Thesis Statements
What this handout is about
This handout describes what a thesis statement is, how thesis statements work in your writing, and
how you can craft or refine one for your draft.
Introduction
Writing in college often takes the form of persuasion—convincing others that you have an
interesting, logical point of view on the subject you are studying. Persuasion is a skill you practice
regularly in your daily life. You persuade your roommate to clean up, your parents to let you borrow
the car, your friend to vote for your favorite candidate or policy. In college, course assignments often
ask you to make a persuasive case in writing. You are asked to convince your reader of your point of
view. This form of persuasion, often called academic argument, follows a predictable pattern in
writing. After a brief introduction of your topic, you state your point of view on the topic directly and
often in one sentence. This sentence is the thesis statement, and it serves as a summary of
the argument you’ll make in the rest of your paper.
What is a thesis statement?
A thesis statement:
tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under
discussion.
is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of
the paper.
directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or
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.
makes a claim that others might dispute.
is usually a single sentence near the beginning of your paper (most often, at the end of the
first paragraph) that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body
of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of
your interpretation.
If your assignment asks you to take a position or develop a claim about a subject, you may need to
convey that position or claim in a thesis statement near the beginning of your draft. The assignment
, may not explicitly state that you need a thesis statement because your instructor may assume you
will include one. When in doubt, ask your instructor if the assignment requires a thesis statement.
When an assignment asks you to analyze, to interpret, to compare and contrast, to demonstrate
cause and effect, or to take a stand on an issue, it is likely that you are being asked to develop a
thesis and to support it persuasively. (Check out our handout on understanding assignments for
more information.)
How do I create a thesis?
A thesis is the result of a lengthy thinking process. Formulating a thesis is not the first thing you do
after reading an essay assignment. Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to
collect and organize evidence, look for possible relationships between known facts (such as
surprising contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance of these relationships. Once
you do this thinking, you will probably have a “working thesis” that presents a basic or main idea and
an argument that you think you can support with evidence. Both the argument and your thesis are
likely to need adjustment along the way.
Writers use all kinds of techniques to stimulate their thinking and to help them clarify relationships
or comprehend the broader significance of a topic and arrive at a thesis statement. For more ideas
on how to get started, see our handout on brainstorming.
How do I know if my thesis is strong?
If there’s time, run it by your instructor or make an appointment at the Writing Center to get some
feedback. Even if you do not have time to get advice elsewhere, you can do some thesis evaluation
of your own. When reviewing your first draft and its working thesis, ask yourself the following:
Do I answer the question? Re-reading the question prompt after constructing a working
thesis can help you fix an argument that misses the focus of the question. If the prompt
isn’t phrased as a question, try to rephrase it. For example, “Discuss the effect of X on Y”
can be rephrased as “What is the effect of X on Y?”
Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? If your thesis simply states
facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it’s possible that you are simply
providing a summary, rather than making an argument.
Is my thesis statement specific enough? Thesis statements that are too vague often do not
have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like “good” or “successful,” see if
you could be more specific: why is something “good”; what specifically makes something
“successful”?
Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? If a reader’s first response is likely to be “So
what?” then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue.
What this handout is about
This handout describes what a thesis statement is, how thesis statements work in your writing, and
how you can craft or refine one for your draft.
Introduction
Writing in college often takes the form of persuasion—convincing others that you have an
interesting, logical point of view on the subject you are studying. Persuasion is a skill you practice
regularly in your daily life. You persuade your roommate to clean up, your parents to let you borrow
the car, your friend to vote for your favorite candidate or policy. In college, course assignments often
ask you to make a persuasive case in writing. You are asked to convince your reader of your point of
view. This form of persuasion, often called academic argument, follows a predictable pattern in
writing. After a brief introduction of your topic, you state your point of view on the topic directly and
often in one sentence. This sentence is the thesis statement, and it serves as a summary of
the argument you’ll make in the rest of your paper.
What is a thesis statement?
A thesis statement:
tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under
discussion.
is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of
the paper.
directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or
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.
makes a claim that others might dispute.
is usually a single sentence near the beginning of your paper (most often, at the end of the
first paragraph) that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body
of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of
your interpretation.
If your assignment asks you to take a position or develop a claim about a subject, you may need to
convey that position or claim in a thesis statement near the beginning of your draft. The assignment
, may not explicitly state that you need a thesis statement because your instructor may assume you
will include one. When in doubt, ask your instructor if the assignment requires a thesis statement.
When an assignment asks you to analyze, to interpret, to compare and contrast, to demonstrate
cause and effect, or to take a stand on an issue, it is likely that you are being asked to develop a
thesis and to support it persuasively. (Check out our handout on understanding assignments for
more information.)
How do I create a thesis?
A thesis is the result of a lengthy thinking process. Formulating a thesis is not the first thing you do
after reading an essay assignment. Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to
collect and organize evidence, look for possible relationships between known facts (such as
surprising contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance of these relationships. Once
you do this thinking, you will probably have a “working thesis” that presents a basic or main idea and
an argument that you think you can support with evidence. Both the argument and your thesis are
likely to need adjustment along the way.
Writers use all kinds of techniques to stimulate their thinking and to help them clarify relationships
or comprehend the broader significance of a topic and arrive at a thesis statement. For more ideas
on how to get started, see our handout on brainstorming.
How do I know if my thesis is strong?
If there’s time, run it by your instructor or make an appointment at the Writing Center to get some
feedback. Even if you do not have time to get advice elsewhere, you can do some thesis evaluation
of your own. When reviewing your first draft and its working thesis, ask yourself the following:
Do I answer the question? Re-reading the question prompt after constructing a working
thesis can help you fix an argument that misses the focus of the question. If the prompt
isn’t phrased as a question, try to rephrase it. For example, “Discuss the effect of X on Y”
can be rephrased as “What is the effect of X on Y?”
Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? If your thesis simply states
facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it’s possible that you are simply
providing a summary, rather than making an argument.
Is my thesis statement specific enough? Thesis statements that are too vague often do not
have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like “good” or “successful,” see if
you could be more specific: why is something “good”; what specifically makes something
“successful”?
Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? If a reader’s first response is likely to be “So
what?” then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue.
