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- How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples
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. But the thesis statement should always clearly state the main idea you want to get across. Everything else in your essay should relate back to this idea.
You can write your thesis statement by following four simple steps:
- Start with a question
- Write your initial answer
- Develop your answer
- Refine your thesis statement
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Table of contents
What is a thesis statement, placement of the thesis statement, step 1: start with a question, step 2: write your initial answer, step 3: develop your answer, step 4: refine your thesis statement, types of thesis statements, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about thesis statements.
A thesis statement summarizes the central points of your essay. It is a signpost telling the reader what the essay will argue and why.
The best thesis statements are:
- Concise: A good thesis statement is short and sweet—don’t use more words than necessary. State your point clearly and directly in one or two sentences.
- Contentious: Your thesis shouldn’t be a simple statement of fact that everyone already knows. A good thesis statement is a claim that requires further evidence or analysis to back it up.
- Coherent: Everything mentioned in your thesis statement must be supported and explained in the rest of your paper.
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The thesis statement generally appears at the end of your essay introduction or research paper introduction .
The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts and among young people more generally is hotly debated. For many who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education: the internet facilitates easier access to information, exposure to different perspectives, and a flexible learning environment for both students and teachers.
You should come up with an initial thesis, sometimes called a working thesis , early in the writing process . As soon as you’ve decided on your essay topic , you need to work out what you want to say about it—a clear thesis will give your essay direction and structure.
You might already have a question in your assignment, but if not, try to come up with your own. What would you like to find out or decide about your topic?
For example, you might ask:
After some initial research, you can formulate a tentative answer to this question. At this stage it can be simple, and it should guide the research process and writing process .
Now you need to consider why this is your answer and how you will convince your reader to agree with you. As you read more about your topic and begin writing, your answer should get more detailed.
In your essay about the internet and education, the thesis states your position and sketches out the key arguments you’ll use to support it.
The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education because it facilitates easier access to information.
In your essay about braille, the thesis statement summarizes the key historical development that you’ll explain.
The invention of braille in the 19th century transformed the lives of blind people, allowing them to participate more actively in public life.
A strong thesis statement should tell the reader:
- Why you hold this position
- What they’ll learn from your essay
- The key points of your argument or narrative
The final thesis statement doesn’t just state your position, but summarizes your overall argument or the entire topic you’re going to explain. To strengthen a weak thesis statement, it can help to consider the broader context of your topic.
These examples are more specific and show that you’ll explore your topic in depth.
Your thesis statement should match the goals of your essay, which vary depending on the type of essay you’re writing:
- In an argumentative essay , your thesis statement should take a strong position. Your aim in the essay is to convince your reader of this thesis based on evidence and logical reasoning.
- In an expository essay , you’ll aim to explain the facts of a topic or process. Your thesis statement doesn’t have to include a strong opinion in this case, but it should clearly state the central point you want to make, and mention the key elements you’ll explain.
If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!
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A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.
The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:
- It gives your writing direction and focus.
- It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.
Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.
Follow these four steps to come up with a thesis statement :
- Ask a question about your topic .
- Write your initial answer.
- Develop your answer by including reasons.
- Refine your answer, adding more detail and nuance.
The thesis statement should be placed at the end of your essay introduction .
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How to write a graduate-level essay
Create a preliminary document plan, 1. think about your topic, 2. create a preliminary plan.
- 3. Draft your thesis statement
- 4a. Become familiar with the information landscape
- 4b. Select the appropriate search tool
- 4c. Develop effective searches
- 4d. Beyond keyword searching
- 4e. Find statistical information
- 4f. Evaluate the resources you find
- 4g. Read, absorb, and organize the information you find
- 5. Finalize your document plan
- 6. Double-check your research
- 7. Start writing the first draft
- 8. Overcome writer's block
- 9. Revise the draft
- 10. Edit the draft
- 11. Prepare the final version
- 12. Submit the assignment
- It doesn't give you an opportunity to think about what you already know about the topic before you start filling your thoughts with other people's ideas;
- It is easy to become totally overwhelmed and frustrated by the amount of research available.
Considering that the point of an essay is for you to communicate your ideas on a topic to your audience, versus just rehashing other people's ideas, it is important that you first identify what you think you want to focus on before you start searching through the Library databases or the Internet. At this stage, it's normal that your ideas are quite broad, but you have to figure out what you already know from your readings, discussions, and life experience before you can identify what you don't know and therefore need to research.
Image credit: Pexels from Pixabay
Consider the following:
- What do you want to focus on in the paper? What is your primary argument? With this information, you can create a preliminary thesis statement .
- What are the major ideas that you're going to examine within the paper? How will these ideas support your primary argument?
- What do you want to learn about in your research? What don't you understand about the topic?
By identifying directions for your research, you can contain your research to what is relevant and appropriate for your paper. Otherwise, it's easy to end up doing sufficient research to write a 20-page paper when all you're trying to write is five pages. It can be as challenging to manage too much information as it is to have too little information or insufficient supporting evidence.
Your plan will change as you learn more about your topic, but having a starting direction for your process gives you a scope and a direction for your research and writing. See Planning the Paper for more information.
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- Next: 3. Draft your thesis statement >>
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Welcome to the Research Planning Guide
Step 5: devise a preliminary outline.
- Step 1: Understand the Assignment
- Step 2: Choose your Topic
- Step 3: Gain Working Knowledge
- Step 4: Create the Research Question
- How to Search the Catalog
- Types of Searches
- Articles from our Databases
- Search Terms
- Step 9: Read and Take Notes
- Step 10: Get Organized / Finalize Outline
- Step 11: Write the First Draft
- Step 12: Revise, Rewrite, and Proofread
- Citation Help
- Step 14: Evaluate the Process & Yourself
The preliminary outline can serve as your road map for research.
How do you create a preliminary outline? First, realize that all research papers will start with an introduction and end with a conclusion. In between, there are usually three to five points that must be covered in order to answer the question sufficiently.
Suppose this is your research question: "Will stronger gun-control legislation protect lives?" Your preliminary outline might look something like this:
I. Introduction
II. Evidence that gun-control laws protect citizens
III. Evidence that gun-control laws have no effect on civic safety
IV. Analysis of effectiveness of current gun-control laws
V. Conclusion
As you search for books and articles on your topic, you can look for items that will support the various parts of your outline. You can even organize your research results by grouping items according to their usefulness for supporting the different points in your outline.
- << Previous: Step 4: Create the Research Question
- Next: Step 6: Find Books / Ebooks >>
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Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts
Types of Outlines and Samples
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Alphanumeric Outlines
This is the most common type of outline and usually instantly recognizable to most people. The formatting follows these characters, in this order:
- Roman Numerals
- Capitalized Letters
- Arabic Numerals
- Lowercase Letters
If the outline needs to subdivide beyond these divisions, use Arabic numerals inside parentheses and then lowercase letters inside parentheses. Select the "Sample Outlines" PDF in the Media Box above to download the sample of this outline.
The sample PDF in the Media Box above is an example of an outline that a student might create before writing an essay. In order to organize her thoughts and make sure that she has not forgotten any key points that she wants to address, she creates the outline as a framework for her essay.
What is the assignment?
Your instructor asks the class to write an expository (explanatory) essay on the typical steps a high school student would follow in order to apply to college.
What is the purpose of this essay?
To explain the process for applying to college
Who is the intended audience for this essay?
High school students intending to apply to college and their parents
What is the essay's thesis statement?
When applying to college, a student follows a certain process which includes choosing the right schools and preparing the application materials.
Full Sentence Outlines
The full sentence outline format is essentially the same as the Alphanumeric outline. The main difference (as the title suggests) is that full sentences are required at each level of the outline. This outline is most often used when preparing a traditional essay. Select the "Sample Outlines" PDF in the Media Box above to download the sample of this outline.
Decimal Outlines
The decimal outline is similar in format to the alphanumeric outline. The added benefit is a system of decimal notation that clearly shows how every level of the outline relates to the larger whole. Select the "Sample Outlines" PDF in the Media Box above to download the sample of this outline.
Assignment Planner
Step 5: Develop a Preliminary Thesis Statement
Coming up with a strong thesis is a process that takes time. You don't really have a finished thesis until you reach the end of your research investigation and conclude your argument. Once you have reached a balanced, informed perspective on your material, or come to the conclusion of your argument, you will have your thesis or claim. In order to get to this thesis, however, you will have to create a "working thesis" or preliminary thesis statement. The preliminary thesis will provide you with a strong focus that you can use when writing the response to your assignment.
Develop a Preliminary Thesis
Use your research question to launch your thesis.
Your thesis should provide an answer to your research question . Without a thesis, you will write an informative paper about your question rather than an argumentative paper that provides an answer.
Your research question may prompt you to identify a problem and pose a solution.
Example from a Second-Year Political Science Paper
Canada's current electoral system is flawed, undemocratic and divisive [Problem] . Reforming Canada's electoral system to a mixed-member proportional system with a five-percent threshold would make it more democratic, promote national unity, and increase civic interest in democracy [Response/ Argument/ Thesis] .
Note that this thesis statement includes two sentences:
- a claim (the problem)
- support for the claim (the response, made up of two parts: a solution and three reasons why the solution will address the problem)
Do not simply give a statement of intent or what you will try to do in the paper (e.g. "In this paper, I will analyze the reasons that Canada's electoral system is flawed and consider a possible solution."). This statement of intent may be a good initial response to the research question, but your thesis needs to present your conclusion, not how you got there.
Make Your Thesis an Arguable Statement
Your thesis must be debatable and cannot be a conclusion that simply describes an event or phenomenon or restates a commonly known fact.
Although questions can be used to good rhetorical effect in your introduction (and throughout your paper), your thesis should not be a question, but a statement of claim.
Demonstrate Independent Thinking
The point of the thesis is to show your thoughts on a topic. Although it can be intimidating to make a strong claim in writing — a claim that will be judged, and that you may be expected to defend personally — but it is also a particular benefit of academia that you are allowed and even encouraged to make strong claims based on solid reasoning, and that you will be lauded for doing so.
Pass the "So What?" Test
The reader will shrug and say "so what?" to an uninteresting thesis, so be sure your thesis makes a strong and notable point. Evaluate your thesis by asking yourself what the implications of your thesis are, e.g., "So what if a proportional electoral system were implemented in Canada? Would it matter?" Look at the sample thesis above: does it pass the "so what?" test?
Provide Details rather than Vague Assertions
Be clear about the approach you are going to take to support your thesis.
Consider including a "blueprint" or a "roadmap" of the major points you will make in your paper. Academic writing conventions require you to provide your reader with an outline of the argument you intend to make before you make it.
Thesis Statements: Beyond the Basics
You will keep revising your thesis statement as you go, making it increasingly specific and argumentative. See Step 9 for an example.
Writing Centre | Credits and Acknowledgments | Your thoughts on the Laurier Assignment Planner
The Research Project Calculator is a project funded jointly by MINITEX and MnLINK to develop Cool Tools for Minnesota secondary school students and their teachers. It is based on the original Assignment Calculator from the University of Minnesota Libraries .
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Module 6: Research
Preliminary research strategies.
The first step towards writing a research paper is pretty obvious: find sources. Not everything that you find will be good, and those that are good are not always easily found. Having an idea of what you’re looking for–what will most help you develop your essay and enforce your thesis–will help guide your process.
Example of a Research Process
A good research process should go through these steps:
- Decide on the topic.
- Narrow the topic in order to narrow search parameters.
- Create a question that your research will address.
- Generate sub-questions from your main question.
- Determine what kind of sources are best for your argument.
- Create a bibliography as you gather and reference sources.
Each of these is described in greater detail below.
The research process is messy! Do not start research haphazardly—come up with a plan first.
A research plan should begin after you can clearly identify the focus of your argument. First, inform yourself about the basics of your topic (Wikipedia and general online searches are great starting points). Be sure you’ve read all the assigned texts and carefully read the prompt as you gather preliminary information. This stage is sometimes called pre-research .
A broad online search will yield thousands of sources, which no one could be expected to read through. To make it easier on yourself, the next step is to narrow your focus. Think about what kind of position or stance you can take on the topic. What about it strikes you as most interesting? Refer back to the prewriting stage of the writing process, which will come in handy here.
Preliminary Search Tips
- It is okay to start with Wikipedia as a reference, but do not use it as an official source. Look at the links and references at the bottom of the page for more ideas.
- Use “Ctrl+F” to find certain words within a webpage in order to jump to the sections of the article that interest you.
- Use quotation marks to narrow your search from just tanks in WWII to “Tanks in WWII” or “Tanks” in “WWII”.
- Find specific types of websites by adding “site:.gov” or “site:.edu” or “site:.org”. You can also search for specific file types like “filetype:.pdf”.
- Click on “Search Tools” under the search bar in Google and select “Any time” to see a list of options for time periods to help limit your search. You can find information just in the past month or year, or even for a custom range.
Use features already available through Google Search like Search Tools and Advanced Search to narrow and refine your results.
As you narrow your focus, create a list of questions that you’ll need to answer in order to write a good essay on the topic. The research process will help you answer these questions.
Another part of your research plan should include the type of sources you want to gather. Keep track of these sources in a bibliography and jot down notes about the book, article, or document and how it will be useful to your essay. This will save you a lot of time later in the essay process–you’ll thank yourself!
- Revision and Adaptation. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
- The Research Process graphic. Authored by : Kim Louie for Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
- Organizing Your Research Plan. Provided by : Boundless. Located at : https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-writing/ . Project : Boundless Writing. License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
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COMM161 - PRELIMINARY ESSAY OUTLINE Thesis Statement: Centennial college is applying full efforts to spread the knowledge about three Rs at every possible location. Even they are teaching number of programs in their institutes related to environment safety. Though, college is working hard on this things, but there are some more steps that can ...
Learn how to plan the structure of your essay before you start writing with an essay outline. Find out how to organize your material, order your information and write a clear thesis statement.
In this video, I review everything we've covered so far about the Preliminary Essay and I show you a sample essay written based on an outline we covered in a...
Want to know how to create an outline for an essay, academic paper, or even a piece of creative writing? Here's how to make an outline in five simple, easy-to-follow steps. 1 Research and gather sources. The first step in any writing process is preparation. For academic writing, that involves researching and collecting evidence to back up ...
2. Create a preliminary document plan. Create a preliminary plan for the document ; 1. Think about your topic; 2. Create a preliminary plan; 3. Draft your thesis statement; 4. Research your topic Toggle Dropdown. 4a. Become familiar with information sources ; 4b. Select the appropriate search tool ; 4c. Develop effective searches ; 4d. Beyond ...
Conclusion. You are ready to write an essay after you have done these steps: Identified all the components that you must cover so that you address the essay question or prompt. Conducted your initial research and decided on your tentative position and line of argument. Created a preliminary outline for your essay that presents the information ...
Harvard College. Writing Program. roJeCT BrIeF gUIde SerIeSA Brief Guide to the Elements of the Academic Essayby Gordon HarveyGordon Harvey's "Ele. nts of the Academic Essay" provide a possible vocabulary for commenting on student writing. Instructors in Harvard College Writing Program tend to use some version of this vocabulary when ...
Offer some more specific background information (as needed). 3. Provide the title of the piece and the author's name if the essay is about a specific book/poem/article/passage. C. Thesis Statement 1. State your topic and position. Remember that a thesis = claim + reasons. 2. Outline your main points and ideas.
How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples
The structure of an essay. The essay is made up of three main parts: 1. The Introduction. In your introduction you should present some preliminary background on the topic. You should also present your thesis statement, or the main argument you will make and support in your paper. You can also sketch out the main points of your paper so the ...
2. Create a preliminary document plan. Create a preliminary document plan; 1. Think about your topic; 2. Create a preliminary plan; 3. Draft your thesis statement; 4. Research your topic Toggle Dropdown. 4a. Become familiar with the information landscape ; 4b. Select the appropriate search tool ; 4c. Develop effective searches ; 4d. Beyond ...
The preliminary outline can serve as your road map for research. How do you create a preliminary outline? First, realize that all research papers will start with an introduction and end with a conclusion. In between, there are usually three to five points that must be covered in order to answer the question sufficiently.
In this video I will introduce:1. An overview of the preliminary essay and its different parts.2. The Introduction and its main aims3. The thesis statement4....
Types of Outlines and Samples - Purdue OWL
Learn how to create a working thesis or preliminary thesis statement for your academic paper. Find out how to use your research question, make your thesis arguable, demonstrate independent thinking, and pass the "so what?" test.
A good research process should go through these steps: Decide on the topic. Narrow the topic in order to narrow search parameters. Create a question that your research will address. Generate sub-questions from your main question. Determine what kind of sources are best for your argument. Create a bibliography as you gather and reference sources.
Preliminary Essay Outline Template. Supporting points/details provide examples, explanations, reference to the reading, etc. For example, if a highly loved teacher treats a student unfairly because of his/her skin color, other students will automatically do the same.
In this video, I'll explain how you can prepare an outline by:Brainstorming ideasGrouping ideasDrawing a hierarchical outline
Preliminary Essay Outline Thesis Statement with three points: Among men and women , women tends to suffer from depression more than men because of biological, socio-cultural and psychological factors. I. First Topic Sentence Paragraph 1: Hormonal differences are usually cited as the major explanation for women experiencing more depression than men
COMM 160/161 Preliminary Essay Outline Template Review Chapter 20 - The Essay - structure of a preliminary essay and sample outline format. Thesis Statement write one sentence I should develop three routines to protect the environment, use reusable shopping bags, volunteer for cleanup in my community, and avoid using chemicals in my home. ...
After you have completed the test, submit your preliminary essay. ESSAY WRITING INSTRUCTIONS Write a 1-2 sentence thesis statement with 3 points. Write 3 body paragraphs of approximately 5-8 sentences in length. Include a topic sentence and supporting details in each body paragraph. Also, make sure to include transitional words and phrases to ...