How to Write a Thesis Statement (TS) Pay attention!

The Map A thesis statement (TS) is an outline to your entire paper. It provides a mini-summary of the paper’s content. It allows the reader to know in advance how the paper is organized. It lets the reader know why he/she should care about reading the paper. It expresses the main ideas of your paper.

What can a TS do for you? Help you start writing. Help keep you focused. Help to narrow your subject to a single, central idea.

TS To Do List Make a concise opinion (OP) about your topic. For now, limit the statement to only 1 OP with 3 reasons (REs). Make the opinion specific and significant. State the purpose of the paper.

Opinion (OP): An opinion is a belief or judgment that falls short of absolute conviction, certainty, or positive knowledge. It is a conclusion that certain facts, ideas, etc., are probably true or likely to prove so. This appears in your TS with reasons (REs).

Reasons (REs): The reasons are the basis of an argument. They are inferences (educated guesses) you have made based on evidence and facts. The REs you include in your TS will be the basis for each topic sentence in your body paragraphs.

When good thesis statements go bad… “‘The Birds’ is set in England.” This statement is a fact. You can’t argue with this; this is not something about which we can persuade other people.

Let’s make it all better. Before: “‘The Birds’ is set in England.” After: “Daphne du Maurier creates a suspenseful mood in ‘The Birds’ with her use of a twisted plot, graphic imagery, and descriptive language.” We now have an opinion and three reasons. We can argue with this statement.

A good TS will… Show the point of the essay. State the topic about which an opinion is made. Show the author’s 1 OP with 3 REs. Show the essay’s organization.

TS Checklist Questions Is your TS a concise OP about your topic? Is the OP limited to only 1 idea? Is the OP specific? Is it written in the present tense?

TS Checklist Questions Are there 3 REs to back up the OP? Is your TS all OP? (It should contain NO facts.) Can someone argue with you over your TS?

Web Distribution of Music “The Internet has positively affected the marketplace for music because consumers can have more musical choices, can access music more quickly, and can be selective about which songs they purchase.”

Marketing “Although most of us are unaware of the marketing campaigns directed at us, they can significantly affect our lives by influencing what products we buy, what brands we buy, and how often we buy merchandise.”

Preventing Juvenile Crime “Juveniles can be diverted from crime by active learning programs, full-time sports, and intervention by mentors and role models.”

Financial Aid to College Students “The United States must make higher education affordable for any student who qualifies academically in order to compete in the global economy, produce an educated middle class, and create technically skilled workers.”

Barn Owls “Barn owls’ nests should not be eliminated from barns because owls help farmers by eliminating insects, rodents, and other pests.”

Let’s compare! A TS is an opinion, not a statement of fact or an observation. Fact or observation: People use lawn chemicals. TS: Lawn chemicals should not be used because they are dangerous, only serve cosmetic purposes, and release toxins into our environment.

Let’s compare! A TS takes a stand rather than announces a subject. Announcement: The thesis of this paper is the difficulty of solving our environmental problems. TS: Solving our environmental problems is difficult because of people’s attitudes, corporations’ policies, and people’s lack of awareness.

Let’s compare! A TS is the main idea, not the title. It is a complete sentence that explains in some detail about what you will write. Title: Social Security and Old Age TS: Continuing changes in the Social Security System make it almost impossible to plan intelligently for one’s retirement because funds aren’t secure, funds are used for other projects, and funds vary based on working population.

Let’s compare! A TS is narrow, rather than broad. If the TS is sufficiently narrow, it can be fully supported. Broad: The American steel industry has many problems. TS: The American steel industry has three primary problems: lack of funds to renovate, outdated plants and equipment, and lack of natural resources.

Let’s compare! A TS is specific rather than vague or general. Vague: Hemingway’s war stories are very good. TS: Hemingway’s stories helped create a new prose style by employing extensive dialogue, shorter sentences, and strong Anglo-Saxon words.

Let’s compare! A TS has one main point, rather than several minor points. More than one main point may be too difficult to understand or support. Many points: Stephen Hawking is an inspiration because his physical disability hasn’t prevented him from becoming a world-renowned physicist; additionally, his book is incredible. TS: Stephen Hawking is an inspiration because physical disability hasn’t prevented him from becoming a world-renowned physicist, author, and professor.

Argumentative/Persuasive Essay In this type of essay, you are: stating your OP about a topic justifying this OP with REs and evidence. Your TS could be: a proposal an evaluation an interpretation This OP must be one that someone could possibly disagree with! The goal of the paper is to convince the reader that your OP is true based on the presentation of your REs and evidence.

Get started by asking yourself: What was interesting to me about the topic? What is my OP about what is interesting? What are the REs I have to support my OP? In what order should I present my REs? (Weakest argument in middle.)

TS and Body Paragraphs Graphic Organizer Opinion Reason #3= Reason #2= Reason #1= topic for body paragraph #3 topic for body paragraph #1 topic for body paragraph #2