Thesis Statement- Definition, Characteristics, and Examples

A thesis statement is an integral part of academic or essay writing. Whether it’s an essay or research paper thesis statement is the first spot where you tell your reader about your stance on the subject. A piece of writing without a specific stance won’t serve any purpose.

So to make your writing worth reading and productive it’s important to make it a discussion that can engage the readers. A thesis statement is one of the first steps to transform your writing into a discussion.

A thesis statement is a brief and comprehensive presentation of your stance on the subject. It clearly states what are your beliefs regarding the subject and how are you going to defend it.

A strong thesis statement basically serves as a roadmap for both reader and writer. It sets the path through which the subject travel to validate the writer’s stance. For example, a thesis statement in an essay will tell the readers what they are going to read in the body paragraphs of the essay.

Following is a comprehensive guide about the thesis statement, its characteristics, and some sample thesis statement to improve your understanding.

What is a Thesis Statement

According to the thesis statement definition, it is a one or two-liner sentence encapsulation of your paper’s main point central idea, or theme. A thesis statement also states the writer’s stance on the topic.

A thesis statement should be written at the start of your paper. The statement is usually placed at the end of the introduction paragraph. A thesis statement usually serves as the closing sentence of the introduction paragraph.

The thesis statement guides the reader about the direction that your paper will take ahead. This statement will get defended and supported in the body paragraphs and conclusion.

A thesis statement can also be called a statement of facts that highlights and reflects important facts related to the topic.

Although the thesis statement is being stated at the start of writing, it is suggested to formulate it after writing the whole paper so that you can summarize your arguments and evidence more effectively.

How to Differentiate between a Strong and Weak Thesis Statement

Following is the criteria that will help you evaluate your thesis statement.

• A strong thesis statement always presents a specific stance on the subject. Whereas a weak thesis statement will be vague, general, and broad.
• A strong thesis statement not only states the point of discussion but also justifies the discussion. Whereas a weak statement will just use a vague or non-substantial observation to present its stance.
• The strong thesis statement will clearly state the central idea of the discussion. Or in case there are multiple ideas it will clearly show their relevance. Whereas a weak thesis statement would consist of multiple vague ideas with no relevance.
• A strong thesis statement often includes the words like because, since, so, although, unless, and however expressing the relevancy of ideas. Whereas a weak thesis statement will be short, vague, and have irrelevant ideas.
• A strong thesis statement will always contain specific and relevant terms and phrases. Whereas a weak thesis statement will always use generic, broader, and vague terms.

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How to Write a Thesis Statement

Depending on the type of your writing a thesis statement can differ a bit. But every thesis statement will reflect the main purpose or idea of your writing. All your arguments and ideas will link back to the thesis statement.

Following are some basic steps to answer your question about how to make a thesis statement for any type of writing.

1. State the Topic of Writing

The topic of your writing is the foundation of your writing. You build all your arguments and ideas around the topic of your writing. The topic of your writing usually consists of a few words or phrases, which sum up the subject of your discussion.

Check some good essay topics to find the one that suits your essay writing aim and help you compose a good essay easily.

As you are required to mention the topic in your thesis statement, it is advised to make your topic as specific as possible.

2. Present your Stance on the Topic

Once you are done with the topic of your writing. It is time to present your stance or idea about the topic. You can define your stance by asking yourself:

• What do you want your reader to believe?
• Which aspect of the subject do you want to focus on?
• What perspectives of the topic do you think are most critical?

While presenting your opinion on the subject make sure that:

• You are expressing the one main idea.
• Mention your opinion along with the name of the topic and then present a specific assertion about the topic.
• If you are discussing an issue take a stance that you can defend with evidence and arguments.
• Write your opinion about the issue.

3. Include a Supporting Argument for Your Opinion

After mentioning your stance on the topic, state the supporting reasons for your stance one-by-one. Following are some supporting arguments;

Excessive screen time is :

• Not always intellectually stimulating.
• Reason for limited social interaction.

Clearly stating such arguments will help the reader to get convinced of your stance on the topic.

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4. Add an Opposing Viewpoint to your Stance

A good and strong thesis statement always includes an opposing argument. And acknowledges that there is always another side of the argument that should be considered.

So to make your thesis statement more convincing and effective add the counterargument to your stance. Your counterargument can be the possible opinion of a person who disagrees with your stance.

These steps will help you write a good and effective thesis statement in less time.

Thesis Statement Examples

Following are some thesis statement examples that will help you understand the format of a thesis statement.

Tips to Write a Strong Thesis Statement

Following are some tips to write a good thesis statement:

• While writing the thesis statement for your essay make sure you have explored the topic well. If you know your topic well you will be able to address it in a better way.
• Make sure that your thesis statement is specific and is about the topic and perspectives you are about to discuss.
• While writing the paper if you happen to deviate from the perspective you have mentioned in your thesis statement, never forget to update your thesis statement accordingly.
• Always use specific phrases and terminologies to express your opinions and ideas.
• Avoid the use of vague words and sentences.
• Be definite about the scope of your writing and make your thesis statement accordingly.
• Make sure that the thesis statement of your writing is clearly reflecting your stance on the topic.

Hope the above blog has helped you develop a better understanding of the thesis statement, its formulation, structure, and purpose in your document. The example thesis statements would also help you write thesis statements on different topics.

But if some questions are still buzzing in your mind feel free to reach our essay writer to get your answers and amazing writing services.