Academic writing is the first-ever type of writing taught to a child. Such types of papers require a strong thesis statement. A thesis helps the writer instantly identify the end goal. Further, it enables the readers to understand the key idea of the write-up. It is essential to maintain clarity, focus, and persuasiveness in the thesis. However, many students do not understand how to write a thesis statement. Since a thesis is the most crucial statement in an academic paper, we will be going into the details. It will help you advance your academic paper writing skills.
Contents
What Is A Thesis Statement?
Before knowing about the thesis statement you must know what is thesis. A thesis is the essence of an essay. A thesis is a sentence in an essay that catches the purpose of an essay. It is a statement that forms the basis of your argument throughout the essay. Hence, it is the core of an essay. A quality thesis statement serves as the blueprint for the rest of the piece of writing. It is perfect to make the reader understand the crux of an essay paper.
Thesis Statement Definition
A thesis statement is a one-sentence summary of the key idea of the entire academic, argumentative, expository paper or essay. The thesis is further defended or acknowledged in the body paragraphs or conclusion of a paper.
The writer must have complete knowledge of the topic to write a good thesis statement. Gather all the necessary details, facts, and figures supporting the thesis from credible resources. Hence, conducting accurate and proper research is primary. The thesis decides the direction of a paper. Moreover, it is necessary to link each one of the body paragraphs to the thesis.
Types Of Thesis Statements
Are you wondering what makes a good thesis statement? Well, that completely depends on the writing format that you follow. Let us discuss popular types of thesis statements and demonstrate how to write a thesis statement example.
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Argumentative Thesis Statement
Argumentative essays enable the writer to take a stand on an arguable subject and prove it to the audience. Refrain from proving two distinguished perspectives on a topic in the thesis.
Example:
“The human civilization is on its way to crumbling unless we take necessary actions to curb the climate change over the next few decades.”
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Expository or Explanatory Thesis Statement
An expository thesis statement aims at explaining and discussing the facts related to a topic. The facts help elaborate the readers on the core value of the essay topic and enlist the issues mentioned. Avoid including your personal viewpoints or claims.
Example:
Gerbils are the perfect pet for a home since they are cost-effective and low-maintenance.
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Analytical Thesis Statement
An analytical thesis evaluates, interprets, and analyzes a variety of elements of a single topic. The idea is to clearly present the core points of the assessment to the readers.
Example:
The analysis of a barn owl’s flight technique illustrates some of the flight patterns; such as the ones related to courtship and those linked with prey hunting.
The Significance Of A Thesis Statement
A thesis statement forms the basis of an academic paper. Hence, it is crucial to understand how to write a good thesis statement.
Here are the primary reasons that make thesis statements extremely important.
- A thesis allows the writer to put all their focus on the core idea of the write-up. After all, a writer must understand the main idea clearly as that’s what allows them to develop a clear idea for the academic paper.
We can say that a thesis acts as a guide for both, the reader and the writer. It helps in organizing the information by providing a sense of direction.
- Adding a well-thought and perfectly crafted thesis statement lets the readers grasp the basis of an essay. It sets the stage for the road ahead, which makes it easier to understand the rest of the information.
A thesis statement is included at the end of the introduction and helps transition into the body paragraphs. Further, these paragraphs specify evidence, claims, and facts to support the thesis. In short, a thesis is vital for informing the audience about what’s ahead.
So, in short, a thesis fulfills the following purposes:
- It centers the focus on a specific discussion.
- It forms the purpose of drafting a paper.
- It directs the reader through the debate presented.
- It helps declare the researcher’s take on the particular subject.
Key Elements Of A Thesis Statement
While drafting a thesis statement you should focus on the key idea. Let’s discuss the major elements required to prepare a winning thesis for your paper.
- Concise: Never stretch a thesis statement unnecessarily. A good thesis is always to the point and brief. It’s better to be direct and clear. Simply establish your point in one to two sentences.
- Contentious: Many students make the mistake of simply writing the well-known facts in their thesis. The ideal approach is writing a claim supported with evidence or evaluation.
If you are confused about how to write a thesis statement for an argumentative essay, then go for something that other people may question.
- Coherent: When a thesis follows various aspects of a certain topic, however, all of them add up to a logical whole that truly communicates a single idea. The information in the thesis should be backed up and described in the entire paper.
The Perfect Format For A Thesis Statement
In any type of writing, the introduction forms the basis. A thesis comprises one or two sentences written at the end of the introduction. Basically, a thesis focuses on the point that you state in the rest of the academic paper. The thesis must be distinctive from the information in the introduction rather than losing its value in the middle of another paragraph.
As you write a thesis statement, always remember that it must present your position strongly. Further, it must clear the air in the reader’s mind. Our purpose is not to make the readers completely agree with the statement. In fact, a powerful thesis is one that leaves room for discussion and lets you consider fresh perspectives.
Also, read about the Hypothesis to know its format.
Step-By-Step Process To Write The Best Thesis Statement
The foremost thing to consider while composing a thesis statement is identifying the primary query to answer. Then, formulate a clear, crisp, and short response in a thesis.
The thesis statement acts as the core element of any paper type. As a student, you may feel clueless and wonder how to write a thesis statement for an essay or any other academic paper. So, we are here to elaborate on the systematic approach to formulating a winning thesis.
- Brainstorm The Ideas
The most important thing before you start writing any type of paper is to brainstorm. You can join your friends, family, teachers, and peers to ideate and come up with interesting topics to work on. It is a fantastic way to write a claim. Once you are done with topic selection, the next step would be to narrow down the idea and create an attention-getter, short and clear statement.
- Write A Research Question
The next step would be formulating a research question that you need to answer with the thesis.
Here’s an example: What are the key factors that lead people to obesity and how to avoid them?
- Formulate An Answer And Take A Side
Since you had asked the question, it’s time to answer that. Besides, you need to share your opinion through it.
Let’s understand it better with an example:
The key factors behind depression are physical and emotional distress.
- Narrow Down The Details And Maintain Focus
Students must understand that an academic paper should not be merely filled with basic information. Instead, you need to make it distinguished by proving a unique point about the subject. This should reflect in the thesis.
- Reasoning And Evidence To Back Up Your Answer
Always support your answer with relevant claims, evidence, and sources. Doing this will pave a smooth road for the essay ahead and also strengthen your write-up.
- Language Matters
It is highly recommended to use an active voice. It is direct and instills a sense of confidence. You can use online apps and tools to prevent lengthy and difficult-to-read sentences.
- A Strong Counterargument
Do you know what amplifies the power of a thesis statement? An effective counterargument!
It helps identify the points that complete your argument. You are required to challenge the counterargument in the body paragraph. Moreover, write what makes your viewpoint better.
- Does The Thesis Really Fit?
A major mistake people often commit is writing the body before composing the thesis. Sometimes you might attempt to state a point, but then end up sharing a similar but altered version of the primary idea. This is when the thesis statement will help you out. You can recall the thesis and verify whether or not it goes perfectly with the point you have stated. If you find yourself proving something distinctive from the initial claim, simply revise and edit it.
- How Important Is The Idea?
Whenever you are working on a thesis, you need to assess the core idea. That’s what decides the worth of your thesis. Is the point interesting enough to propel readers’ curiosity? Ideally, a strong thesis would capture readers’ attention and leave them with a lingering feeling about the key idea even long after they are done reading it.
Awesome Tips To Write An Excellent Thesis Statement
As we have explained how to write a thesis statement, step-by-step, let us share some additional tips to make your thesis powerful.
- Aim To Be Specific
The foundations of an essay lie in its core argument. Hence, always verify your thesis to ascertain specificity in the central idea. A vague approach should be avoided at all costs.
Instead of considering many different factors, make sure you work with a single, key idea.
- Maintain Clarity In The Argument
It is highly important to state a clear argument in your paper. Avoid cluttering of thoughts, ideas, and opinions. The reader should clearly figure out the direction of the essay by simply reading the thesis statement.
Therefore, you can jot down your purpose of argument in the paper separately. It will help you identify the reason, and ensure precision in the thesis.
- Question Your Assumptions
While composing the thesis statement, it’s best to introspect and recognize the assumptions that form the basis of your argument. To understand it better, simply think about what is that you want your audience to assume is true before they accept your side of the argument?
Besides, it is crucial to have a clear idea about your target audience. So, for instance, if you are skeptical about how to write a thesis statement for an informative essay, you need to evaluate your readers’ mindset.
Thus, you should critically think and understand whether or not your argument stands true for those who do not agree with your perspective. Afterward, revise, edit and re-approach your thesis to ensure your argument is free from such assumptions.
- Never Save Your Thesis For The End
As we have already said, the thesis is introduced at the beginning of a paper. Ideally, it is mentioned at the end of the initial paragraph. However, there is no hard and fast rule. The accurate position of the thesis may differ as per the requirements of the introduction.
Another crucial point is to avoid over-analysis of the thesis statement. It has to be simple and direct. Thus, avoid using fancy terms or terms. Moreover, stage your argument without being too ambiguous. Else, you will only end up with a weak thesis.
Wrapping Up
Composing an effective and strong thesis statement is a crucial part of the academic writing experience. Whether you are writing an essay or a research paper; the thesis has to be precise. Besides, it should state the necessary data and evidence for each one of the claims you stated in the paper. However, it also helps individuals immensely in personal growth. It is a unique way to evaluate the ideas and organize them in the key argument. We hope you found our blog helpful! But still, if you are unable to write a good one you can directly connect with us to hire our best writers. You just need to ping us to write my thesis and our highly qualified writer will be present online to help you.