How to Author a Thesis Statement

A strong thesis statement lays the foundation for your entire essay, while a weak thesis statement can doom you to disaster. While using a formula for writing is not recommended, a struggling writer can improve their writing by following simple guidelines and then individualize more as they become more proficient.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Write a concession as the first part of your thesis statement. A concession starts with "although" and then proceeds to list a piece of opposing evidence to the position you will make in your assertion.
2. Add the subject to your assertion. An assertion says that something is the way it is and gives a brief reason or explanation. Your subject will be very specific and informs the reader of the essay focus.
3. Write your opinion on the subject. If the essay is in response to a question, your opinion should answer that question specifically. A good opinion is arguable, meaning the reader could disagree with you or have a different opinion. The job of your essay is to convince them that your argument is plausible. No thesis opinion is wrong as long as the remainder of the essay supports the argument.
4. List an outline of the evidence you will use to support your argument. A good thesis will contain at least two to three categories of analysis that will be explored more fully in the body of the essay. A simple thesis may only list a few words while a more complex thesis may go into more specific detail for each piece of evidence.
5. Keep thinking about your thesis if your statement reads like this poor example: "Public schools are better than homeschooling for children for many reasons."
6. Continue to refine your thesis statement to give it more direction if looks like this: "Public schools are better than homeschooling for children because of both social and educational reasons."
7. Give yourself a pat on the back for creating a good thesis statement when you have reached one like this: "Although homeschooling provides more individual attention for children, public schools are superior because they allow opportunities for students to become indoctrinated to society's expectations for behavior, allow for social connections with a larger variety of peers, and expose students to teachers who are often experts in their fields."

Tips & Warnings

• Paraphrase each category of analysis as the topic sentence for your body paragraphs to create a cohesive essay.
• Make sure you understand what is being asked, if the thesis statement is in response to a question. An analytical essay is different from a reflective essay.
• Your introductory paragraph should lay the background information for your topic or argument.

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