Formulating a Thesis
The first step in finding a thesis is to read the assignment carefully to make sure that you understand it. If you are unclear about any portion of it, talk to the instructor. Once you fully understand the assignment, you are ready to think about a thesis.
What is a Thesis?
A thesis is a one- to two- sentence summary of the argument or analysis you’ll be presenting in your paper. A thesis statement gives papers a focus that can guide both the writer and the reader, and it should go beyond the obvious – the more specific, provocative and interesting, the better.
How to Generate a Thesis Statement if the Topic is Assigned
Almost all assignments can be reduced to a single question – once you discover the specific question posed in the assignment, a complete sentence that answers this question can become your thesis.
Example: If your assignment is “Write a report to the local school board explaining the potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class”, turn the request into a question – “What are the potential benefits of using computers in a fourth grade class?” Once you’ve chosen the question your essay will answer, compose one to two sentences that answer this question: “The potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class are…” or “Using computers in a fourth-grade class promises to improve…”
How to Generate a Thesis Statement if the Topic is Not Assigned
Even if your assignment doesn’t ask a specific question, your thesis statement still needs to answer a question about the issue you’d like to explore. In this situation, your job is to figure out what question you’d like to write about.
Five Signs of a Strong Thesis:
1. A strong thesis takes a stand.
2. A strong thesis justifies discussion: go beyond stating an observation.
3. A strong thesis expresses one main idea.
4. A strong thesis statement is specific.
5. A strong thesis statement is well-supported by the essay – all topic sentences should reflect aspects of the thesis, and all body paragraphs should support the argument posed in the thesis.
Writing a “Roadmap” Thesis
*Thanks to Ed Menta
A roadmap thesis guides a reader through your essay by laying out the subject you will be discussing, making an assertion, and then listing the main points supporting your argument in the order they will be presented in your essay. These main points will then become the subject of the topic sentences in your body paragraph.
Example:
“Amiri Baraka’s play Dutchman, named to echo the myth of the Flying Dutchman, uses the story’s themes of eternal wandering, a cursed vessel, and damnation to reinterpret modern racial conflict.”
Subject: Amiri Baraka’s Dutchman
Assertion: Baraka chose his title based on the myth of the Flying Dutchman, taking themes from this myth and using them in the play to make a point about the insidious nature of racism.
Main points: The themes taken from the Flying Dutchman are 1. eternal wandering, 2. a cursed vessel, and 3. damnation. The topic sentences in the body paragraphs will then make an assertion about the use of eternal wandering, a cursed vessel, and damnation within Dutchman in that order.
Sources used in this handout: