Writing the Thesis Writing the Thesis StatementStatement

Writing the Thesis Writing the Thesis StatementStatement

By Worth Weller and the By Worth Weller and the Purdue and Dartmouth OWLPurdue and Dartmouth OWL

Adapted 31 Aug 2010Adapted 31 Aug 2010

by J. Freachby J. Freach

What is it?

•For your work, it's a one- sentence statement that clearly gives the purpose of your paper.

• It is generally a complex sentence of 15 words or less.

What does it do?•It points toward the development or course of argument the reader can expect your argument to take.

Where does it go?• Because your paper will

support your thesis, the thesis is placed in the introductory paragraph and

• In the last concluding paragraph of your research paper

What does it contain?• The thesis sentence must contain an

arguable point. • A thesis sentence must not simply

make an observation -- for example, "Writer X seems in his novel Y to be obsessed with lipstick."

• Rather, it must state a point that is arguable: “Writer X uses lipstick to point to his novel's main theme.”

What it determines• The thesis sentence must control your

entire argument.• Your thesis sentence determines what

you will say in your paper. • It also determines what you cannot

say.• Every paragraph in your paper exists

in order to support your thesis. • Accordingly, if one of your paragraphs

seems unrelated to your thesis you have two choices: get rid of the paragraph, or rewrite your thesis.

Is it fixed in concrete?• Imagine that as you are writing your

paper you stumble across the new idea that lipstick is used in Writer X's novel not only to disguise the self, but also to signal when the self is in crisis.

• This observation is a good one; do you really want to throw it away? Or do you want to rewrite your thesis so that it accommodates this new idea?

A contract• Understand that you don't have

a third option: you can't simply stick the idea in without preparing the reader for it in your thesis.

• The thesis is like a contract between you and your reader.

• If you introduce ideas that the reader isn't prepared for, you've violated that contract.

It provides structure for your paper

• A good thesis not only tells the reader what your argument is, but how your argument will be presented.

• In other words, your thesis sentence should directly give the structure of your argument to your reader.

• Say, for example, that you are going to argue that "Writer X explores the self in three curious ways: A, B, and C.”

• In this case, the reader understands that you are going to have three important points to cover, and that these points will appear in a certain order.

Other Attributes

• It takes a side on a topic rather than just announcing that the paper is about a topic (the title has already told your reader your topic). Don't tell readers about something; tell them what about something. Answer the questions "how?" or "why?”

• It is sufficiently narrow and specific and your supporting points are necessary and sufficient, not arbitrary.

More Attributes• It argues one main point and

doesn't squeeze three different thesis for three different papers into one sentence.

• And most importantly, it passes The "So What?" Test.

(If a reader's first response is, "So what?" then you need to clarify

and revise your thesis.)

An Equation

•Thesis statements are basically made up of your topic and a specific affirmation about that topic, therefore,

• THESIS = TOPIC + SPECIFIC affirmation

Summary

The four “shoulds” of a thesis statement:

•A good thesis statement should take a stand - don't be afraid to have an opinion; if after your research, your opinion changes, all the better - means you have been thinking; you can write a new thesis statement!

•A good thesis statement should justify discussion - don't leave your readers saying to themselves "So what" or "duh?" or "like what's your point?"

•A good thesis statement should express one main idea or a clear relationship between two specific ideas linked by words like "because," "since," "so," "although," "unless," or "however."

• A good thesis statement should be restricted to a specific and manageable topic - readers are more likely to reward a paper that does a small task well than a paper that takes on an unrealistic task and fails

A strong thesis statement :

• Is arguable• Requires proof; and is not just a

statement of fact • Is a positive statement• Is a complete sentence• Contains 15 words or less

A strong thesis statement is not:

• A question

Does not contain:• Negative words (not, never, will not, etc.)• Any form of the verb “TO BE” (is, are,

were, was, etc.)• 1st person words (I, my, me, we, us)• Would or should

EXAMPLES:• Solar energy presents less harm to the

environment than fossil fuels.

• Hip hop music offers youth an opportunity of artistic expression in street poetry.

• The Simpsons effectively treats issues of ethnicity, family dynamics, and social issues.

Tips for WritingThesis Statements

• Know the topic. The topic should be something you know or can learn about. It is difficult to write a thesis statement, let alone a paper, on a topic that you know nothing about. Reflecting on personal experience and/or researching will help you know more information about your topic.

• Brainstorm. If you are having trouble writing your thesis, take a piece of paper and write down everything that comes to mind about your topic. Did you discover any new ideas or connections? Can you separate any of the things you jotted down into categories? Do you notice any themes? Think about using ideas generated during this process to shape your thesis statement and your paper.

• Limit your topic. Based on what you know and the required length of your final paper, limit your topic to a specific area. A broad scope will generally require a longer paper, while a narrow scope will be sufficiently proven by a shorter paper.