how to start your thesis statement
- Be prepared to answer “So what?” about your thesis statement.
- Be prepared to explain why the point you are making is worthy of a paper. Why should the reader read it?
The thesis statement should do more than merely announce the topic; it must reveal what position you will take in relation to that topic, how you plan to analyze/evaluate the subject or the issue. In short, instead of merely stating a general fact or resorting to a simplistic pro/con statement, you must decide what it is you have to say.
Just as there are two different types of thesis statements (informative and persuasive), there are two basic styles you can use.
Most people would agree that PB&J is one of the easiest sandwiches in the American lunch repertoire.
Bad: Reading can develop a child’s analytical mind.
– Words like “can,” aren’t strong enough. This thesis statement begs the question of how? If you’re about to write several paragraphs (or pages) about a topic make sure you can confidently defend every point you make.
Good: Reading develops a child’s mind by fostering comprehension skills, increasing vocabulary, and exposing them to new worlds they might not otherwise encounter.
– Now, we’ve not just stated that reading is good, we’ve provided a sampling of all the benefits we’re about to bring to light in our paper.
Bad: High levels of alcohol consumption are bad for you.
– This is too broad. What are the specific detriments of alcohol consumption that you would like to discuss?
Good: High levels of alcohol consumption have detrimental effects on your personal health, such as weight gain, heart disease, and liver complications.
– Notice we got very specific in our reasons why. In your thesis statement, you don’t need to state every single detriment you’re going to lay out (in fact, you shouldn’t as it will risk becoming a run-on sentence) but you can point to the main areas you will explore.
Steps in Constructing a Thesis
Keep your thesis prominent in your introduction. A good, standard place for your thesis statement is at the end of an introductory paragraph, especially in shorter (5-15 page) essays. Readers are used to finding theses there, so they automatically pay more attention when they read the last sentence of your introduction. Although this is not required in all academic essays, it is a good rule of thumb.
If you are writing a thesis for the first time, you need to be careful and take time to prepare a good paper. If your goal is to receive a good score, then you should work on a winning thesis statement. Strong ideas don’t come within a second. They are created with a long thinking process. Review a guide to creating a successful statement below:
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References:
http://www.easybib.com/guides/how-to-write-a-strong-thesis-statement/
http://examples.yourdictionary.com/thesis-statement-examples.html
http://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/developing-thesis
http://get-thesis.com/blog/how-to-start-a-thesis
http://www.cws.illinois.edu/workshop/writers/tips/thesis/