Thesis Statements

A thesis statement is a single sentence that formulates both your topic and your point of view. It identifies both your topic and your limited focus and suggests what the body of your paper will cover. In essence, the thesis statement is the answer to the central question or problem you have raised. As you proceed with your research, writing and revisions, the thesis statement should help you remain on the right path, but do not hesitate to change the thesis statement as you progress. A strong thesis statement not only grabs the interest of your reader, who now wants to see you support your unique interpretation, it also provides a focus for your argument, one to which every part of your paper refers in the development of your position. It prevents intellectual wandering and provides a “road map” for the paper. Remember you are being evaluated on the quality of your critical thinking you demonstrate in the paper. Have you taken account of the evidence? Do you forge relationships between facts that show their significance? Do you persuade the reader of the logic of your argument instead of assuming it’s obvious?

Guidelines

 The thesis statement is a single declarative sentence. It should not be expressed as a question.  The thesis statement is a preview of what the paper is about. It states the topic and the writer’s specific focus on the topic. (Do not begin with statements such as: “The purpose of my paper is …” or “ In this paper, I will write about…”). It is not simply a statement of the paper’s subject.  Start with a working thesis and see where it takes you. Reassess and revise as necessary.  A thesis statement controls the paper’s content. Everything in the paper provides support for the thesis statement.  A thesis statement should have a confident tone. Sound as if you are sure of what you are saying. Avoid using hedge words such as probably, might, I think, apparently, etc.

Examples:

Suppose your paper is on the causes of the Civil War and you type the following thesis statement:

The North and South fought the Civil War for many reasons, some of which were the same and some different.

My response would be: “No kidding! So what?” This weak thesis basically restates an issue without providing any additional information. How can this be made better? Here is a better working thesis (but not a final one)

While both sides fought the Civil War over the issue of slavery, the North fought for moral reasons while the South fought to preserve its own institutions.

Now you have something to work with and on. As you progress with your research, you can now reassess and refine. For example:

While both Northerners and Southerners believed they fought against tyranny and oppression, Northerners focused on the oppression of slaves while Southerners defended their own rights to property and self- government. See the difference between the 1st weak thesis and the last strong one. Keep in mind there are many potential thesis statements for your topic, there is no one correct thesis statement, only strong and weak ones. A strong thesis statement will set up all of your subsequent work and a significant part of your effort should be directed towards developing a good thesis statement.