Easy Peasy Thesis Writing

If you have ever been asked to write an essay, you will have heard of a thesis, but you might still have questions or reservations about writing a strong thesis.

What is a thesis in an essay?

A thesis is your argument.  It should tell the reader what you are going to prove within your essay.  It should state what you believe, mention the topic of the essay, and ensure that the reader knows the point you want to make in your entire paper. Generally it should be one clear, concise statement.

Help!

That is a lot. 

True.

Still, there are ways to make it easier for yourself.  Also, keep in mind that having a solid thesis will help you when writing your entire paper as well – making your job a lot easier and quicker!

In other words, it is worth taking the time to generate a productive thesis.

Let’s look at a statement:

          “Some schools require students to wear uniforms.”

This statement is not a thesis.  It is simply a statement of fact.  There is no real argument involved. 

Revised:

          “All schools should require students to wear uniforms.”

This statement is getting much closer to a thesis statement.  The reader knows the argument, and he or she could agree or disagree with the stated point of view.

(In case you are wondering, I personally don’t think all schools should require students to wear uniforms.  The reason I picked this point of view was to show you that one should be able to write on any topic and any side if required.)

To make it a better thesis statement, the author could include more information.   It is often a good idea to think of some supports.  These supports will turn into topic sentences that introduce your main body paragraphs later.

Now, you are beginning to see how a solid thesis statement can help you throughout.  It is like a mini-plan for your whole essay.

Think of a few supporting ideas or “reasons” that back up your argument.

• No arguments about what to wear
• Cheaper than buying “on-trend” clothes
• Reduces competition to be popular

Then take those reasons or ideas and incorporate them into one fine thesis statement.

          “All schools should require students to wear uniforms to reduce popularity contests, control clothing costs, and eliminate arguments about what to wear.”

Now you have a clear idea of your journey in writing your essay.

One paragraph will be about avoiding popularity competitions, another will be about the costs, and yet another will be about eliminating the need to figure out what to wear. All you need to do is generate topic sentences for each of those paragraphs using your reasons and you are on your way.

Notice that the reasons needed to be grammatically altered to fit nicely into a clear statement.  Don’t just throw them in as written in the bullet points.

Also, remember to position your thesis statement at the end of your introductory paragraph.  It is usually your last sentence.

NOTE:  The advice in this blog entry is for typical grade and high school essays.  It can also serve you well for many college and university papers in general; however, they can be longer and more involved.  As with almost everything, there are base rules and then many exceptions to the rules as you become more proficient. 

The most important advice for any essay is to make sure your thesis is understandable. (This point applies to all your writing.)

If the reader is confused or has to read your thesis statement several times to get the point, then your job is not done. 

Keep editing your thesis so that it is simple but also informative.  That is the best. 

Sometimes students want to write long, complicated thesis statements to seem more advanced.  There is no need; and, in fact, this is counterproductive. 

Instead, astound the teacher or reader with your insights throughout the essay, and you can do so more readily with clear writing than with confusion.

Here is your chance.  Below is the topic.  See if you can create a thesis with a few supporting points within it.  Feel free to send me your versions if you would like feedback.

Topic:  Free university for everyone

Reasons:     1        ______________________________________

                    2        ______________________________________

                    3        ______________________________________

Thesis Statement: __________________________________________________

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Easy Peasy Thesis Writing!