Developing a Strong, Clear Thesis Statement
- Develop a strong, clear thesis statement with the proper elements.
- Revise your thesis statement.
For writing an essay, it is important to focus on the central idea, this idea usually stems from the topic assigned to you. In many argumentative essays, you cannot just simply state yes or no to a question. In order to write a good argumentative essay, you need to state your stand along with reasons that support your claims. Generally, you need to form a specific opinion and then articulate this statement into a controlling idea. This controlling idea is the main statement you will base your thesis upon.
The thesis statement serves as an interpretation of the question or the issue mentioned in the question. When you see the question, before starting, it is important that you ask yourself, "What do I want to say about it?" This exercise would help you to form a thesis that is precise, impactful and assertive. Thesis statement forecasts the content of the essay and serves us a road map for your readers about the organisation of your information and succinctly dissects the issue/topic.
How to write a strong thesis statement?
A great thesis statement guides the essay-writing process. With practice, you’ll be able to write solid thesis statements for argumentative, expository, and analytical essays. Some qualities for writing a thesis statement:
Brainstorming - When writing a thesis statement, try to imagine the body paragraphs you could write to support it. Consider counterarguments, and make sure that you can argue for your thesis against those counterpoints.
Answering a specific question - Think of your thesis as the answer to an important question. Your thesis statement should help a potential reader understand why your essay is worth their time and what they will learn by reading your work.
Keep it concise - A good thesis statement is direct, assertive and can be finished in a single statement. A multi-sentence thesis statement may be appropriate, but take care not to launch too far into your argument. That's what the rest of your multi-page paper is for.
Should reflect the central idea - your thesis statement should serve as a launchpad of the ideas you are going to present in your body paragraph. The body paragraph might diverge in different directions but should connect to the central idea that is presented in your thesis statement. If your thesis isn't strong enough to fulfil this role, revise it or find a stronger one.
