Thesis Statement
HOW TO WRITE A STRONG THESIS STATEMENT A WRITING CENTRE HANDOUT
1. UNDERSTAND THE ACADEMIC WRITING TASK
You can begin to formulate a good thesis statement only after you have got a solid grasp of the purpose of the assignment. If you’re asked to write a paper in response to a specific assignment question, then your first task is make sure that you clearly understand the academic writing task. Determine which of the following critical thinking skills you are primarily being asked to apply to your object(s) of study: • • • • • • analysis comparison evaluation argumentation interpretation reflection
Your thesis statement, then, should take a form that reflects the goal of the writing task.
2. BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF THESIS STATEMENTS
Almost all forms of academic writing conform to a thesis-support structure—a structure in which we find the main claim near the beginning of the essay, followed by evidence and analysis in support of this claim in the body of the essay. Your thesis statement serves as the main argument that drives your paper forward. Students are for the most part well accustomed to writing essays that follow this top-down structure; however, they usually have a much harder time adapting their thesis statements to match the purpose of the specific writing task. Never assume that you don’t need a thesis statement just because you’re not asked to write a traditional academic essay. The following table lists some of the most common assignments and their corresponding thesis forms:
1
Type of Assignment Analytical Essay
Form of the Thesis Statement Statement of main claim about the topic in relation to the object of study
Book Review
Statement of critical evaluation about the book
Critical Review (i.e. review of an academic journal article) Position Paper Comparative Essay
Statement of critical evaluation about the journal article Statement of position + reasons Statement of main argument + main points of comparison
Research
1. UNDERSTAND THE ACADEMIC WRITING TASK
You can begin to formulate a good thesis statement only after you have got a solid grasp of the purpose of the assignment. If you’re asked to write a paper in response to a specific assignment question, then your first task is make sure that you clearly understand the academic writing task. Determine which of the following critical thinking skills you are primarily being asked to apply to your object(s) of study: • • • • • • analysis comparison evaluation argumentation interpretation reflection
Your thesis statement, then, should take a form that reflects the goal of the writing task.
2. BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF THESIS STATEMENTS
Almost all forms of academic writing conform to a thesis-support structure—a structure in which we find the main claim near the beginning of the essay, followed by evidence and analysis in support of this claim in the body of the essay. Your thesis statement serves as the main argument that drives your paper forward. Students are for the most part well accustomed to writing essays that follow this top-down structure; however, they usually have a much harder time adapting their thesis statements to match the purpose of the specific writing task. Never assume that you don’t need a thesis statement just because you’re not asked to write a traditional academic essay. The following table lists some of the most common assignments and their corresponding thesis forms:
1
Type of Assignment Analytical Essay
Form of the Thesis Statement Statement of main claim about the topic in relation to the object of study
Book Review
Statement of critical evaluation about the book
Critical Review (i.e. review of an academic journal article) Position Paper Comparative Essay
Statement of critical evaluation about the journal article Statement of position + reasons Statement of main argument + main points of comparison
Research
Cited: Avery, H., et al. Thinking It Through: a Practical Guide to Academic Essay Writing. 3rd ed. Peterborough: Trent University Academic Skills Centre, 1995. Booth, Wayne C., Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams. The Craft of Research. 2nd ed. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 2003. Brown, Elseph H. “Writing About History.” Writing at the University of Toronto. 20 Dec. 2005 <http://www.utoronto.ca/writing/history.html>. Rosenwasser, David, Jill Stephen, and Doug Babington. Writing Analytically. 1st Canadian ed. Toronto: Thomson Nelson, 2006. © Y-Dang Troeung, Writing Centre Assistant, Wilfrid Laurier University. Extension: 3869; Email: ytroeung@wlu.ca . Website: www.wlu.ca/writing 8