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- How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples
How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples
Published on January 11, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on August 15, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan.
A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . It usually comes near the end of your introduction .
Your thesis will look a bit different depending on the type of essay you’re writing. But the thesis statement should always clearly state the main idea you want to get across. Everything else in your essay should relate back to this idea.
You can write your thesis statement by following four simple steps:
- Start with a question
- Write your initial answer
- Develop your answer
- Refine your thesis statement
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Table of contents
What is 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.
A thesis statement summarizes the central points of your essay. It is a signpost telling the reader what the essay will argue and why.
The best thesis statements are:
- Concise: A good thesis statement is short and sweet—don’t use more words than necessary. State your point clearly and directly in one or two sentences.
- Contentious: Your thesis shouldn’t be a simple statement of fact that everyone already knows. A good thesis statement is a claim that requires further evidence or analysis to back it up.
- Coherent: Everything mentioned in your thesis statement must be supported and explained in the rest of your paper.
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The thesis statement generally appears at the end of your essay introduction or research paper introduction .
The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts and among young people more generally is hotly debated. For many who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education: the internet facilitates easier access to information, exposure to different perspectives, and a flexible learning environment for both students and teachers.
You should come up with an initial thesis, sometimes called a working thesis , early in the writing process . As soon as you’ve decided on your essay topic , you need to work out what you want to say about it—a clear thesis will give your essay direction and structure.
You might already have a question in your assignment, but if not, try to come up with your own. What would you like to find out or decide about your topic?
For example, you might ask:
After some initial research, you can formulate a tentative answer to this question. At this stage it can be simple, and it should guide the research process and writing process .
Now you need to consider why this is your answer and how you will convince your reader to agree with you. As you read more about your topic and begin writing, your answer should get more detailed.
In your essay about the internet and education, the thesis states your position and sketches out the key arguments you’ll use to support it.
The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education because it facilitates easier access to information.
In your essay about braille, the thesis statement summarizes the key historical development that you’ll explain.
The invention of braille in the 19th century transformed the lives of blind people, allowing them to participate more actively in public life.
A strong thesis statement should tell the reader:
- Why you hold this position
- What they’ll learn from your essay
- The key points of your argument or narrative
The final thesis statement doesn’t just state your position, but summarizes your overall argument or the entire topic you’re going to explain. To strengthen a weak thesis statement, it can help to consider the broader context of your topic.
These examples are more specific and show that you’ll explore your topic in depth.
Your thesis statement should match the goals of your essay, which vary depending on the type of essay you’re writing:
- In an argumentative essay , your thesis statement should take a strong position. Your aim in the essay is to convince your reader of this thesis based on evidence and logical reasoning.
- In an expository essay , you’ll aim to explain the facts of a topic or process. Your thesis statement doesn’t have to include a strong opinion in this case, but it should clearly state the central point you want to make, and mention the key elements you’ll explain.
If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!
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A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.
The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:
- It gives your writing direction and focus.
- It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.
Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.
Follow these four steps to come up with a thesis statement :
- Ask a question about your topic .
- Write your initial answer.
- Develop your answer by including reasons.
- Refine your answer, adding more detail and nuance.
The thesis statement should be placed at the end of your essay introduction .
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McCombes, S. (2023, August 15). How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved April 15, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/thesis-statement/
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**Thesis s •A thesis statement can appear as one sentence (see examples C and D) or several sentences (see examples A and B); this is dependent on the requirements of your rhetorical context. ** Note: these are general guidelines for constructing a strong thesis statement and topic sentences in a thesis driven essay; always refer to your ...
thesis statement is analogous to a "movie trailer" that gives readers an engaging glimpse into the main conclusion, compelling them to read further. As research progresses and the broader
Thesis Statements What this handout is about This handout describes what a thesis statement is, how thesis statements work in your writing, ... Examples Suppose you are taking a course on 19th-century America, and the instructor hands out the following essay assignment: Compare and contrast the reasons why the North and South fought ...
Types of Thesis Statements . The purpose and form of a thesis may depend on the genre of writing. Argumentative Thesis • The argumentative thesis takes a clear position on a debatable issue/topic and suggests or states the supporting reason(s) for that stance, which will be discussed further in the body of the essay. Example:
5. A troublesome thesis is a fragment; a good thesis statement is expressed in a complete sentence. Example: How life is in New York after September 11th. Better: After September 11th, the city of New York tends to have more cases of post-traumatic disorder than other areas of the United States and rightfully so.
This is a stronger 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:
Thesis Your thesis is the central claim in your essay—your main insight or idea about your source or topic. Your thesis should appear early in an academic essay, followed by a ... Here are some examples of possible thesis statements for a student's analysis of the article "The Case Against Perfection" by Professor Michael Sandel.
Example thesis statement: Shaped by religious tradition and belief the supremacy of Western culture, 20th century United States foreign policy has reinforced racism against the Middle East. • Argumentative Makes a claim about a topic and defends this claim Example thesis statement: High school graduates should be required to
Thesis Statements. WHAT IS A THESIS?? Your thesis statement asserts the central idea of your writing. The thesis takes a clear-cut position on a debatable topic, or summarizes the main point of argument of your paper. The thesis answers the main question or problem associated with your topic, which your course's assignment directions often state.
After reading your thesis statement, your reader should be able to. state the main point (argument) of your paper. outline the major sections of your paper. A thesis statement ... is your concise answer (in 1 - 2 sentences) to the research question. Assignment guidelines used with permission. The Structure of a Thesis-Driven Paper.
A thesis statement is one or a few sentences that express the main ideas of your paper and answer the questions posed by your paper. Some thesis statements offer readers a quick and easy-to-follow summary of what the paper will be discussing and what you as a writer are setting out to tell them. This handout will include strategies for writing ...
Creating Effective Thesis Statements What is a thesis statement? A thesis statement reflects the focus of your essay and tells the reader what to expect in the paper. It summarizes the writer's central claim and is developed and supported in your paper by examples and evidence. Please note that your topic may change as you write so you may ...
Your thesis should be clear, concise, and defendable, and it should be a response to an existing issue. It should not be an obvious statement that no one would refute. As a point of view in an existing conversation about the topic, it should be well backed up through examples and evidence from your arguments in coherent paragraphs.
Basic Guidelines for Thesis Statements: 1. Thesis statements must make a claim or argument rather than merely stating facts. They are not. statements of fact (because you couldn't write a paper about a statement of fact). Reasonable people should be able to disagree with you. Examples of statements of fact which are NOT good thesis statements: a.
You will be presented with different thesis statements based on the four thesis categories that we discussed. Please identify which thesis statement is the most effective. Refer back to the "Type of Paper" section to get a refresher on types of thesis statements and examples of them. 1. Argumentative Essay Thesis: a.
The statements made in the thesis imply that the differences outweigh the similarities. A revised thesis should specify the characters' personality traits and the kind of treatment. Define: "A hero can be any individual whose character and qualities people admire and attempt to imitate.". The thesis avoids using a dictionary definition.
For a 3-paragraph essay, the thesis statement . will list 1 main item to about the topic of the essay. Why. do I need a thesis statement? An essay needs a thesis statement because . it provides the reader with a clue of what the essay will be about, which will . help the reader better understand the main points. before reading the essay. Where ...
Step 2: Write your initial answer. After some initial research, you can formulate a tentative answer to this question. At this stage it can be simple, and it should guide the research process and writing process. The internet has had more of a positive than a negative effect on education.
Without a thesis statement, a paper has no direction. A thesis lets you know from the start where the paper is heading. It is a direct statement that lets the reader know exactly what you're discussing, how you're discussing it, and what your claim is. It says: this is the one point I'm going to convince you of. Your final thesis should ...
Arguable thesis statement: The government should ban smoking altogether. Statement of fact: Small cars get better fuel mileage than 4x4 pickup trucks. Arguable thesis statement: The government should ban 4x4 pickup trucks except for work-related use. Statement of fact: On average, people with college degrees earn more money in the workplace.
Narrative—setting (time and place); narrative hook; emphasis on voice; no thesis statement Organization An introduction's logical organization can be compared to the image of a funnel. That is, the introduction usually begins with a general overview of your topic and then becomes more specific, narrowing to the thesis statement.
Baugh Building Room 279 210-924-4338 ext. 270 [email protected] University Writing Center Rev. 2/2017 #2 The thesis may focus on illustrating how a work reflects the particular genre's forms, the characteristics of a philosophy of literature, or the ideas of a particular school of
Theorem 1.2.1. A homogenous system of linear equations with more unknowns than equations always has infinitely many solutions. The definition of matrix multiplication requires that the number of columns of the first factor A be the same as the number of rows of the second factor B in order to form the product AB.
Take our quiz to find out which one of our nine political typology groups is your best match, compared with a nationally representative survey of more than 10,000 U.S. adults by Pew Research Center. You may find some of these questions are difficult to answer. That's OK. In those cases, pick the answer that comes closest to your view, even if ...