How To Write An Effective Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is the driving force and backbone of an academic paper. Without a thesis statement, your essay will lack a coherent argument and read more like a list of statistics, quotes, or connecting ideas. Therefore, before completing your thesis statement, ask yourself:

• Is the main claim of your essay complex? Is it insightful? Is it surprising or unexpected?
• Does your thesis answer a question, tension or problem?
• Is your thesis clearly stated at the beginning, and is it developed and developed throughout the paper?
• Does your thesis statement have a clear purpose?

Effective thesis statements directly and boldly articulate a complex, reasoned or surprising argument (or arguments) that will need to be developed throughout the essay. In addition, they should be intelligent, well-thought-out answers to your essay's question or problem.

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement consists of one or two declarative sentences that summarize the main points of a paper or a piece of writing, such as an essay. A thesis statement identifies the topic to be discussed as well as the purpose of the paper. Most importantly, the thesis statement of a study makes an assertion and informs the reader about the author's position on the subject.

Due to its nature as a summarization of the argument or analysis to follow (How to Write a Thesis Statement), the thesis statement is usually placed in the opening paragraphs of a paper. Many writers also put this statement at the end of the introduction. If you are opting for a STEM career, it is essential to know where to place a statement and how to structure it so that your idea is brief and concise.

Tips for Writing a Good Thesis Statement

Be specific

The essay should be based on a specific argument. Check your thesis statement to see if the central idea of your paper is too vague. If you argue for something general—for example, an argument that all pop music is bad—your essay will try to garner too many views and be unfocused.

Refine your argument to be more specific. For example, pop music suffers from repetitive chord progressions, or that pop songs have unimaginative lyrics. These narrow claims allow you to organize the evidence supporting your thesis easily.

Take a strong stance

Try to write a thesis statement that can be argued against when writing your essay's introduction. For example, if your thesis statement is, "Computers are a popular technology in today's society," your essay might not advance a position so much as stating an objective fact.

Most essays will require you to take a stance, not make an observation, so craft a thesis statement that truly puts forward a unique perspective.

Question your assumptions

As you craft your essay's thesis statement, ask yourself what assumptions your argument is based on. In other words, what must your readers believe to be true before they will accept your argument?

Be especially aware of your intended audience. For example, does your argument rely on a religious or moral code to prove it is inherently correct? If you are writing a paper for a class in Christian ministry, a dogmatic argument may be appropriate; For a paper in Sociology, however, such arguments do not hold ground.

Think about how your argument may not hold for people who do not subscribe to your points of view, then revise or reframe your thesis statement so that your argument does not depend on those assumptions.

Don't hide your thesis

Keep in mind that your thesis statement should be near the beginning of your essay. Conventional wisdom dictates that it should appear toward the end of the first paragraph. However, the exact position may vary depending on how much of an introduction your specific essay requires. In any case, it should generally come at the end of your introduction to the material - your readers see the last statement at the beginning before moving on to the body of your argument.

A thesis statement shouldn't be overthought to some extent as well. Don't craft a thesis statement with fancy language, and don't be too clever in setting the stage for your argument; Both strategies sometimes hide a weak central thesis. On the other hand, whoever your professor is, they will appreciate you getting to the point in a clear, concise way.

Final Words

Finally, your thesis statement is essential to your paper regardless of the topic. You will be writing an essay and a thesis statement is still very important. It is placed in the introduction or is a stand-alone section (in the thesis/dissertation). The bottom line, be specific, focus on the topic, and make sure it's effective in persuading the reader to read on.

Even though a thesis statement is only a small part of your paper, it is essential. If you need help developing your thesis statement or need to refer to some examples of thesis writing, you can start by filling out the enrollment form. We provide best-in-class thesis writing help and free thesis samples. Hire our assignment help today!