Writing a Thesis Statement

What a thesis statement is The most important sentence in the essay At the end of the introduction A signpost for readers by telling them the direction the essay will go A presentation of the main idea An organizer of the essay

What a thesis statement is A preview An assertion An observation A stance that you take Sufficiently narrow Able to be fully supported Specific

What a thesis statement is Restricted Unified Precise Attitude Confident A manageable and debatable claim

In short, the thesis is a sentence that explicitly identifies the purpose of the paper and previews its main ideas.

What a thesis statement is not Boring Unrestricted Imprecise A question A restatement of the topic An observation

What a thesis statement is not Aggressive Confrontational An announcement A title Broad Vague

Why do you need a Thesis statement? Helps the writer organize and develop ideas of the essay Provides a guide or map to the essay Indicates your attitude about the subject

Steps to Building a Thesis

Step 1 Look for interesting and appealing facts, controversial issues and arguments in your primary sources, and analyze them.

Step 2 Write down a working thesis.

Step 3 Place your thesis at the end of your introductory paragraph.

Step 4 Think of the counter-arguments to your thesis. It will help you polish it.

Thesis Checklist Does your thesis statement do more than restate the topic or question? Does your thesis statement reflect what is going to be included in your essay? Is your thesis statement clearly written? Does your thesis statement reflect the priority of your argument?

Thesis Checklist (cont.) Is your thesis statement brief, written preferably in one COMPLETE sentence? Does your thesis statement present a proposition which can be proven? Does your thesis include your opinion or point of view?

Errors to Avoid in a Thesis 1. It must not be a fragment. Poor: How life is in a racial ghetto. Better: Residents of a racial ghetto have higher death rates, less quality education, and poorer health care than the general population of American cities.

Errors to Avoid in a Thesis It should not be in the form of a question. Poor: Should eighteen year olds have the right to vote? Better: Anyone who is old enough to fight in a war, hold a job with benefits, and sign a contract is old enough to vote.

3. Should not contain phrases such as “I think”--- it weakens the statement. - Poor: In my opinion, the Egyptians were the most superior river valley civilization. - Because of their centralized bureaucracy, complex writing system, and their distinct religious culture, the Egyptians was the most productive of the early river valley civilizations to exist.

The thesis statement is like a movie preview The thesis statement is like a movie preview. If you read the thesis statement alone, you should be able to tell what the entire essay will be about.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST EXAMPLE A good basic compare and contrast thesis should read something like the following: While [ this culture or topic] is somewhat similar to [that culture or topic ] in terms of [ these particular political, social, and economic events and themes ] , the two cultures are somewhat different in terms of [ these particular political, social, and economic events and themes ]

NOTE: If you are very familiar with the two topics being compared, you should use more opinionated qualifying words that show your knowledge. For example, instead of writing >>> “While [ this culture or topic] is somewhat similar….” You should write >>> “While [ this culture or topic] is very similar….”

Specific example: While the Mesopotamians and the Egyptians were very similar in their geographic climate, use of slaves, and their belief in many gods, they were very different in their political organization, commerce and achievements.