Thesis Statement
Estimated Time: 20 minutes
At the end of the lesson, you will understand how to create a strong, focused thesis statement.
How do I Write a Strong, Focused Thesis Statement?
Have you ever known a person who was not very good at telling stories? You probably had trouble following his thought as he jumped around from point to point. Maybe he told the end of the story first, then moved to the beginning and later added details to the middle. His ideas were scattered, and the story did not flow well, and when the story was over, you probably had many questions.
Just as a personal anecdote can be a disorganized mess, an essay can fall into the same trap of being out of order and confusing. That is why writers need a thesis statement to provide a specific focus for their essay and to organize what they are about to discuss in the body.
Just like a topic sentence summarizes a single paragraph, the thesis statement summarizes an entire essay. It tells the reader the point you want to make in your essay, like a signpost that signals the essay’s destination. You should form your thesis before you begin to organize an essay, but you may find that it needs revision as the essay develops.
For any topic, you must ask yourself, “What do I want to say about it?” Asking and then answering this question is vital to forming a thesis that is precise, forceful and confident. Remember that a thesis is not the topic itself, but rather your explanation of the question or subject.
A thesis is one sentence and appears toward the end of your introduction. It is specific and focuses on one to three points of a single idea—points that will be demonstrated in the body. Remember that a thesis statement does not summarize the question but rather analyze it.
The slide presentation in the video is here.
A strong thesis statement contains the following qualities:
- Specificity. A thesis statement must concentrate on a specific area of a topic. The creation of a thesis statement begins when you choose a broad subject and then narrow your focus until you pinpoint a specific aspect of that topic. For example, education is a broad topic, but a proper thesis statement would focus on a specific area of that topic, such as universities for students with disabilities.
- Precision. A strong thesis statement must be precise enough to allow for a coherent argument and to remain focused on the topic. If the specific topic is universities for students with disabilities, then your precise thesis statement must make an exact claim about it, such as that limited options exist for students with disabilities.
- Ability to be argued. A thesis statement must present a relevant and specific argument. Be sure your thesis statement contains a point of view that can be supported with evidence.
- Ability to be demonstrated. It is important for any claim you make in your thesis, you must be able to provide reasons and examples for your opinion, which you will discuss later in the body paragraphs. You can rely on personal observations in order to do this, or you can consult outside sources to demonstrate that what you assert is valid.
- Confidence. In order to write a strong thesis, you must show confidence. Phrases such as ‘I feel’, ‘in my opinion’, ‘I believe’ actually weaken the readers’ sense of your confidence because these phrases show that you are the only person who feels the way you do. Your thesis should not contain phrases written in the first person.
Check Yourself
Complete the task below to check your understanding of today’s lesson.