Thesis Statements:
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 to 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 somewhere in your first paragraph that presents your arguments 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.
How do I get 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
• You have to:
• Collect and organize evidence
• Look for possible relationships between known facts
• Think about the significance of these relationships
• You will have a “working thesis”
• A basic or main idea
• An argument that you can support with evidence but that may need adjustment along the way
How do I know if my thesis is strong?
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose?
• Is my thesis statement specific enough?
• Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering?
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test?
• If a reader’s first response is “how?” or “Why?” your thesis may be too open-ended and lack guidance for the reader.
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 to 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 somewhere in your first paragraph that presents your arguments 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.
How do I get 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
• You have to:
• Collect and organize evidence
• Look for possible relationships between known facts
• Think about the significance of these relationships
• You will have a “working thesis”
• A basic or main idea
• An argument that you can support with evidence but that may need adjustment along the way
How do I know if my thesis is strong?
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose?
• Is my thesis statement specific enough?
• Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering?
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test?
• If a reader’s first response is “how?” or “Why?” your thesis may be too open-ended and lack guidance for the reader.