Thesis Statement Examples and Writing Tips
Writing college papers requires a high level of persuasion, where you convince your readers that you have logical and interesting ideas on the subject. Of course, we use persuasion in our day-to-day lives. However, college essays demand much more, asking you to take a position on an issue and convince your readers to embrace your thinking. This type of academic scholarship takes a specific format, starting with a catchy and concise introduction, which ends in a clear statement of the author’s view on the topic. The final sentence or two in the introductory section are referred to as the thesis and is a mandatory requirement for most projects. Don’t worry if you have no idea how to write a thesis statement. Here, we outline some useful strategies to help with your writing, as well as valuable tricks for perfecting your draft.
How to Define Thesis Statement. Why Write One?
Before we delve into an analysis of thesis statement examples and tips for effective writing, we should first consider some useful definitions. Every paper you write as a student should have one main idea or central message. This should be reflected in all the arguments that you make in the body of the text. We can define thesis statement as a sentence or set of sentences that capture the author’s main idea is what is referred to as the thesis statement.
Good thesis statements inform that readers of your plan and how you understand the issue under discussion. The statement also serves as a roadmap for the rest of the text, informing the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper. It also answers the question asked in the assignment prompt. The subject may be in a novel, but the thesis should offer a way of understanding the novel. A good statement is also the author’s way of making a statement for others to dispute or support. Most importantly, it is a way of presenting your argument to the readers, which you can then support with evidence in the rest of the paper.
If, for instance, your assignment asks you to take a position on or develop a claim regarding an issue, you should convey that position in the thesis. Of course, there are times when the assignment may not clearly state that the thesis is required. In such instances, you need to consult or use your discretion. If the project asks you to interpret, analyze, compare, or take a stand on an issue, you will most likely be expected to include a thesis statement.
How Long Is a Good Thesis Statement?
Now that we have explored what is a thesis statement, it is time to look at the appropriate length for this section of your paper. So, how long is a thesis statement? In an ideal scenario, a good statement should focus your main idea into one or two sentences. Here, you should present the topic of your paper and present your position. The thesis often comes towards the tail-end of your introductory paragraph.
Thesis Paper Examples. How to Identify a Strong One
The best way to complete a stellar paper is by reading through thesis paper examples. To tell a good statement from a weak one, look out for the following:
- A good thesis takes some sort of stand. Remember, the goal is to demonstrate your conclusions on an issue;
- A strong statement justifies discussion. You ought to indicate the point of discussion, and not just an observation;
- Express only one main idea. Your audience needs to look at your paper as one main point, elaborated using arguments and evidence;
- It is specific. A thesis statement ought to demonstrate precisely what your work will be about, helping to keep your writing manageable.
Writing a Thesis Statement. Important Questions
The first important question to ask before writing a thesis statement relates to location. The statement should be included early in the text, towards the end of the introductory paragraph. In longer essays, this could be the second or the third paragraph. The goal is to establish your position from the beginning and offer direction to your audience. Avoid burying a well-crafted thesis in the middle of a paragraph or later in the body.
Is your thesis statement specific? Often, good statements are refined as the research and writing progress. This means that, as you acquire more information on the topic, your thesis will evolve and become more defined. Avoid statements that are too general, focusing on what can be achieved within the stated number of pages. Instead, prefer a crisp, narrow thesis.
When looking at an example of a thesis statement, ask yourself whether it includes a comment about the author’s position on the issue at hand. It ought to do more than merely stating the problem. Instead, it should be used to reveal a position and how the issue will be analyzed.
Compare these two examples of thesis statements:
- In this paper, we will look at the importance of fairy tales.
- Fairy tales are not just mere stories for entertaining kids, but shed light on the psychology of young children.
In the second revised thesis example, the thesis is clear and state a position on an issue. You should also strive for originality. Avoid formula statements and generic arguments.
How to Write a Good Thesis | Steps to Follow
When thinking about how to write a good thesis, an important consideration is to look at it as a process rather than an event. Here, we have summed up some of the most critical stages in thesis formulation:
Start by Analyzing the Prompt and Sources
It is impossible to craft a good thesis if you do not fully understand the assignment requirements. Take your time to carefully peruse through the prompt, underlining key phrases and words. Once you know what is required, then it is time to do research and analyze sources. Look for controversy, tension, or ambiguity. Do the authors contradict themselves? Are points made later altered or revise? What are the deeper implications of the arguments? You can then use the points from these sources, combined with the outcomes of your brainstorming to create a working thesis.
Write Down Your Working Thesis
Most students struggling with how to make a thesis statement do not understand the significance of noting ideas down. There is nothing quite as frustrating as coming across a brilliant idea for your thesis, then forgetting it due to loss of concentration. Writing down your working thesis will allow you to refine it as your progress with the research.
Make Sure to Connect Your Thesis to the Introduction
As a standard practice, seasoned writers make the thesis prominent in their introductory paragraphs, especially when the essays are below ten pages. Your instructor will also expect to find the argument there. While this is not a requirement for all academic assignments, it is a good guideline to follow.
Anticipate the Counterarguments
Once you have formulated a working thesis, you should consider what your readers may say against it. This will assist in refining the statement, and will also help you to find some arguments that will need to refute later in your paper. After all, a good argument should have a counterargument.
Perfecting Your Thesis. Some Caveats and Examples
As you consider how to write a good thesis statement, please note that a thesis is never a question. Your audience will expect to have questions explored, discussed, or even answered. Consider this:
“What caused the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe?”
This is not an argument, and without an argument, your thesis falls flat on its face.
Also, a good thesis is never a list. For instance, a statement like — “communism collapsed in Eastern Europe for economic, political, and social reasons” — only services to list all the possible reasons why communism did not succeed. However, the statement is lacking in tension and does not serve to advance an argument.
Please note that a thesis statement should neither be combative nor confrontational. Here is a \n ineffective thesis statement example:
“Abortion should not be supported because it is evil.”
In the above example, it is hard to use logic to argue with the position. What the statement does is mark you as judgmental and moralistic.
Consider this example of a strong thesis statement:
“While cultural forces played a part in the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, the disintegration of economies was the main factor that pushed its decline.”
As you work on your thesis, avoid overused abstractions and generic terms. Also, make sure that the entire paper is carefully structured to support the thesis. This includes using transitions to connect the various elements of the article.
Most importantly, always find time to edit and proofread your work carefully.
What to Do When Struggling with Thesis Statement Formulation?
While it is often a good idea to complete each element of your assignment on your own, there are times when you will struggle. Given the importance of the thesis, you may need all the help you can get. You could, for instance, consider using a thesis statement template or a well-crafted example for guidance. Students can also use a thesis statement generator to create strong central arguments quickly. If you choose to get a professional to help with the thesis statement format, make sure that he or she has the necessary academic qualifications and experience. You can also ask him or her for samples of previously formulated theses.
Why Come to Us for Help with a Thesis Statement?
In this article, we have presented useful tips on how to write thesis statement. However, we know that, even with these tips, academic writing may still be too complicated for you. While effective writing is a skill that you can easily master, it requires time and practice to perfect. In the meantime, we could help with your thesis statement or any aspect of your writing. Our experts can also help if you do not have the time to do the writing on your own. We also help students who cannot work on their papers due to language barriers.
One reason why ours is the right assignment service to help with how to start a thesis statement is that we have hired a huge team of skilled and experienced experts to help with any paper at any time of the day or night. They have mastered the art of formulating thesis statements and will formulate clear and arguable statements for your assignments. They also understand the research and writing process and could help with creating a custom paper for you.
Ours is a collaborative process informed by the instructions provided in your assignment prompt. This way, we can guarantee quality and reliable assignment help to all students who come to us. Our process begins by narrowing down the topic and conducting research on the issue. Our writers also understand that a thesis statement formulation is a progressive event, meaning that the working claim can change multiple times before the final draft is ready.
Please note that, while the thesis statement is certainly important, it is only one aspect of the academic paper. You will still need to include a catchy hook at the beginning of the introduction, clear and well-supported body paragraphs, and a concise conclusion.