What is the thesis statement? When it comes to writing an essay, there are many things that we must take into consideration in order to create a well written and respected piece of work. One such thing is the thesis statement. Every good essay should have one and it needs to be well written and well thought out. In this article, we are going to be looking at exactly what a thesis statement is and what it is used for as well as looking at some examples of the thesis statement as a way to gain a greater understanding of what it’s function is.
What Is A Thesis Statement?
In the most simple terms, a thesis statement is a short statement which provides an insight into what the essay is going to be about. They are used to enlighten the audience on a variety of things, including:
- The main argument or point to be discussed.
- The purpose of the essay.
- The point of view of the author on a specific topic.
When writing a thesis statement, it is very important that you ensure it covers all of the above points in order for it to be effective. There are two main types of the thesis statement, one being informative and one being persuasive. Depending on the type of essay that you are writing, will depend on the type of thesis statement that you will use.
- An informative thesis statement will provide the audience with some sort of information on the topic.
- The persuasive thesis statement will put across an argument and try to convince the reader of it.
How Is A Thesis Statement Used?
As we mentioned a thesis statement is used to point out the main argument of the essay. There are certain rules that should be followed by the thesis statement. Let’s take a look at these in a little more detail.
- A thesis statement should appear in the introduction of the essay to layout the main topic and the author’s stance on it. It should also appear in the conclusion of the essay, where the author can refer back to it.
- A thesis statement should be a short statement of only one or two sentences which delivers clear and concise information.
- The thesis statement will directly answer the main question posed by the essay, for example, if the essay question were ‘What is the biggest tourist attraction in France?’ The thesis statement might directly reply to this with ‘With over 6 million visitors each year, the Eiffel Tower is clearly the biggest tourist attraction in France.’ If the essay topic doesn’t contain a question, you can fashion one yourself.
- Many people use the ‘so what?’ technique when writing a thesis statement. If a reader is likely to think ‘so what?’ when starting your essay, you can use the thesis statement to form a relationship and a connection to the issue that will engage the reader and make them care about what is going to be talked about.
- Similarly to the above point, a thesis statement should answer why or how questions that the reader may have. Look again at the example of the Eiffel Tower, the statement clearly shows the reader why the tower is the biggest tourist attraction in France using real statistics that cannot be ignored. But in the same breath, gives the reader the chance to dispute the information. This is another key point to the thesis statement. A reader should be able to look at the thesis statement and disagree with it, this might encourage them to research the topic themselves.
- A thesis statement should agree with the body of the essay. If it does not, then it should be amended. Using the example of the French tourist attraction once again, the body of that essay would need to go into further detail about the tourist attractions in France and further prove why the Eiffel Tower is the most popular.
Thesis Statement Examples
Now that we are clear on what a thesis statement is and how it can be used, we are going to take a look at some examples of strong and effective thesis statements. This will give you a better idea on what they should contain and how they function within an essay.
- Owing to the fact that many children are not being vaccinated because of illness, it is now imperative that we make it a requirement that healthy children are vaccinated in order to stop the spread of disease.
- For families on a low income, schools should provide basic equipment such as pens, calculators and laptops.
- Whilst school uniforms are expensive, they do provide security and a sense of belonging to students and for this reason, are an integral part of the school system.
- Many public libraries are closing down due to lack of interest but these are important resources within the community and we should fight to keep them open.
- With the internet becoming ever more popular and accessible to teenagers, cyber bullying is massively on the rise. A large number of cyber bullying cases end in suicide and it is down to parents and schools to tackle this growing problem.
- Cannabis is not legal in many countries and states and this is for good reason. The drug is known to diminish the brain cells and regardless of how it might relax pain and anxiety, it should not be legalised.
- Too many people are taking time of work for stress-related reasons and so it is more important than ever for workplaces to provide internal activities to combat this problem.
- Many parents do not like the idea of their children being taught sex education at an early age but unfortunately in this day and age, it is a necessity if we want to keep children safe.
Conclusion
A thesis statement is made up from one or two sentences and gives the author the chance to tell the reader what the essay is going to be about as well as their stance on the topic. It should be clear and concise and should always tie in with the body paragraphs of the essay.
Whilst there are many points to consider when writing a thesis statement, a well-written one can answer a question and engage the reader in the essay. Sticking with the ‘rules’ of the thesis statement will allow the author to craft a well written and relevant essay.
Thesis Statement Infographic
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