Thesis Statements
Notes
Definition:


the summary sentence that introduces your argument
and ideas
the last sentence in the introduction paragraph
Why should your essay contain a thesis statement?

to put your main ideas into one summary sentence

to better organize and develop the argument of your
essay

to provide your reader with a "guide" to your
argument
How to write a thesis statement…
The thesis should answer a single question that will give the
main idea of your essay. Your first step, then, is to come up
with a specific question.
Write a question based on your argument:
Question: "Why is ________________ one of the most
influential people in history?”
the answer to the question is the thesis
statement for the essay
Answer / THESIS: "_______________is one of the most
influential people in history because…" (3 reasons)
Thesis Statements
Notes
How to tell a strong thesis statement from a weak
one…
A strong thesis takes a stand.
Here are two thesis statements:
It seems like Lorenzo DeMedici influenced a lot of people.
This is a weak thesis. It doesn’t take a strong stand or
explain the argument. There is no “roadmap.”
Lorenzo DeMedici was one of the most influential
people in history because of his motivation to make
Florence a prosperous city, his accomplishments in
Florentine government and arts, and the lasting
impact he had on many artists and people in
Florence.
This is a strong thesis because it takes a stand – it tells why
DeMedici was one of the most influential people in history.
A strong thesis expresses one main idea and is
specific.
Readers need to be able to see that your paper has one main
point. If your thesis expresses more than one idea, then you
might confuse your readers about the subject of your paper.
For example:
Lorenzo DeMedici had a lot of influence over Florentine
culture, but Leonardo DaVinci was more popular in Rome.
This is a weak thesis statement because the reader can't
decide what the paper is about: DeMedici or DaVinci. To
revise the thesis, the writer needs to focus on one main idea.
Thesis Statements
Notes
Lorenzo DeMedici had a lot of influence over Florentine
culture because of his motivation for Florence to prosper,
his participation in the government and the arts, and the
impact he had on so many Italian artists.
Here is an example of how the thesis statement fits into the
introductory paragraph(s):
Around the time of the Medici rule, the people of Florence, Italy, expressed
their love of the arts through sculptures, painting, and architecture (Mee 14). Just
as Florence was a beautiful city, Italy was just as beautiful. The landscape
consisted of great castles perched on top of many vast mountain peaks (Mee 14).
As for the surrounding land, it was devoted to agriculture (Mee 15).
In 1,000 A.D., things began to change in Florence as it began to fill with
merchants, traders, bankers, cloth makers, and craftsmen from all over Europe
(Mee 15). Thus, commerce arrived. It is here that Lorenzo’s story begins.
Lorenzo De’ Medici was born on January 1, 1449, into a family that was
ruling Florence at the time (“Medici”222). You see, his family, the Medici family,
was the most famous of all Italian dynasties, and its members were among the
greatest patrons in the Italian Renaissance (“Medici”222). Lorenzo was gifted
with a strong, athletic body, intelligence, a wide range of talents, and all the
money he could ever want (Mee 27). Lorenzo De Medici was one of the most
influential people that in history because of the inspiration he received to become
such a motivated leader, his accomplishments in the Florentine society and
government, and the lasting impact he had on all of Florence, Italy.