How to Write a Thesis

Why a Thesis Statement?

• To test your ideas by distilling them into a sentence or two

• To better organize and develop your argument

• To provide your reader with a “guide” to your argument

What is a Thesis Statement?

• takes on a subject which reasonable people can disagree

• deals with a subject that can be adequately treated given the nature of the assignment

• expresses one main idea

• asserts your conclusions about a subject

Thesis Statement Tips

• A thesis statement consists of two parts: –your topic,

–the assertion that you're making about the topic.

Thesis Statement Tips

• A thesis statement is a very specific statement -- it should cover only what you want to discuss in your paper, and be supported with specific evidence.

Thesis Statement Tips

• a thesis statement appears at the end of the first paragraph of an essay, so that readers will have a clear idea of what to expect as they read.

Thesis Statement Tips

• You can think of your thesis as a map or a guide both for yourself and your audience, so it might be helpful to draw a chart or picture of your ideas and how they're connected to help you get started.

Thesis Statement Tips

• As you write and revise your paper, it's okay to change your thesis statement.

• Sometimes you don't discover what you really want to say about a topic until you've started (or finished) writing!

• Just make sure that your "final" thesis statement accurately shows what will happen in your paper.

A Thesis Tells Your Audience:

• your claim or assertion

• the reasons/evidence that support this claim

• the order in which you will be presenting your reasons and evidence

Questions to ask yourself:

• What is my claim or assertion?

• What are the reasons I have to support my claim or assertion?

• In what order should I present my reasons?

Brainstorm the topic.

Crack babies.

• This fragment isn’t a thesis statement. Instead, it simply indicates a general subject. Furthermore, your reader doesn’t know what you want to say about crack kids.

Narrow the topic

Programs for crack kids.

• This fragment not only announces your subject, but it focuses on one main idea: programs.

• Furthermore, it raises a subject upon which reasonable people could disagree,

• This fragment is not a thesis statement because your reader doesn’t know your conclusions on the topic.

Take a position on the topic

More attention should be paid to the environment crack kids grow up in.

• This statement asserts your position, but the terms more attention and the environment are vague.

Use specific language

Experts estimate that half of crack babies will grow up in home environments lacking rich cognitive and emotional

stimulation.

• This statement is specific, but it isn’t a thesis. It merely reports a statistic instead of making an assertion.

Make an assertion based on clearly stated support

Because half of all crack babies are likely to grow up in homes lacking good

cognitive and emotional stimulation, the federal government should finance programs to supplement parental care

for crack kids.

• answers the question, “Why should anything be done for crack kids, and who should do it?”

How to Tell a Strong Thesis Sentence from a Weak One.

1. A strong thesis takes some sort of stand.

ExampleWeak –

There are some negative and positive aspects to the Banana Herb Tea Supplement.

Strong –

Because Banana Herb Tea Supplement promotes rapid weight loss that results in the loss of muscle and lean body mass, it poses a potential danger to customers.

2. A strong thesis justifies discussion.

A good strategy for creating a strong thesis is to show that the topic is controversial. Readers will be interested in reading the rest of the essay to see how you support your point.

ExampleWeak -My family is an extended family.

Strong -While most American families would view

blood marriages as a threat to the nuclear family structure, many Iranian families, like my own, believe that these marriages help reinforce kinship ties in an extended family.

3. A strong thesis expresses one main idea.

Hint: a great many clear and engaging thesis statements contain words like “because,” “since,” “so,” “although,” “unless,” and “however.”

Example

• Companies need to exploit the marketing potential of the Internet, and web pages can provide both advertising and customer support.

• Because the Internet is filled with tremendous marketing potential, companies should exploit this potential by using web pages that offer both advertising and customer support.

4. A strong thesis statement is specific.

Example

• World hunger has many causes and effects.

• Hunger persists in Appalachia because jobs are scarce and farming in the infertile soil is rarely profitable.

Try these five tests:

1. Does the thesis  inspire a reasonable reader to ask, "How?" or Why?"

Try these five tests:

2. Would a reasonable reader NOT respond with "Duh!" or "So what?" or "Gee, no kidding!" or "Who cares?"

Try these five tests:

3. Does the thesis  avoid general phrasing and/or sweeping words such as "all" or "none" or "every"?

Try these five tests:

4. Does the thesis lead the reader toward the topic sentences (the subtopics needed to prove the thesis)?

Try these five tests:

5. Can the thesis be adequately developed in the required length of the paper or project?

Cited Sources

Karper, Erin. "OWL at Purdue University." Writing a Thesis Statement. August 2002. Purdue University. 22 Nov. 2005

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_thesis.html. • "What is a Thesis?." 09 Nov 2005. Springfield Township High School Virtual Library.

22 Nov. 2005 http://mciu.org/~spjvweb/thesis.html .

• "Writing Tutorial Services." How To Write a Thesis Statement. 27 2004. Indiana University Bloomington. 22 Nov. 2005 http://

www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/thesis_statement.shtml .