How to Write a Thesis
Statement
. . . or, everything you always
wanted to know but couldn’t bring
yourself to ask.
Why should your essay contain a
thesis statement?
To test your ideas by distilling them into
a sentence or two
To better organize and develop your
argument
To provide your reader with a “guide” to
your argument
TRUE OR FALSE?
ALMOST ALL ASSIGNMENTS,
NO MATTER HOW
COMPLICATED, CAN BE
REDUCED TO A SINGLE
SENTENCE.
TRUE
Did you really question the
statement?
1. A strong thesis statement takes some
kind of stand.
Your thesis needs to show your
conclusions about a subject.
Assignment:
Evaluate a weight-loss product
“There are many positive and negative aspects
to the Banana Herb Tea Supplement.” (weak:
fails to take a stand)
“Because the Banana Herb Tea Supplement
promotes rapid weight loss that results in the
loss of muscle and lean body mass, it poses a
potential danger to consumers.”
(strong: takes a stand and is specific)
2. A strong thesis justifies
discussion.
It should be possible for reasonable
people to disagree on the subject you
are exploring in your paper.
Assignment: Write a paper
on kinship systems.
“My family is an extended family.”
(weak: merely states an observation)
“While most American families would view
consanguineal marriage as a threat to the nuclear
family structure, many Iranian families, like my own,
believe that these marriages help reinforce kinship
ties in an extended family.”
(strong: shows how your experience contradicts a
widely-accepted view)
3.
A strong thesis expresses one
main idea.
Readers need to see that your paper
has one main point.
Assignment: Write a paper on the
marketing potential of the Internet
“Companies need to exploit the marketing potential of
the Internet, and web pages can provide both
advertising and customer support.”
(weak: the reader can’t decide whether the paper is
about marketing on the Internet or web pages)
“Because the Internet is filled with tremendous
marketing potential, companies should exploit this
potential by using web pages that offer both
advertising and customer support.”
(strong: it shows the relationship between two
ideas)
HINT
Many clear and engaging thesis
statements contain words like because,
since, so, although, unless, and
however.
4.
A strong thesis statement is
specific.
A strong thesis shows your reader
exactly what your paper will be about.
Making your thesis specific will also help
you restrict your paper to a manageable
subject.
Assignment: Write a paper on world
hunger.
“World hunger has many causes and effects.”
(weak: topic cannot be discussed in 7-10
pages + “many causes and effects” is vague)
“Hunger persists in Appalachia because jobs are
scarce and farming in the infertile soil is
rarely profitable.”
(strong: narrows subject to a more specific
and manageable topic; also identifies specific
causes for the existence of hunger)
Develop your thesis
Suppose you start with a tentative thesis
on the theme of “The Lottery”:
In “The Lottery,” Shirley Jackson reveals
the theme.
But . . .
But . . . This statement is too vague, so
you decide to rewrite it to be more
precise:
In “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, the
theme is tradition.
Better . . .
Better, but the statement of the theme
is not yet clear or precise. What does
Jackson imply about tradition?
In “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, one
of the major themes is that outmoded
traditions can be harmful.
Still . . .
You used the qualifier one of to indicate that
this theme is not the only one in the story,
but the rest of the thesis is vague. What
does outmoded mean? How are traditions
harmful?
In Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,” one of the
major themes is that traditions that have lost
their meaning can cause otherwise normal
people to act abnormally without thinking.
Can you go beyond?
This is a better thesis, but it may change as
you start writing the analysis. You might
decide to go beyond interpretation of
Jackson’s ideas to an evaluation of what she
says:
In “The Lottery,” Shirley Jackson reveals the
tragic theme that traditions that have lost
their meaning can cause otherwise normal
people to act abnormally without thinking.
Or . . .
In the previous thesis, the word tragic
indicates your evaluation of Jackson’s
observation of the human condition. Or you
might say this:
In “The Lottery,” Shirley Jackson effectively
uses symbolism and irony to reveal the theme
that traditions that have lost their meaning
can cause otherwise normal people to act
abnormally without thinking.
To review . . .
A thesis states a claim that will be supported
in the body of a paper.
A thesis tells readers what to expect as they
read on.
An effective thesis cannot be a fact.
(“So. . . ?”)
A thesis must always be a generalization
demanding proof or further development.