writing thesis statements
These words tell the reader next to nothing if you do not carefully explain what you mean by them. Never assume that the meaning of a sentence is obvious. Check to see if you need to define your terms (”socialism,” “conventional,” “commercialism,” “society”), and then decide on the most appropriate place to do so. Do not assume, for example, that you have the same understanding of what “society” means as your reader. To avoid misunderstandings, be as specific as possible.
Tips:
When searching for a new home, realtors will tell you there are three important factors: location, location, and location. When developing your one-sentence thesis statement, it is important for you to be: specific, specific, specific. Write your thesis statement once and then rewrite it again with greater specificity.
Bad: Everyone should exercise.
– Why should I? What’s in it for me?
Good: Americans should add exercise to their daily morning routine because it not only keeps their bodies at a healthy weight but also reduces the risk of high blood pressure.
– Here, we’ve made several specifications i.e. Americans (not everyone), the morning routine (not the evening), weight maintenance, and high blood pressure prevention. Your research actually becomes easier when you have very specific objectives.
- Many demographic factors affected how people voted in the Brexit referendum.
- Polling and surveys shed light on the demographics of the Brexit vote, which can be broken down in terms of age, ethnicity, region, and educational level.
- Establishing the purpose of your paper
- Stating your position on the topic
- Guiding the reader through your argument
- Keeping your writing focused
Anticipate the counterarguments. Once you have a working thesis, you should think about what might be said against it. This will help you to refine your thesis, and it will also make you think of the arguments that you’ll need to refute later on in your essay. (Every argument has a counterargument. If yours doesn’t, then it’s not an argument—it may be a fact, or an opinion, but it is not an argument.)
Steps in Constructing a Thesis
So, now that we know what makes a good, solid thesis statement, you can start to write your own. If you find that you’re getting stuck or you are the type of person who needs to look at examples before you start something, then check out our list of thesis statement examples below.
Your thesis statement should clearly identify an argument. You need to have a statement that is not only easy to understand, but one that is debatable. What that means is that you can’t just put any statement of fact and have it be your thesis. For example, everyone knows that puppies are cute. An ineffective thesis statement would be, “Puppies are adorable and everyone knows it.” This isn’t really something that’s a debatable topic.
References:
http://examples.yourdictionary.com/thesis-statement-examples.html
http://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/thesis-statement/
http://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/developing-thesis
http://www.servicescape.com/blog/25-thesis-statement-examples-that-will-make-writing-a-breeze
http://www.cws.illinois.edu/workshop/writers/tips/thesis/