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How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples

How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples

Published on January 11, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on August 15, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan.

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . It usually comes near the end of your introduction .

Your thesis will look a bit different depending on the type of essay you’re writing. But the thesis statement should always clearly state the main idea you want to get across. Everything else in your essay should relate back to this idea.

You can write your thesis statement by following four simple steps:

Start with a question
Write your initial answer
Develop your answer
Refine your thesis statement

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What is a thesis statement, placement of the thesis statement, step 1: start with a question, step 2: write your initial answer, step 3: develop your answer, step 4: refine your thesis statement, types of thesis statements, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about thesis statements.

A thesis statement summarizes the central points of your essay. It is a signpost telling the reader what the essay will argue and why.

The best thesis statements are:

Concise: A good thesis statement is short and sweet—don’t use more words than necessary. State your point clearly and directly in one or two sentences.
Contentious: Your thesis shouldn’t be a simple statement of fact that everyone already knows. A good thesis statement is a claim that requires further evidence or analysis to back it up.
Coherent: Everything mentioned in your thesis statement must be supported and explained in the rest of your paper.

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The thesis statement generally appears at the end of your essay introduction or research paper introduction .

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts and among young people more generally is hotly debated. For many who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education: the internet facilitates easier access to information, exposure to different perspectives, and a flexible learning environment for both students and teachers.

You should come up with an initial thesis, sometimes called a working thesis , early in the writing process . As soon as you’ve decided on your essay topic , you need to work out what you want to say about it—a clear thesis will give your essay direction and structure.

You might already have a question in your assignment, but if not, try to come up with your own. What would you like to find out or decide about your topic?

For example, you might ask:

After some initial research, you can formulate a tentative answer to this question. At this stage it can be simple, and it should guide the research process and writing process .

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Now you need to consider why this is your answer and how you will convince your reader to agree with you. As you read more about your topic and begin writing, your answer should get more detailed.

In your essay about the internet and education, the thesis states your position and sketches out the key arguments you’ll use to support it.

The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education because it facilitates easier access to information.

In your essay about braille, the thesis statement summarizes the key historical development that you’ll explain.

The invention of braille in the 19th century transformed the lives of blind people, allowing them to participate more actively in public life.

A strong thesis statement should tell the reader:

Why you hold this position
What they’ll learn from your essay
The key points of your argument or narrative

The final thesis statement doesn’t just state your position, but summarizes your overall argument or the entire topic you’re going to explain. To strengthen a weak thesis statement, it can help to consider the broader context of your topic.

These examples are more specific and show that you’ll explore your topic in depth.

Your thesis statement should match the goals of your essay, which vary depending on the type of essay you’re writing:

In an argumentative essay , your thesis statement should take a strong position. Your aim in the essay is to convince your reader of this thesis based on evidence and logical reasoning.
In an expository essay , you’ll aim to explain the facts of a topic or process. Your thesis statement doesn’t have to include a strong opinion in this case, but it should clearly state the central point you want to make, and mention the key elements you’ll explain.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

It gives your writing direction and focus.
It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

Follow these four steps to come up with a thesis statement :

Ask a question about your topic .
Write your initial answer.
Develop your answer by including reasons.
Refine your answer, adding more detail and nuance.

The thesis statement should be placed at the end of your essay introduction .

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How to Write a Three Prong Thesis

Editorial team.

How to Write a Three Prong Thesis. A thesis statement is an idea that you state and prove to your readers. Write a three prong thesis to describe your argument and back it up with three points. Use proper essay structure for your thesis.

Explore this article

Pre-write your thesis by outlining your ideas
Create an introduction for your essay or report
Write three points
Include three steps
Use topic sentences
Conclude your thesis by leading into your essay

1 Pre-write your thesis by outlining your ideas

Pre-write your thesis by outlining your ideas. Use the bubble method of brainstorming to come up with three good points to use. Pick three points that will back up your argument.

2 Create an introduction for your essay or report

Create an introduction for your essay or report. Explain your topic in the first sentence and then write your thesis statement. Your thesis will describe how you are going to prove your topic sentence.

3 Write three points

Write three points that you will prove or argue in your essay. These three points should specify or back up what you are stating in your topic sentence. You will explain each of these points in your essay.

4 Include three steps

Include three steps if you are writing an explanatory essay. Include three things you will use to prove your thesis is true if you are writing an argumentative essay.

5 Use topic sentences

Use topic sentences to write these points so you can expand on the points in each paragraph of your essay. Make sure your three points will be clear because they will also be the basis of your three opening sentences for each of your paragraphs.

6 Conclude your thesis by leading into your essay

Conclude your thesis by leading into your essay. Your essay will begin with the first prong of your thesis statement.

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Thesis Statement

“Three Pronged”

What IS the thesis statement?

•The central message of the essay

•Preparation for the reader

•A road map of the essay

•A one sentence summary of your essay

Everything in your essay will support your thesis

A Three-Pronged Thesis Statement

• You will use a three-prong thesis statement

•3-prongs means that it has 3 important parts.

•Each prong is a sub-topic

•Each prong will be elaborated into a paragraph (the 3 “body” paragraphs)

The snow, sports, and beauty make winter the best part of the year.

Thomas Edison was influential because he

created the light bulb, phonograph, and a telegraph transmitter.

Thomas Edison’s genius was the perfect combination of innovative thinking, hard work, and a positive attitude.

What are the sub-topics?

Some of the most serious problems in today’s inner-city schools are the overcrowded classroom, the low percentage of trained teachers, and the lack of resources such as textbooks for students.

1. overcrowded classrooms

2. low percentage of trained teachers

3. lack of resources

Spot the thesis statement

I’ve never laughed so hard in my life. This past weekend, I had the opportunity to see the summer blockbuster Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The screenplay, casting, and directing made it the best movie I’ve seen in years. It was easy to choose a rating for this movie.

“I do not like them in a box, I do not like them with a fox” (Seuss). These silly yet engaging words bring back memories of childhood storytime for millions of people across the globe. Few authors before or since Dr. Seuss have had the same kind of impact. Through his memorable characters, meaningful lessons, and mesmerizing artistry, Dr. Seuss has promoted reading throughout the world.

Let’s Write one together!

Topic: Westhampton Beach Middle School

What do we want to say about WHBMS?

What are our three supporting statements?

WHB is an awesome school because of friendly environment, helpful staff, and educational teachers.

WHB is an amazing school with a variety of people to make friends with, …

Because of the helpful staff, the friendly environment, and the great education, WHB is a great school to go to.

WHB is the best school ever because of the field trip opportunities, wonderful sports, and awesome teachers.

WHB MS is really fun because it has the best field trips, a variety of sports, and really awesome teachers.

Due to the field trips, variety of sports, and amazing teachers, this is one of the best schools I’ve ever been to.

Common Errors to Avoid

Don’t just state the topic!

In this essay I will discuss the pros and cons of eating red meat.

This essay is about World War 1.

Do NOT include statements such as I believe, in my opinion, etc. They make you sound weak or unsure.

I believe the government should fund additional cancer research.
In my opinion, World War 1 was the first modern war.

Do not just state a fact or observation as the thesis statement.

Every year thousands of Americans lose their lives in automobile accidents related to drunk driving.
World War involved many new weapons.

I, me, my, we, our, etc.

Academic Writing

The Three-Ingredient Thesis Statement

by Purdue Global Academic Success Center and Writing Center · Published August 19, 2015 · Updated August 10, 2015

Molly Wright Starkweather, MA, Kaplan University Writing Center Tutor

When teaching thesis statements, the standard advice from teaching guides varies depending on the expertise of the student and the content area and level of study of the course. In the Kaplan Guide to Successful Writing , a thesis statement is considered effective if it sticks to one idea, focuses on a reasonably sized aspect of that idea, takes a clear position on the subject, and uses solid support. These are quality goals for students, but how does a student get in the right frame of mind to begin writing a thesis statement after having conducted all the research? A first term student will likely consider the main points to be included and build a thesis statement from there, which works fairly well in shorter assignments, but it can become an unwieldy proposition when it comes to more complex compositions.

Graduate students might not be expected to write the same sort of thesis statement as first year composition students, but they can benefit from considering a focused central argument in a sentence or two for the sake of those reading their papers. One of the reasons it is important to distinguish the type of central argument graduate students will make in their writing is because it might be easy to confuse a thesis statement with a graduate thesis, which is a specific type of original research report described in our Graduate Thesis resource .

A formula I have developed for thesis statements takes into consideration the notion that a thesis statement is often designed to address a situation in a field of study, typically solving a specific problem by offering a specific solution. The first ingredient in an effective thesis statement, then, is to mention the problem briefly. A template for mentioning the problem might look like one of the phrases below.

Considering the challenge of _________

When addressing the situation of __________

Professionals who face the scenario of __________

Here is how one thesis might begin.

Considering the challenge of keeping infants safe on airplane flights

Next, it is always good communication to have a solution in mind when mentioning a problem. Make sure to mention the specific solution for the specific problem being addressed, and consider one of the phrases below as a template for introducing the solution.

… an effective approach might be _________

… one good solution is _________

… the best response is to _________

Now, the effective thesis started earlier might go on to look like this. Considering the challenge of keeping infants safe on airplane flights, the most effective solution is to have the infant ride in a rear-facing car seat secured to the infant’s own airplane seat.

Finally, effective thesis statements can offer the reader a sense of what to expect in the body paragraphs of the paper. One way to incorporate the main points from the body paragraphs is to consider why the solution being offered in the thesis statement is effective or perhaps even the best solution. Adding “because” after naming the solution in the thesis can pave the way for establishing the main points right there within the same sentence. Here is an example of how all three ingredients—mentioning the challenge at hand, the solution, and the main points supporting the solution—can make for an effective thesis statement.

Considering the challenge of protecting infants on flights, the most effective solution is for the infant to be rear-facing in a car seat, because this solution addresses an infant’s physical development, the latest safety guidelines from experts on child travel safety, and the need for parents to protect themselves in a crash.

This is only one model for an effective thesis statement, so I encourage those reading this blog entry to consider other models for thesis statements as well. No matter what, make sure to phrase the central argument or main point or thesis statement based on the assignment instructions and any other supporting material (like a rubric) provided by the professor.

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4 Responses

Pingbacks 0

Molly, once again a great piece of work informative, short, sweet, and to the point! Love it. KB

Thank you! It is great when we as professionals find a simple approach that accomplishes our goals.

Molly – I love this approach. I’ve actually done a graphic organizer to help students develop what I call a three prong thesis. I also share with them that when I write an article, I start with one as well. I may not always end with one because professional writing needs more than that, but after so many years of forming the thesis in my mind this way, it is the way my brain works.

Thanks, Teresa! I agree that the three-prong approach might be a good springboard for the varying needs of professional writing. I think we have a potential resource on our hands, eh?