Writing a Thesis Statement Tips and Guidelines for Writing Effective Thesis Statements

What is a Thesis Statement? A thesis statement in an essay is a sentence that explicitly identifies the purpose of the paper or previews its main ideas..

Tip #1 A thesis statement is an assertion, not a statement or observation. Incorrect Use: People use many lawn chemicals. Correct Use: People are poisoning the environment with chemicals merely to keep their lawns beautiful.

Tip #2 A thesis takes a stand rather than announce a subject. Incorrect: The thesis of this paper is the difficulty of solving our environmental problems. Correct: Solving our environmental problems is more difficult than scientists state.

Tip #3 The thesis is the main idea, not the title. It must be a complete that explains in detail what the paper will be about. Incorrect: Social Security and Old Age Correct: Continuing changes in the Social Security System makes planning for retirement impossible.

Tip #4 A thesis statement is narrow, rather than broad. If the thesis statement is sufficiently narrow the thesis will be fully supported. Incorrect: The American steel industry has many problems. Correct: The primary problem of the American steel industry is lack of funds to purchase plants and equipment.

Tip #5 A thesis statement is specific rather than vague or general Incorrect: Hemingway’s war stories are very good. Correct: Hemingway’s stories helped to create new prose style by employing extensive dialogue, shorter sentences and strong Anglo-Saxon words.

Tip #6 A thesis statement has a main point rather than several main points. More than one major point may be difficult for the reader to understand and the writer to report. Incorrect: Stephen Hawking’s physical disability has not prevented him from becoming a physicist, and his book is the subject of a movie. Correct: Stephen Hawking’s physical disability has not prevented him from becoming a physicist.

Group Activity Improve the following statements in your group and create a thesis statement. Drug abuse is a big problem. Arthur Miller is the writer of The Crucible. The death penalty is wrong. The so-called right to bear arms is bogus. Many people write personal letters through e- mail. The Scarlet Letter has a lot of symbolism in it.

Your Turn After learning the tips and guidelines for writing a thesis statement, write a rough statement you could possibly use as a focus for your thesis. Thesis Builder: