Useful Tips on Writing a Good Thesis Statement for an Essay

What is a thesis statement? How should it look like? Newbies are sick and tired of answering those questions. A thesis statement is actually a movie trailer for your major work. It highlights the key ideas and aspects of the topic. Although it may seem easy to write, a thesis statement becomes a major challenge for 100% of students no matter how good they are at essay writing. Our tips will make the process simpler and less time-consuming. We do hope you will find them handy.

The importance of thesis statement

Here are the key points that describe the importance of the thesis statement:

• It showcases your ideas;
• It organizes the argument;
• It contains guidelines for the reader;
• It establishes claims for a dispute.

Types of thesis statements

All thesis statements can be divided into two main types: debatable and non-debatable. Make sure you clearly understand the difference before you use any of those types:

• The debatable thesis is a statement that considers opinion readers may agree or disagree;
• The non-debatable thesis is a statement that does not reserve any place for readers to debate.

What is a proper length of a thesis statement?

Avoid writing too long thesis statements. Most students get into a trap when writing huge papers. They think that the length of the thesis statement depends on the volume of a general paper. Well, it does not. The shorter and narrower your thesis, the better. Two or three sentences are more than enough to get your readers intrigued. The thesis should have a claim for a future dispute.

Types of thesis statement claims

Each claim refers to a particular type and category. They are as follows:

• Definition or common fact;
• Event and Result (cause and effect);
• Value of the category described;
• Policies and solutions.

Include the claim depending on your readers’ type. The audience always matters when it comes to choosing the right claim for your thesis statement.

Tips to build a thesis statement

Follow our easy tips to construct a solid thesis statement that will grab readers’ attention:

• Explore and research the sources – you need to analyze all the information you generate from different sources. Compare and contrast all facts to establish your own opinion on the topic;
• Always make notes – write down everything that comes up to your head. Make sure you always hold a pen or pencil;
• Include your thesis in the introduction – a thesis statement should be the last part of the introductory paragraph;
• Provide counterarguments – a thesis statement should encourage your readers on further debates and discussions. Anticipating counterarguments will be a good idea.

To know if your thesis is good, try to answer some of the following questions:

1. Does it contain answers to the essay questions?
2. Is the thesis statement specific?
3. Does the major work support your thesis?

If the answers are “Yes”, you have done a great job!