UNDERSTANDING THE
ELUSIVE
Thesis Statement
What is the definition of “thesis
statement”?


In general, a thesis statement declares what you
believe and what you intend to prove
It is the central point of focus in your essay—if you
have a strong thesis statement, your essay can
literally fall into place (if you are sure to follow
your thesis)
What else can be compared with a
thesis statement?
A
hypothesis
 In
the science world, a hypothesis is formed before any
experimentation begins to suggest what the outcome might
be
 The hypothesis serves as the guiding point for
experimentation, and gives focus to a scientist’s actions, just
as the thesis statement gives focus to all of a writer’s
decisions
What else can be compared with a
thesis statement?

The chorus of a song
 If
you think about your favorite song’s chorus, it most
likely contains the main “message” that the song is
trying to convey
 The verses of the song aim to “prove” the message
heard in the chorus, just like the paragraphs of an
essay aim to “prove” the thesis
What else can be compared with a
thesis statement?

The “plays” created by sports teams
 Each
play has a specific goal, where certain players
fulfill certain roles
 The
entire team focuses their actions around completing
the play successfully, just like all other sentences and
paragraphs in an essay should be focused on
supporting the thesis effectively
So how can I write an effective thesis
statement?

A handy formula for creating an effective thesis
statement is:
A specific subject +
A limited focus=
An effective thesis statement
Let’s look at an example:



Imagine you are writing an informational essay about
shopping for a new car.
Car shopping is definitely a
specific subject, so you’ve got
that part of the thesis! But now you
need a limited focus.
What do you want to say about car shopping?

Perhaps you could write about the things that you need to
consider when choosing a new car.
Your thesis:

When shopping for a dependable car, the three
main things that one should consider are the
vehicle’s mileage, motor condition and warranty.
 You
can see the specific subject in this color font, and the
limited focus in this color font.

Do you see how the rest of the essay would “fall
into place” following a thesis like this?
Some general rules to follow when
writing a thesis statement

Besides using the formula to create your thesis, you
should also keep in mind:
The thesis should directly answer a question—it should not be
a question itself
 The thesis should make a claim that others might dispute—a
statement of fact is not a thesis
 The thesis should appear somewhere in the introductory
paragraph of the essay—it is not usually the FIRST sentence,
but most commonly found toward the end, or as the last
sentence of your introduction

Let’s practice looking at thesis
statements—Example 1

Is this an effective thesis statement?
 Romeo
and Juliet is Shakespeare’s greatest play.
 Does
it address a specific subject?
 Does it have a limited focus?
 Does it directly answer some question?
 Is it a topic someone might dispute?
 How
might you revise this thesis to make it more
effective?
Let’s practice looking at thesis
statements—Example 2

Is this an effective thesis statement?
 This
essay will address the characteristics of a good
student.
 Does
it address a specific subject?
 Does it have a limited focus?
 Does it directly answer some
question?
 Is it a topic someone might dispute?
 How
might you revise this thesis
to make it more effective?
Let’s practice writing a thesis statement

Suppose you were given the assignment to write an
essay about school lunches.

What would your thesis statement be?

As you write your thesis, consider:
Does it address a specific subject?
 Does it have a limited focus?
 Does it directly answer some
question?
 Is it a topic someone might dispute?

Let’s hear some of your thesis
statements.

Who will share their thesis statement?
 Is
each thesis statement effective?
 Does
it address a specific subject?
 Does it have a limited focus?
 Does it directly answer some question?
 Is it a topic someone might dispute?
In conclusion…


The thesis statement is the foundation of any good
essay
Use the information you’ve learned today to
simplify your writing process and become a better
writer!