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12 Effective Thesis Statements
What is a Thesis Statement?
A thesis statement tells a reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion. Such a statement is also called an “argument,” a “main idea,” or a “controlling idea.”
A good thesis has two parts. It should tell what you plan to argue, and it should “telegraph” how you plan to argue—that is, what particular support for your claim is going where in your essay
A standard place for your thesis is at the end of the introductory paragraph.
A thesis is an interpretation of a subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel that others might dispute.
A strong thesis 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.
A thesis keeps the writer centered on the matter at hand and reduces the risk of intellectual wandering. Likewise, a thesis provides the reader with a “road map,” clearly laying out the intellectual route ahead.
A thesis statement avoids the first person (“I believe,” “In my opinion”).
A simple equation for what a thesis might look like this:
What you plan to argue + How you plan to argue it = Thesis
Specific Topic+ Attitude/Angle/Argument=Thesis
Steps To Write Effective Thesis Statement
Choose a prompt or, if appropriate, select a topic: television violence and children
Read the prompt carefully or, if appropriate, ask an interesting question:
What are the effects of television violence on children?
Revise the prompt or question into a preliminary or “working” thesis:
Violence on television increases aggressive behavior in children.
Avoid general phrasing and/or sweeping words such as “all” or “none” or “every”.
Lead the reader toward the topic sentences (the subtopics needed to prove the thesis).
Anticipate the counter-arguments. Once you have a working thesis, you should think about what might be said against it. This will help you to refine your thesis, and it will also make you think of the arguments that you’ll need to refute later on in your essay. (Every argument has a counter-argument. If yours doesn’t, then it’s not an argument—it may be a fact, or an opinion, but it is not an argument.)
Violence on television increases aggressive behavior in children.
This statement is on its way to being a thesis. However, it is too easy to imagine possible counter- arguments. For example, an observer of societal trends may believe that parenting or easy access to weapons are important factors in youth violence. If you complicate your thesis by anticipating the counter-argument, you’ll strengthen your argument, as shown in the sentence below.
While poor