Thesis Statement: The Introduction

College papers differ from those you completed in high school. Once you join your favorite college, you will find yourself handling different pieces of academic writing. The writing process is unique and more complicated. Your professor will ask you to write an essay or a research paper that revolves around one main point. Whether you succeed or fail depends on whether you will comprehend something we call the Thesis Statement.

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What Is A Thesis Statement Example?

A thesis statement can be explained as the sentence that captures the main idea or main point of your academic writing paper, which can be an essay or a research paper. In all types of essays, thesis statements appear at the end of your introduction. In fact, most professors will ask you to write your thesis statement as the last sentence in the first paragraph of your essay, which is the introductory paragraph. A thesis statement always points toward the central point of your essay or research paper and becomes the basis on which everything else in your paper is founded. A good thesis statement must do that. It must reveal the main idea of the essay and act as the summary of everything that you will discuss in your essay.

Let’s make it simple by highlighting an example of a thesis statement. Assuming you want to write an argumentative thesis statement on the topic of whether the death penalty should be abolished, your thesis statement would look like this:

The death penalty should be abolished because it does not deter crime and often causes wrongful convictions.

A typical thesis statement would appear as shown above, and it must be placed at the end of the introduction paragraph. Do not forget that a thesis statement does not represent the entire introductory paragraph. You will have to write background information on your topic. For example, in the above thesis statement, the preceding sentences should discuss how people perceive the death penalty. To conclude this answer, we can simply say that a thesis statement summarizes the main idea of the entire paper.

How Do You Make A Thesis Statement?

Making a thesis statement should not be hard as long as you go through this article. Following these guidelines to learn how to make a thesis statement.

1. Choose a controversial essay topic- It could be about gun control, abortion, or capital punishment.
2. Express your main idea- Align yourself with one of the ideas of the topic. In short, choose whether to support abortion or oppose it.
3. Identify reasons- A weak thesis statement is vague, while a good thesis statement is concise.

Keep reading to learn more about how you can write a strong thesis statement, as well as see some of the thesis statement examples we have.

What 3 Things Go In A Thesis Statement?

You obviously want to write a strong thesis for your paper. Sadly, you probably have never been asked to write thesis statement before. As a result, you are not sure what elements should be considered. When you write your argumentative thesis statement or for any other academic writing task, make sure you include the following three elements in your thesis statements:

• A brief subject- Mention a bit of your topic, which is what we call the main point.
• Your precise opinion- Let the readers know where you stand on the matter.
• Clear reasons- Give logical but brief explanations for your stance.

See the following example of a strong thesis statement in an argumentative essay on the topic of abortion.

Abortion is a sensitive matter, but women should be allowed to undergo the procedure because they have absolute autonomy over their bodies, and denying them this right may lead to unsafe abortions.

Let’s comment on a few things about this thesis statement for the argumentative essay on abortion. First, it mentions a brief description of the topic or the main idea of the paper, which, in this case, is abortion. The reader can tell that abortion is a sensitive matter. Second, readers already know where the writer stands on the subject. Apparently, the writer is opposed to any law that denies women the right to procure an abortion. Thirdly, the writer explains the reasons. Those three things must be present in all of your thesis statements.

Tell Me The Meaning Of A Thesis Statement.

As we have explained, a thesis statement is a statement, typically one sentence, that you write to express your opinion without being vague, and you must place it in the first paragraph of your paper. A thesis must reveal the idea in your essay, appear as the main argument for the entire paper, and be logical. In some cases, professors may ask you to write your thesis in two sentences. In that case, just make sure your thesis statement makes sense and relates to your essay assignment. Start with a brief introduction, which always comes as the first paragraph, and let your paper flow from the thesis.

Placement Of The Thesis Statement

As you may have noted, we have stated that your thesis should appear in the first paragraph of your paper. Unless directed otherwise, write your thesis statement at the end of the introduction paragraph of your essay.

See this introductory paragraph below and the emboldened thesis statement:

How Technology Has Changed and Changed Learning

The integration of technology into classroom activities has had a significant impact on learners’ experience. Teachers in developed countries use technological inventions and devices to transmit knowledge. Similarly, educators in developing regions utilize some of the available technologies for learning purposes. No one can deny the significance of technology in modern education. Technological advancements keep evolving and, in turn, changing learning. The development often raises questions about whether this evolution complicates learners’ classroom experiences. Technology has changed regarding usage and accessibility and transformed education by expanding and simplifying learning opportunities, although the changes force students to learn technical skills they did not need before.

As noted, the thesis statement appears at the very end of your introduction paragraph.

Thesis Statement: Bad vs. Good

It takes practice to write a good thesis statement. The more you write a thesis, the better you become at it. When you know a good thesis and a bad thesis, you will be able to write appropriately. Students struggle writing a good thesis because they do not understand the purpose of a thesis statement. We have said it summarizes the main idea to be included in the rest of your paper. You notice here that readers will want to know what your paper entails. In fact, your thesis is so crucial that it affects your sentences and even the conclusion. So, what are good thesis statements and bad thesis statements?

Bad: The government should abolish the death penalty.

Good: The government should abolish the death penalty because the punishment does not guarantee justice to the affected families, fails to deter crime, and leads to wrongful convictions.

What makes the first thesis bad? First, it does explain the logic behind the assertions. The writer simply states his or her wish.

What makes the second statement good? It is concise and logical. A rational person would pose to listen to what the writer is saying about the topic.

Let’s see one more thesis statement example

Bad: Smoking tobacco products is harmful to you.

Good: Smoking tobacco products is detrimental to you as it leads to lung cancer, poor social relationships, and premature deaths.

The first thesis may seem okay because it explains why smoking is bad. However, it is too broad, and the reader cannot tell why smoking is really bad. In contrast, the second thesis expounds on the topic, but narrows it down to specific ideas.

How Do I Create A Thesis?

So far, we have discussed the traits that make a good thesis. We have illustrated some good thesis statements and bad thesis statements. We have also mentioned that your thesis statement should never be vague. Your reader wants to know what you are about to discuss in your entire paper. Remember that your reader’s interpretation of your essay depends on your thesis. As you can see, a thesis is crucial for your paper. Therefore, decide to learn and practice how to write a thesis. So how do you create a thesis?

1. Start with a question- Assuming you already have your favorite topic, you can start to develop your thesis by asking a question related to your essay. For example, if you are asked to write about smoking, you could create a good thesis by asking yourself what the effects of smoking are on a particular group.
2. Develop your answer- Since we have repeated that your response must not be vague, ensure that you answer your question logically. A yes or no answer is not acceptable for a thesis. There must be a summary of your reasons for arguing in a particular way. Remember that your answer will have to be supported with evidence from research materials. A claim is good in a thesis, but you will need evidence to defend your position later in the paragraphs.
3. Let your reader notice your claim- That is why we insist on you putting your thesis at the end of the introduction. Readers focus on your paper starting from the thesis. Before you discuss the subject in depth, a reader will notice the claim you are making.
4. Choose the right words- As you have seen in the thesis statement examples we have listed before, your choice of words influences your reader to focus on your paper or to move away. So, use the right words and craft your thesis as if your life depends on it. Be ready to support it with credible materials.

Step-by-Step

If you still need help writing a thesis, we have a four-step formula for you. Although you could rely on a thesis generator, we advise you to practice writing a working thesis instead of becoming over-dependent on technology. Even Purdue University offers thesis statement examples instead of generating them for you. Let’s delve into the four steps of writing a working thesis.

1. Get your topic and ask a question- A working thesis always originates from a topic that you are tackling. Some course assignments might have longer topic prompts, which are of broader significance, but the formula remains the same. Start with asking a question. For instance, if the subject is on school uniforms for college students, you could pose this question: Should college students wear school uniforms? Some teachers may opt to ask you to discuss Mark Twain’s life or any other person. Always get the topic and formulate a question out of it.
2. Develop an answer for the question- Going by the same topic, let’s see how you would write the answer to the question. You could say this: College students should wear school uniforms. If your teacher does not mind writing your thesis in one or two sentences, go ahead. However, remember that this statement on school uniforms is not yet a working thesis; we are still creating it.
3. List your reasons- This is the last part of your thesis before we declare it a working thesis. Here, you should identify the reasons behind your reasoning. So, answer the answer: Why do I believe that college students should wear school uniforms? If you can brainstorm the answers to this question, you will have crafted a working thesis for your essay. In our case, we can mention that school uniforms ensure order, reduce bullying, and make students look smart.
4. Combine your thesis- Once you craft your question and develop its answer and the logic behind it, you can now combine it to create a working thesis. Let’s see how our working thesis will look like: College students should wear school uniforms to ensure order, reduce bullying, and maintain smartness. Guess what? Your working thesis is complete! It does not matter what paper you are handling. This process is applicable to all course assignments.

Examples

Let’s add more working thesis and determine if they are strong.

Topic: Gun Control

Question: Should lawmakers enact new gun control measures?

Answer: Lawmakers should enact new gun control measures.

Working thesis: Lawmakers should enact new gun control measures because the action would prevent mass shootings and other gun crimes.

The last part is the final thesis statement, and it is not a weak thesis statement because it highlights all the aspects of a thesis. You will find similar thesis statement examples on the writing center website and at Purdue University. Writing center is one of the trusted online resources for college tasks. Our thesis above is precise, although no specific evidence is available. Do not worry about that. Typically, the specific evidence for the items argued in the thesis statement is provided in the body sections. Remember, we have already stated that you can have one or two sentences as your thesis, especially if you consider your topic to be of broader significance. Therefore, write a thesis statement by considering the elements listed above.

We will write a thesis statement on the topic of military invasion.

Topic: US military invasion of other countries.

Question: Should the US military invade other countries to end terrorism?

Answer: The US military should invade other countries to end terrorism.

Working thesis: The US military should invade other countries to end terrorism because the action suppresses real terrorist attacks and deters potential terror groups from attacking the country.

If you write a thesis for such a subject, there is no better way to do it than following the provided examples above.

How Do I Know If My Thesis Is Strong?

If you have written a thesis statement but are not sure if it is strong, you can subject it to the following test. Ask yourself the following questions.

1. Does my final thesis statement give a summary of the ideas I want to focus on in my assignment? Since we have said that a weak thesis statement is vague, your thesis should explain the ideas that readers will read in your research paper or essay. A reader will want to know what lies ahead and how the conclusion is likely to be.
2. Does my final thesis statement show my position in this subject?
3. Does my thesis explain a bit about the subject- Although your introduction has background information, your thesis should let readers get a hint of your subject. In other words, ensure your thesis has a brief introduction.
4. Is my thesis specific to the reader? In all the thesis statement examples we provided, you could tell that readers will understand the thesis because of its clarity. While revealing your position is important, make sure the readers understand your argument.
5. Does my thesis involve argumentative ideas? A strong thesis statement should always elicit a response from the readers. Your argument should involve words that cause the reader to feel the need to counter your point.
6. Will my thesis be easy to support? Please note that your thesis will need evidence to validate. You will need an analysis of the topic, and all the examples you provide in subsequent paragraphs must convince your reader that your thesis is credible. Remember your thesis forms the basis for the rest of your paper, and evidence will come in handy. Decide from the start how you will bring out your argument.
7. Is my thesis concise and brief? Although we said a thesis could be one or two sentences, the recommended format is usually one sentence. Explain your ideas and reveal your argument for your essay assignment in just one sentence.
8. Does my thesis address the “what” and “why” questions? A reader should see how your sentence in the thesis responds to the question of your assignment and the logic of your argument. Your position should be convincing to the reader. You will have a problem doing your assignment if you do not address these two questions in the thesis.

Refine Your Thesis Statement

After writing your thesis, you should refine it before submitting it. Remember, the marks you obtain from your assignment depend on how well your thesis appears to the reader, who, in this case, is your professor.

Let’s do an analysis of two thesis statement examples to see how you should revise them. Assuming you are asked to explain why Chapel Hill is the best place to live and work, you may find yourself writing the following thesis statement examples.

Original thesis statement: Chapel Hill is the best place to live and work because it is amazing.

Revised: Chapel Hill is the best place to live and work due to its affordable commodities, proximity to social amenities, and tolerance of diverse communities.

Note that the first thesis was broad and vague. Always remember that a thesis summarizes your ideas included in the rest of your paper. Therefore, you make it clear and avoid vagueness. Decide from the start your topic and clarify it in the thesis. Always revise your thesis before proceeding with your paper since it determines the arguments that appear in the rest of your assignment.

Let’s See Another Thesis Statement Example Here.

Original Thesis: People in modern times are taking an opposing position to horror movies due to violence.

Revised Thesis: People in modern times are taking an opposing position to horror movies due to violence, which leads to aggressive behavior and crimes in real life.

When you revise your assignment severally, you realize that more ideas strengthen your argument.

Types Of Thesis Statements

Thesis statements depend on the type of essay that you are writing. Nonetheless, the rule remains the same: Be clear about your argument, express your opinion, and let the reader note the logic of your argument. It does not matter the type of thesis that you are writing.

1. Argumentative thesis statements- In an argumentative essay, your thesis statement must be strong by revealing your position and convincing the reader why your opinion is the best. The convincing aspect is only possible through logical reasoning and the provision of enough evidence.
2. Expository thesis- The writing process for this thesis is somewhat different in the sense that you make claims about your understanding of a topic or subject. For example, you may be asked to explain how Freud understands mourning. Your personal understanding should inform the words you use here of Freud’s work, which you will use to validate in the rest of the paper.

Conclusion

We trust you can confidently write a thesis statement for any piece of academic assignment. Go through the thesis statement examples we have provided in this guide, and you will find yourself becoming better with time.