate change,” clearly states the essay’s main idea.

A young woman sitting on the floor in her living room and using a laptop while taking notes.

3 Common Mistakes to Avoid

According to the Guardian , teachers are observing that students are continuously having issues with writing essays. This may be due to various reasons like a lack of foundational skills in writing or the likelihood of them making specific mistakes when compiling their essays and thesis statements.

Below we have listed some of the common errors students can make when writing a thesis statement for their paper.

1. Being Too Broad

A thesis statement that is too broad lacks focus and fails to provide a clear argument. For example: “Climate change is bad,” is too broad. Instead, narrow your focus to something more specific, like, “Climate change significantly impacts coastal cities by increasing the frequency of flooding.”

2. Not Getting Into Specifics

A vague thesis statement doesn’t give specific details, making it difficult for the reader to understand your argument. For example, “Climate change affects the environment,” is too vague. A more precise thesis would be, “Climate change accelerates the melting of polar ice caps, leading to rising sea levels.”

3. Just Stating a Fact

In a great research paper, a thesis statement that states a fact rather than an argument is not debatable. For example, “Climate change exists,” is a statement of fact and not arguable. A more debatable thesis would be, “Immediate action is required to mitigate climate change impacts on future generations.”

How To Strengthen a Weak Thesis Statement

If your thesis statement is weak, here is how you can strengthen it:

Contextualize your topic: Understand the broader context of your topic. This helps in narrowing down the focus and making it more specific.
Make it arguable: Ensure your thesis is something that can be debated. A strong thesis often takes a clear stance on an issue.
Support with evidence: Be prepared to back up your thesis with specific evidence. This adds credibility and strength to your statement.

Example of a Weak Thesis

A weak thesis statement, such as “The internet is useful,” is too general and lacks specificity. It doesn’t provide any direction for the essay, leaving readers unclear about what the essay will address. A weak thesis statement:

Lacks focus: The statement “The internet is useful” doesn’t specify how or why the internet is useful. This lack of focus can confuse readers and make it challenging to develop supporting arguments.
Is not honing in on a specific topic: This thesis is overly broad, covering too many potential topics without honing in on a specific aspect.
Doesn’t leave room for a debate: It doesn’t present a debatable claim. A strong thesis should make a claim that others might dispute, providing a basis for argumentation and discussion.

For instance, an essay based on the weak thesis “The internet is useful” could meander through various topics like online shopping, social media, and research, without a clear structure or argument. This makes it difficult for readers to grasp the main point or purpose of the essay.

Example of a Strong Thesis

A strong thesis statement, like “The internet is useful for education because it provides access to a wealth of information and resources,” is specific and provides a clear argument supported by evidence. It also indicates what the essay will discuss, which helps guide the reader.

Therefore, a strong thesis statement should:

Have a clear focus: This thesis specifies that the essay will focus on the educational benefits of the internet. This clarity helps readers understand the essay’s purpose from the beginning.
Be to the point: The thesis mentions “access to a wealth of information and resources.” So, it provides a specific angle on how the internet is useful, which helps to narrow the scope of the essay.
Include a debatable claim: The statement makes a claim that could be argued. It posits that the internet is beneficial for education. But, it also implies that there are specific ways in which this is true. Thus, the statement opens the door for discussion and analysis.
Guide the essay: This strong thesis provides a roadmap for the essay. It suggests that the following paragraphs will explore how the internet facilitates education through information access and resource availability.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is included in a thesis statement.

A thesis statement is a sentence that summarizes the main point of your essay. It usually appears at the end of the first paragraph.

Can a thesis statement be more than one sentence?

Ideally, a thesis statement should be one or two sentences long.

Where should I place my thesis statement?

Your thesis statement should be at the end of the first paragraph, known as the essay introduction.

Improve Your Thesis Statements With Smodin.io

A good thesis statement is the backbone of your essay. It guides your writing and tells your reader what to expect. By following the steps we’ve outlined in these examples, you can write a strong thesis statement.

Ready to improve your writing skills and create compelling essays? Enhance your writing with Smodin’s AI writing tool. Whether you’re writing a research paper or an argumentative essay, Smodin can help you craft a strong thesis statement. Join us now at Smodin.io and take your writing to the next level.

Research Tips and Tricks: Constructing an Essay

Getting Started with My Research Project
Searching Effectively
Constructing an Essay

Writing the Introduction

The introduction is the first paragraph of your essay or the first part of your presentation. An introduction begins with general information and ends with specifics (your thesis statement).

How do I write an introduction?

1. Always start with a Grabber. Grabbers can be leads, hooks, quotations, wow facts, or a very short story or anecdote. The Grabber will show your voice and personality. You want to make your paper or presentation interesting and lively. You want your reader/audience to be interested in what you have discovered and get excited about what they will learn through reading your essay or listening to your presentation.

2. Introduce your topic to your reader/audience.

Answer basic Skinny or informational questions like who, what, where, when. Pretend you you are talking to a younger sibling and you just want to give him brief background or overview about your topic in a couple of sentences.

Introduction Triangle. Digital image. How to Start an Essay: No Magic Solutions for Your Papers . Custom-Writing.com, 2013. Web. 17 Aug. 2013.

Generating a Thesis Statement

What is a thesis statement?

It is the answer to your Fat Question
It presents your opinions or thoughts on a subject with your reasons as to why your thesis is valid (arguments)
It is the position you intend to prove

What does a thesis statement do?

ties the whole essay together
serves as a map for the writer and reader to follow throughout the essay
provides a reference point for your topic sentences which support your thesis and argument
keeps the reader focused on and engaged with your argument or reasoning
offers enough detail for the reader to grasp the reasons for your thinking

Do I have to have a thesis statement?

Yes. You cannot write an essay without one.

What does a good thesis statement look like?

It should only be one sentence, regardless of essay length
It should use clear, strong language
A good thesis statement is a declarative sentence with no qualifiers (might, maybe, perhaps , etc.):
A thesis statement should always be written in the third person.
It states only one main idea with reasons

Position: ____________________________________ because (state three reasons why your thesis is valid)

1. _________________________________

2. _________________________________

3. _________________________________.

What a thesis statement should NOT look like:

It should never include phrases like: in my opinion, I think, I believe , etc.

However, it may be helpful to write a rough draft of a thesis statement with this phrases to make sure you are expressing your thoughts or arguments clearly. Be sure to delete these phrases when writing the final draft of your thesis statement.

Where does my thesis statement belong in my essay?

It is the closing sentence in the first paragraph of your essay
It should also be re-written in new language as part of your conclusion

Lorcher, Trent. "How to Write a Thesis Statement: High School English Lesson Plan." Bright Hub Education . Bright Hub, Inc., 2012. Web. 17 Aug. 2013.

How to Write a Strong Thesis

Writing the Conclusion

What is the purpose of a conclusion?

Shows the reader that you have proved your thesis
Summarizes the points in your essay
It demonstrates to the reader that you have accomplished what you set out to do
Shows your readers why this paper was important, meaningful and useful because it makes a memorable statement about the topic that will convince the reader to think or act differently
Includes a call to action in a sentence or two that states the change you have argued for in the essay
It gives the essay a sense of closure and completeness

Why is a conclusion important?

Because it is the last thing the reader sees, It is often what a reader remembers best. Your conclusion should be the best part of your paper.
It gives your reader something to take away that will help them see things differently or appreciate your topic.
It allows you to consider broader issues and elaborate on the importance of your findings.

What is the structure of a conclusion?

The conclusion begins specific and moves to the general
Your topic sentence of your conclusion should summarize what you said in your thesis statement
Do not simply restate your thesis statement, as that would be redundant. Instead, rephrase your thesis statement with deeper understanding. You can do that now that the reader has read your essay and understands your argument and position.
For example, use what you’ve written to help you write your conclusion by rephrasing your thesis. If you began with, "The colors of autumn make it my favorite season," then you can include a similar sentence in your conclusion. For example, "It is the orange, red, and brown of the leaves that make me love the fall."
Your topic for each body paragraph should be summarized in the conclusion so wrap up the main points
Your closing sentence should help the reader feel a sense of closure
Your closing sentence is your last word on the subject; it is your "clincher"
Demonstrate the importance of your ideas
Share with your reader a new view of the subject

What is a good outline for a conclusion?

Topic sentence
Fresh rephrasing of thesis statement
Supporting sentences
Summarize or wrap up the main points in the body of the essay
Explain how ideas fit together
Closing sentence
Final words
Connects back to the introduction
Can include a zinger or a call to action
Provides a sense of closure

What should NOT happen in the conclusion?

Do not start with
"in summary"
"in closing"
"as shown in the essay"
Do not introduce new facts or evidence
Do not simply repeat word for word what you already wrote in your thesis or in the essay

Conclusion Paragraph Graphic Organizer. "Foolproof Essay Conclusion Tricks." Jimmie's Collage RSS . N.d. Web. 17 Aug. 2013.

"Writing a Conclusion." Time4Writing . VKidz, Inc., 2013. Web. 17 Aug. 2013. <http://www.time4writing.com/learning-how-to-write/writing-a-conclusion>.

What else do I need to know?

Avoid using informal language (texting language, slang, vernacular, contractions). Use specific, descriptive words. Do not use the words “thing” or “stuff.”

Examples to correct:

Anne does a lot of stuff that’s hard.
Bob almost pees his pants when he sees Shane’s gun.
There are many things that make Ponyboy a good MICDS student.

Use third person in formal writing. Do not use the pronouns “you,” “we,” “I,” “me,” etc. in your essay.

I think Francie lives up to the MICDS Mission Statement because she is such a nice person.
You could tell that Shane was responsible because he gave Bob awesome advice.

Avoid repeating the same words of phrases in the same sentence or in sentences near each other.

Francie values education, and Francie works hard to go to school.
Shane is brave when he agrees to help Joe Starrett. Shane is also brave when he takes on the fight with Fletcher.

Writing the Body of the Essay

How do I write the body paragraphs of my essay?

At MICDS we use the TEE format for writing the body paragraphs in essays. Remember, the topic sentences, explanation and evidence all must relate to and tie back to your thesis statement.

T = Topic Sentence - A clear sentence that tells the reader the main idea of your paragraph. It should tie back to one of the points in your thesis.

E = Explanation - Explain its significance or importance and how it supports your thesis

E = Example or Evidence - Several sentences with supporting details that illustrate your point

What do the body paragraphs do in my essay?

correspond to one of the reasons you stated in your thesis
start with a topic sentence
have an explanation of why your reason stated in your thesis is true
examples or evidence of why your reason stated in your thesis is true
details to show why your evidence should be believed

What is the structure for my first body paragraph?

The topic sentence should state your first reason as to why you believe your thesis is true
The next sentences should be your thinking or analysis or explanation of why this is important
The next sentences should present your examples or evidence for why you believe your thinking or argument is true
The next sentences should provide details related to this evidence to convince your reader that your argument is true and valid

Then, follow this same formula for all your other body paragraphs.

The Basic Essay Outline

Graphic organizer.

The Research Paper Graphic Organizer . Digital image. Advanced Essay Writing, n.d. Web. 17 Aug. 2013. <http://lgimages.s3.amazonaws.com/data/imagemanager/82689/research_organizer.png>.

Paragraph Organizer

Pursuasive and Convincing Words

How do I persuade someone that my thesis and ideas are valid?

1. Make sure your opinion is supported by well-researched facts. Use ideas from experts to validate your opinion.

2. Convince your readers that your opinion is valid but, you don't want them to feel lectured at, critcized or insulted if they disagree with your ideas. Explain your point of view, but allow your reader the freedom to make up their own minds as to whether they agree with you based on the evidence you presented.

3. Look at the issue from various viewpoints. Acknowledge the opposing viewpoint and present information to support your viewpoint. Making a Pro/Con list will help you structure your ideas.

4. Use signalling words. These transition words help make your argument clearer, stronger and more interesting. Here are some examples:

Chronological - words about the order of things

First, second, third

Cause and Effect - words about things which make other things happen

Consequently

Using an Example - words to show what a thing is

For instance
For example

Addition - words that add more information

Additionally

Opposition - words that signal a conflict or problem

But, though, however
On the other hand
Nonethe less, nevertheless

Writing Hints

The title should give the reader some inkling of what the paper is about
Make the title catchy.

Create Flow

Make sure your arguments are organized in a logical order.
Provide proper transitions between paragraphs. Use "signpost" words like "secondly," "another reason," "furthermore," or "on the other hand." If these transitions are difficult to write, perhaps you need to work on the order of your paragraphs (and your thoughts). In other words, revise!
Use parallel structure , or format each part in a series in the same way. Instead of writing "she liked to play soccer, drawing, and when she went to watch tennis," write "she liked to play soccer, to draw pictures, and to watch tennis."

Word Choices

Avoid ambiguous words like "stuff" or "thing" or "whatever"
Make sure all pronouns (he, she, it, they) have clear antecedents (the word or words replaced by the pronoun). In other words, make it clear what "it" is or who "they" are.
Words like "this" and "that" should not stand alone, as in "This is good." Always follow "this" or "that" with a noun, as in "This plan..." "This law..." "That idea...."
Write in the third person .
Do not use "I," "we" or "you."Use formal language . A void slang or conversational language. Don't say "the U.S. blew it," "Bill Clinton wimped out," or "I mean, are you kidding??"

Verb Tenses

Use the simple past tense or simple present tense
Be consistent with your verb tenses.
Use active voice , not passive voice. For example: Better to say "President Clinton signed the bill" (active voice) than "the bill was signed by President Clinton" (passive voice).
Introduce the speaker of quotes in your text.
Examples: Attorney General Janet Reno said, "Mistakes were made," or Newsweek columnist, Joe Klein, said, "The campaign will run down to the wire."
Identify all people who might not be known to the average reader such as, "Secretary of State Madeline Albright" or " Newsweek columnist, George Will."

Capitalization

When using proper names, state the full name of the person the first time you use it:
For example, "President Bill Clinton" or "Bill Clinton," not just "Clinton" (certainly not "Bill").
After the first mention of someone use their last name only
print out your essay
read through your whole text out loud (you may feel silly doing this, but it works so get over it)
write changes and corrections
do not rely on spell checker or grammar checker exclusively·

Multiple Drafts

Your essay gets better with every draft so work on it may times over the course of many days. You need to be able to look at it with fresh eyes so you need a new day to do this!

Hint: If you try to do write your essay all in one night you will get tired and your writing will not be as good.

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Research Paper Thesis Statement Examples

What does a clear, good thesis statement for a research paper actually look like? You can see for yourself by reviewing the research articles you’ve been reading. Look at the best ones, the ones you really liked. Most will have a thesis statement (that is, their major argument) in the introduction or conclusion. To illustrate, let’s consider some thesis statements from leading figures across a range of fields. They serve as academic models worthy of emulation. As part of your thesis reading, look for clear arguments to serve as models. You find them in the best books and articles.

Here is Robert Nozick’s introduction to Anarchy, State, and Utopia , one of the most influential—and controversial—works of philosophy in the past half century:

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Individuals have rights, and there are things no person or group may do to them (without violating their rights). . . . How much room do individual rights leave for the state? The nature of the state, its legitimate functions and its justifications, if any, is the central concern of this book . . . . Our main conclusions about the state are that a minimal state, limited to the narrow functions of protection against force, theft, fraud, enforcement of contracts, and so on, is justified; that any more extensive state will violate persons’ rights not to be forced to do certain things, and is unjustified; and the minimal state is inspiring as well as right. Two noteworthy implications are that the state may not use its coercive apparatus for the purpose of getting some citizens to aid others, or in order to prohibit activities to people for their own good or protection. (Robert Nozick, Anarchy, State, and Utopia . New York: Basic Books, 1974, p. ix) (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Here is Max Weber, summarizing his complicated analysis in The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism :

What the great religious epoch of the seventeenth century bequeathed to its utilitarian successor was, however, an amazingly good . . . conscience in the acquisition of money, so long as it took place legally. . . . A specifically bourgeois economic ethic had grown up. With the consciousness of standing in the fullness of God’s grace and being visibly blessed by Him, the bourgeois business man, as long as he remained within the bounds of formal correctness, as long as his moral conduct was spotless and the use to which he put his wealth was not objectionable, could follow his pecuniary interests as he would and feel that he was fulfilling a duty in doing so. The power of religious asceticism provided him in addition with sober, conscientious, and unusually industrious workmen, who clung to their work as to a life purpose willed by God. (Max Weber, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (1904–5), trans. Talcott Parsons. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1958, pp. 176–77)

Friedrich Hayek wrote his influential Road to Serfdom in the midst of World War II, warning that increased planning by Western governments carried a profound hidden danger. Here is his thesis:

For at least twenty-five years before the specter of totalitarianism became a real threat, we had progressively been moving away from the basic ideas on which Western civilization has been built. That this movement on which we have entered with such high hopes and ambitions should have brought us face to face with the totalitarian horror has come as a profound shock to this generation, which still refuses to connect the two facts. Yet this development merely confirms the warnings of the fathers of the liberal philosophy which we still profess. We have progressively abandoned that freedom in economic affairs without which personal and political freedom has never existed in the past. (F. A. Hayek, The Road to Serfdom (1944); reprint, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1972, pp. 12–13)

Some think that historical studies don’t have such theses. After all, they are filled with detail and rarely seek to generalize their findings to other countries or other periods. Still, the best studies synthesize what they have found about their own time and place. They fuse the myriad details into a meaningful picture. Here is John W. Dower’s eloquent summary argument from Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II :

To understand the Japan that stands at the cusp of the twenty-first century, however, it is more useful to look not for the longue duree of an inexorably unfolding national experience, but rather at a cycle of recent history that began in the late 1920s and essentially ended in 1989. When this short, violent, innovative epoch is scrutinized, much of what has been characterized as a postwar “Japanese model” proves to [be] a hybrid Japanese-American model: forged in war, intensified through defeat and occupation, and maintained over the ensuing decades out of an abiding fear of national vulnerability and a widespread belief that Japan needed top-level planning and protection to achieve optimum economic growth. This bureaucratic capitalism is incomprehensible without understanding how victor and vanquished embraced Japan’s defeat together. (John W. Dower, Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II . New York: W. W. Norton, 1999, p. 558)

Finally, here is David Bevington arguing that Shakespeare’s plays have a visual dimension that reinforces their dialogue and contributes powerfully to their meaning:

Shakespeare’s texts demand visual realization. Ascents and descents, kneeling, ceremonial processions, joinings of hands, and the like are not only omnipresent but function as signs of hierarchical relationship, personal obligation, communal celebration, and a host of other meaningful qualities. Clothing betokens social rank or, conversely, a holiday inversion of it. Gestures often occupy the central moment of a scene or signal the reversal of dramatic action. My aim has been to study this unspoken language of the theater, and to see how Shakespeare regards both its capacity and its limitations. (David Bevington, Action Is Eloquence: Shakespeare’s Language of Gesture . Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1984, p. viii)

Bevington’s thesis statement appears early—in the preface—but it really begins with the title of his book, Action Is Eloquence: Shakespeare’s Language of Gesture . Dower’s title, Embracing Defeat , captures his thesis, too, and Hayek’s Road to Serfdom anticipates his argument. That’s worth thinking about when you choose your own title. A great title does more than mark off your subject matter. It indicates your take on it. Your title effectively becomes the opening line of your thesis statement.

What Makes a Good Research Paper Thesis Statement?

The thesis statements shown here are vastly different in their subject matter. Yet all of them are concise, forceful, and original. As they stand, however, they are little more than assertions. The authors spend most of their books developing these arguments, supporting them, defending them against likely objections, and showing their full implications. In the process, they build great books around interesting arguments.

In each case, the thesis statement shows that the project is coherent, that its multiple strands are bound together by a single aim. This aim, stated in the argument, is the focal point of the entire work.

That is exactly what you want to accomplish in your own thesis statement for your research paper. In the first few months of thesis research, you’ll take aim. As you move forward with your research and writing, you will adjust your sights. Revising your thesis statement is not a concession. It’s learning. Finally, you will draw conclusions and try to show how your argument hits the bull’s-eye. Don’t worry if your argument changes during your research project. That’s learning!

It is common to revise a thesis argument as research goes forward. Revisions like this are welcome improvements. They don’t mislead the reader unless you say (wrongly) that you have tested a proposition when you actually figured it out afterward, based on evidence revealed as you tested a different proposition.

You cannot use the same evidence to generate a proposition and test it. That’s circular. But it’s perfectly good to look at your evidence and revise your proposition or generate a new one. The revised proposition, you explain, fits the existing evidence but still needs to be tested on other evidence—perhaps another case or a different database. That’s learning, too. Don’t claim to have tested a proposition on evidence if you didn’t, if what you really did was infer the proposition from the evidence you gathered.

You should consider revising the thesis statement in several ways as you work on the research paper. One, which we’ve just mentioned, is in response to testing and evaluation. If some predictions are wrong, then you need to take that into account and modify the argument. Having done that, test the revised predictions against different evidence.

You may also discover that your argument is vague or cannot be evaluated in some circumstances. This problem may not be apparent until you’ve conducted some research, but, having discovered it, you should fix it. That means sharpening and clarifying the argument.

Another possibility is that your original argument is too broad. Your research may reveal it applies perfectly well to the United States but not to Canada, or vice versa. If your thesis statement incorrectly says it should apply to both countries, or perhaps to all democracies, then you need to delimit it. Put a fence around your argument, saying where it applies and where it doesn’t. Don’t do that in an arbitrary or ad hoc way. Specify the limits in clear, general terms, if possible—the same way you stated the thesis itself.

Similar problems can arise when you explore literary materials or historical documents. As you develop your analysis or narrative, you may discover that it no longer corresponds to your original argument. That’s not uncommon as you move deeper into research and writing. But something’s gotta give. Your broader argument should find support in the detailed analysis. Assuming you are more confident about the details (as most students are), then it’s time to rework the thesis argument so it fits snugly.

Except for the comments about testing predictions, these observations apply to the humanities as well as the social sciences. Your analysis of Wordsworth may suggest some insights into his fellow Lake Poets and possibly into all Romantic literature. You may think this broad application is a promising possibility, although nothing more than a possibility at this stage. Or perhaps you are certain the comments apply only to Wordsworth or, even more narrowly, to only a few of his poems. Say that. Tell your readers how widely your analysis applies and what its limits are.

Beyond exploring these limits, review your work to make sure the argument corresponds to the detailed research. If gaps remain, consider how best to explain them and discuss these issues with your instructor. Sharpening and refining your argument like this not only improves your research paper; it improves your understanding. It’s a learning experience well beyond most course work.

Learn how to write a thesis statement for a research paper .

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Explanatory Essay: Definition, Outline, Writing Steps & Samples

An explanatory essay informs readers about a specific topic or idea. It gives clear information without trying to change anyone's mind. This article will help you create a good explanatory essay. We'll cover what it is, how to plan it, and how to write your ideas clearly.

What Is an Explanatory Essay: Definition

An explanatory thesis is the main idea of this type of writing. It's a sentence that tells the reader what the essay is about. Explanatory essays need to present facts, not opinions. They use evidence and logic to explain things.

For example, if you're writing about climate change, your explanatory thesis might say: "Climate change is influenced by both natural events and human activities, and it affects the planet's ecosystems in many ways."

How to Start an Explanatory Essay: Important Steps

Knowing how to start an explanatory essay is important to get readers interested. Here's what to do:

Pick an interesting topic
Conduct thorough research
Develop a clear thesis statement
Create an outline

When choosing a topic, think about what your readers might like and what information you can find. For instance, if you're writing about clean energy, you could focus on new ways to use sunlight for power.

After you gather information, write your thesis statement. It should be specific and give a clear roadmap for your essay. For example: "Solar technology is changing how we produce and use energy around the world, offering both environmental and economic benefits."

Explanatory Essay Outline

A great outline helps you organize your thoughts and make your essay easy to follow. Here's a basic informational essay format:

1. Introduction

A catchy hook
Background information
Thesis statement (Main idea)

2. Body Paragraphs (usually 3-5 sentences)

Topic sentence
Facts that support your idea
Explanation
Transition to the next point

3. Conclusion

Restate main idea
Sum up the main points
Final thoughts

This structure helps keep your essay clear. Remember, each paragraph should focus on one main point that supports your main idea.

How to Write an Explanatory Essay

Now that you know the structure, let's talk about how to write explanatory essay well.

Introduction: Start with something interesting—a surprising fact, a question, or a short story. Give some background on your topic and end with your main idea.
Body Paragraphs: Each paragraph should talk about one part of your topic. Use reliable sources to support your points, and explain how this information relates to your main idea. For example, when writing about solar energy, you might have paragraphs about how it helps the environment, how much it costs, and new ways to use it.
Conclusion: How to write a conclusion for an explanatory essay: Sum up your main points and say your main idea again in a different way. Share some final thoughts about why your topic matters.

Throughout your essay, use words that help connect your ideas. This keeps readers interested and shows how your points are related.

Remember, the goal of an explanatory essay is to inform, not to argue. Stick to the facts, present them clearly, and let the information speak for itself.

Explanatory Essay Conclusion

How to write a conclusion for an explanatory essay is important to make your readers remember what you wrote. Your conclusion should:

Restate your main idea but in a fresh way
Go over the main points you talked about in your essay
Give a final thought or suggest what to do next

For example, if you wrote about clean energy, you might end by stating the importance of continued research and investment in these technologies for a sustainable future.

Explanatory Essay Example

Here's a short example about artificial intelligence in healthcare:

Introduction:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is bringing significant changes to various fields, with healthcare being a notable beneficiary. From diagnosis to treatment planning, AI is enhancing the capabilities of medical professionals and improving patient care outcomes.

Body Paragraph (example):

One significant application of AI in healthcare is in medical imaging analysis. AI algorithms can now detect abnormalities in X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans with accuracy comparable to experienced radiologists. A 2020 study demonstrated that an AI system outperformed human experts in breast cancer detection, reducing false positives by 5.7% and false negatives by 9.4%. This technology not only improves diagnostic accuracy but also potentially reduces the workload on healthcare professionals, allowing them to focus on complex cases and patient care.

Conclusion:

As AI technology advances, its integration into healthcare promises to enhance diagnostic accuracy, streamline treatment plans, and ultimately improve patient outcomes. While challenges remain, the potential benefits of AI in medicine underscore the importance of continued research and responsible implementation in this field.

Concluding Words

Writing a well-structured, informative, and explanatory essay requires careful planning and a clear understanding of the topic you are writing about. If you follow the tips in this guide and practice regularly, you'll get better at writing exceptional explanatory essays about any topic.

For writers looking to simplify their essay-writing process, Aithor can provide valuable assistance in organizing ideas, suggesting relevant information, and ensuring clear, coherent prose. While the core of your essay should always come from your own understanding and research, such tools can enhance your writing efficiency and effectiveness.

Can plagiarism be detected on pdf.

Plagiarism has been a challenge for a long time in writing. It's easy to find information online, which might make some people use it without saying where it came from. But plagiarism isn't just taking someone else's words. Sometimes, we might do it by accident or even use our own old work without mentioning it. When people plagiarize, they can get into serious trouble. They might lose others' trust or even face legal problems. Luckily, we now have tools to detect plagiarism. But what about PDF ...

Plagiarism: 7 Types in Detail

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Top 10 Use Cases for AI Writers

Writing is changing a lot because of AI. But don't worry — AI won't take human writers' jobs. It's a tool that can make our work easier and help us write better. When we use AI along with our own skills, we can create good content faster and better. AI can help with many parts of writing, from coming up with ideas to fixing the final version. Let's look at the top 10 ways how to use AI for content creation and how it can make your writing better. What Is AI Content Writing? AI content writin ...

What Is Self-Plagiarism & How To Avoid It

Have you ever thought about whether using your own work again could be seen as copying? It might seem strange, but self-plagiarism is a real issue in school and work writing. Let's look at what this means and learn how to avoid self-plagiarism so your work stays original and ethical. What is self-plagiarism? Self-plagiarism, also called auto-plagiarism or duplicate plagiarism, happens when a writer uses parts of their old work without saying where it came from. This isn't just about copying w ...

Paraphrasing vs Plagiarism: Do They Really Differ?

Academic assignments require much knowledge and skill. One of the most important points is rendering and interpreting material one has ever studied. A person should avoid presenting word-for-word plagiarism but express his or her thoughts and ideas as much as possible. However, every fine research is certain to be based on the previous issues, data given, or concepts suggested. And here it's high time to differentiate plagiarism and paraphrasing, to realize its peculiarities and cases of usage. ...

How To Write Essays Faster Using AI?

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How to Write a Dialogue in an Essay: Useful Tips

A correct usage of dialogues in essays may seem quite difficult at first sight. Still there are special issues, for instance, narrative or descriptive papers, where this literary technique will be a good helper in depicting anyone's character. How to add dialogues to the work? How to format them correctly? Let's discuss all relevant matters to master putting conversation episodes into academic essays. Essay Dialogue: Definition & Purpose A dialogue is a literary technique for presenting a con ...

What is Citation and Why Should You Cite the Sources When Writing Content

When we write something for school, work, or just for fun, we often use ideas and facts from other places. This makes us ask: what is a citation in writing? Let's find out what this means and why it's really important when we write. What is Citation? Citation in research refers to the practice of telling your readers where you got your information, ideas, or exact words from. It's like showing them the path to the original information you used in your writing. When you cite something, you us ...

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Election 2024: Kamala Harris and Tim Walz Sit Down With CNN

Kamala Harris sat down yesterday for her much-awaited interview with CNN’s Dana Bash. The reactions to their conversation, which Tim Walz joined, broke down along predictable lines . Democrats hailed it. Republicans panned it.

The truth no doubt lies somewhere in between. Harris didn’t make much news, whether good or bad. She did pledge to appoint a Republican to her Cabinet. That vow is a nod to her promise to govern on behalf of all Americans. There are many highly skilled and talented Republicans who no doubt would make good additions to a Harris administration. But as Bill Clinton and Barack Obama both discovered, naming a Republican to your Cabinet—even when it’s a high profile post like secretary of defense—does little to quell partisan passions.

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Harris also made her views crystal clear on one issue that is dividing Democrats, namely, support for Israel’s war in Gaza. She unequivocally defended Israel’s right to defend itself and said she would not withhold weapons destined to Israel. She coupled those statements with a commitment to get a ceasefire, secure the release of all hostages, and work toward a two-state solution. That position, however, reasonable it may be, will not satisfy those Democrats who oppose U.S. policy.

The Water's Edge

James m. lindsay analyzes the politics shaping u.s. foreign policy and the sustainability of american power. 2-4 times weekly., daily news brief, a summary of global news developments with cfr analysis delivered to your inbox each morning. weekdays., the world this week, a weekly digest of the latest from cfr on the biggest foreign policy stories of the week, featuring briefs, opinions, and explainers. every friday., think global health.

A curation of original analyses, data visualizations, and commentaries, examining the debates and efforts to improve health worldwide. Weekly.

What was most striking about the interview, though, was that the biggest domestic and foreign policy challenges the next president will face were largely absent. Bash didn’t ask Harris what she planned to do about America’s growing national debt, how she proposes to remake the U.S. tax system, whether she would try to regulate artificial intelligence or social media, how she would deal with China, whether and how she would continue U.S. support for Ukraine, how she would deal with Iran, or why she thinks U.S. global leadership is critical to advancing American security and prosperity.

Of course, no interview that runs for less than an hour can cover every topic. That is especially so when journalists also ask personal questions or press candidates on inconsistencies in their past statements. But with any luck, some future interviewer will ask Harris—and Donald Trump as well—about the issues that will dominate the next president’s agenda.

Campaign Update

The Harris and Trump campaigns continue to debate whether everything is set for their planned September 10 debate. Harris’s team says no. Trump’s team says yes. The sticking point looks to be whether one candidate’s microphone will be muted when the other candidate is speaking. That was the case at the June 27 debate that prompted Biden’s departure from the race. Trump wants to keep the rule. Harris wants to jettison it.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. endorsed Trump last Friday after suspending his own candidacy. Kennedy said he lacked “ a realistic path to an electoral victory” and that his polling showed that if he stayed in the race he “would most likely hand the election to the Democrats, with whom I disagree on most existential issues.” Not all pollsters agree that Kennedy’s candidacy was helping Democrats.

While Kennedy has left the race, his name will remain on the ballot in some of the nineteen states where he has formally qualified . Election officials in Kentucky, Michigan, and Wisconsin said this week that they would not be taking Kennedy’s name off the ballot. He may also not be able to get his name off the ballot in North Carolina , where Harris and Trump are running neck and neck .

Both Trump and Kennedy say that the former president has not offered Kennedy a job in a second Trump administration should there be one. However, Trump did name Kennedy and former Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard to his transition team . Kennedy said that means he will be working “to help pick the people who will be running the government.”

As Kennedy seeks to get off state ballots, independent presidential candidate Cornel West is trying to get on them. He’s not having much luck. He has so far qualified in only five states . Last Friday, a Pennsylvania court upheld the Pennsylvania Secretary of State’s decision that West had failed to meet the state’s qualifications to be on the ballot.

West’s failed effort in Pennsylvania is hardly the only legal challenge on the campaign trail. Election season, it is safe to say, is also lawsuit season. Just look to the Peachtree State. Last week, the Georgia state election board changed the state’s rules for certifying election outcomes, giving local election officials considerable discretion to delay the certification process so that they can hunt for voting irregularities. This week the Democratic Party and a coalition of allies sued the board . They argued the new “requirements introduce substantial uncertainty in the postelection process and—if interpreted as their drafters have suggested—invite chaos by establishing new processes at odds with existing statutory duties.” The plaintiffs want the courts to rule that election boards must follow the calendar for certifying election results and that challenges to those results should be handled by courts. Expect both parties to keep their legal teams on speed dial for the rest of the year.

Trump's personal legal problems also continue. On Tuesday, special counsel Jack Smith on Tuesday filed a revised indictment of the former president for trying to overturn the 2020 election. Smith revised the revised indictment to accommodate the Supreme Court’s ruling last month that presidents enjoy sweeping immunity for official acts while in office. The main change in the revised indictment is that Trump is no longer charged with having broken the law by pressuring the Justice Department to support his claims that the election had been stolen from him.

What the Pundits Are Saying

Foreign Policy profiled eleven men—and they are all men—“whose views and ideas could have a meaningful impact on Trump’s foreign-policy decisions.” FP doesn’t attempt to pick who might get which jobs in a second Trump administration. That’s probably for the best. Trump went through several sets of advisers the last time he was president. His past behavior is likely indicative of his future behavior.

U.S. News & World Report posted a “decision guide” for comparing how Harris and Trump will approach foreign policy. The guide focuses on four topics: China, Israel, NATO, and Russia.

The New York Times ’s David Sanger noted that while China may be dominating the conversation in the White House Situation Room, it is not dominating the conversation on the campaign trail. As Sanger put it, when the issue of China “comes up on the campaign trail at all, it’s framed chiefly as an economic threat. Thornier discussions of China’s role as a broad strategic competitor, with ambitions that are already forcing the United States to change how it prepares its workers, shapes its investments and restructures its defenses, have fallen largely by the wayside. China has fallen victim to what I call Situation Room-Campaign Trail disequilibrium. It works something like this: If there is a topic that is fixating Washington policymakers, it’s usually a good bet no one is talking about it, except in platitudes, on the campaign trail.” Last night’s CNN interview is good evidence of Sanger’s thesis.

What the Polls Show

Gallup found that Americans, and Democrats in particular, have become much more enthusiastic about voting in November. In March, 56 percent of Americans, and 55 percent of Democrats, said they were “more enthusiastic than usual about voting.” Those figures are now 69 percent and 78 percent, respectively. Republican enthusiasm also increased, rising from 59 percent to 64 percent. The 69 percent figure is the highest overall enthusiasm level since Gallup began asking the question in 2000. The previous highs were set in August 2004, October 2008, and September 2020, when 67 percent of Americans said they were more enthusiastic about voting. Voter enthusiasm and voter turnout broadly correlate. The 2004, 2008, and 2020 elections had the highest voter turnout of the six presidential elections since 2000.

The Chicago Council on Global Affairs found that Americans have mixed views about the Biden administration’s support for Israel’s war in Gaza. Six-in-ten Americans favor military support for Israel until the hostages are released. Forty-nine percent favor continuing that support until Hamas is destroyed. At the same time, 53 percent favor restricting U.S. military aid to Israel to limit the harm done to Palestinians.

The Campaign Schedule

The second presidential debate is in eleven days (September 10, 2024).

North Carolina will begin sending mail-in ballots to all voters who request them one week from today (September 6, 2024). Pennsylvania will allow voters to request mail-in ballots ten days later (September 16, 2024).

Donald Trump’s sentencing hearing on his New York felony convictions is in nineteen days (September 18, 2024).

The first in-person absentee voting in the nation begins in Minnesota and South Dakota in three weeks (September 20, 2024).

Election Day is seventy-seven days away.

Inauguration Day is 143 days away.

Aliya Kaisar assisted in the preparation of this post.

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COMMENTS

How to Write a Thesis Statement
Placement of the thesis statement. Step 1: Start with a question. Step 2: Write your initial answer. Step 3: Develop your answer. Step 4: Refine your thesis statement. Types of thesis statements. Other interesting articles. Frequently asked questions about thesis statements.
3. Thesis Statement & Outline
Qualities of a Thesis Statement. Thesis statements: state the subject matter and main ideas of a paper. appear in the first paragraph and announces what you will discuss in your paper. define the scope and focus of your essay, and tells your reader what to expect. are not a simple factual statement.
What is a Thesis Statement: Writing Guide with Examples
A thesis statement is a sentence in a paper or essay (in the opening paragraph) that introduces the main topic to the reader. As one of the first things your reader sees, your thesis statement is one of the most important sentences in your entire paper—but also one of the hardest to write! In this article, we explain how to write a thesis ...
How to write a thesis statement + Examples
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.
How to Write a Thesis Statement
Hint: a great many clear and engaging thesis statements contain words like because, since, so, although, unless, and however. 4. A strong thesis statement is specific. A thesis statement should show exactly what your paper will be about, and will help you keep your paper to a manageable topic.
Thesis Statements
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.
What Is a Thesis?
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 ...
How to Write a Strong Thesis Statement: 4 Steps + Examples
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 ...
Academic Guides: Writing a Paper: 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.
5.1: Developing a Strong, Clear Thesis Statement
A thesis statement is often one sentence long, and it states your point of view. The thesis statement is not the topic of the piece of writing but rather what you have to say about that topic and what is important to tell readers. Table 5.1 "Topics and Thesis Statements" compares topics and thesis statements.
9.1 Developing a Strong, Clear Thesis Statement
A strong thesis is specific, precise, forceful, confident, and is able to be demonstrated. A strong thesis challenges readers with a point of view that can be debated and can be supported with evidence. A weak thesis is simply a declaration of your topic or contains an obvious fact that cannot be argued.
How to Write a Thesis Statement With Examples
A thesis statement gives your reader a preview of your paper's content by laying out your central idea and expressing an informed, reasoned answer to your research question. ... The thesis of an argument essay could look something like the following: Self-driving cars are too dangerous and should be banned from the roadways. The exploration of ...
The Writing Center
A thesis statement is: The statement of the author's position on a topic or subject. Clear, concise, and goes beyond fact or observation to become an idea that needs to be supported (arguable). Often a statement of tension, where the author refutes or complicates an existing assumption or claim (counterargument).
How to Write a Thesis Statement for a Research Paper
Good Thesis Statement Examples. What does a clear, good thesis statement for a research paper actually look like? You can see for yourself by reviewing the research articles you've been reading. Look at the best ones, the ones you really liked. Most will have a thesis statement (that is, their major argument) in the introduction or conclusion.
How To Write a Thesis Statement (with Useful Steps and Tips)
Make sure that the thesis statement does not exceed two sentences. Avoid making obvious statements such as 'this is an essay about….' or 'the point of this paper is….'. The thesis statement should be able to convey this without using such up-front language. Write clearly and articulately.
Writing a Thesis Statement
An example of a thesis statement outlining your position might look like this: The locavore movement that has gained popularity in the United States over the past several years offers a way to increase health, support the local economy, and promote global ecology by making some simple changes to the way that you and your family eat.
PDF CCU Writing Center Thesis Statements
Thesis Statements A thesis is the main point of a paper. Writers will often include an explicit thesis statement near the beginning of a paper to help readers understand the purpose of the paper. While many thesis statements are just one sentence long, they can be longer if necessary. This handout provides a set of useful steps for creating a ...
How to write a thesis statement (with examples)
Fortunately, there are only three main essay purposes, and they're pretty easy to recognise: 1. The expository essay: This is an essay type that asks for the key facts on a subject to be laid out, with explanations. The Sports Science question above is an example of this. It asks for the WHAT and HOW of something. 2.
Thesis Statements
recognition. A statement like "Superman is a famous superhero" on the other hand, is not a thesis because it is just making a factual statement rather than a claim and it lacks any kind of explanation. If you look at the earlier examples of thesis statements, you should be able to identify both a claim and an explanation in each of them.
Thesis Statements
A thesis statement is a sentence (sometimes more than one sentence) in the introduction that tells the reader the following information: What the topic of the paper is. How the writer intends to discuss that topic. It gives a blueprint for how the essay will be structured. How the writer intends to prove or demonstrate his or her main points.
5.2 Developing a Strong, Clear Thesis Statement
Remember that a thesis statement is often one sentence long, and it states your point of view. The thesis statement is not the topic of the piece of writing but rather what you have to say about that topic and what is important to tell readers. Look at Table 5.1: Topics and Thesis Statements for a comparison of topics and thesis statements.
Developing a Strong Thesis Statement for Your English Essay
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Developing a Thesis Statement While developing a strong thesis statement is essential, there are some common mistakes that you should avoid: 1. Being too vague: Avoid using vague language or generalizations in your thesis statement. Be clear and specific about your main argument and the evidence you will present. 2. Making it too broad: A thesis statement that is ...
Thesis Statement Essays Examples
An effective thesis statement is the backbone of a well-structured essay. Thesis statement examples help illustrate the differences between strong and weak thesis statements. Here are the essential characteristics of a good thesis statement. Concise Summary. The best thesis statements should be brief and to the point. Avoid unnecessary words.
LibGuides: Research Tips and Tricks: Constructing an Essay
What does a good thesis statement look like? It should only be one sentence, regardless of essay length; It should use clear, strong language; A good thesis statement is a declarative sentence with no qualifiers (might, maybe, perhaps, etc.): A thesis statement should always be written in the third person. It states only one main idea with reasons
Research Paper Thesis Statement Examples
What does a clear, good thesis statement for a research paper actually look like? You can see for yourself by reviewing the research articles you've been reading. Look at the best ones, the ones you really liked. Most will have a thesis statement (that is, their major argument) in the introduction or conclusion.
Explanatory Essay: Definition, Outline, Writing Steps & Samples
Develop a clear thesis statement; Create an outline; When choosing a topic, think about what your readers might like and what information you can find. For instance, if you're writing about clean energy, you could focus on new ways to use sunlight for power. After you gather information, write your thesis statement.
PDF Thesis Dissertation Handbook
Instead, if you would like to have an editor look at your document prior to, or right after, your defense, email a . correctly formatted. copy of the following pages — not the entire document —to Alicia Paxton at [email protected] with the subject line "Preliminary Document Review": • front matter (title page through abstract)
Multiple Restraining Orders and Fake Births: What's Next? Pt. 2
Multiple Restraining Orders and Fake Births: What's Next? Pt. 2 | FULL EPISODE | Dr. Phil After former friends Randi & Haley tell Brittany's alleged...
PDF Task Force on Antisemitism Report 2
To be clear, we do not think that a statement should be impermissible just because it qualifies as antisemitic under this definition. Offensive statements generally are protected under the University's rules, so the University can encourage vibrant debate. The purpose of this definition is to educate, not to ban.
Election 2024: Kamala Harris and Tim Walz Sit Down With CNN
Last night's CNN interview is good evidence of Sanger's thesis. What the Polls Show Gallup found that Americans, and Democrats in particular, have become much more enthusiastic about voting in ...

Research Paper: A step-by-step guide: 3. Thesis Statement & Outline

About Thesis Statements

Steps you can use to create a thesis statement

How to write a thesis statement + examples

What is a thesis statement?

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Why Should Your Essay Contain a Thesis Statement?

How Can You Write a Good Thesis Statement?

How to Generate a Thesis Statement if the Topic is Assigned

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

How to Tell a Strong Thesis Statement from a Weak One

2. A strong thesis statement justifies discussion.

3. A strong thesis statement expresses one main idea.

4. A strong thesis statement is specific.

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Thesis Statements

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

What’s Covered:

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

Step 2: Figure out what point you want to make

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

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

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Student Resources

9.1 Developing a Strong, Clear Thesis Statement

Elements of a Thesis Statement

A Strong Thesis Statement

Examples of Appropriate Thesis Statements

Writing at Work

Thesis Statement Revision

Ways to Revise Your Thesis

Key Takeaways

How to Write a Solid Thesis Statement

Key Takeaways: Writing a Thesis Statement

Expository Essay Thesis Statement Examples

Types of Thesis Statements

Argument Thesis Statement Examples

Analytical Essay Thesis Statement Examples

How To Write a Thesis Statement (with Useful Steps and Tips)

How To Write A Thesis Statement

For Assigned Subjects

For Non-Assigned Subjects

Creating a Strong Thesis Statement

Narrowing the Focus

Taking a Stand

Testing and Refining Your Thesis Statement

Considering Counterarguments

Revising for Clarity and Strength

Supporting Your Thesis Statement

Understanding Topic Sentences