or
Because , .
If you are just starting out, and you are still developing an original, evidence-based claim to defend, a simpler formula is probably best. Once you have done the research, and you understand the subject, then a formula like the following won’t look like random words; it will suggest a way to frame a nuanced, complex argument that goes beyond making non-controversial factual statements.
While says , says . While the two authors disagree over , they both share a deep concern over . refusal to accept suggests that is . | |
What really matters is not guessing the magically correct words to fit some secret formula that your mean instructor is refusing to tell you. What matters is that you have researched your subject, that you have found and engaged meaningfully with peer-reviewed academic sources, and that you are developing an evidence-based claim, rather than summarizing or giving unsupported opinion. |
Academic Argument: Evidence-based Defense of a Non-obvious Position
Parts of a Thesis Statement
The thesis statement has 3 main parts : the limited subject , the precise opinion , and the blueprint of reasons .
Make sure you’ve chosen a subject that meets your instructor’s requirements for the assignment. (It never hurts to ask.)
The precise opinion gives your answer to a question about the subject. A good precise opinion is vital to the reader’s comprehension of the goal of the essay .
A blueprint is a plan. It lets the builder know that the foyer will be here, the living room will be to the east, the dining room to the west, and the family room will be north.The blueprint of an essay permits you to see the whole shape of your ideas before you start churning out whole paragraphs.While it’s okay for you to start writing down your ideas before you have a clear sense of your blueprint, your reader should never encounter a list of details without being told exactly what point these details are supposed to support. (For more details on the reasoning blueprint, see Blueprinting .)
The biography challenges the Western genre’s stereotype of the “savage Indian” through . | |
In the blueprint, the author . The author of the example above introduces three different kinds of evidence: Informed by this blueprint, the reader expects to encounter one section (a paragraph or more) devoted to each subtopic.The . |
If your thesis statement introduces three reasons A, B and C, the reader will expect a section on reason A, a section on reason B, and a section on reason C.
For a single paragraph, you might only spend one sentence on each reason. For a 2-3 page paper, each reason might get its own paragraph. For a 10-page paper, each reason might contain its own local thesis statement, with its own list of reasons, so that each section involves several paragraphs.To emphasize the structure of your essay, repeat keywords or paraphrased ideas from the blueprint as you introduce the sections in which you expand on each point. Crafting good transitions is a skill that takes time and practice. ( See Transitions and Reminders of Thesis ).
Note : If you repeat your blueprint phrases and your thesis statement robotically (“The third point I want to talk about is how Black Elk Speaks accurately represents the Indian lifestyle through its direct quotes from Black Elk.”), your writing will be rather dry and lifeless. Dull writing is probably better than aimless rambling, although neither is terribly effective. |
Note : A thesis statement amounts to nothing if the paper is not completely focused on that main point . Blueprinting helps create the coherency of the thesis throughout the entire essay, which makes it a necessary part of the thesis statement.
accurately represents Indian lifestyle through its attention to cultural detail, its use of Indian words, and its direct quotes from Black Elk. | |
: The representation of Indian lifestyle in the book Black Elk Speaks : the book is accurate : the book pays attention to it uses , and it uses . (The rest of the paper will establish the truth of teach of these supporting points, and then explain why they add up to support the truth of the thesis statement.) |
Is a tragedy? | |
This is a question, not a statement. It’s fine to sit down at the keyboard with the intention of writing a paper to answer this question, but before you start churning out the sentences, you should have a clear idea of what answer you’re trying to support. |
This paper will look at the book’s attention to cultural detail, its use of Indian words, and its direct quotations from Black Elk, in order to determine whether accurately represents Indian lifestyle. | |
The above sample is slightly better because it offers more detail, but it still doesn’t say what position the author is taking on the topic of whether the book is accurate. |
Because the events in the story emphasize Black Elk’s role as a Sioux Warrior, and do not describe his eventual conversion to Catholicism and membership in the Society of St. Joseph, presents a skewed and simplified view of the complex history of Native Americans. | |
Note that the above sample contains a (the accuracy of Black Elk Speaks), (it is skewed and simplified), and (because the book only tells part of the story). You don’t need to present those three parts in that exact order every time; furthermore, your instructor may have a good reason to ask you for a different organization. But most of the time, including these three parts will help your reader to follow your ideas much more closely. |
Biographies of all types can teach us many things about the past. What was the culture like? What was the language like? And what did the people say? One such book is Black Elk Speaks, which tells the story of a Sioux warrior in the late 1800s. How accurate is this book? This paper will investigate the cultural details, the language, and what Black Elk actually said, in order to determine the answer. | |
The above sample starts off with a wordy, general statement about biographies. But the main topic isn’t about biographies of all types, it’s specifically about one book, Black Elk Speaks. |
17 Oct 2000 — originally posted by Nicci Jordan, UWEC Junior 08 Dec 2000 — first posted here. Maintained by Prof. Jerz. 13 Dec 2003 — links updated 22 Sep 2006 — moderate revisions by Jerz 29 Oct 2011 — updated by Jerz 14 June 2015 — minor adjustments
Blueprinting: Planning Your Essay A blueprint is a rough but specific plan , or outline, which defines the structure of your whole essay. The blueprint, usually located within the thesis statement, is a brief list of the points you plan to make, compressed into just a few words each, in the same order in which they appear in the body of your paper.
Hochstein, Jordan, and Jerz Thesis Reminders A thesis reminder is a direct echo of the thesis statement . In a short paper, the topic sentence of each paragraph should repeat words or phrases from the thesis statement.
Dennis G. Jerz Timed Essays: Planning and Organizing in a Crunch
this did not help at all
I can’t win them all.
Gibberish person may be skimming too fast. This always helps. I’m in the middle of replying to a student email on how to rework her thesis statement and I use your explanation as a clear explanation.
This has helped a lot, thank you.
I find this page helpful. Thank you!
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please I want some more examples of how to construct a very good acedamic essays
From this class,I kind of know what is thesis statement.It is a strong support of a whole passage,it can inform people of what the passage is telling,only by using a few words .It should have the keywords and a good organization to make itself brief but rich.After learning this class,I think I will be better at writing the thesis statement.Thanks
I am doing a project for my MST…but iam finding it difficult in putting up my paragraphs which needs to include my subject and limited subject…..pliz advice me on how to put up my paragraph
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I am doing preparation of ielts exam . but I faface difficulty in grammar and especially in thesis line which I confuse that what should i write in thesis line among all kinds of essay …plz tell me but should I do to improve it.
I think you should read more and write more.After writing,you can ask someone that is good at English learning to help you know what your mistakes are.
Vehicles has become a essential part of human being life. People used to bicycle but by the time mode of commute has been replaced by car .however, still in some cities people prefer to ride bicycle for travelling.
Plz tell me how can I impressive to my intro and how can I improve my writing skill
Jonu, I’d say the most important helpful thing you can do is expose yourself to English as spoken by native English speakers, talking with people who know the language well enough that they can correct you immediately, in casual conversation, when you make one of the word-level errors that only an expert user of the language would spot. There is no shortcut — exposing yourself to a language is the only way to learn it.
I happened to come across this video, which is geared towards a young audience, but is written for English language learners. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqxuNrhKhMc
Hi i am doing the preparation of competitive exam , i have to write an Essay of 2500-2800 words, data should be critical and researched base, for example there is Essay on Climate change , then please tell me how i develop a thesis statement, and how we write thesis statement, is it is written in the start of Essay or in the end of introduction, some people said that thesis satement should be written in start other say that this written in end of introductory paragraph. please help me with example thanks
Rab, if you are looking for my advice on thesis statements, you have found the right page. If you have any specific questions or comments about the content of this page, I’d be happy to address them. I’ve already put lots of time into this page, and at the moment I can’t think of a way to present my advice any more clearly.
Although you did say “please,” even so, “tell me how I develop a thesis statement” is asking for quite a lot.
What is your college major or your area of professonal expertise? If I asked you to tell me, right here on my blog, what I need to know in order to succeed in a competitive exam in your field, what would you say?
If I went to a doctor and said “Tell me how to diagnose a patient,” or I went to a judge and said “Tell me how to interpret the law,” or I went to an artist and said “Tell me how to be creative,” do you think they would be able give me a few sentences that completely answer my question and prepare me for professional work as a doctor, judge, or artist? If they had spent years as students learning their subject matter, and additional years teaching or writing a textbook on their specialty, they might be very good in their professions but I’d bet they’d all find it tough to answer such a question in any meaningful way.
I won’t be evaluating your submission, so my opinion on debatable topics such as where the thesis should go won’t be of any specific use to you.
thesis statement should be the last statement in your introductory paragraph, it will consist of a short explanation as to why you are writing the essay and what is involved.
That’s certainly a valid place to put a thesis statement, jentar. If your instructor tells you to put a thesis statement in a certain place, then putting it anywhere else is risky. But it’s also possible to start with a paragraph that grabs the reader’s attention with a gripping example that illustrates what’s at stake, and then give the thesis statement in the second paragraph.
This is great stuff. I wonder if you didn’t mean expansive rather than expensive in the following sentence. “Instead of claiming that a book “challenges a genre’s stereotypes,” you might instead argue that some text “provides a more expensive but more ethical solution than X” or “challenges Jim Smith’s observation that ‘[some quote from Smith here]’” instead.
Thanks for your feedback. I’m glad you found the page useful. I really did mean “expensive” in that example, though I am simply suggesting that considering cost is worth exploring in an argument, depending on the kind of argument you are making.
I found the information to be very informative and easy to understand. Thank you
Hi. I began an essay on the topic ; reasons why pursuing college education is important. I had it started off this way… Aristotle said it best when he stated, “Education is the best provision for life’s journey.” Pursuing a college education provides individuals with career pportunities, higher income and experiences necessary in the journey of life. Please do you think I started off good or too weak? I need your help as this is a great assignment for me to make up for my mid semester examination which I was unable to attend!
Your instructor is the one who will grade the assignment, so he or she is the best source of feedback. Without knowing what grade/level you are, or what kind of class you are taking, I can’t really advise you. However, unless you have read Aristotle’s works yourself and can place that quote in its context, I would not recommend pulling a random quote from a website and using it to start a paper. The complete quote is “Education is the best provision for the journey to old age,” but what does that mean?
The word “best” means there is at least a “good” and a “better,” and that by some measurement or judgement, a third thing is “best.” What are the two other sayings (at least) that you have compared to Aristotle, and what are the two other things (at least) that Aristotle thinks are not as good provision for life’s journey to old age? Why does your opinion (on at least three different sayings, of which the best is Aristotle’s), and at least three different provisions for old age (of which the best is education) help you to answer your instructor’s prompt about the reasons for pursing a college education?
What we think of as “college” is very different from the education that Aristotle would have received (or provided). I suggest you look into ways that a college education encourages critical thinking, which is a different way of thinking than “Did I get the right answer? Will my teacher approve? What’s the secret ‘correct’ answer in the back of my instructor’s book that I should memorize and spit back?” Maybe your instructor wants you to determine for yourself whether you feel gaining a college education is worth the intellectual effort.
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When you are asked to write an essay that creates an argument, your reader will probably expect a clear statement of your position. Typically, this summary statement comes in the first paragraph of the essay, though there is no rigid rule about position. Here are some characteristics of good thesis statements, with samples of good and poor ones. Note that the better examples substitute specific argumentative points for sweeping general statements; they indicate a theoretical basis and promise substantial support. (See Some Myths About Thesis Statements, below, for a discussion of times not to use a thesis statement. See also the file General Advice on Essay Writing .)
Shakespeare was the world’s greatest playwright. | |
The success of the last scene in Midsummer Night’s Dream comes from subtle linguistic and theatrical references to Elizabeth’s position as queen. |
This essay will show that the North American Free Trade agreement was a disaster for the Canadian furniture industry. | |
Neither neo-protectionism nor post-industrial theory explains the steep reversal of fortune for the Canadian furniture industry in the period 1988-1994. Data on productivity, profits, and employment, however, can be closely correlated with provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement that took effect in the same period. |
Having an official policy on euthanasia just causes problems, as the Dutch example shows. | |
Dutch laws on euthanasia have been rightly praised for their attention to the principles of self-determination. Recent cases, however, show that they have not been able to deal adequately with issues involving technological intervention of unconscious patients. Hamarckian strategies can solve at least the question of assignation of rights. |
by Purdue Global Academic Success Center and Writing Center · Published August 19, 2015 · Updated August 10, 2015
Molly Wright Starkweather, MA, Kaplan University Writing Center Tutor
When teaching thesis statements, the standard advice from teaching guides varies depending on the expertise of the student and the content area and level of study of the course. In the Kaplan Guide to Successful Writing , a thesis statement is considered effective if it sticks to one idea, focuses on a reasonably sized aspect of that idea, takes a clear position on the subject, and uses solid support. These are quality goals for students, but how does a student get in the right frame of mind to begin writing a thesis statement after having conducted all the research? A first term student will likely consider the main points to be included and build a thesis statement from there, which works fairly well in shorter assignments, but it can become an unwieldy proposition when it comes to more complex compositions.
Graduate students might not be expected to write the same sort of thesis statement as first year composition students, but they can benefit from considering a focused central argument in a sentence or two for the sake of those reading their papers. One of the reasons it is important to distinguish the type of central argument graduate students will make in their writing is because it might be easy to confuse a thesis statement with a graduate thesis, which is a specific type of original research report described in our Graduate Thesis resource .
A formula I have developed for thesis statements takes into consideration the notion that a thesis statement is often designed to address a situation in a field of study, typically solving a specific problem by offering a specific solution. The first ingredient in an effective thesis statement, then, is to mention the problem briefly. A template for mentioning the problem might look like one of the phrases below.
Considering the challenge of _________
When addressing the situation of __________
Professionals who face the scenario of __________
Here is how one thesis might begin.
Considering the challenge of keeping infants safe on airplane flights
Next, it is always good communication to have a solution in mind when mentioning a problem. Make sure to mention the specific solution for the specific problem being addressed, and consider one of the phrases below as a template for introducing the solution.
… an effective approach might be _________
… one good solution is _________
… the best response is to _________
Now, the effective thesis started earlier might go on to look like this. Considering the challenge of keeping infants safe on airplane flights, the most effective solution is to have the infant ride in a rear-facing car seat secured to the infant’s own airplane seat.
Finally, effective thesis statements can offer the reader a sense of what to expect in the body paragraphs of the paper. One way to incorporate the main points from the body paragraphs is to consider why the solution being offered in the thesis statement is effective or perhaps even the best solution. Adding “because” after naming the solution in the thesis can pave the way for establishing the main points right there within the same sentence. Here is an example of how all three ingredients—mentioning the challenge at hand, the solution, and the main points supporting the solution—can make for an effective thesis statement.
Considering the challenge of protecting infants on flights, the most effective solution is for the infant to be rear-facing in a car seat, because this solution addresses an infant’s physical development, the latest safety guidelines from experts on child travel safety, and the need for parents to protect themselves in a crash.
This is only one model for an effective thesis statement, so I encourage those reading this blog entry to consider other models for thesis statements as well. No matter what, make sure to phrase the central argument or main point or thesis statement based on the assignment instructions and any other supporting material (like a rubric) provided by the professor.
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Molly, once again a great piece of work informative, short, sweet, and to the point! Love it. KB
Thank you! It is great when we as professionals find a simple approach that accomplishes our goals.
Molly – I love this approach. I’ve actually done a graphic organizer to help students develop what I call a three prong thesis. I also share with them that when I write an article, I start with one as well. I may not always end with one because professional writing needs more than that, but after so many years of forming the thesis in my mind this way, it is the way my brain works.
Thanks, Teresa! I agree that the three-prong approach might be a good springboard for the varying needs of professional writing. I think we have a potential resource on our hands, eh?
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A three point thesis statement is a great way to organize your thoughts and arguments when writing an essay. It can also help your reader follow your argument more easily. To write a three point thesis statement, follow these steps:
1. Choose three main points that you want to make in your essay.
2. Write each point as a separate sentence, making sure to include a supporting argument for each point.
3. Wrap up your thesis statement by tying all three points together.
Here is an example of a three point thesis statement:
The three main points that I want to make in this essay are: 1. The American Revolution was a watershed moment in world history. 2. The Revolution was a result of a long chain of events that built up over time. 3. The Revolution had a profound impact on the future of the United States and the rest of the world.
If you’re not sure where to start, or you need help formatting your if statement correctly, top essay writer service can help you out. They can provide you with guidance and support, as well as a high-quality essay that will get you the grades you need.
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3 point thesis statement examples.
The thesis statement consists of one sentence. This sentence is in the introductory paragraph of an article. You can put the Thesis statement at the end or beginning of the introductory paragraph. It is generally preferred to be put at the end. So what is the purpose of the thesis statement sentence? It is to give general information about the subject you will write about. When someone reads your thesis statement sentence, they should understand what you are writing about.
Below you will see thesis statement examples and their explanations.
As you can see in our example, we stated that we would argue that children should not use social media. We said that the reason for this is that they were affected by seeing the lives that are not real. Now the reader knows what to advocate for the rest of the article. They also learned why we defended this idea.
You see a comparison here. Sea holidays and nature holidays are compared. In his thesis statement, the author clearly explained why you should choose a sea vacation. He or she will write the rest of the article adhering to this. Since an optional topic is mentioned here, I think is used in the thesis statement sentence. This is an example of how the thesis statement sentence varies by subject.
In this example, we put the thesis statement first. This method is also frequently preferred. Again, we mentioned a specific reason in our example. We will explain this reason in more detail in the development paragraphs. A thesis statement provides us with a guide at this point. We need to look at the thesis statement for the entire article and explain the distractions one by one. That’s why it’s important to set a proper thesis statement.
We have made our side clear in the Thesis statement. We have presented two different reasons to choose face-to-face education. It is necessary to focus on these two reasons in development paragraphs. The thesis statement can occur for two or three reasons. If you provide more than one specific reason, you should mention them in the article. The reader will expect to see them.
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What Is a 3-Point Thesis Statement and Its Purpose. According to its definition, a 3-point thesis statement is a specific type of thesis statement that outlines the main argument or claim of an essay and provides three distinct parts to support it.
A three-point thesis statement is a sentence that outlines the topic, claim and supporting evidence in an essay. A strong thesis statement will include all three points that clearly tell the reader what to expect in the essay whereas an incomplete or weak thesis statement may confuse readers.
A 3-point thesis statement is a concise yet potent tool that outlines the main arguments of your paper. By presenting three key points, it guides readers through your central ideas and supports your position.
How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples. Published on January 11, 2019 by Shona McCombes.Revised on August 15, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan. A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay.It usually comes near the end of your introduction.. Your thesis will look a bit different depending on the type of essay you're writing.
Many papers you write require developing a thesis statement. In this section you'll learn what a thesis statement is and how to write one. Keep in mind that not all papers require thesis statements. If in doubt, please consult your instructor for assistance. What is a thesis statement? A thesis statement . . . Makes…
Step 2: Figure out what point you want to make Once you know what type of paper you're writing, you then need to figure out the point you want to make with your thesis statement, and subsequently, your paper.
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How to Write a Thesis Statement What is a Thesis Statement? Almost all of us—even if we don't do it consciously—look early in an essay for a one- or two-sentence condensation of the argument or analysis that is to follow.
The thesis statement is one of the most important elements of any piece of academic writing.It is a brief statement of your paper's main argument. Essentially, you are stating what you will be writing about.
A thesis can be found in many places—a debate speech, a lawyer's closing argument, even an advertisement. But the most common place for a thesis statement (and probably why you're reading this article) is in an essay.
A thesis statement f or a 5 paragraph essay conta ins three parts: . 1. A Topic: the main idea of the essay. 2. The Controlling Idea: what you want to say about the topic. 3. The subtopics: usually 3 examples/reasons you will discuss in your paper
Writing a Strong Thesis Statement . A thesis statement is one or a few sentences that express the main ideas of your paper and answer the questions posed by your paper. Some thesis statements offer readers a quick and easy-to-follow summary of what the
Thesis Statements and Topic Sentences A thesis driven essay is comprised of an initial thesis statement that establishes a claim or argument, and ensuing topic sentences that support and develop that claim. Ideally, a reader would be able to read only
An analytical paper breaks down an issue or an idea into its component parts, evaluates the issue or idea, and presents this breakdown and evaluation to the audience.; An expository (explanatory) paper explains something to the audience.; An argumentative paper makes a claim about a topic and justifies this claim with specific evidence. The claim could be an opinion, a policy proposal, an ...
A Strong Thesis Statement. A strong thesis statement contains the following qualities. Specificity. A thesis statement must concentrate on a specific area of a general topic.
A thesis statement is the single, specific claim that your essay supports. A strong thesis answers the question you want to raise; it does so by presenting a topic, the position you wish to defend, and a reasoning blueprint that sketches out your defense of your chosen position. A good thesis is not merely a factual statement, an observation, a personal opinion or preference, or the question ...
When you are asked to write an essay that creates an argument, your reader will probably expect a clear statement of your position. Typically, this summary statement comes in the first paragraph of the essay, though there is no rigid rule about position.
Molly Wright Starkweather, MA, Kaplan University Writing Center Tutor When teaching thesis statements, the standard advice from teaching guides varies depending on the expertise of the student and the content area and level of study of the course. In the Kaplan Guide to Successful Writing, a thesis statement is considered effective if it sticks to…
Sample Outline Based on Your Thesis: If written properly, your thesis can act as a "roadmap" for your paper, where each main idea presented in your thesis essentially becomes the topic of your body paragraph.
A three-point thesis statement is one that states three main points that support an argument. The first paragraph should be a topic sentence, and the last paragraph should contain a transition sentence that indicates the direction thе essay will take. Three-point thesis statements are most commonly used in academic writing, and they arе found in […]
3 Point Thesis Statement Examples What Is The Thesis Statement? The thesis statement consists of one sentence. This sentence is in the introductory paragraph of an article. You can put the Thesis statement at the end or beginning of the introductory paragraph. It is generally preferred to be put at the end. So what is the purpose of the thesis statement sentence? It is to give general ...