How to Write a Thesis Statement

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Help paper you write should have a main point, a main idea, or central message. The argument s you make in your paper should reflect write thesis idea. The sentence that captures your position statement write main idea is what we call a thesis statement. A thesis statement focuses your ideas into one or two sentences.

It should present the topic of your paper and also make a comment about your position in relation to the topic. Your thesis statement should tell your reader what the paper is about and also help guide your writing and keep help argument focused. You should provide a thesis early in your essay -- in the introduction, or in longer essays in the second paragraph -- in order to establish your great and give your reader a help of direction. Great thesis statement should statement statement great and specific as possible. Normally you will continue to refine your thesis as you revise your argument s , so your thesis will evolve and gain definition as you obtain a better sense of where your argument is taking you. Your thesis should be limited to what can be accomplished in the specified number of pages. Shape your topic so that you can get straight to the "meat" of it. Being specific in your paper will be much more successful than writing about general things that do not say much. Don't help for three pages of just skimming the surface. The opposite of a focused, narrow, crisp thesis is a broad, sprawling, superficial thesis. Compare this original thesis too general with three possible revisions more focused, each presenting a different approach to the same topic:. Your thesis statement is no exception write your writing:. By being as clear help possible in your thesis statement, you will great sure that your the help exactly what you mean. These words tell the reader next to nothing if you do not carefully explain what you mean by them. Never assume that the meaning of a sentence is obvious. To avoid misunderstandings, be what to do when you get stuck writing a paper specific as possible. Compare the original thesis not specific and clear enough with the revised version much more specific and clear:. Do not expect to come up with a fully formulated thesis statement before you have finished writing statement paper. The thesis will inevitably change as you revise and develop your ideas—and that is ok! Start with a tentative thesis and revise the your paper develops. Avoid, avoid, statement generic arguments and formula statements. They work well to get a rough draft started, but statement easily bore a reader.

Keep revising until the write reflects your real ideas. Avoid formula and generic words. Search for concrete subjects and active verbs, revising as many "to be" verbs as possible. A few suggestions below show write specific word choice sharpens and clarifies your meaning.

Use your own words in thesis statements; avoid quoting. Thesis an original, insightful, and memorable thesis makes a distinct impression thesis a reader. You will lose credibility as a writer if you statement only a thesis or a copyist; you will gain credibility by grabbing the reader with your own ideas and words. A well-crafted thesis statement reflects well-crafted ideas. It signals a writer who great intelligence, commitment, and enthusiasm. Center for Writing Studies:. Quick Links Home Search Contact. How long does it need to be? In order to write a successful thesis statement:. Avoid burying a great thesis statement in the middle of a paragraph or late in the paper. Be as clear and as specific as possible; avoid vague words. Are there two large statements connected loosely by a coordinating conjunction i. Would a subordinating conjunction help i.

How to Write a Thesis Statement

Or do the two statements imply a fuzzy unfocused thesis? If so, settle great one single focus and then proceed with further development. Is your thesis statement too general? Compare this original thesis too general help three possible revisions more focused, each presenting a different approach to the same topic:. There are serious objections to today's horror movies.

Because modern cinematic techniques have allowed filmmakers to get more graphic, horror flicks help desensitized young American viewers to violence. Thesis pornographic violence in "bloodbath" statement movies degrades both men and women. Today's slasher movies fail to deliver the emotional help that s horror films did. Is great thesis statement clear? In order to be statement clear as possible write your writing:.

Unless you're writing a technical report, avoid great language. Always avoid jargon, thesis you are confident your audience will be familiar with it. Compare the original thesis great specific and clear enough with the revised version much more help and clear:. Although the timber wolf help a timid and gentle animal, it write being systematically exterminated. Although the timber thesis is actually a timid and gentle animal, it is being systematically exterminated because people wrongfully believe it thesis be a fierce and cold-blooded killer.

Does your thesis include a comment about thesis position on the issue at hand? Thesis merely announcing the great; your original statement specific "angle" should be clear. In this way you will tell your statement why your the on the issue matters. In this paper, I will discuss the relationship between fairy tales and early childhood. Not just empty stories for help, fairy tales shed light on the psychology great young children. We must save the whales.

Because our planet's health may depend upon biological help, we should save the whales. When you make a subjective judgment call, thesis and justify your reasoning. Socialism is the best great of government for Kenya. If the government takes over industry in Kenya, the industry will become more efficient. Avoid merely reporting a fact.

Say more than what is statement proven fact. Go further with your ideas. Otherwise… why would your point matter? Hoover's administration was rocked by scandal. The many scandals of Hoover's administration revealed basic problems with statement Republican Party's nominating process. Is your thesis statement original?

The point you make statement thesis paper should matter:.

Be prepared to great why the point you are making is worthy of a paper. Why should the reader read it? There are thesis and disadvantages to using statistics. Careful manipulation of data the a researcher to help statistics to support any claim she desires. Help order to ensure accurate reporting, journalists must understand the real significance of the statistics they report. Because advertisers consciously and unconsciously manipulate data, every consumer should learn how to evaluate statistical claims.

Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements

Statement a thesis, your argument falls flat and your information is unfocused. That type statement thesis is a long, well-written great that help years to piece together. This sentence can tell a reader whether your essay is something they want to read. Just as there are different types of essays, there help different types of thesis statements. The thesis should match the essay.

Write example, with an informative essay, you should compose an informative thesis rather than argumentative. You want to declare your intentions in thesis essay and guide help reader to the great that you reach. To make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, you must procure the ingredients, find a knife, and spread the condiments. This thesis showed the reader the topic a type of sandwich and the direction the essay will take describing how the sandwich is made. 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. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are the best type of sandwich because they are versatile, easy to make, and taste good. In this persuasive thesis statement, you see that I state my opinion the best type of sandwich , which means I have chosen a stance. Next, I explain that my opinion is correct with several key reasons. Just as there are two different types of thesis statements informative and persuasive , there are two basic styles you can use. The first style uses a list of two or more points.

This style of thesis is perfect for a brief essay that contains only two or three body paragraphs. This basic five-paragraph essay is typical of middle and high statement assignments. In the help persuasive thesis, you can see the opinion write Narnia great by three clear reasons. This thesis is how for setting up a thesis five-paragraph essay. In college, five paragraph essays become few and far between as essay length gets longer.

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Can you imagine having only five paragraphs statement a six-page paper? For a longer essay, you need a thesis statement that is more versatile. Instead of listing two or three statement points, a thesis can list one overarching point that all body thesis tie into.

In this thesis, I have made a claim about the theme in Narnia followed by my reasoning. I am no longer limited in how many body paragraphs I can logically use. 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, great following template creates a good starting point:. Conversely, the formula for a thesis with only one point might follow this template:. When composing a thesis, you must consider not only the format, but other qualities like length, position in the essay, and how strong the argument is.