What is a Thesis Statement in an Essay?
A thesis statement is written to inform the readers and explain the importance and significance of the chosen topic. It is a guide for your readers to know what will be discussed in the essay and what they should expect.
This 1-2 sentence statement helps to organize and develop a strong argument in essay writing. Moreover, it is the crux of your essay and should be strong and compelling.
To summarize the concept, the thesis statement definition is as follows.
“A short statement, usually one sentence that summarizes the main point of view or claim of an essay, research paper, etc., and is developed, supported, and explained in the text using examples and evidence.”
Just like having a strong essay outline is important, it is equally important to have a solid statement. A strong outline makes a strong essay. It is the most important part when it comes to writing an essay outline.
What to Include in a Thesis Statement
Once you have selected a topic for your research paper, it becomes easier to formulate the statement for it. A strong thesis statement should be specific and provide your conclusion as per the chosen topic. Vague sentences make weak thesis statements.
Make sure that after reading it, the audience gets to know what the paper is about. Moreover, a good statement should present a single idea. In the case of multiple points, you may confuse your readers.
Remember, it is written according to the type of paper. For example, an argumentative essay will have an argumentative thesis statement that is debatable.
Characteristics of Good Thesis Statement
Following are the characteristics of a good thesis statement:
- Concise
The first and foremost feature of a good thesis statement is its conciseness. A good thesis will always be short, to the point, and clear. It should clearly communicate the stance of the writer. Moreover, this statement should not be more than two to three sentences.
- Contentious
A good thesis statement is not expected to be a simple statement with obvious facts. Infact a good thesis statement can be defined as a claim that requires further analysis and substantial evidence to support it.
Specifically, a thesis statement for an argumentative topic should be a debatable statement.
- Coherent
Coherency is one of the key characteristics of a good thesis statement. Your thesis statement may reflect aspects of your topic, but these ideas should add up to express one central idea. Every idea presented in your thesis statement should be explained in your paper.
Types of a Thesis Statement
There are two main types of thesis statements that the readers will discuss in their essays.
1. Indirect Thesis Statement
An indirect statement does not indicate the idea of your essay clearly.
For example: ‘I love Paris for three reasons. The three reasons will be discussed further in the essay’.
Here, the reasons are not clear, so this will be considered as an indirect thesis statement.
2. Direct Thesis Statement
A direct statement clearly indicates what is going to be discussed further in the blog.
For example: ‘I love Paris for sweets, museums, and Disneyland.’
This clearly indicates what is going to be discussed in the paper and body paragraphs of the essay.
How to Write a Thesis Statement?
While writing a thesis, remember that it reflects and highlights the main purpose of your essay. This statement for research papers and high school essays should be clear and states the main argument of the paper.
You might have to change it as you move forward with your research paper. Thus, it is better to write it after completing the paper and doing extensive research.
Students often get confused when writing it. However, take your time for this process, and don’t try to improvise the information and formulate the statement in haste. Also, conduct in-depth research to come up with an effective thesis statement for academic papers.
Follow the steps given below to understand how to write a good and convincing thesis statement for your essay or research paper.
- Come up with a research question and read it carefully.
- Choose the topic according to the type of essay.
- Find the answer and take a stance.
- Research the data and statements related to your topic.
- Collect and organize relevant evidence.
- Consider the significance of your topic and research data to develop the statement.
- Create a relationship between the existing facts and formulate a statement of facts based on them.
- If you change the topic sentence, change your statement in the essay accordingly.
Sample Thesis Statements
Check out the following sample thesis statement to understand the detailed thesis statement format.
Thesis Statement Examples
Here are some thesis statement examples for research papers to give you a clear idea of writing one.
- Fast foods should be banned in schools because regular consumption of fast food among children has caused an increase in heart diseases and obesity.
- Access to public restrooms should be given to homeless people to improve their living standards.
- Smoking should be banned in public places as the number of heart diseases, and cancer is increasing among passive smokers.
- Vaccinations of diseases like measles, mumps, polio, etc., should be compulsory for all children in the United States to prevent and eradicate these deadly diseases.
- To decrease illegal organ harvesting activities and increase the provision of organs, there should be financial compensation for organ donors.
- Schools can play their part in decreasing cyberbullying by taking action against students involved in bullying in school or online on social media.
- Due to crippling student debt, students cannot live their lives peacefully even after being done with their studies.
- Teen celebrities cannot be considered role models, especially for children, because of their engagement in illegal activities.
- Decreasing work hours in offices will improve employees’ work efficiency by stabilizing their sleep patterns and moods.
- A wide range of experts has proved through empirical evidence that staying awake till late at night causes severe mental and health conditions such as anxiety, mental issues, and insomnia.
Most students find writing a great thesis statement to be a complex task, as the entire essay relies on it.
Tips to Write a Thesis Statement
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