When it comes to writing a good thesis statement, there are many factors that determine how accurately it describes the flow of your paper. This is an important part of your essay and you should have a clear plan in mind when starting to write a thesis statement for yourself. Fortunately, by doing a bit of research and, of course, revising your initial statements you can create a set of plans that will help you effortlessly write a topic sentence that will perfectly guide your reader.
What is a Thesis Statement
A thesis statement is a single sentence most often found in the first paragraph of an essay, usually at the end. This sentence can be considered one of the most important elements of your essay as it helps your writing by condensing the subject for you. By using a thesis statement you lay out a blueprint for your essay, significantly reducing the effort to turn it in an outstanding paper. This is your way of conveying the intentions of your essay. It is also common to see the order of paper’s subdivisions laid out in the thesis statement as it helps to tie the main body to introduction.
Study the Subject Material
It is essential that you study the subject of your paper before writing your point of view on a topic. A thesis statement is the point of your paper where you tell the reader how you are going to prove your idea of the subject. This is where performing independent research can greatly benefit you as a writer by providing you with the resources to create a “working thesis”. As you research the subject material you will begin to form a rough idea of what you want to right about. This rough idea will later become the roadmap for your entire paper.
Through proper studying, you can take advantage of your information and write a thesis statement that clearly states what the essay is going to cover, providing a focal point for the main bulk of your paper. When you are writing a thesis statement for an essay, it is important that you do not stray from the subject. This is the part of your paper that explains your point of view and flow of the main body. It is imperative that you directly and specifically answer the prompt, or question that is being asked of you to the best of your ability when you form your final thesis statement.
Revise, Revise, Revise!
As always when it comes to writing, the final step is revision. It is now time to go back and take a close look at your thesis statement and make any final changes to strengthen it. After completing the main body of the essay you have a better grasp of the idea and can change your introduction to better reflect the flow and idea of the body. There are many useful tips to ensuring that your paper has an effective thesis statement:
- Avoid being too open-ended in your thesis statement. After reading the first paragraph the reader should not be able to ask questions like “how?”. After shaping a working thesis you should always read the question prompt again.
- Am I being specific enough? Does my essay wander off subject? These are the questions that you should ask yourself when revising your thesis statement. The thesis statement and body in the paper you are writing should complement each other. After answering these questions you can decide whether or not your point needs to be altered.
- Remember to leave room for the reader to form their own opinion in your thesis statement. By being too factual in the beginning of your essay it comes off as too much like a dictionary than a paper designed to argue for or against an idea. While the facts are important, you should avoid drowning your paper in them and avoid them in your thesis statement.
Any form of revision can be useful when crafting the thesis statement. This sentence is an anchor for your idea and should be given any final touches that you think can strengthen it. Remember, your paper needs a focal point to properly persuade your reader in your stance on the subject. Through these three easy steps you can create a thesis statement that will set in motion an expertly written essay that fluidly conveys your thoughts. With a single idea, backed up by independently discovered evidence and facts and the proper eye for revision, the thesis statement does not pose any threat when it comes to writing.