Developing Your Thesis Statement Text Version

Developing Your Position

Once you have chosen your topic and done preliminary research, you should be ready to take a position. Your thesis statement should be one, unified sentence that clearly states the focus and purpose of your paper. Some people think of the thesis statement as an essay map; it tells your audience exactly where you are going and why you are going there. It gives you a clear plan for writing.

An excellent thesis statement is essentially a one-sentence answer to the prompt or essay question. It usually is located at the end of your introductory paragraph. This one sentence should answer the what?, how? Or why? And so what? of your topic or position. The “so what?” sounds harsh, but really it is meant to make the writer consider the significance of her topic and gives her writing purpose.

One Sentence Can Do All of That?

Can one sentence really do all of that? Yes! As you can see in the example provided, it is possible to answer the question clearly and concisely while establishing a purpose for writing. From this one sentence, I know the two poems that the writer will discuss, I know that he will talk about how Langston Hughes uses his personal experiences in each poem, and finally, I know that all the writer is going to prove that the significance or purpose of the poems is to chastise injustices and convey hope. From this example, you can see how writing an outline and organizing the essay will be easy. More than likely, this writer would have two body paragraphs, one for each poem, and in each one, he would discuss how personal experiences in each poem are used to chastise injustices and convey hope.

Thesis Statement Pitfalls

Now that you know the characteristics and purpose of an excellent thesis statement, I would like to point out a few common pitfalls. The most obvious pitfall is an absent thesis statement; without a thesis statement, a paper lacks direction and purpose. Wordiness is another common mistake; a great idea can get lost in a sentence that goes on and on. A thesis statement that is general will present a problem for the writer because it doesn't offer any specific direction for the analysis. “The Sky is Blue” thesis statements make an obvious and widely-understood statement such as “the sky is blue” or “author’s lives affect their writing;” this pitfall is a problem because it lacks specifics and significance. A Tour Guide thesis statement usually begins by stating, “First I will discuss…then I will prove…, and finally I will talk about…” This type of thesis statement takes on the tone of a tour guide that drones on and on without telling us why what we are seeing is important. This type of thesis usually focuses only on the what? The final type of pitfall is relying on “I” – your audience knows that your paper is your thoughts so you can omit “I think.”

The best way to avoid these pitfalls is to ask yourself:

• Did I answer the question? (this is the what?)
• Did I give specifics that establish how or why?
• Am I writing about something that matters? (this is the part of your thesis statement that will answer so what?)

Things to Remember When Developing Your Thesis Statement

Before accessing the assessment for 6.02B, you will need to:

• Read a few sample thesis statements and determine if they are applause or buzzer-worthy.
• Create an excellent thesis statement for your research topic.

Now you that you have taken notes, created a source card, learned how to use your quotations, and created your thesis statement, your outline should be a breeze! Writing well happens in phases; with each step, you prepare for the next phase. When you sit down to write your research paper, most of the hard work will already be done – and that is worth celebrating!