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- How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples
How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples
Published on January 11, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on August 15, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan.
A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . It usually comes near the end of your introduction .
Your thesis will look a bit different depending on the type of essay you’re writing. But the thesis statement should always clearly state the main idea you want to get across. Everything else in your essay should relate back to this idea.
You can write your thesis statement by following four simple steps:
- Start with a question
- Write your initial answer
- Develop your answer
- Refine your thesis statement
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Table of contents
What is a thesis statement, placement of the thesis statement, step 1: start with a question, step 2: write your initial answer, step 3: develop your answer, step 4: refine your thesis statement, types of thesis statements, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about thesis statements.
A thesis statement summarizes the central points of your essay. It is a signpost telling the reader what the essay will argue and why.
The best thesis statements are:
- Concise: A good thesis statement is short and sweet—don’t use more words than necessary. State your point clearly and directly in one or two sentences.
- Contentious: Your thesis shouldn’t be a simple statement of fact that everyone already knows. A good thesis statement is a claim that requires further evidence or analysis to back it up.
- Coherent: Everything mentioned in your thesis statement must be supported and explained in the rest of your paper.
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The thesis statement generally appears at the end of your essay introduction or research paper introduction .
The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts and among young people more generally is hotly debated. For many who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education: the internet facilitates easier access to information, exposure to different perspectives, and a flexible learning environment for both students and teachers.
You should come up with an initial thesis, sometimes called a working thesis , early in the writing process . As soon as you’ve decided on your essay topic , you need to work out what you want to say about it—a clear thesis will give your essay direction and structure.
You might already have a question in your assignment, but if not, try to come up with your own. What would you like to find out or decide about your topic?
For example, you might ask:
After some initial research, you can formulate a tentative answer to this question. At this stage it can be simple, and it should guide the research process and writing process .
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Now you need to consider why this is your answer and how you will convince your reader to agree with you. As you read more about your topic and begin writing, your answer should get more detailed.
In your essay about the internet and education, the thesis states your position and sketches out the key arguments you’ll use to support it.
The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education because it facilitates easier access to information.
In your essay about braille, the thesis statement summarizes the key historical development that you’ll explain.
The invention of braille in the 19th century transformed the lives of blind people, allowing them to participate more actively in public life.
A strong thesis statement should tell the reader:
- Why you hold this position
- What they’ll learn from your essay
- The key points of your argument or narrative
The final thesis statement doesn’t just state your position, but summarizes your overall argument or the entire topic you’re going to explain. To strengthen a weak thesis statement, it can help to consider the broader context of your topic.
These examples are more specific and show that you’ll explore your topic in depth.
Your thesis statement should match the goals of your essay, which vary depending on the type of essay you’re writing:
- In an argumentative essay , your thesis statement should take a strong position. Your aim in the essay is to convince your reader of this thesis based on evidence and logical reasoning.
- In an expository essay , you’ll aim to explain the facts of a topic or process. Your thesis statement doesn’t have to include a strong opinion in this case, but it should clearly state the central point you want to make, and mention the key elements you’ll explain.
If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!
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A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.
The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:
- It gives your writing direction and focus.
- It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.
Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.
Follow these four steps to come up with a thesis statement :
- Ask a question about your topic .
- Write your initial answer.
- Develop your answer by including reasons.
- Refine your answer, adding more detail and nuance.
The thesis statement should be placed at the end of your essay introduction .
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Exercise Directions: Create a thesis statement based on the following information. Topic 1: Education is important to have. It could enable one to get a better paying job. It makes a person a more interesting individual. It makes a person a more informed citizen. Topic 2: Bowling is a sport for everyone.
5. A troublesome thesis is a fragment; a good thesis statement is expressed in a complete sentence. Example: How life is in New York after September 11th. Better: After September 11th, the city of New York tends to have more cases of post-traumatic disorder than other areas of the United States and rightfully so.
Writing a Thesis Statement (Lesson 21 - Practice Worksheet B) Directions: Read each outline for a composition. Then write an appropriate thesis statement on the lines for the composition described. 1. a composition that discusses the responsibilities involved in caring for a pet. Topic: What pet ownership involves. A.
Topic Sentences & Thesis Statements Read the following 3 paragraphs. Write a topic sentence for each paragraph. When you have completed the topic sentences, write one thesis statement that would be appropriate for an essay on the same topic. Answers will vary. For screen reader users, space to write is indicated with *. 1.
The reason you write an entire essay is to PROVE your thesis statement. Thesis statement - A thesis statement is a direct statement that explains the topic of your essay, what you believe about that topic, and why you believe it. A thesis statement is made up of three different parts. EVERY THESIS NEEDS THESE THREE THINGS: 1.
The Writing Center Thesis Statements What this handout is about This handout describes what a thesis statement is, how thesis statements work in your writing, ... 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. ...
Arguable thesis statement: The government should ban smoking altogether. Statement of fact: Small cars get better fuel mileage than 4x4 pickup trucks. Arguable thesis statement: The government should ban 4x4 pickup trucks except for work-related use. Statement of fact: On average, people with college degrees earn more money in the workplace.
of their writing. I. Read the following sentences. As you read complete the followingtasks: A. Identify and correct sentences which are too broad or too narrow (TB/TN) B. Identify and correct sentences which announce the topic (A) C. Identify and correct incomplete ideas (INC) D. Identify the thesis statements that are fine as they. are (OK) 1.
Microsoft Word - Document1. Directions: Carefully read the writing prompt and the Bad Thesis Statement. Then, rewrite a Good Thesis Statement. State the subject and tell the author's purpose for writing or the point to be proved. A good thesis statement will directly respond to each part of the writing prompt.
Writing a Thesis Statement Blinn College - Bryan Writing Center Fall 2022 Step 3: Writing a Thesis Statement This worksheet will help you draft a solid thesis statement. Remember, the thesis holds your paper together and guides your research, so be sure it says exactly what you mean. The spaces below are
Thesis Statement Worksheet. A thesis statement is a sentence that tells your reader your topic, what you think about it, and possibly how you are going to prove it. Create a research question based on your class assignment. Start to read about your topic to generate more ideas for your research and writing. Collect facts from articles.
KMBT C654-20121115000022. Printable Handouts: Writing a Thesis Statement O n i n e Writing Lab Writing a Thesis Statement Page '1 of 4 A thesis statement is a sentence (or sentences) that expresses the main ideas of your paper and answers the question or questions posed by your paper. It offers your readers a quick and easy to follow summary of ...
A thesis driven essay is comprised of an initial thesis statement that establishes a claim or argument, and ensuing topic sentences that support and develop that claim. Ideally, a reader would be able to read only the thesis statement and topic sentences of your text, and still be able to understand the main ideas and logical progression of ...
Types of Thesis Statements . The purpose and form of a thesis may depend on the genre of writing. Argumentative Thesis • The argumentative thesis takes a clear position on a debatable issue/topic and suggests or states the supporting reason(s) for that stance, which will be discussed further in the body of the essay. Example:
Work through good and bad thesis statements together with the students. (5-10 min.) 4. Give students the second handout containing problematic thesis statements in need of correction. 5. Have the students break into groups to correct the thesis statements. (5-10 min.) 6. Discuss the corrections as a class. (5 min.)
Purpose: To provide students with a tool to practice formulating and writing topic sentences and thesis statements.. The organizer displays the formula (setting, subject, big idea) and four boxes for planning ideas and recording fancy words. The lines below the boxes are for students to write these powerful sentences. Directions:
First, we must recognize academic writing as a Process. Strong essays cannot be written overnight! Be sure to schedule in time for: Pre-writing - brainstorm words or phrases, free write for 5 minutes, create a thought cluster, etc. Planning - create a thesis, assemble evidence, create an outline. Practice - draft, edit, & repeat!
Writing Center. Workshop Lesson Plan . Thesis Statements. Lesson Objectives: 1. To understand the purpose of a thesis statement 2. To convey the importance of a one sentence thesis statement Preparation: 1. Review lesson plan, student handouts, and the activity answer key. 2. Check if there are enough copies of all student handouts. Make copies ...
WRITING THESIS STATEMENTS The thesis statement goes by many names: central point, assertion, or argument, to name a few. Often one or two sentences long, a thesis statement usually appears near the beginning of an essay, and many college teachers expect that it will appear at the end of your first paragraph. It usually
A thesis statement is one or a few sentences that express the main ideas of your paper and answer the questions posed by your paper. Some thesis statements offer readers a quick and easy-to-follow summary of what the paper will be discussing and what you as a writer are setting out to tell them. This handout will include strategies for writing ...
1. A strong thesis statement takes some sort of stand. Remember that your thesis needs to show your conclusions about a subject. For example, if you are writing a paper for a class on fitness, you might be asked to choose a popular weight-loss product to evaluate. Here are two thesis statements: There are some negative and positive aspects to ...
Here's how it works: Step 1: Write an essay prompt on the board. I vary my questions between informative and argumentative topics. KQED's Do Now series is an excellent place to grab writing prompts! Step 2: Put students into small groups and give them 5 minutes to construct a solid thesis statement in response to the essay question.
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.