Thesis Statement Tips: Helpful Hacks for How to Write a Thesis for Academic Essays

Jerz > Writing > Academic
    [ Argument | Title | Thesis | Blueprint | Pro/Con | Quoting | MLA Format ]

A thesis statement is the single, specific claim that your essay supports. A strong thesis answers the question you want to raise; it does so by presenting a topic, the position you wish to defend, and a reasoning blueprint that sketches out your defense of your chosen position. A good thesis is not merely a factual statement, an observation, a personal opinion or preference, or the question you plan to answer. (See “Academic Argument: Evidence-based Defense of a Non-obvious Position.”)
The biography Black Elk Speaks challenges the Western genre’s stereotype of the “savage Indian” through its attention to cultural detail, its use of Indian words, and its direct quotes from Black Elk.
  • Topic: The representation of Indian lifestyle in the book Black Elk Speaks
  • Precise Opinion: the book challenges a stereotype
    (a good thesis is debatable, so a good paper would also cover ways that this book perpetuates this same stereotype)
  • Reasoning Blueprint: the three ways the book mounts this challenge are through attention to cultural detail, using Indian words, and using direct quotations from Black Elk.
    • A strong blueprint would hint at why these three details add up to support the thesis statement.
    • A less impressive blueprint might simply list the main points the essay will cover.

There is nothing magically “correct” about a thesis on challenging a cultural stereotype. Instead of claiming that a book “challenges a genre’s stereotypes,” you might instead argue that some text “provides a more expensive but more ethical solution than X” or “undermines Jim Smith’s observation that ‘[some quote from Smith here]’”. (Don’t automatically use “challenges a genre’s stereotype” in the hopes of coming up with the “correct” thesis.)

A more complicated thesis statement for a paper that asks you to demonstrate your ability engage with someone else’s ideas (rather than simply summarize or react to someone else’s ideas) might follow a formula like this:

Although Smith says “quote a passage that makes a specific claim you intend to disagree with” (123), in this paper I will use Brown’s concept of X to argue that [your original thesis goes here].”
  • Your instructor might not want you to use “I” in your paper. You might instead say “This paper will use…” or “Applying Brown’s concept of X will show…”
  • Rather than promising to “use Brown to argue” (which is too general), this model recommends that you “use Brown’s concept of X to argue” (or “Brown’s case study X” or “Brown’s thorough analysis of X” or “Brown’s unsuccessful rebuttal to Jones”). The more specific you are about how, specifically you will use Brown, the better.
  • It’s not enough to disagree with someone else; a strong paper will go beyond saying “Smith is wrong” and will instead say “Here’s a better solution that avoids problems P and Q that prevent Smith’s solution from working.”

For a short paper (1-2 pages), the thesis statement is often the first sentence. A complex thesis statement for a long paper may be part of a thesis paragraph. But it’s hard to go wrong if you put your thesis first.

Useful Formulae for Thesis Statements

If you’re not sure whether you have a good thesis statement, see whether you can fit your ideas into one of these basic patterns.

[Something] [does something] because [reason(s)].
or
Because [reason(s)], [something] [does something].
Although [opposing evidence], [reasons] show [something] [does something].

If you are just starting out, and you are still developing an original, evidence-based claim to defend, a simpler formula is probably best. Once you have done the research, and you understand the subject, then a formula like the following won’t look like random words; it will suggest a way to frame a nuanced, complex argument that goes beyond making non-controversial factual statements.

While [a specific, named person] says [a direct quote or paraphrase from the source], [a different, named person] says [something else]. While the two authors disagree over [a minor point], they both share a deep concern over [the topic of your paper]. [Person one’s] refusal to accept [a particular point made by person two]suggests that [person one] is [your thesis — stating the real reason why person one won’t agree with person two].
What really matters is not guessing the magically correct words to fit some secret formula that your mean instructor is refusing to tell you.

What matters is that you have researched your subject, that you have found and engaged meaningfully with peer-reviewed academic sources, and that you are developing an evidence-based claim, rather than summarizing or giving unsupported opinion.
  • Unlike a personal essay, which can rely on personal experience and general observations, a research paper must draw on evidence — usually in the form of direct quotations or statistics from peer-reviewed academic journals.
  • You have no reason to “defend” a position unless some expert has presented credible evidence that challenges a claim you want to make. (Finding, quoting, and engaging with that evidence is part of your task as an academic writer.)
  • An academic argument is not a squabble, a difference of opinions, or an attorney’s courtroom statement. The author of an academic argument is more like the judge, who, after hearing out the best arguments in favor of various possible solutions, supports the best one. An academic argument is part of a discussion that respects multiple viewpoints (as long as those viewpoints are backed by credible evidence).

Parts of a Thesis Statement

The thesis statement has 3 main parts: the limited subject, the precise opinion, and the blueprint of reasons.

1. Limited Subject

Make sure you’ve chosen a subject that meets your instructor’s requirements for the assignment. (It never hurts to ask.)

2. Precise Opinion

The precise opinion gives your answer to a question about the subject. A good precise opinion is vital to the reader’s comprehension of the goal of the essay.

3. Blueprint of Reasons

A blueprint is a plan. It lets the builder know that the foyer will be here, the living room will be to the east, the dining room to the west, and the family room will be north.The blueprint of an essay permits you to see the whole shape of your ideas before you start churning out whole paragraphs.While it’s okay for you to start writing down your ideas before you have a clear sense of your blueprint, your reader should never encounter a list of details without being told exactly what point these details are supposed to support. (For more details on the reasoning blueprint, see Blueprinting.)

The biography Black Elk Speaks challenges the Western genre’s stereotype of the “savage Indian” through its attention to cultural detail, its use of Indian words, and its direct quotes from Black Elk.
In the blueprint, the author signals an intention to support the precise opinion. The author of the example above introduces three different kinds of evidence:
  • cultural details
  • Indian words
  • quotes from Black Elk.

Informed by this blueprint, the reader expects to encounter one section (a paragraph or more) devoted to each subtopic.The blueprint determines the shape of your paper.

If your thesis statement introduces three reasons A, B and C, the reader will expect a section on reason A, a section on reason B, and a section on reason C.

For a single paragraph, you might only spend one sentence on each reason. For a 2-3 page paper, each reason might get its own paragraph. For a 10-page paper, each reason might contain its own local thesis statement, with its own list of reasons, so that each section involves several paragraphs.To emphasize the structure of your essay, repeat keywords or paraphrased ideas from the blueprint as you introduce the sections in which you expand on each point. Crafting good transitions is a skill that takes time and practice. (See Transitions and Reminders of Thesis).

Note: If you repeat your blueprint phrases and your thesis statement robotically (“The third point I want to talk about is how Black Elk Speaks accurately represents the Indian lifestyle through its direct quotes from Black Elk.”), your writing will be rather dry and lifeless. Dull writing is probably better than aimless rambling, although neither is terribly effective. |

Note: A thesis statement amounts to nothing if the paper is not completely focused on that main point. Blueprinting helps create the coherency of the thesis throughout the entire essay, which makes it a necessary part of the thesis statement.

Black Elk Speaks accurately represents Indian lifestyle through its attention to cultural detail, its use of Indian words, and its direct quotes from Black Elk.
  • Topic: The representation of Indian lifestyle in the book Black Elk Speaks
  • Precise Opinion: the book is accurate
  • Reasoning Blueprint: the book pays attention to cultural detail, it uses Indian words, and it uses direct quotations from Black Elk. (The rest of the paper will establish the truth of teach of these supporting points, and then explain why they add up to support the truth of the thesis statement.)
Is Black Elk Speaks a tragedy?
This is a question, not a statement. It’s fine to sit down at the keyboard with the intention of writing a paper to answer this question, but before you start churning out the sentences, you should have a clear idea of what answer you’re trying to support.
This paper will look at the book’s attention to cultural detail, its use of Indian words, and its direct quotations from Black Elk, in order to determine whether Black Elk Speaks accurately represents Indian lifestyle.
The above sample is slightly better because it offers more detail, but it still doesn’t say what position the author is taking on the topic of whether the book is accurate.
Because the events in the story emphasize Black Elk’s role as a Sioux Warrior, and do not describe his eventual conversion to Catholicism and membership in the Society of St. Joseph, Black Elk Speaks presents a skewed and simplified view of the complex history of Native Americans.
Note that the above sample contains a topic (the accuracy of Black Elk Speaks), opinion (it is skewed and simplified), and reasoning (because the book only tells part of the story).

You don’t need to present those three parts in that exact order every time; furthermore, your instructor may have a good reason to ask you for a different organization. But most of the time, including these three parts will help your reader to follow your ideas much more closely.
Biographies of all types can teach us many things about the past. What was the culture like? What was the language like? And what did the people say? One such book is Black Elk Speaks, which tells the story of a Sioux warrior in the late 1800s. How accurate is this book? This paper will investigate the cultural details, the language, and what Black Elk actually said, in order to determine the answer.
The above sample starts off with a wordy, general statement about biographies. But the main topic isn’t about biographies of all types, it’s specifically about one book, Black Elk Speaks.

17 Oct 2000 — originally posted by Nicci Jordan, UWEC Junior
08 Dec 2000 — first posted here. Maintained by Prof. Jerz.
13 Dec 2003 — links updated
22 Sep 2006 — moderate revisions by Jerz
29 Oct 2011 — updated by Jerz
14 June 2015 — minor adjustments

Blueprinting: Planning Your Essay
A blueprint is a rough but specific plan, or outline, which defines the structure of your whole essay. The blueprint, usually located within the thesis statement, is a brief list of the points you plan to make, compressed into just a few words each, in the same order in which they appear in the body of your paper.

A thesis reminder is a direct echo of the thesis statement. In a short paper, the topic sentence of each paragraph should repeat words or phrases from the thesis statement.

Tips for writing timed essays: Plan your time wisely. Answer the right question. Collect your thoughts. Leave time to revise. Revise your thesis statement

 

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    • A scholarly essay or book has a main point called a thesis, and under the mentorship of a faculty member, graduate students write a practice essay or book that's also called a thesis. A thesis could become an article if it gets published.

  • Thanks for this page (and for having a last name that's the same as my user name. LOL) Although I've had four years of college (no degree - just 130+ credits) and got As on virtually all my papers, I do not ever remember being told about a thesis statement. It wasn't until I was helping a friend with essays that he expressed incredulity that I didn't know what it was. I learned something similar in a public speaking course, but don't remember it when writing. So, I wanted to read up on it and your page was one I found. Thank you. When I'm helping him, I'll now be able to recognize this key element when I'm proofing and typing his papers.

  • Would it be a good idea to restate the thesis statement in the comclusion, but not the same way of course, but delivering the main points i talked about?

    • Juan, if your paper is 10 pages long, then it's probably fine to write one short sentence that reminds the reader what your main point is, but if you summarize your argument point-by-point, I would consider it filler.

      Just what you SHOULD do in your conclusion depends on the assignment, so your instructor will be the best person to ask.

      A colleague of mine, Joel Pace of UWEC, tells his students, "The thesis is the road map, the conclusion is the destination, the paper is the journey."

      When I see summative conclusion in the drafts my own students submit, I ask questions like, "Now that your paper has brought me to this point where I am ready to accept your thesis, what new ideas am I ready to understand, that I would not have been able to understand before?" or "So, why does all this matter?" or "Now that I'm standing with you at your paper's destination -- on a mountaintop, in a lush valley, on the shores of a different continent -- what new and important things can I see that I would never have been able to see before I read your paper?"

      • Okay, I appreciate the help. I'll probably be back with more questions. I'm trying to get better at writting essays.

  • Quick question: is it okay to put a "i beleive that" or something relevant to start off a thesis?

    • Your instructor is the best person to ask. The answer will vary depending on the purpose of the assignment. In a research paper, your personal beliefs are not as relevant as the evidence that informs your beliefs.

  • Very useful website. I appreciate people like you who do these random acts of kindness that benefit the rest of us. I am a teacher and I don't always have time to come up with things myself. Thank. I would like to see more examples of different kinds of thesis statement using literature text. The Frankenstein thread was VERY useful. It helped me forsee questions will ask.

  • I really like this. I cannot tell you how many ways I have heard professors describe an "arguable thesis" to classes I was in only to confuse the less experienced writers. They often throw a lot of examples out to the class but seem unable to clarify the objectives of the thesis statement. I am sending this page to my Kindle and will certainly refer to it when I present thesis statements to students myself. I love how this handout also demonstrates how a well structured thesis can help with arrangement in the composition. Thanks for sharing this!

    • Thanks for the vote of confidence. If you like this page, please consider sharing the link.

  • I know I'm opening myself up here to lambaste and possibly discrimination through social isolation, but one of my favorite movies of all time is James Whalen's "Frankenstein," 1931. I know, I know, it's nothing like the book. To think that it came out in 1931 though, stark black and white images of horror 30ft. tall in cinemas and theaters all over the country is a trip.

    Colin Clive was a bad-ass. Tragic man, tragic life, he should have been allowed to do so much more.

    James Whalen of course was discovered to be a homosexual, and was never allowed to re-create the genius found in "Frankenstein."

    The movie lives on however, in DVD format. Clive was over-the-top in a very "English Stage and Thee-a-tuhh" kind of way, and the manic over-acting really worked well for a guy who was losing his crackers playing with the force of life.

    One of my favorites:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSCBvu_kijo&feature=related

    Chris

  • I think he means, "In Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein,' the experience of the Monster's life is an accurate exhibit of discrimination through social isolation and neglect."

    Thanks for the site Dennis! Assuming the caveat, "But you should really ask your teacher," can a thesis statement be two sentences, if the idea starts in one and flows to the next? I haven't been able to readily identify a concrete MLA answer.

    I see one-liners as examples, but it doesn't say you can't use two sentences. I see two-liners on web pages, but I wonder, "Are they officially MLA-approved?"

    And just who DOES officially do the official approving in the wide, wonderful of of MLA?

    Inquiring minds want to know!

    Thanks again man!

    Chris

    • Thanks for your contribution.

      The MLA doesn't grade anyone's papers, so other than consulting official textbooks published by the MLA, there is no mechanism for sanctioning individual thesis statements, other than grades assigned by the instructors. I can imagine many good reasons why an instructor may wish to require a thesis to be a single sentence, or require a thesis paragraph to follow a certain structure, so again, consulting your instructor is your best bet.

  • Thank you Denis. This very helpful especially that a presentation about thesis statements is on my plan for grades 10 and 11 tomorrow.

  • Do you mean the monster is a victim of discrimination, or he discriminates against someone? Why is that question important -- does it change anything we get out of the novel?

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