Frequently Asked Questions About a Thesis Statement
This 1-2 sentence statement helps to organize and develop a strong argument in essay writing. Moreover, it is the crux of your essay and should be strong and compelling.
By communicating clearly what the intention of your writing is, you can ensure that each new piece of information supports the central idea you are building. Most students find writing a great thesis statement to be a complex task, as the entire essay relies on it. Similarly, if you are writing a more complex and lengthy paper, such as a research paper, the thesis statement will be written accordingly. One thing I find that is helpful for students is having a clear template. While students rarely end up with a thesis that follows this exact wording, the following template creates a good starting point: Most other types of essays, whether compare/contrast, argumentative, or narrative, have thesis statements that take a position and argue it. In other words, unless your purpose is simply to inform, your thesis is considered persuasive. A persuasive thesis usually contains an opinion and the reason why your opinion is true. Conclude your paper by writing the thesis statement and research findings. Keep it brief and discuss the important points only. Similarly, do not open new ideas in this section as it will leave a wrong impression on the teacher.
Therefore, having a well-developed outline is important to organize the ideas in one place. A helpful formula for guiding your expository essay is: "In this essay, I will teach my reader __________. " As you work toward this goal, you can revisit this sentence later and rework it into an effective thesis statement. After planning on how to start your thesis, the actual writing process begins. Generally, a thesis consists of the following sections. 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: Whether youre writing an argumentative paper, an informative essay, or a compare/contrast statement, you need a thesis. Without a thesis, your argument falls flat and your information is unfocused. Since a thesis is so important, its probably a good idea to look at some tips on how to put together a strong one. SusanOsborn, Ph. D.
An abstract states a summary of the major findings and explains why the paper is important. It should be 250 words long and does not include citations.
Why Should Your Essay Contain a Thesis Statement?
, has spent 30 years in higher education, in admissions at Vassar College, in the English department and Writing Program at Rutgers University,in the lab at The New Jersey Center for Research on Writing, and as a private tutor. Dr. Osborn is also an award-winning writer and scholar and she brings both her education smarts and her writing smarts to every student relationship. This lesson / worksheet presents the key sections to an academic introduction. It focuses on different writing structures using words like however, although, despite and then includes a writing task. Students write three thesis statements using the introduction models. ExampleLevel: ***** [B1/B2/C1] / TEACHER MEMBERSHIP/ INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP 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.
Writing in college often takes the form of persuasionconvincing 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 youll make in the rest of your paper. Be particularly aware of your intended audience.
How to Write a Thesis Statement?
- 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.
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. 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. ) Many people go astray during the writing process. They often get confused and worried about writing a thesis that would impress the instructor.
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. Almost all of useven if we dont do it consciouslylook early in an essay for a one- or two-sentence condensation of the argument or analysis that is to follow. We refer to that condensation as a thesis statement. Especially in composition and creative writing classes, you might be asked to write essays that draw upon your personal experiences. Prompts for personal essays might include writing about your experiences with race or your development as a writer, and these essays are often centered on a moment of realization or revelation. You can distill these themes into a thesis statement for your personal essay. While there may be no central argument in a thesis like this, there is always an organizing principle, such as change, destiny, growth, or irony. Moreover, almost every type of essay and paper requires writing it.
Your thesis should indicate the point of the discussion. If your assignment is to write a paper on kinship systems, using your own family as an example, you might come up with either of these two thesis statements: In a creative writing class, you have to write an essay about how the place you grew up shaped you. Your thesis statement might look like, Growing up on the farm taught me how to be more patient. Students often get confused when writing it. However, take your time for this process, and dont try to improvise the information and formulate the statement in haste. Also, conduct in-depth research to come up with an effective thesis statement for academic papers. In a biochemistry class, you've been asked to write an essay explaining the impact of bisphenol A on the human body. Your thesis statement might say, This essay will make clear the correlation between bisphenol A exposure and hypertension. Expository essays ask writers to provide an informational breakdown of a topic, educating readers using specific details. It may be hard to understand how a thesis statement is of use in an expository essay because expository writing often does not advance an argument. Even so, a controlling statement near the beginning of the essay that summarizes your point is useful.
An Introduction Structure with a thesis statement
Even if your assignment doesnt ask a specific question, your thesis statement still needs to answer a question about the issue youd like to explore. In this situation, your job is to figure out what question youd like to write about.
For example, does your argument rely on a religious or moral code to prove that it is inherently right? If you are writing a paper for a class in Christian ministry, a dogmatic argument might be appropriate; for a sociology paper, however, such arguments don't hold water. Once you have selected a topic for your research paper, it becomes easier to formulate the statement for it. A strong thesis statement should be specific and provide your conclusion as per the chosen topic. Vague sentences make weak thesis statements. Remember, it is written according to the type of paper. For example, an argumentative essay will have an argumentative thesis statement that is debatable. While writing a thesis, remember that it reflects and highlights the main purpose of your essay. This statement for research papers and high school essays should be clear and states the main argument of the paper.
