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How to Restate a Thesis

Last Updated: February 27, 2024 Fact Checked

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 44 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 382,667 times. Learn more...

A thesis statement serves as your paper’s (or speech’s) guiding idea, alerting readers to the main points of your paper and the direction it will take. A thesis restatement, which comes in the paper’s conclusion, is the thesis’s kindred spirit, though not its identical twin. It differs from the thesis in both word choice and sentence structure. Restating your thesis at the end of the paper allows you to remind your readers of what you have proven in your body paragraphs and helps to bring your paper to a successful close.

Working out the Restatement Basics

Step 1 Decide on a place for the restatement.

  • Sketching out a rough conclusion (the main points you want to get across) will give you an idea of the best place for the restated thesis before you actually try your hand at writing the restatement.
  • Depending on the nature of your paper or of your conclusion, you may want to open your conclusion with a question or some other kind of rhetorical device, rather than a restatement of the thesis. While writing often follows prescribed formulas (such as the 5-paragraph essay), there is no one-size-fits-all approach for writing a concluding paragraph, and you may need to try out several positions for your thesis restatement to find out what works best.

Step 2 Capitalize on the work you’ve done.

  • You can use the restated thesis to provide a greater level of sophistication or emotional impact to the original argument. For example, if your initial argument was that buying pets as holiday gifts is dangerous, you might restate your thesis this way: "Remember: buying that puppy as a Christmas present might seem like a good idea at the time, but it could end in the tragedy of another homeless dog by Easter."
  • You can also restate your thesis to incorporate the relationship you've built with your reader. For example, if your essay was about developing business partnerships, you could begin your restatement by saying something like, "As a businessperson...." Not only will this make your restatement different from the original, but it will also help draw connections with important elements from the essay/speech.

Step 3 Answer the

  • For example, if you have written an essay about alcohol use on college campuses, you could revisit the "So what?" question in your conclusion by providing a statement about what that means for students and for college officials. It could look something like this: "Because alcohol abuse depends on more than just the legal drinking age, it is crucial that students be educated about how alcohol abuse occurs, and also that college officials broaden their perspective to include a greater variety of aspects."

Step 4 Avoid clichés.

  • You may be able to use something like “In conclusion” at the end of a speech, however. Signaling or signposting words—like “in conclusion” or “next”—are very important in speeches because listeners only have one chance to follow along with what you’re saying, and these words help them to keep their place.

Step 5 Don’t apologize.

  • Avoid saying things like, “It seems like” or “It is possible that” in the restatement. One exception would be if this conditional language is part of your original thesis statement and your paper is devoted to discussing a topic that is only a possibility, not something you are stating is definitely the case. Otherwise, maintain a level of confidence.
  • While maintaining confidence is crucial to the success of your paper, it’s important to acknowledge when opposition exists and not to use absolute statements which may alienate readers. Confidence in your position and in the fact that you’ve proven your point is one thing; blind certainty in your opinion is another!

Making the Restatement Distinct from the Thesis

Step 1 Use different words.

  • You can use your word processor’s thesaurus function for this, an online thesaurus, or a good old-fashioned paper thesaurus. If you use a thesaurus, however, check your chosen word in the dictionary to ensure that you know its precise meaning. Thesauruses group words very loosely by general meaning, and there is often a significant difference in connotation between them.
  • It’s not necessary to change every single word, such as prepositions (“in,” “on,” “above,” “over”) and articles (“a,” “an,” and “the”). Spend your time focusing on words/phrases that receive the most emphasis, like those that are central to the points you’re making.

Step 2 Change the structure.

  • Try varying your sentences by starting with different parts of speech. For example, if you began the original thesis with a prepositional phrase, start the restatement with the subject of the sentence. For instance, if the thesis starts out “Around the turn of the nineteenth century in England, women frequently…”, you might start your restatement out with something like “Women in early nineteenth-century….”
  • Another way to vary the structure is to present your points in a different order. Many thesis statements include three ideas, presented in the order in which they will be discussed in the body paragraphs. When restating, you can list the points in an alternate order.

Step 3 Split the points up.

Community Q&A

Community Answer

  • When restating your thesis, if you find that the statement doesn’t fit your paper anymore, you’ll want to go back to the body of your paper and try to find where things went off track. You may find that you need to revise the original thesis to reflect what you actually wrote in the paper, or that parts of the body of the paper need to be revised to better suit the thesis. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
  • While restating your thesis is essential to the conclusion of your paper or speech, it’s not enough. You will need to emphasize main points and, depending on the assignment/goal of the paper, you may also need to call your audience to action, discuss the implications of what you have talked about in the paper, or make predictions for the future. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
  • Think of the restatement as a new, more powerful version of your thesis—you’ve written the paper and learned a lot over that process, and now you have all of this knowledge to draw on. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0

restates the thesis and asks the reader to do something

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  • ↑ https://wts.indiana.edu/writing-guides/writing-conclusions.html
  • ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/cliches/
  • ↑ https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/conclusion
  • ↑ https://lsa.umich.edu/sweetland/undergraduates/writing-guides/how-do-i-write-an-intro--conclusion----body-paragraph.html

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How to Restate A Thesis: Your Detailed Guide

how to restate a thesis

A thesis acts as your research paper’s main pillar, guiding the readers to the key points on the paper and the direction that you took. A thesis statement comes at the introduction, but you will need to restate it in the conclusion. Notably, a lot of students find this challenging and keep asking, “How do you rephrase a thesis statement?” and “Are you supposed to reword your thesis in the conclusion paragraph?”

To help you restate thesis of your paper appropriately, we have highlighted the key steps that you should follow. Make sure to also check the examples and practice the different ways to restate a thesis until you can hack it like a pro.

What Does Restate Thesis Mean?

Before we can look at the steps involved in restating a thesis, it is important to start by asking the questions, “What does restating means?” and “How long does a thesis restate have to be?”

Restating means that you are highlighting something that you had already brought out, in this case, the “thesis of your paper.” Therefore, you are simply reminding the readers about the points that you were trying to put across in the entire paper, but without sounding repetitive. When it comes to length, there is no specific rule on it, but you should try to make it approximately the same length as the original thesis.

When you restate thesis and conclude the paper well, your work will look complete, professional and earn you a better grade.

Restate Thesis Statement: Decide Where to Position It

In most cases, college students restate the thesis at the start of their conclusion. You might also want to place it on a different section of the conclusion, other than the beginning of the conclusion. When teaching students how to restate a thesis in a conclusion, we recommend them to use the method that will make their work look unique.

For example, instead of restating the thesis as the first sentence, consider starting the conclusion with a rhetoric question followed by your restated thesis statement. Here is an example below. “Will we ever appreciate the importance of saving our rainforests? Rainforests act as the largest carbon sinks on the globe, as well as home to thousands of species, and everyone can play a role in their protection.”

Note that since there is no specific formula on how to restate a thesis statement , it is advisable to start by crafting a draft conclusion and then decide where to position it. Actually, you might consider several positions until you get the perfect spot.

How to Rephrase a Thesis: Make It to have a Deeper Impact

By the time a reader gets to the conclusion of your work, it implies that he/she has already read the entire paper and has a clear idea about your stand on the topic. Therefore, you should take advantage of this and rephrase the thesis statement to deliver a deeper level of emotional effect.

One way of driving this deeper emotional impact is addressing the reader directly, and here is an example. If you were working on a paper with a topic, such as cybersecurity for startups, a good way to start restating the thesis might be:

  • “As a startup enterprise owner …”
  • “To strengthen your information security as a small business owner …”

Ways to Restate a Thesis: Answer the Question, “So What?”

The stated thesis at the start of your introduction might not provide the answer to the question, “so what?” However, the restated thesis , in your conclusion, should comprehensively answer the question. The answer seeks to inform the reader about the significance of the arguments in the paper to avoid leaving him/her hanging.

For example, if your paper was talking about teenage alcohol and substance abuse, make sure to answer the question “So what?” by showing what it does to teenagers. This can be something such as this; “ Additional awareness of the dangers of substance abuse, such as alcohol, should be emphasized because teenagers are more prone and likely to give in because of peer pressure rather than the implications of substance abuse.”

Avoid Making Apologies when Rewording a Thesis

When working on the conclusion of your paper, it is prudent to be confident that you provided ample proof in the body. Therefore, as you restate the thesis, you should not make apologetic statements because they undermine your argument. Such statements, which you should avoid, include:

“It appears that …. “ “It is possible that …” “It is my opinion that …”

The only time when using such statements when restating your thesis might be okay is when the topic of discussion was simply a possibility.

Restate Thesis Statement by Varying the Tense

When writing an paper, the thesis statement at the introduction might have been done in the future tense, informing the reader what to anticipate in the rest of the paper.

For example, a paper looking at coal production might have a thesis such as this, “ I will examine the effects of using coal in Azerbaijan ….” When restating the thesis, you can change the tense, and put it in the past, so that it looks something like this, “ I evaluated the how harmful the use of coal is to the environment in Azerbaijan …”

Seek Writing Help to Restate Thesis of Your Paper

When you work on any piece of assignment, how you wrap it up, especially in the conclusion, is very important to avoid leaving your reader in suspense. In this post, we have demonstrated how to restate a thesis statement, but you should consider reading a carefully done restate thesis and practice more to hone your skills. However, if you are still finding the task a challenge, even after reading a restate thesis example, consider seeking writing help from an expert.

We have a pool of qualified writers who are ready to help you with your academic assignments, and all you have to do is ask us for help to “restate my thesis.” They know how to start a paper, write the body professionally, and restate the thesis like pros. Furthermore, our services are cheap, and you can count on our writers for quality work and top grades.

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Writing conclusions.

Though expectations vary from one discipline to the next, the conclusion of your paper is generally a place to explore the implications of your topic or argument. In other words, the end of your paper is a place to look outward or ahead in order to explain why you made the points you did.

Writing the Conclusion

In the past, you may have been told that your conclusion should summarize what you have already said by restating your thesis and main points. It is often helpful to restate your argument in the conclusion, particularly in a longer paper, but most professors and instructors want students to go beyond simply repeating what they have already said. Restating your thesis is just a short first part of your conclusion. Make sure that you are not simply repeating yourself; your restated thesis should use new and interesting language.

After you have restated your thesis, you should not just summarize the key points of your argument. Your conclusion should offer the reader something new to think about—or, at the very least, it should offer the reader a new way of thinking about what you have said in your paper.

You can employ one of several strategies for taking your conclusion that important step further:

  • Answer the question, "So what?"
  • Connect to a larger theme from the course
  • Complicate your claim with an outside source
  • Pose a new research question as a result of your paper's findings
  • Address the limitations of your argument

The strategy you employ in writing a conclusion for your paper may depend upon a number of factors:

  • The conventions of the discipline in which you are writing
  • The tone of your paper (whether your paper is analytical, argumentative, explanatory, etc.)
  • Whether your paper is meant to be formal or informal

Choose a strategy that best maintains the flow and tone of your paper while allowing you to adequately tie together all aspects of your paper.

The Final "So what?" Strategy

Part of generating a thesis statement sometimes requires answering the "so what?" question—that is, explaining the significance of your basic assertion. When you use the "so what?" strategy to write your conclusion, you are considering what some of the implications of your argument might be beyond the points already made in your paper. This strategy allows you to leave readers with an understanding of why your argument is important in a broader context or how it can apply to a larger concept.

For example, consider a paper about alcohol abuse in universities. If the paper argues that alcohol abuse among students depends more on psychological factors than simply the availability of alcohol on campus, a "so what?" conclusion might tie together threads from the body of the paper to suggest that universities are not approaching alcohol education from the most effective perspective when they focus exclusively on limiting students' access to alcohol.

To use this strategy, ask yourself, "How does my argument affect how I approach the text or issue?"

The "Connecting to a Course Theme" Strategy

When you use the "connecting to a course theme" strategy to write your conclusion, you are establishing a connection between your paper's thesis and a larger theme or idea from the course for which you are writing your paper.

For example, consider a paper about mothers and daughters in Eudora Welty's Delta Wedding for a class called "The Inescapable South." This paper argues that a strong dependence on the mother is analogous to a strong dependence on the South. A "connecting to a course theme" conclusion for this paper might propose that Welty's daughter characters demonstrate what type of people can and cannot escape the South.

To use this strategy, ask yourself, "What is an overall theme of this course? How does my paper's thesis connect?"

The "Complicating Your Claim" Strategy

When you use the "complicating your claim" strategy to write your conclusion, you are using one or more additional resources to develop a more nuanced final thesis. Such additional resources could include a new outside source or textual evidence that seemingly contradicts your argument.

For example, consider a paper about Ireland's neutrality during World War II. This paper argues that Ireland refused to enter the war because it wanted to assert its sovereignty, not because it had no opinion about the conflict. A "complicating your claim" conclusion for this paper might provide historical evidence that Ireland did aid the Allies, suggesting that the Irish were more influenced by international diplomacy than their formal neutrality might suggest.

To use this strategy, ask yourself, "Is there any evidence against my thesis?" or "What does an outside source have to say about my thesis?"

The "Posing a New Question" Strategy

When you use the "posing a new question" strategy to write your conclusion, you are inviting the reader to consider a new idea or question that has appeared as a result of your argument.

For example, consider a paper about three versions of the folktale "Rapunzel." This paper argues that German, Italian, and Filipino versions of "Rapunzel" all vary in terms of characterization, plot development, and moral, and as a result have different themes. A "posing a new question" conclusion for this paper might ask the historical and cultural reasons for how three separate cultures developed such similar stories with such different themes.

To use this strategy, ask yourself, "What new question has developed out of my argument?"

The "Addressing Limitations" Strategy

When you use the "addressing limitations" strategy to write your conclusion, you are discussing the possible weaknesses of your argument and, thus, the fallibility of your overall conclusion. This strategy is often useful in concluding papers on scientific studies and experiments.

For example, consider a paper about an apparent correlation between religious belief and support for terrorism. An "addressing limitations" conclusion for this paper might suggest that the apparent correlation relies on the paper's definition of "terrorism" and, since the definition is not objective, the apparent correlation might have been wrongly identified.

To use this strategy, ask yourself, "In what aspects is my argument lacking? Are there circumstances in which my conclusions might be wrong?"

Polishing Your Conclusion—and Your Paper

After you've completed your conclusion, look over what you have written and consider making some small changes to promote clarity and originality:

  • Unless your discipline requires them, remove obvious transitions like "in conclusion," "in summary," and "in result" from your conclusion; they get in the way of the actual substance of your conclusion.
  • Consider taking a strong phrase from your conclusion and using it as the title or subtitle of your paper.

Also, be sure to proofread your conclusion carefully for errors and typos. You should double-check your entire paper for accuracy and correct spelling as well.

Produced by Writing Tutorial Services, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN

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How to Restate a Thesis: Various Approaches to Restating Your Thesis

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Table of contents

  • 1 Understanding the Purpose of Restating a Thesis
  • 2.1 Paraphrasing.
  • 2.2 Summarizing.
  • 2.3 Reflecting.
  • 2.4 Significance.
  • 2.5 Rhetorical Devices.
  • 2.6 Emotional Appeal.
  • 2.7 Call to Action.
  • 2.8 Broader Context.
  • 2.9 Engaging Language.
  • 2.10 Memorable Statement.
  • 3.1 Understand the purpose of restatement
  • 3.2 Avoid clichés and overused phrases
  • 3.3 Be specific and avoid vague language
  • 3.4 Keep it concise
  • 3.5 Reflect on the essay’s journey
  • 3.6 Emphasize the significance
  • 3.7 Check for coherence
  • 3.8 Avoid introducing new ideas

A thesis statement guarantees that your essay will be read, and a paraphrased thesis states that the main points of your essay will be remembered. Students have already heard about the importance of formulating a thesis statement to interest the reader in your written work. However, inexperienced authors often forget to restate the thesis.

The purpose of the successful thesis restatement is to reinforce the essay’s main idea. This way, you intensify the original argument and influence the reader’s mind. For your research paper to be convincing, it must be coherent. For this reason, the thesis and the restated thesis should not contradict but complement each other.

In this article, detailed instructions will help you restate your thesis and make your essay memorable. Our experienced specialists are ready to share with you the most working strategies for high-quality rewording of the thesis. Moreover, we want to make it easier for you and have created a checklist of the necessary details to consider to restate your thesis effectively.

Understanding the Purpose of Restating a Thesis

We remind you that the thesis statement is a claim that summarizes the main idea of your essay. It is often used as the first sentence in the introductory paragraph to dedicate the reader to the context of the written work. However, a good thesis statement is not limited to the first paragraph. In academic and persuasive writing, for example, there is a need to restate the original thesis to maintain coherence.

What does restate thesis mean? Let’s start with the fact that a restated thesis is a statement based on the original thesis used in the concluding paragraph or throughout the body paragraphs. Quoting the original thesis statement word by word will not be effective, so you have to analyze the original meaning and reword it. You may use a paraphrasing tool in case you struggle with an issue of how to restate a thesis.

You must be wondering why restating a thesis statement in the conclusion paragraph is so important. It is sometimes difficult for the reader to follow your thought course while reading. Remember when you read a book, then by the last page, you begin to forget about what happened at the beginning. To regularly refresh the reader’s memory of your argument, you need to recall it by restating the original thesis statement in the essay’s conclusion paragraph and body paragraphs.

Thus, the thesis claim should permeate your essay. Each part should contain a reminder of the central idea to reinforce the perceived significance of the thesis word. The restated thesis acts as a link between the main components of your essay. It’s necessary to restate the thesis in conclusion, connect it with topic sentences and provide a logical analysis flow.

Strategies for Restating a Thesis Effectively

Unfortunately, a simple understanding of the importance of restructuring the thesis is insufficient. It is also necessary to understand the primary strategies for good restating. Our PapersOwl experts have prepared a list with good examples for you on how to restate a thesis statement effectively. The most effective strategies are:

Paraphrasing.

Reword your original thesis statement using different words and changing the sentence structure. With this technique, the form changes, but not the main point.

Initial thesis: The desegregation of public schools is considered to be the key purpose of the Civil Rights Movement.

Restatement: The anti-segregation movement in America was aimed at equalizing public schools.

Summarizing.

In this technique, you should analyze and summarize the overall meaning of the original point in the introduction. Thus, the statement will be concise and informative.

Initial thesis: Increased anxiety and stress exposure by the mother during pregnancy can negatively affect the intrauterine development of the child, making his nervous system more vulnerable to stress.

Restatement: A pregnant mother’s stress can make a child more anxious.

Reflecting.

Link your restated thesis to the ideas you uncovered in the body paragraph of the paper.

Initial thesis: The opportunities for women to develop professionally were historically equal to the career prospects of men, or were they?

Restatement of thesis: In the nineteenth century, the inequality in the career opportunities of the two sexes was drastic.

Significance.

Emphasize that the thought you expressed in the original thesis statement is so crucial that it is worth developing in restating the thesis.

Initial thesis: The lack of sex education in schools and families leads to increased unwanted pregnancies among adolescents.

Restatement: Again, 50% of pregnancies among teenagers are unwanted. As a result of the lack of sex education, the total number of teenage pregnancies continues to grow.

Rhetorical Devices.

Use rhetorical techniques in your thesis statement, such as parallelism and repetition, to enhance the persuasiveness of the paper and rephrase the original contribution.

Initial thesis: The film provides a detailed picture for our eyes.

Restatement: The film provides a detailed picture for our eyes, and a book provides an even more detailed image for our mind.

Emotional Appeal.

Use a moving phrase or concept to appeal to the reader’s emotions to enhance interaction. If you don’t know how to apply this technique, try asking for help with college papers , and get expert help.

e.g. How long must pass before people realize that their grandchildren will suffer from the consequences of environmental disasters.

Call to Action.

Formulate your paper’s central argument, and motivate the reader to take action by introducing a thesis restatement in the conclusion.

Example: Do not delay, nature needs your intervention right now, sort garbage responsibly!

Broader Context.

Explain to the reader the background of your thought.

Example: Initial thesis: The world was a millimeter far from a nuclear war.

Restatement: In the 20th century, the development of the nuclear industry reached such a level that the advanced countries were on the verge of starting a nuclear war.

Engaging Language.

Use vocabulary that is close and understandable to the reader.

Example: Lack of sleep is the major reason for heart diseases, so don’t worry, go take a nap!

Memorable Statement.

A powerful version of your original claim has a good potential to be remembered by readers.

Example: Realizing that you owe nothing to anyone is difficult, but only by recognizing this do you begin to live for real.

Checklist to help you ensure an effective restatement of your thesis

pic

Now that you’re familiar with working strategies for paraphrasing a thesis statement, as well as with illustrative examples, it’s time to stock up on all the tips from our experienced writers. We have created a checklist of eight points you need to follow to know how to write a thesis statement for the conclusion section so that most professors truly value your writing.

Understand the purpose of restatement

Understanding the reasons and motivation for your actions gives you the key to rephrase a thesis right. Having realized the primary goal of restating your thesis statement will help you articulate it more clearly. Remember that this writing technique exists to strengthen your arguments and improve their perception by readers. So let’s see how to restate a thesis for your conclusion and write a perfect paper.

Avoid clichés and overused phrases

The reader will not be interested in hackneyed formulations, absolute statements, and overused concepts in your thesis restatement. Our brain always demands novelty, so unique information will attract more attention and arouse interest in your research paper. Try to make your thesis restatement look fresh and intriguing.

Be specific and avoid vague language

Vague concepts, conditional language, overly long sentences, and oversimplification of information will make your thesis statements more boring. Do not think that your reader is a fool. On the contrary, provide him with food for thought. Also, reconsider the sentence structure, for it not to be too weary, use different words to be diverse.

Keep it concise

An excellent conclusion thesis restatement should be concise, giving only the most necessary context to make it easier to understand. You can expand on your idea in more detail in the following main paragraphs. To get a perfect reworded thesis, use the thesis statement generator to make the process easier. Still, to make rephrasing effective, it should be concise, write shorter sentences and use different words.

Reflect on the essay’s journey

Summarize your main ideas. After all, the thesis restatement is precisely the information you want the reader to remember the most. Why don’t you recall once again the main points and central claims of your writing? Use grammar tenses to convey your point. Perhaps your original statement was written in the present or future tense, then use past tense to show you’ve accomplished your ideas. Or, at the beginning of your writing, you used a sentence with a subject. So, restate the thesis in the conclusion with a prepositional phrase instead.

Emphasize the significance

Your opinion and your words must be heard. Emphasize the importance of your ideas with a strong conclusion paragraph thesis restatement. Choose the right strategy for your body paragraphs and paper’s conclusion to sound more convincing. Restate the thesis so that the reader has no doubts regarding the expertise of your writing and the words you say.

Check for coherence

Do not forget about the connection between the thesis sentence in the introduction paragraph and the restatement in the essay conclusion section and the main body. Follow the logic of the presentation of your thoughts when you restate claim. Your paper should not contain contradictory words and statements.

Avoid introducing new ideas

New and creative ideas are good, but they should be pre-planned as part of your paper. An unexpected and unforeseen conclusion that isn’t related to the research problem can confuse the reader at the end of the essay. Stick to your original concepts and the same meaning for the coherence of your writing. Rewrite existing concepts to reinforce your introduction thesis statement.

A thesis statement is an effective technique for attracting the attention of the reader, as well as ensuring his interest. However, using a thesis statement only in the introductory paragraph will not provide you with the desired result. For a more comprehensive result, you will have to rephrase a thesis statement a few more times in the writing process.

No strong conclusion is complete without a good reworded thesis. Remember to connect the rephrasing to the main research question. Use our strategies to write an effective thesis and get a well-deserved assessment from the teacher. Stick to our recommendations to make your paraphrased thesis effective.

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restates the thesis and asks the reader to do something

Restating a thesis is often considered a complex job. The good news is that you need to come up with smart hacks to structure your thesis in a better manner.

Not only a well-structured thesis statement can help you convey your message effectively, but it also promotes better comprehensiveness. With proper formatting, positioning, and structure of a thesis, a reader is likely to grasp the idea within the first 4 seconds of reading the thesis.

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With that said, let's understand what it takes to restate a thesis that remains accurate and relevant till the end.

3-Step Dissertation Process!

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Step 1    analyze the original thesis statement.

Proper Analysis is the key to identifying the loopholes in any thesis statement. If your original thesis statement looks incomplete or dull, repeat the initial research required for writing.

Below is a quick checklist to analyze your final thesis statement for better readability

  • Identify the key ideas
  • Repeat your arguments
  • Present your claims
  • Keep your focus in one place
  • Always keep the central argument in focus

Step 2: Revise your Thesis Statement

Starting from the first thesis statement, it's a summary of your subject used to support the argument of the entire thesis.

It is the first thing a reader reads at the start of a thesis, also often considered the main idea of the essay.

How to Write A Thesis Statement? Expert Tips and Examples

The easiest way to restate a thesis is by replacing complex words with simpler nouns. Doing this work helps avoid repetition, captures the main idea of the thesis, and keeps things fresh.

To restate your thesis statement, pick one strong idea you would like to talk about in the entire thesis.

Step 3: Summarise the Main Points

Once you're done restating your thesis statement, the next step is to summarise all the other important points you're going to cover in the thesis.

Exploring the ideas will help you better convey your message in fewer words.

To summarise the main points, pick the central argument and brainstorm other related ideas that you can think of from the reader's perspective.

Summarize Well: How to Write a Good Executive Summary?

Step 4: Use Active Voice

Writing a thesis in Active voice makes it 10x more impactful than using passive voice. With a quick manual check, you can easily highlight sentences that can be changed into passive voice. Extract those abstracts and use a passive-to-active converter.

Step 5: Be Specific

Specificity is the key to a good thesis; nothing else can beat that. To be specific with your research, state strong points with references. Don't try to be vague or use fancy words that have a negative impact on the thesis.

Step 6: Build Connections

A thesis is a set of connected ideas collected to reinforce the central argument. Restating a thesis is another name for creating connections with main points.

Try to use more transitions that connect one paragraph to the other without killing the main crux of the idea.

However, make sure of the consistency so that it keeps the reader from the main idea.

Step 7: Give it a Final Thought

Adding a personal touch to your thesis statement can be the ultimate deal sealer.

After every paragraph, go through your thesis and make any changes required.

This step helps you add or subtract anything for a better restatement of your thesis.

At this point, you can also add CTAs, revise the final thoughts, shorten your concluding remarks, and add a small reflection paragraph at the end to summarise everything.

Step 8: Check for consistency

Consistency is a must-have for any thesis that has to be published online. Once you're done with your thesis, check for consistency if any paragraph of your thesis needs to be more consistent.

Some of the easy ways to make a thesis consistent are:

  • Clearly state the focus of your essay.
  • Use a parallel structure in your easy
  • Try to add more verbs and only talk about the main point of your thesis.
  • Use consistent terminology in the thesis that makes it easy for readers to understand.
  • Take care of the formal tone of the essay. Avoid changing tone in between and stick to the same tone & voice for the entire thesis.
  • Use traditions to feed the curiosity of your reader. Always look for ways to add logic and avoid complex terms that may confuse the reader.

Step 9: Write for the Audience

The main objective of a thesis is to inform the reader of the latest facts and updates about a topic or subject.

Take a moment to think of the language they would like to read. Keep the tone informative and friendly for better comprehension of the idea.

Make every sentence clear and complete so the reader doesn't have to research from external sources.

Step 10: Use Emoticons

Using the right emotions at the right place is key to attracting the reader in the first 10 seconds.

Whether you want to connect with the audience or reinforce the arguments for better understanding, using emotions is the key.

Ending with a Verdict

Though a research thesis doesn't allow an individual's opinion or interests, giving a neutral verdict, dissent sounds like a bad idea.

Some common examples of a verdict include.

  • an ending statement that summarizes the whole idea of the thesis
  • A Call to action or CTA that guides the readers on what to do next
  • An unbiased recommendation discussed mutually in the thesis
  • A reflection statement that describes the broader implications of the topic

Step 11: Edit, Format, and Publish

Like any content, your research thesis also needs to be revised during the final editing.

It's the time when you should edit the essay to ensure it's clear, complete, and error-free.

The good idea is to spare an hour to review any possible errors that may create an inconsistency with your content.

Once done editing, consider formatting the thesis in a way that looks read well. Avoid stuffing all the information in a single paragraph but try to break your idea into multiple sections.

Checklist for Restating a Thesis

  • Be specific about the introduction and build arguments.
  • Answer why, what, and how this research thesis is going to be helpful
  • Choose a topic sentence that represents your thesis in less than 15 words
  • Conclude the thesis to summarise the whole idea
  • Offer new arguments and back them with factual information
  • Try to convey more information in fewer words
  • Draw a vision for the thesis before writing
  • Focus on the goal and only give justification for that
  • Don't hesitate to find and include new ideas in every paragraph
  • Check the flow of the paragraph and delete any unnecessary information.

Acknowledgement for Thesis & Dissertation: A Guide on How to Write Acknowledgement for Dissertation

Questions to Ask Yourself Before Restating a Thesis

Unlike blogs or articles, a thesis is not just stuffing information into paragraphs, but it's more than that.

Before writing a thesis, make sure to ask yourself a few questions. Such ae

  • Did I fulfil the goal of the thesis
  • Have I solved the challenges for the reader
  • Is it thesis specific for the target audience
  • Does my thesis answer the what, why, and how to question
  • Does my thesis have an impact on words

How to Know if Your Thesis is Strong

A strong thesis allows a better understanding of the idea discussed

While there are many ways to know if your thesis is strong, the easiest thing to do is review it yourself and ask a few questions.

  • Have I constructed the thesis the right way?
  • Have I created a connection between the A and B factor
  • Have I made my thesis specific enough
  • Does my thesis clarify all the objections?
  • Does my thesis support the thesis or topic statement
  • Is my thesis relevant to the reader's concern?
  • Does my thesis propose a useful solution?

How to Improve Your Thesis?

Improving an existing thesis is not a hard nut to crack. All you need to do is run a few manual checks to ensure everything is in place.

Here are a few things you can do to improve your thesis

  • Back with Strong Evidence

Having strong evidence is the only way to make your thesis effective.

Add evidence that makes sure your thesis is provable by evidence.

  • Keep it Short and Precise

No one likes to read stacks of long paragraphs with overstuffed information. Try to keep your thesis strong, clear, and to the point.

Delete excess information that is of no use to the thesis.

  • Focus on one Solution

A good thesis should not propose more than one solution to the reader. The simplest idea is not to give other distractions to the reader.

Stick to one idea and create more content that justifies the requirements.

Restating a thesis is not the hardest thing to o. With a small share of effort, you can easily manage to restate a thesis that doesn't seem repeated, arguable, or reinforced.

Your thesis should work around one idea or central argument only.

The process needs careful Analysis, attention to detail, and an in-depth understanding of the audience.

Start by restating your thesis statement and try to retain the original essence of your thesis without any repetition or forceful reinforcement.

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How to Restate Your Thesis: 5 Strategies

November 22, 2023

Examining the Purpose of Restating Your Thesis

Restating your thesis in the conclusion of your essay serves a vital purpose in reinforcing the main argument and leaving a lasting impact on your readers. This section will explore the significance of restating your thesis and why it is not merely a repetitive exercise.

  • Reinforcement: Restating your thesis reaffirms the central idea of your essay. By reasserting your main argument, you emphasize its importance and remind readers of the key point you want them to remember.
  • Summarization: Restating your thesis allows you to summarize the main points and evidence presented in your essay. It provides a succinct overview that helps consolidate the information and reinforce your main argument.
  • Closure: Restating your thesis brings a sense of closure to your essay. It signals to the reader that you have reached the end of your discussion and allows for a satisfying and cohesive conclusion.
  • Lasting Impact: By restating your thesis effectively, you can leave a lasting impression on your readers. It helps solidify your argument in their minds and prompts them to reflect upon the ideas presented long after reading your essay.

In the following sections, we will explore various strategies and examples to help you master the art of restating your thesis in a compelling and impactful way.

5 Strategies for Effective Restatement of Your Thesis

Restating your thesis effectively requires more than simply repeating your thesis statement. Instead, it involves summarizing your main points and findings while communicating the overall significance of the argument.

Summarize Your Main Points

Summarizing your main points is a crucial step in restating your thesis effectively. It allows you to remind your readers of the key arguments, evidence, and examples presented in your essay. Here are some strategies to help you summarize your main points:

  • Identify the main points: Review your essay and identify the main arguments or supporting points that you have made. These are the key ideas that contribute to your overall thesis.
  • Condense the information: Take each main point and condense it into a concise statement that captures its essence. Avoid going into too much detail or providing new information. Focus on the core message of each point.
  • Use bullet points or numbered lists: If applicable, present your main points as a list. This can help readers grasp the key arguments quickly and easily. Bullet points or numbered lists also create a visual break in the text, making it more reader-friendly.
  • Order your main points strategically: Arrange your main points in a logical order that reinforces the flow of your essay. Consider prioritizing the most impactful or strongest evidence first.
  • Avoid repetition: While summarizing your main points, be mindful of avoiding repetition. Restate each point in a way that adds value and emphasizes its significance without redundantly restating the exact same information.

By effectively summarizing your main points, you provide a concise overview of your essay’s key arguments and reinforce the foundation of your thesis.

Paraphrase Your Thesis Statement

Paraphrasing your thesis statement is an essential aspect of restating your thesis effectively. It involves expressing the main idea of your essay in a different way, using different words and sentence structures. Here are some strategies to help you paraphrase your thesis statement:

Change the sentence structure: Instead of using the same sentence structure as your original thesis statement, try rearranging the words and sentence structure to create a fresh and engaging restatement.

Example: Original thesis: “Climate change is a global problem that requires immediate action.” Paraphrased restatement: “Urgent measures are necessary to address the worldwide issue of climate change.”

Use synonyms and alternative words: Replace specific terms in your thesis statement with synonyms or related words. This not only helps avoid repetition but also adds depth and clarity to your restatement.

Example: Original thesis: “Education is crucial for societal progress.” Paraphrased restatement: “The advancement of societies heavily relies on the importance of education.”

Maintain the core message: While paraphrasing your thesis statement, ensure that the main idea or message remains intact. The restatement should still convey the central argument of your essay.

Example: Original thesis: “The government should implement stricter regulations on the usage of plastic to reduce environmental pollution.” Paraphrased restatement: “To combat environmental pollution, it is imperative for the government to enforce more stringent regulations regarding plastic consumption.”

By effectively paraphrasing your thesis statement, you provide a fresh perspective on your argument while staying true to the core message of your essay.

Connect Your Thesis to a Larger Idea or Context

Connecting your thesis to a larger idea or context helps emphasize the broader significance of your argument. It allows readers to understand the relevance and implications of your thesis statement in a broader context. Here are some strategies to help you connect your thesis to a larger idea or context:

Highlight the broader impact: Discuss how your thesis statement relates to a larger societal, cultural, or academic issue. Explain why understanding or addressing your thesis statement is essential in the larger scheme of things.

Example: Original thesis: “The portrayal of women in media perpetuates harmful stereotypes.” Restatement connected to a larger context: “Challenging the portrayal of women in media is an integral part of the ongoing fight for gender equality and empowering women.”

Provide historical or current examples: Demonstrate how your thesis statement connects to historical events, current affairs, or prominent figures. This highlights the relevance of your argument in a larger and recognizable context.

Example: Original thesis: “Corruption undermines the integrity of democratic systems.” Restatement connected to a larger context: “Throughout history, instances of corruption have been notorious for eroding trust in democratic institutions and fostering public disillusionment.”

Discuss the wider implications: Analyze the consequences or wider implications of your thesis statement beyond the scope of your essay. This helps readers understand the significance of your argument and its potential impact.

Example: Original thesis: “Automation in the workforce necessitates the need for reskilling and upskilling.” Restatement connected to a larger context: “The rapid advancement of automation technology not only requires individuals to adapt and acquire new skills but also poses significant challenges for educational institutions and policymakers in preparing the workforce of the future.”

By connecting your thesis to a larger idea or context, you demonstrate the broader relevance and impact of your argument, providing a deeper understanding for your readers.

Adding New Information or Ideas

While restating your thesis, you may want to introduce new information or ideas that support or expand upon your original argument. This can help enrich your restatement and provide further insight for your readers. Here are some strategies to add new information or ideas when restating your thesis:

  • Present additional evidence: Introduce new evidence or examples that strengthen your argument and support your thesis statement. This shows that your original thesis is well-founded and backed by solid evidence.
  • Include relevant statistics or research findings: Incorporate relevant statistics or research findings that further validate your thesis statement. This adds credibility and demonstrates a deep understanding of your topic.
  • Discuss alternative perspectives: Address counterarguments or opposing viewpoints and explain how your thesis statement still holds strong despite these alternatives. This showcases critical thinking and strengthens the overall persuasiveness of your argument.
  • Propose future implications or areas for further exploration: Suggest possible future developments or areas for further research and analysis related to your thesis statement. This expands the scope of your argument and encourages further engagement with the topic.
  • Connect to current events or trends: Relate your thesis statement to ongoing current events or emerging trends. By highlighting the relevance of your argument to contemporary issues, you make your restatement more relatable and impactful.

Remember to integrate new information or ideas seamlessly into your restatement, ensuring they enhance and build upon your original thesis in a cohesive and logical manner.

Changing the Stance of Your Thesis

Sometimes, it can be effective to restate your thesis by presenting a different perspective or changing the stance of your original argument. This adds complexity and nuance to your restatement, engaging readers with a fresh viewpoint. Here are some strategies for changing the stance of your thesis:

  • Acknowledge counterarguments: Address opposing viewpoints or critiques of your original thesis statement. Show that you have considered alternative perspectives and are open to a balanced discussion.
  • Present a different angle: Introduce a related but contrasting aspect of your topic. This allows you to present a new interpretation or highlight a lesser-known aspect, challenging conventional thinking.
  • Offer a qualified stance: Adjust the certainty or absoluteness of your thesis statement. Use words and phrases like “it is probable,” “it is likely,” or “there may be exceptions” to indicate a more nuanced or conditional stance.
  • Explore the limitations: Discuss the limitations or constraints of your original thesis statement. This demonstrates critical thinking and an understanding of the complexities involved in your topic.

By changing the stance of your thesis, you demonstrate intellectual flexibility and engage readers with a thought-provoking restatement that encourages further exploration and discussion.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Restating Your Thesis

Restating a thesis statement is a crucial step in effectively summarizing your main argument and reinforcing its significance. However, there are some common mistakes that should be avoided in order to maintain clarity and coherence. Here are some pitfalls to steer clear of when restating your thesis:

  • Repetition of the exact same words: While restating your thesis, strive to express the main idea using different words and sentence structures. Repetition can make your restatement sound monotonous and redundant.
  • Adding new information or ideas: Remember that restating your thesis is about summarizing and reaffirming your original argument, rather than introducing new information or ideas. Avoid incorporating unrelated or irrelevant content in your restatement.
  • Changing the meaning of your thesis: Ensure that the restatement maintains the same core message or main argument as your original thesis statement. Avoid altering the meaning or taking a completely different stance without proper justification.
  • Being too vague or general: Avoid being overly broad or generic when restating your thesis. Aim to provide a concise and specific restatement that accurately captures the main focus of your essay.
  • Not addressing the main points of your essay: Your restatement should reflect the key points and supporting arguments discussed in your essay. Neglecting to encompass these important elements can weaken the overall effectiveness of your restatement.

By avoiding these common mistakes, you can successfully restate your thesis statement in a manner that reinforces your main argument while maintaining clarity and coherence.

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How to Restate a Thesis: Masterful Techniques and Writing Tips for Efficiency

Masterful Techniques and Writing Tips for Efficiency

A thesis statement acts as the guiding idea for a paper or speech, and it alerts readers to the significant points and the position the paper takes. A restatement of a thesis comes at the end of an essay, and it acts as the thesis’ kindred spirit.

A thesis restatement differs from the central thesis by sentence structure and word choice. Restating the thesis helps remind the readers of what has been proven in the body. It allows one to bring the paper to a close. But are you the “ do my thesis for me ” kind of student? Don’t worry. You can still explore some of the critical tips and steps in restating your thesis as follows:

Steps in restating a thesis

Steps in restating a thesis

Restating a thesis may follow a sequence or steps, as this article outlines.

1. Deciding on the restatement position

Most writers and speakers prefer restating their theses at the beginning of their conclusion. However, one may put their thesis statement at other positions rather than the beginning of the concluding statement.

Open one’s paper with a question or different rhetoric rather than restating one’s thesis statement. As much as writing needs to follow some prescribed formulas, for example, the 5-paragraph essay , it is only sometimes valid that one has to follow some specific, described approach for the concluding paragraph.

One may need to try different positions to restate their thesis and determine what works best for them.

2. Capitalize on work done

Masterful Techniques and Writing Tips

While it is not guaranteed that when the reader reads the original thesis statement, they have also read the body of the essay or speech, they may have skipped the essay’s body and gone through the concluding statement.

A good restatement of the thesis may help enable them to understand what was discussed in the body; for example, one may have written about the dangers of buying pets as holiday gifts; it is possible to restate the thesis statement as,

“Remember, getting a kitten for a holiday gift may sound like a good idea, but it may end up as another case of a homeless cat before Easter!” One may as well opt to restate their thesis to incorporate the relationship built with the reader ; for instance, in an essay talking about the development of business partnerships, one may rephrase their thesis beginning, “As a business person,” This will ensure the restatement is different from the original thesis and help in drawing crucial elements from the essay as well.

3. Answer the “So what?” and avoid clichés

A perfect thesis will consider the “So what?” question such that it will try to justify the argument. It decides whether or not the reader will be interested in one’s essay. This issue, when revisited in one’s concluding statement, will help give the conclusion its deserved weight. While writing the restatement thesis as a conclusion’s starting sentence, avoid using phrases such as “In conclusion” or “As shown in this paper.”

These phrases have been overused in writing essays and signal to the reader that one needs more originality and creativity. Such statements may be used in speeches as they are crucial to guiding listeners in understanding the flow of the speech. These may sound different from when used in essays, as the listener has only one chance of following along with the speech, and such words help them keep their place.

Techniques and Writing Tips for Efficiency

Mastering the art of restating a thesis involves careful consideration of position, leveraging the work done, and addressing the “So what?” question. Writers and speakers can experiment with different positions for the thesis restatement, whether at the beginning or elsewhere in the conclusion.

Capitalizing on the work done in the body of the paper ensures that readers, even if they skipped sections, grasp the essential points.

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How to Write a Research Paper: Parts of the Paper

  • Choosing Your Topic
  • Citation & Style Guides This link opens in a new window
  • Critical Thinking
  • Evaluating Information
  • Parts of the Paper
  • Writing Tips from UNC-Chapel Hill
  • Librarian Contact

Parts of the Research Paper Papers should have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Your introductory paragraph should grab the reader's attention, state your main idea, and indicate how you will support it. The body of the paper should expand on what you have stated in the introduction. Finally, the conclusion restates the paper's thesis and should explain what you have learned, giving a wrap up of your main ideas.

1. The Title The title should be specific and indicate the theme of the research and what ideas it addresses. Use keywords that help explain your paper's topic to the reader. Try to avoid abbreviations and jargon. Think about keywords that people would use to search for your paper and include them in your title.

2. The Abstract The abstract is used by readers to get a quick overview of your paper. Typically, they are about 200 words in length (120 words minimum to  250 words maximum). The abstract should introduce the topic and thesis, and should provide a general statement about what you have found in your research. The abstract allows you to mention each major aspect of your topic and helps readers decide whether they want to read the rest of the paper. Because it is a summary of the entire research paper, it is often written last. 

3. The Introduction The introduction should be designed to attract the reader's attention and explain the focus of the research. You will introduce your overview of the topic,  your main points of information, and why this subject is important. You can introduce the current understanding and background information about the topic. Toward the end of the introduction, you add your thesis statement, and explain how you will provide information to support your research questions. This provides the purpose and focus for the rest of the paper.

4. Thesis Statement Most papers will have a thesis statement or main idea and supporting facts/ideas/arguments. State your main idea (something of interest or something to be proven or argued for or against) as your thesis statement, and then provide your supporting facts and arguments. A thesis statement is a declarative sentence that asserts the position a paper will be taking. It also points toward the paper's development. 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.

Students often learn to write a thesis as a first step in the writing process, but often, after research, a writer's viewpoint may change. Therefore a thesis statement may be one of the final steps in writing. 

Examples of Thesis Statements from Purdue OWL

5. The Literature Review The purpose of the literature review is to describe past important research and how it specifically relates to the research thesis. It should be a synthesis of the previous literature and the new idea being researched. The review should examine the major theories related to the topic to date and their contributors. It should include all relevant findings from credible sources, such as academic books and peer-reviewed journal articles. You will want  to:

  • Explain how the literature helps the researcher understand the topic.
  • Try to show connections and any disparities between the literature.
  • Identify new ways to interpret prior research.
  • Reveal any gaps that exist in the literature.

More about writing a literature review. . .

6. The Discussion ​The purpose of the discussion is to interpret and describe what you have learned from your research. Make the reader understand why your topic is important. The discussion should always demonstrate what you have learned from your readings (and viewings) and how that learning has made the topic evolve, especially from the short description of main points in the introduction.Explain any new understanding or insights you have had after reading your articles and/or books. Paragraphs should use transitioning sentences to develop how one paragraph idea leads to the next. The discussion will always connect to the introduction, your thesis statement, and the literature you reviewed, but it does not simply repeat or rearrange the introduction. You want to: 

  • Demonstrate critical thinking, not just reporting back facts that you gathered.
  • If possible, tell how the topic has evolved over the past and give it's implications for the future.
  • Fully explain your main ideas with supporting information.
  • Explain why your thesis is correct giving arguments to counter points.

7. The Conclusion A concluding paragraph is a brief summary of your main ideas and restates the paper's main thesis, giving the reader the sense that the stated goal of the paper has been accomplished. What have you learned by doing this research that you didn't know before? What conclusions have you drawn? You may also want to suggest further areas of study, improvement of research possibilities, etc. to demonstrate your critical thinking regarding your research.

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Easy-To-Use Guide On How To Restate a Thesis in 2023

how to restate a thesis

So, you have painstakingly written your paper intro, body, and now you are stuck on how to restate a thesis in conclusion. Well, you are not alone, my friend! Many college and university students go through what you are experiencing now.

Nevertheless, do not panic. In this top-tier post, you will see how to restate a thesis statement effortlessly and fantastically. Keep on reading to get your problem solved by the experts today.

What Does Restate Thesis Mean?

For us to have better grounding, we have first to understand what restating means? It denotes stating an idea again or differently, especially more transparently or convincingly.

In most papers, this short part forms the first sentence of the conclusion paragraph. As you state the thesis again in a new way, you help the reader recap the original thesis statement, especially in a long paper.

How Do You Rephrase a Thesis Statement?

There are a plethora of ways to restate a thesis statement. However, a successful thesis restatement ought to remind your readers of what you have proven in your body paragraphs. It should also help to bring your research paper to a successful close.

Below are professional steps to guide you when you are thinking about a thesis restatement:

  • Where do I want to restate my thesis?

The first step is to determine where you’d want to fit your thesis restatement in the conclusion paragraph. Most students think that it is supposed to be the first sentence of the concluding section. However, that is not the case.

You can decide to place it at the beginning, middle, or end of your summarizing paragraph. The goal is to remind your reader of the main idea while still maintain a sense of creativity and high writing standards.

Therefore, you can draft a rough conclusion and identify a suitable place for your thesis restatement before writing the final paper.

  • What have I discussed in the body paragraphs?

By the time you write your conclusion, you have already exhausted everything; the reader needs to know the original thesis statement. Therefore, you have ‘an informed reader’ by the time you are thinking to restate thesis statement.

Why is this important to know?

It helps you draw your thesis restatement from the arguments you’ve raised in the body paragraphs. The restated thesis will, therefore, provide a greater level of sophistication to the original statement.

How To Rephrase a Thesis

It is no secret that paraphrasing as a whole is not an easy task. At this point, after writing your five-paragraph paper, your mind might be saturated, and rephrasing can seem like calculating a calculus equation.

But you can still achieve this task and accurately. Scroll down to see how?

  • The ‘so what’ question

Professionals have unanimously agreed that this is the backbone of any thesis restatement. This question explains the significance of the original idea. When you revisit it in conclusion, it will prompt the reader to see why it was worth his/her time.

For instance, if you have a paper about cheating among students – the ‘so what’ question can address its meaning for the students and instructors. Look at the restate thesis example for this illustration: “Because cheating in exams depends on more than just the copy-pasting, it is crucial that students know about how cheating occurs.”
  • Avoid apologizing

At this point, you have given your defense in more than four body paragraphs; why should you be apologizing now? It will only make your conclusion look weak and write off all the body paragraphs’ strides.

Desist from phrases such as “it seems like or it is possible” when restating your thesis.

However, when the original thesis uses this conditional language, then an exception is made. You should maintain a high level of confidence at all costs, even in such a case. Have faith that you have done justice to your thesis statement.

  • Clichés are a no-go-zone

You all know how tedious and frustrating clichés can be on the part of the reader. Whenever you use words like ‘in conclusion or in summary,’ you will turn off your reader. Who doesn’t know that the last paragraph is a conclusion or summary?

Take a fresh perspective from the norm to make your conclusion paragraph thrilling and exciting. It will also show your maturity level in writing through the original and creative phrases you choose to use.

Rewording a Thesis

Are you supposed to reword your thesis in the conclusion paragraph? The answer is yes! As we have seen hitherto, rewording a thesis statement gives it a new and captivating outlook. Your conclusion will not appear blunt or dull when you re-write the thesis statement word for word.

So how do you achieve this task?

  • By changing the structure

To have a dissimilar thesis statement from the original, you have to alter its language and structure. It also applies to the clauses used in the original thesis.

Use different parts of speech to begin our thesis restatement. For example, if you start the original thesis with a subject, begin the paraphrase with a prepositional phrase. Here is an example of how to do that:

Original thesis: “Students in college and university are fond of copying and cheating.” Thesis restatement: “In many colleges and universities, students copy and cheat in their exams.”
  • Use different words altogether.

Make use of synonyms to the words used in the original thesis. Your word processor’s thesaurus function could be a good starting point. However, ensure that the words you choose bear the same meaning as the original ones.

  • Break the points up

If you had an original thesis with one long sentence, you could split it up in two or three manageable sentences. After doing this, you can spread the sentences across the conclusion paragraph to break the monotony.

  • Consider changing the tense.

Juggling between the present and past tense is a good strategy for rewording a thesis.

For instance, “I will discuss the impacts of exam cheating” to “I explained how deleterious cheating can be to students.”

How Long Does a Thesis Restate Have To Be?

In most cases, the conclusion paragraph accounts for 5-7% of the whole paper . Therefore, you should consider the overall word count of the entire piece first. After doing this, you will take the number of words you intend to use for your introduction and body paragraphs.

Once you determine the difference between these two, you can know the number of words to use for your thesis restatement. Either way, the number of words should not deter you from coming up with a quality thesis restate in conclusion.

Using the tips above guarantees you a top-notch restate of your thesis. If you wish to use cheap expert writing help to restate your thesis, our experienced writers are on standby.

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How to Restate a Thesis Statement: Examples & Tips

What is the most important part of any essay or research paper? Of course, it’s the thesis statement —a sentence that expresses the paper’s main idea and guides the readers through your arguments.

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But where do you place the thesis? You’ve probably answered, “in the introduction.” However, that’s not all of it—you also need to restate the thesis statement in the conclusion. Moreover, it should be paraphrased using a more diverse vocabulary.

The picture shows the definition of a restated thesis.

If you’re unsure about how to restate a thesis, this article by Custom-Writing.org will be helpful for you. Here, you will find:

  • various rephrasing strategies,
  • a step-by-step guide,
  • the most actionable thesis restatement tips.
  • ✍️ Thesis Restatement Definition
  • ✅ Step-By-Step Guide
  • 💡 Rephrasing Strategies
  • 📋 Example Sentences
  • 🖼️ How to Reframe
  • ✨ Bonus Tips

🔍 References

✍️ what is a restated thesis.

A restated thesis is a reworded and restructured version of the original statement. It is presented in a conclusion or any other part of the essay requiring a recap of the paper’s main idea. It shouldn’t repeat the thesis statement word for word: instead, it’s better to focus on its content.

Why Restating Your Thesis Is Necessary

For a solid, effective academic work, a restated thesis in a conclusion is a must. Here’s why:

  • A restated thesis helps reintroduce your central argument, thus enhancing its perceived significance.
  • A correctly restated main claim makes the transition to the implications smoother.
  • A paraphrased thesis restatement signals the readers about the wrap-up of your paper.

✅ How to Restate a Thesis Step by Step

Now, let’s dwell on the restatement process in more detail. We recommend you follow the steps we described below. It will help you make your paraphrased thesis effective without undermining your persuasive arguments.

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💡 How to Rephrase a Thesis: Different Strategies

You can approach the restatement of thesis in several ways. Here are the best strategies that will make your argument effective and easily understood.

The picture enumerates the 5 best thesis restatement strategies.

How to Restate a Claim by Substituting Synonyms

English is a language rich in synonyms, so you’ll hardly experience any trouble finding suitable substitutes for the words you’ve used in the original thesis. You can also try out an online reword generator or thesis statement maker to get different versions of your central claim.

For instance, imagine that this is your thesis:

People of color have achieved pronounced success in the fight for their civil rights and equality in the USA over the last century,

You may experiment with synonyms as freely as you want. Here are some variants:

  • The 20-century civil rights movement gave many rights and freedoms to the minorities in the United States.
  • The situation with racial equality improved significantly over the past 100 years, giving racial minorities a strong voice in American society.

Restating Your Thesis by Altering the Sentence Structure

The syntax is also a rich source of inspiration for thesis changes. If the original statement is compound, divide it into several shorter sentences. If you’ve used several simple sentences in the first version, consider combining them into one longer statement.

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Here is an example of altering the thesis’ structure without changing the main points:

In the original version, we started by focusing on diabetes. In the reworded thesis, we presented the numbers as the first piece of data. This way, we’re directing the reader’s attention to the gravity of the problem.

How to Restate Your Thesis by Changing the Tense

In most cases, the original thesis statement uses future or present tense. It helps to inform the readers about what they are about to read. For instance, it can start with an introductory phrase:

I will argue that homework should be canceled to give students more free time and ease the burden of high school studies.

In this example, the thesis statement is written in the present tense. It links to the general statistics of time students spend on their homework. You can transform this statement into a past-tense sentence in the conclusion, showing that your argument has been proven.

The presented evidence showed that students benefited from homework cancellation and had more quality time for their hobbies and relaxation.

Restating a Thesis by Shortening or Lengthening It

The length of your thesis statement also matters. You may present it in a shorter way at the beginning of your paper, focusing only on the gist of your research question. Later on, once the arguments are laid out and explained in detail, you can present a more extended version of the initially formulated problem.

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In this restates thesis example, we have extended the original idea, explaining what “assigned seating” and “school bullying” mean. This way, the reworded version could embrace the evidence discussed in the argumentative essay’s body.

Restating a Thesis by Linking It to the Research Problem

The strategy we’re about to describe is suitable for use in research paper writing. You will need to tie the thesis statement to the problem you’ve outlined in the introduction, linking it to the issue you’re examining.

For instance, in an essay on child obesity in the USA, you can restate the thesis as follows:

Although preventive healthcare has witnessed much advancement in the past decade, evidence proves that child obesity is still on the rise, with alarming annual increase rates.

📋 How to Restate a Thesis: Example Sentences

Now, let’s examine how to rephrase a sentence in practice. Have a look at these examples:

Example # 1

Here, we expanded the thesis statement by making it longer and adding some details.

Here, we have changed the sentence structure by switching the first and second parts. The first example focuses on the legalization of marijuana, while the second version starts by mentioning the rising rates of teenage weed consumption.

In this example, we’ve changed the thesis statement’s tense from future to past, showing how an intention transformed into a completed task.

🖼️ How to Reframe a Reworded Thesis?

Once you’ve approached the conclusion paragraph of your work, it’s time to think about reframing your main claim. It’s important not to duplicate the introductory thesis because its role in the final section is different. Here are some workable reframing suggestions:

  • Reword the original thesis and put it at the beginning of your conclusion. It will bring the focus back to your initial research purpose.
  • Enumerate the central claims you’ve focused on. They can be compiled from topic sentences used in the body paragraphs.
  • After restating the thesis, you can dwell on the broader significance of the problem you’ve examined. Make a logically related call to action based on the cited evidence. You can also mention your study’s limitations and clarify what additional research is needed.

✨ Bonus Thesis Statement Tips

Now, it’s time to give you a bonus for careful reading: our tried-and-tested tips for good thesis rewriting. Check them out:

As you can see, rephrasing a thesis statement requires effort. Using extensive vocabulary and syntax will help you restructure the content and retain its meaning. And, of course, make sure to follow our tips!

Further reading:

  • Best Thesis Statement Examples with Expert Comments
  • How to Write a Conclusion for a Research Paper: Examples & Tips
  • How to Write a 5-Paragraph Essay: Outline, Examples, & Writing Steps
  • What Are the 5 Different Types of Essays? A Complete Guide

❓ How to Restate Thesis in Conclusion FAQs

Restatement of your thesis involves restructuring and changing the vocabulary originally used in the introduction. However, the altered thesis should preserve your work’s meaning and central message.

You will typically need a reworded thesis in a conclusion paragraph. This part of your essay or research paper should wrap up everything you’ve said and summarize your claims in different words.

When composing your essay conclusion paragraph, it is vital to reword your thesis statement initially presented in the introduction. This strategy will help you make the conclusion sound non-redundant while preserving the original main idea.

When restating the claim, you do the same work as when you reword the thesis. You need to change the wording and syntax while preserving the overall meaning of the original claim.

A good example is as follows: “children should wear uniforms at school.” The reworded thesis would contain the same meaning rephrased in your own words: “Uniforms are recommended for all students.”

  • Writing the Conclusion: Indiana University Bloomington
  • Writing Introductory and Concluding Paragraphs: University of Minnesota
  • How to Restate a Thesis Statement: Classroom: Synonym
  • Writing a Paper: Conclusions: Walden University
  • Conclusions: Purdue University
  • Ending the Essay: Conclusions: Harvard University
  • Thesis Statements: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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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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Essay Writing Guide

How To Write A Conclusion

Last updated on: Jun 16, 2023

How to Write a Conclusion - Examples & Tips

By: Nova A.

13 min read

Reviewed By: Rylee W.

Published on: Mar 26, 2019

How to Write a Conclusion

Do you find yourself struggling to write a strong conclusion while writing essays or academic papers, leaving your work feeling unfinished?

The conclusion is the opportunity to leave a final impression on your readers and effectively wrap up your arguments. Yet, many students struggle to find the right balance between summarizing their main points and delivering a powerful closing statement.

But fear not, as we're here to help! 

In this blog, we will provide you with a comprehensive guide on how to write a compelling conclusion. We will share valuable techniques and strategies to ensure your conclusion leaves a memorable impact, providing a sense of closure and reinforcing the significance of your work. So, let's dive into the blog!

How to Write a Conclusion

On this Page

What is a Conclusion?

In the context of academic or formal writing, a conclusion refers to the final part of an essay, research paper, or any other written piece. It serves as a summary of the main points discussed and provides a final perspective or judgment on the topic.

The purpose of a conclusion is to: 

  • Summarize the main points and arguments presented in the text.
  • Restates the thesis statement or main argument.
  • Provides closure to the piece of writing.
  • Leaves a lasting impression on the reader.
  • Demonstrates the significance or implications of the ideas discussed.
  • Avoids introducing new information or arguments.
  • May offer recommendations, propose further areas of research, or provide a call to action.
  • Encourages reflection and deeper understanding of the topic.

Remember writing a conclusion does not mean simply repeating all the points but providing a broader implication of the discussed topic while sticking to the main idea.

Conclusion Outline

Here's an outline for structuring a conclusion:

How to Write a Conclusion?

In this section, we will outline the essential steps to help you craft an engaging and impactful conclusion.

How to Write a Conclusion Paragraph -5StarEssays.com

1. Restate the Thesis Statement and Introduction

Begin your conclusion by revisiting the thesis statement and the key points introduced in the essay's introduction. This ensures a cohesive ending that reinforces the main idea and purpose of your work.  Consider tweaking the wording and incorporating the main idea from your thesis statement to create a seamless connection.

2. Create a Connection between the Opening and Closing

Maintain continuity in your essay by linking the ending to the introduction. Reflect on the main points discussed initially and demonstrate how they have been addressed and expanded upon in the body of your work.  This connection enhances the overall flow and coherence of your essay.

3. Revise and Summarize the Main Points

If your essay comprises multiple body paragraphs exploring a complex topic, take the opportunity to revise. Condense the main points discussed in each paragraph.  Rather than simply summarizing, emphasize the significance and relevance of these points to the overall topic.

For instance , if your essay focused on the causes of obesity, highlight the main reasons and their implications in your concluding sentence.

4. Provide an Insight and Call to Action

Make your conclusion thought-provoking by offering insights or suggesting further action related to the topic. This leaves a lasting impact on your readers and encourages them to contemplate the subject matter beyond your essay. 

For example, you can conclude by stating, " Taking proactive measures such as monitoring your calorie intake using dedicated apps can contribute significantly to the fight against obesity ."

Want to craft a conclusion in under 5 minutes? Check out this video!

Types of Conclusion

When it comes to writing conclusions, there are various types that you can employ based on the purpose and nature of your essay or paper. Here are some common types of conclusions:

  • Summary Conclusion: This type of conclusion provides a concise summary of the main points discussed in the essay or paper. It briefly restates the key arguments or findings without introducing new information.
  • Synthesis Conclusion: A synthesis conclusion goes beyond summarizing the main points and aims to connect different ideas presented in the essay. It emphasizes the relationships and connections between various arguments or evidence.
  • Call to Action Conclusion: In a call-to-action conclusion, the writer encourages the reader to take a specific course of action. This type of conclusion is often used in persuasive essays or argumentative essays.
  • Implication or Significance Conclusion: An implication or significance conclusion discusses the broader implications and significance of the essay's findings or arguments. It explains the relevance and impact of the topic in a larger context, highlighting its importance and potential consequences.
  • Future Research Conclusion: When writing a research paper, a future research conclusion suggests potential areas for further exploration or study. It identifies gaps in the existing research and proposes questions or topics that could be addressed in future research endeavors.
  • Personal Reflection Conclusion: A personal reflection conclusion allows the writer to share their own thoughts, insights, or experiences related to the topic. It adds a personal touch and perspective to the conclusion, helping to create a deeper connection with the reader.

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Helpful Conclusion Examples

Here are some good conclusion examples:

Research Paper Conclusion Example

‘How to write a conclusion for a research paper ?’

Here is a research paper conclusion example that begins with restating the problem discussed in the paper and ends with a call to action.

Report Conclusion Example

‘How to write a conclusion for a report ?’

Reports serve different purposes, such as providing a deeper understanding of a subject and motivating readers to take action. They can cover various forms of content, including book reviews and general reports.

Here is a sample report conclusion;

Thesis Conclusion Example

‘How to write a conclusion for a thesis ?’

Argumentative Essay Conclusion Example

How to write a conclusion for an argumentative essay ?

Persuasive Essay Conclusion Example

‘How to write a conclusion for a persuasive essay ?’

Example of Conclusion For Assignment

How To Write a Conclusion In An Essay

How To Write a Conclusion Sentence

How To Write a Conclusion To a Paper

Good Conclusion vs Poor Conclusion

Tough Essay Due? Hire Tough Writers!

Tips to Write a Good Conclusion

Here are some tips to write an effective and great conclusion:

  • End the essay and conclusion with a positive note .
  • Remind the importance of your idea or research question.
  • Link back to the themes discussed in the introduction.
  • Summarize the main points without repeating them.
  • Propose a course of action and implications of your arguments.
  • Do not introduce any new information at this stage.
  • Don’t include every single detail shared in the body.
  • If your essay isn’t in the first person, don’t end with your personal thoughts .
  • Avoid using sentences such as “I’m no expert, but this is my opinion…”
  • Don’t start with phrases such as “To conclude, to sum it up, in conclusion…”
  • Don’t share any evidence in this section that should’ve been stated in the body.

Mistakes to Avoid When Writing a Conclusion

Here are the mistakes to avoid when writing a conclusion:

  • Introducing new information not previously discussed.
  • Repeating the introduction without adding a fresh perspective.
  • Being vague or general without depth or precision.
  • Neglecting to emphasize the significance or implications of your work.
  • Ending abruptly without a clear final thought or statement.
  • Ignoring the expectations and needs of your target audience.
  • Failing to revise and edit for clarity and impact.

Wrapping Up! Crafting a strong and effective conclusion paragraph is essential to provide coherence and closure to your essay. It should avoid introducing new ideas, themes, or evidence, as this can confuse readers and diminish the impact of your paper. By implementing these guidelines, you can ensure that your assignments conclude on a memorable and impressive note. However, if you still find yourself in need of assistance, don't hesitate to consult the essay experts at 5StarEssays.com. 

Request our " write my essay " service today and let us guide you every step of your writing journey. Reach out to us now!

Frequently Asked Questions

How many sentences are in conclusion.

Usually, a conclusion is two to three sentences long. The aim of a conclusion is to conclude the main ideas and not to introduce any new points for the readers.

What is a concluding sentence in a body paragraph?

In a body paragraph, the last line is the concluding sentence. It provides closure to the paragraph and connects all the ideas together. However, it does not repeat any ideas and transits to the next section or paragraph.

Can you have quotes in your conclusion?

Ideally, no, you must not place any quotes in the concluding sentence. However, quotes could be added here only when you are referencing someone.

Nova A.

Marketing, Law

As a Digital Content Strategist, Nova Allison has eight years of experience in writing both technical and scientific content. With a focus on developing online content plans that engage audiences, Nova strives to write pieces that are not only informative but captivating as well.

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60 Introductory Paragraph: Establishing Reader Interest and Writing a Strong Thesis

Ann Inoshita; Karyl Garland; Kate Sims; Jeanne K. Tsutsui Keuma; Tasha Williams; and Melissa Elston

Learning Objectives

  • Learn the component parts of a complete and succinct introduction
  • Examine strategies for the opening lines of an essay
  • Learn how to write thesis sentences that are specific, precise, and confident
  • Identify the differences between a strong thesis and a weak thesis

An introduction exists as the first paragraph in a five-page essay, and it serves the following purposes:

  • Establishes reader interest.
  • Introduces the general topic of the essay while establishing the writer’s voice, tone, or attitude, toward the subject.
  • States the thesis that will be supported in the body paragraphs.

Establishing reader interest

Introductions should begin with an engaging lead or opener (sometimes called a “hook”) that is devised to evoke readers’ interest. Capturing readers’ attention motivates them to continue reading. Writers can garner a reader’s interest by doing the following:

  • Beginning by quoting an expert on the respective topic or an inspirational individual.
  • Beginning by offering some statistical evidence that is both informative and intriguing.
  • Opening with a striking mental image.
  • Appealing to the reader’s emotions.
  • Raising a question or series of questions.
  • Presenting an explanation or rationalization for the essay.
  • Including a personal anecdote.
  • Stating in the middle of a story with the conclusion of the story existing as the first sentence in the conclusion paragraph.

While the above strategies can be successful in “hooking” your reader, always confirm with your instructor whether or not you are using the right approach. For example, if your assignment sheet instructs you not to use first-person point-of-view, then including a personal anecdote in the introduction will not work for your paper.

Transition sentences

After the opener or hook, writers need to add transition sentences that should introduce the readers to the topic by stating general facts or ideas about the subject. These important sentences help readers move or “transition” from the hook toward the thesis statement.

You can think of your introduction as an inverted pyramid–whereas your first sentences about your topic are broad, the introductory paragraph then narrows down to the thesis, which should be specific.

A strong thesis statement

An introduction usually contains a thesis statement (i.e., the main point of the essay). A thesis statement is a promise to the reader about what the essay will be about. A thesis is not the topic itself, but rather the writer’s angle on the topic. For whatever topic a professor gives, writers must ask themselves, “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 usually one sentence long and appears toward the end of the 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 the writer will organize the information. The templates in the section about composing thesis sentences all help writers develop specific, precise, and confident thesis sentences.

Specificity

A thesis statement must concentrate on a specific area of a general topic. The creation of a thesis statement begins when writers choose a broad subject and then narrow it down until they have pinpointed a specific aspect of that topic. For example, healthcare is a broad topic, but a proper thesis statement would focus on a specific area of that topic and essentially answer the following question: “What are the options for individuals without healthcare coverage?”

A strong thesis statement must be precise enough to allow for a coherent analysis of the topic but remain focused on the topic. If the specific topic pertains to options for individuals without healthcare coverage, then the precise thesis statement must make an exact, related, statement, such as the following: “Limited options exist for those who are uninsured by their employers.” To elaborate on this topic further, the writer might discuss how limited options impact the lives of the uninsured.

Writers must also be confident in their approach. Phrases such as “I feel” or “I believe” actually weaken the readers’ sense of confidence in what they are reading because these phrases imply that the writer may be the only person who feels this way.

Taking an authoritative stance on the matter persuades readers to have faith in the argument and to open their minds to the point of view of the writer. So, no thesis should contain phrases such as “in my opinion” or “I believe.” These statements reduce credibility.

Each of the following thesis statements meets several of the requirements: specificity, precision, and confidence.

Literature-based examples:

  • The societal and personal struggles of Troy Maxon in the 1986 play Fences symbolize the challenges faced by black men who lived through segregation and integration in the United States, and their life stories can be considered as critical to understand the challenge black men continue to face over thirty years later.
  • J. D. Salinger’s character in Catcher in the Rye , Holden Caulfield, is a confused and somewhat rebellious young person who voices his disgust with “phonies.” Yet, in an effort to protect himself, he acts like a phony on many occasions making him a complicated character within one of Salinger’s most celebrated novels.

Current events-based examples:

  • Closing all American borders for a period of five years is one idea proposed so as to deal with illegal immigration; however, contemporary strategies regarding this issue do not address the essential human right for safety along with the essentials of food, clothing, and shelter.
  • Discussing the dangers of illegal drug use is with elementary and middle school students is one method that schools use to help dissuade young people from abusing drugs as they grow up. However, children learn a great deal from what they observe making it imperative that parents monitor what their children watch on TV, see in movies, and glean from their friends and family members.

Avoid weak thesis statements

Here are some pitfalls to avoid when composing a thesis:

  • A thesis is weak when it is simply a declaration of a subject or a description of what the writer will discuss in the essay. Remember, do not refer to your essay in your essay. By the time one enters college, such strategies for writing thesis statements have passed.
  • A thesis is weak when the statement is too broad. Weak thesis statement: The life and presidency of Abraham Lincoln was challenging.

Adapted from English Composition: Connect, Collaborate, Communicate  by Ann Inoshita ; Karyl Garland; Kate Sims; Jeanne K. Tsutsui Keuma ; and Tasha Williams,  CC BY 4.0  

Introductory Paragraph: Establishing Reader Interest and Writing a Strong Thesis Copyright © by Ann Inoshita; Karyl Garland; Kate Sims; Jeanne K. Tsutsui Keuma; Tasha Williams; and Melissa Elston is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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An Overview of the Writing Process

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 discover 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 somewhere in your 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 get 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,” a basic or main idea, an argument that you think you can support with evidence but that may 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.
  • 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, “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 o.k. 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 19th-century America, and the instructor hands out the following essay assignment: Compare and contrast the reasons why the North and South fought the Civil War. You turn on the computer and type out the following:

The North and South fought the Civil War for many reasons, some of which were the same and some different.

This weak thesis restates the question without providing any additional information. You will expand on this new information in the body of the essay, but it is important that the reader know where you are heading. A reader of this weak thesis might think, “What reasons? How are they the same? How are they different?” Ask yourself these same questions and begin to compare Northern and Southern attitudes (perhaps you first think, “The South believed slavery was right, and the North thought slavery was wrong”). Now, push your comparison toward an interpretation—why did one side think slavery was right and the other side think it was wrong? You look again at the evidence, and you decide that you are going to argue that the North believed slavery was immoral while the South believed it upheld the Southern way of life. You write:

While both sides fought the Civil War over the issue of slavery, the North fought for moral reasons while the South fought to preserve its own institutions.

Now you have a working thesis! Included in this working thesis is a reason for the war and some idea of how the two sides disagreed over this reason. As you write the essay, you will probably begin to characterize these differences more precisely, and your working thesis may start to seem too vague. Maybe you decide that both sides fought for moral reasons, and that they just focused on different moral issues. You end up revising the working thesis into a final thesis that really captures the argument in your paper:

While both Northerners and Southerners believed they fought against tyranny and oppression, Northerners focused on the oppression of slaves while Southerners defended their own right to self-government.

Compare this to the original weak thesis. This final thesis presents a way of interpreting evidence that illuminates the significance of the question. Keep in mind that this is one of many possible interpretations of the Civil War—it is not the one and only right answer to the question . There isn’t one right answer; there are only strong and weak thesis statements and strong and weak uses of evidence.

Let’s look at another example. 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.

Why is this thesis weak? Think about what the reader would expect from the essay that follows: you will most likely provide a general, appreciative summary of Twain’s novel. The question did not ask you to summarize; it asked you to analyze. Your professor is probably not interested in your opinion of the novel; instead, she wants you to think about why it’s such a great novel— what do Huck’s adventures tell us about life, about America, about coming of age, about race relations, etc.? First, the question asks you to pick an aspect of the novel that you think is 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.

Here’s a working thesis with potential: you have highlighted an important aspect of the novel for investigation; however, it’s still not clear what your analysis will reveal. Your reader is intrigued, but is still thinking, “So what? What’s the point of this contrast? What does it signify?” Perhaps you are not sure yet, either. That’s fine—begin to work on comparing scenes from the book and see what you discover. Free write, make lists, jot down Huck’s actions and reactions. Eventually you will be able to clarify for yourself, and then for the reader, why this contrast matters. 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 the original version of 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 the latest publications on this topic. 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 .

Anson, Chris M. and Robert A. Schwegler. The Longman Handbook for Writers. 2nd ed. New York: Longman, 2000.

Hairston, Maxine and John J. Ruszkiewicz. The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers. 4th ed. New York: HarperCollins, 1996.

Lunsford, Andrea and Robert Connors. The St. Martin’s Handbook. 3rd ed. New York: St. Martin’s, 1995.

Rosen, Leonard J. and Laurence Behrens. The Allyn & Bacon Handbook. 3rd ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 1997.

  • Thesis Statements. Provided by : The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Located at : http://writingcenter.unc.edu/ . License : CC BY-NC-ND: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives

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1.8: Thesis Statements

  • Last updated
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What this handout is about

This handout describes what a thesis statement is, how thesis statements work in your writing, and how you can discover 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 somewhere in your 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 get 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,” a basic or main idea, an argument that you think you can support with evidence but that may 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.
  • 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, “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 o.k. 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 19th-century America, and the instructor hands out the following essay assignment: Compare and contrast the reasons why the North and South fought the Civil War. You turn on the computer and type out the following:

The North and South fought the Civil War for many reasons, some of which were the same and some different.

This weak thesis restates the question without providing any additional information. You will expand on this new information in the body of the essay, but it is important that the reader know where you are heading. A reader of this weak thesis might think, “What reasons? How are they the same? How are they different?” Ask yourself these same questions and begin to compare Northern and Southern attitudes (perhaps you first think, “The South believed slavery was right, and the North thought slavery was wrong”). Now, push your comparison toward an interpretation—why did one side think slavery was right and the other side think it was wrong? You look again at the evidence, and you decide that you are going to argue that the North believed slavery was immoral while the South believed it upheld the Southern way of life. You write:

While both sides fought the Civil War over the issue of slavery, the North fought for moral reasons while the South fought to preserve its own institutions.

Now you have a working thesis! Included in this working thesis is a reason for the war and some idea of how the two sides disagreed over this reason. As you write the essay, you will probably begin to characterize these differences more precisely, and your working thesis may start to seem too vague. Maybe you decide that both sides fought for moral reasons, and that they just focused on different moral issues. You end up revising the working thesis into a final thesis that really captures the argument in your paper:

While both Northerners and Southerners believed they fought against tyranny and oppression, Northerners focused on the oppression of slaves while Southerners defended their own right to self-government.

Compare this to the original weak thesis. This final thesis presents a way of interpreting evidence that illuminates the significance of the question. Keep in mind that this is one of many possible interpretations of the Civil War—it is not the one and only right answer to the question . There isn’t one right answer; there are only strong and weak thesis statements and strong and weak uses of evidence.

Let’s look at another example. 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.

Why is this thesis weak? Think about what the reader would expect from the essay that follows: you will most likely provide a general, appreciative summary of Twain’s novel. The question did not ask you to summarize; it asked you to analyze. Your professor is probably not interested in your opinion of the novel; instead, she wants you to think about why it’s such a great novel— what do Huck’s adventures tell us about life, about America, about coming of age, about race relations, etc.? First, the question asks you to pick an aspect of the novel that you think is 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.

Here’s a working thesis with potential: you have highlighted an important aspect of the novel for investigation; however, it’s still not clear what your analysis will reveal. Your reader is intrigued, but is still thinking, “So what? What’s the point of this contrast? What does it signify?” Perhaps you are not sure yet, either. That’s fine—begin to work on comparing scenes from the book and see what you discover. Free write, make lists, jot down Huck’s actions and reactions. Eventually you will be able to clarify for yourself, and then for the reader, why this contrast matters. 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 the original version of 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 the latest publications on this topic. 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 .

Anson, Chris M. and Robert A. Schwegler. The Longman Handbook for Writers. 2nd ed. New York: Longman, 2000.

Hairston, Maxine and John J. Ruszkiewicz. The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers. 4th ed. New York: HarperCollins, 1996.

Lunsford, Andrea and Robert Connors. The St. Martin’s Handbook. 3rd ed. New York: St. Martin’s, 1995.

Rosen, Leonard J. and Laurence Behrens. The Allyn & Bacon Handbook. 3rd ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 1997.

IMAGES

  1. How to Restate a Thesis in Conclusion: Examples & Thesis Restatement Tips

    restates the thesis and asks the reader to do something

  2. How To Restate A Thesis Statement : How To Restate Your Thesis

    restates the thesis and asks the reader to do something

  3. How to Restate Thesis Statement (6 Best Tips From Experts)

    restates the thesis and asks the reader to do something

  4. Restate Thesis Statement In Conclusion Examples

    restates the thesis and asks the reader to do something

  5. How to Restate a Thesis Statement? Complete Guide With Examples

    restates the thesis and asks the reader to do something

  6. How can I restate a thesis statement effectively?

    restates the thesis and asks the reader to do something

VIDEO

  1. Confessions of a Workaholic

  2. I guess I learnt something doing my capstone project

  3. Corrupt intellect: Exegesis of Proverbs 14:30

  4. Your Research Question and Thesis Statement

  5. The SECRET to Writing COMPLEX Thesis Statements

  6. How to write a thesis statement (with simple and advanced examples)

COMMENTS

  1. How to Restate a Thesis: 9 Steps (with Pictures)

    Another way to vary the structure is to present your points in a different order. Many thesis statements include three ideas, presented in the order in which they will be discussed in the body paragraphs. When restating, you can list the points in an alternate order. 3. Split the points up.

  2. How to Restate a Thesis

    Therefore, as you restate the thesis, you should not make apologetic statements because they undermine your argument. Such statements, which you should avoid, include: "It appears that …. "It is possible that …". "It is my opinion that …". The only time when using such statements when restating your thesis might be okay is when ...

  3. Writing Conclusions

    Address the limitations of your argument. The strategy you employ in writing a conclusion for your paper may depend upon a number of factors: The conventions of the discipline in which you are writing. The tone of your paper (whether your paper is analytical, argumentative, explanatory, etc.) Whether your paper is meant to be formal or informal.

  4. How to Restate a Thesis: Various Approaches to Restating Your Thesis

    3.4 Keep it concise. 3.5 Reflect on the essay's journey. 3.6 Emphasize the significance. 3.7 Check for coherence. 3.8 Avoid introducing new ideas. A thesis statement guarantees that your essay will be read, and a paraphrased thesis states that the main points of your essay will be remembered. Students have already heard about the importance ...

  5. PDF Writing Effective Conclusions

    This isn't a word-for-word copy of your thesis, but rather a paraphrasing of it. The wording should be different, but the ideas, and the order of those ideas, should stay the same. Leave the Reader with Clarity on What They Should Do Now After restating your thesis, it's time to make it clear to the reader what it is you want them to take

  6. How to Restate Your Thesis: A Beginner's Guide & Examples

    Step 1 Analyze the Original Thesis Statement. Proper Analysis is the key to identifying the loopholes in any thesis statement. If your original thesis statement looks incomplete or dull, repeat the initial research required for writing. Below is a quick checklist to analyze your final thesis statement for better readability.

  7. PDF Ideas for Writing Conclusions

    ♦ The writer must be careful to make the connection to the original thesis clear. The Proposal Conclusion ♦ The writer asks readers to do something with a call to action. ♦ This strategy is often used in analyses and arguments. ♦ A similar approach is the "call for further study" approach. The Scenic or Anecdotal Conclusion

  8. How to Restate Your Thesis Statement

    Avoid incorporating unrelated or irrelevant content in your restatement. Changing the meaning of your thesis: Ensure that the restatement maintains the same core message or main argument as your original thesis statement. Avoid altering the meaning or taking a completely different stance without proper justification.

  9. How to Restate a Thesis: Masterful Techniques and Writing Tips for

    Restating a thesis may follow a sequence or steps, as this article outlines. 1. Deciding on the restatement position. Most writers and speakers prefer restating their theses at the beginning of their conclusion. However, one may put their thesis statement at other positions rather than the beginning of the concluding statement.

  10. How to Write a Research Paper: Parts of the Paper

    Writing Your Paper. Parts of the Research Paper. Papers should have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Your introductory paragraph should grab the reader's attention, state your main idea, and indicate how you will support it. The body of the paper should expand on what you have stated in the introduction. Finally, the conclusion restates the ...

  11. How To Restate A Thesis

    Use different parts of speech to begin our thesis restatement. For example, if you start the original thesis with a subject, begin the paraphrase with a prepositional phrase. Here is an example of how to do that: Original thesis: "Students in college and university are fond of copying and cheating.".

  12. PDF Thesis Statements

    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.

  13. 3.3: Thesis Statements

    Thesis statements vary based on the rhetorical strategy of the essay, but thesis statements typically share the following characteristics: Presents the main idea; Most often is one sentence; Tells the reader what to expect; Is a summary of the essay topic; Usually worded to have an argumentative edge; Written in the third person

  14. Working 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.

  15. How to Restate a Thesis Statement: Examples & Tips

    in hardly. more than 1 hour. Let's Start. Step #1. Reread the original thesis statement carefully. Step #2. Determine in which person it is written (1 st, 2 nd, or 3 rd) and preserve that point of view in the rewrite. Step #3. Outline all keywords and main points that should be present in the reworded thesis.

  16. 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.

  17. How to Write a Conclusion

    Restates the thesis statement or main argument. Provides closure to the piece of writing. Leaves a lasting impression on the reader. Demonstrates the significance or implications of the ideas discussed. Avoids introducing new information or arguments. May offer recommendations, propose further areas of research, or provide a call to action.

  18. 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.

  19. How To Restate A Thesis Statement

    It should be intriguing and crystal clear all at the same time. As for the length, it should take around 10-20 % of the whole text. In the introduction, you put up your thesis firstly. There is no need to make the restatement yet. Body paragraph — you reveal everything you were about to say on one particular subject.

  20. Effective Thesis Statements

    An Effective Thesis Statement:. identifies—or PREVIEWS—for what you plan to argue or inform, and it "telegraphs" how you plan to do so; that is, it communicates what particular support for your claim or idea is going where in your essay; is an interpretation of or focus on a question or subject, not the subject itself the subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby ...

  21. Introductory Paragraph: Establishing Reader Interest and Writing a

    A thesis statement is a promise to the reader about what the essay will be about. A thesis is not the topic itself, but rather the writer's angle on the topic. For whatever topic a professor gives, writers must ask themselves, "What do I want to say about it?" Asking and then answering this question is vital to forming a thesis that is ...

  22. 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.

  23. 1.8: 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.