Academic writing is an essential part of learning in secondary and postsecondary school. It is also a challenging task that millions of students struggle with everyday.
When students are given the assignment of writing an essay, one of the first things you will have to figure out is your thesis. Because the entire scope of a pages long essay relies on the strength of a good thesis, formulating one can feel like an insurmountable task.
Luckily, there are plenty of places you can turn to for help - including this article!
Writing a thesis and an essay doesn’t have to feel super stressful or challenging. To make your writing experience as enjoyable as possible, start by learning the steps you can take to write a good thesis so you don’t run into major problems while essay writing.
In addition to following a clearly defined set of steps, it is important to have some strategies for coping with writer’s block, stress, or information overload.
Let’s start with understanding the basics of thesis writing. We will then take a look at some examples of theses, and unpack the “how” of writing a thesis. Bear in mind, however, that there is no “silver bullet” to writing a good thesis. It takes patience, lots of research, and creativity.
Are you faced with the task of writing an essay? Find out what a thesis is and why it matters to your assignment.
What is a Thesis Statement, Anyway?
To put it quite simply, a thesis statement summarizes the central point of your essay or paper. It may state your position or opinion on a topic,, or your interpretation of a body of research.
Some theses are complex, and will need multiple clauses to fully communicate a message. The length and complexity of your thesis will depend up on your topic, and the length of the assignment.
Following a thesis statement are typically the main arguments or points you will use to validate it.
When is a Thesis Statement Used?
Nearly all essays and research papers will have thesis in them. Articles may have a variation of a thesis in an introduction, but it is typically not be explored in the same systematic manner of an academic essay. Here are some types of essays or papers that would incorporate a thesis.
- Analytical paper: type of essay that breaks down an issue, evaluates it, and presents the breakdown and evaluation (analysis) to the reader.
- Expository paper: type of essay that explains a concept or idea to the audience.
- Argumentative paper: an essay in which a claim is made about a topic and the validates the claim with evidence.
Take note that not all essays will require evidence from other other authors. Some teachers will simply want your own ideas and anecdotes with the goal of seeing whether or not you can write thoroughly about a topic you already know. Other essays assignments may require you to use a minimum amount of external resources.
Often a thesis is requested by professors at the university level. Prior to submitting an essay, they may ask students for an abstract, or a short summary or plan for the essay you will write.
Stuck on getting your thesis written so you can finish your long essay assignment? Find examples of a thesis so you can see if you are headed in the right direction.
Why Is a Thesis Statement Important?
It’s Likely a Significant Part of Your Grade
When you are writing an essay or paper for school, your grade will be impacted by the strength and validity of your thesis statement. For this reason, we recommend that you carefully read the rubric and assignment instructions your professor or teacher has offered.
If the success criteria for the assignment has not been distributed, check in with your teacher to see if they can give you some advice about their expectations from students.
Having a Thesis will Give you a Sense of Purpose when Writing
Establishing even a provisional thesis will guide you in your research and writing as you complete your paper. You will be able to sift through information more efficiently, and enable you to bring clarity to your writing.
When the writer has a clear sense of purpose, the reader benefits because they will immediately have a strong sense of what the main message of the writing is.
How do I Generate the Best Thesis Statement?
1. Start Developing an Inquiry on Your Topic
Most students have to write a thesis after their teacher or professor has assigned them a topic. For example, you might get the topic of:
- Nursing in the Early 20th Century in Canada
- Conflict in Shakespeare’s Othello
- Agriculture in Eastern Europe
Topics are usually broad, and you will likely feel overwhelmed if you simply type the topic into a search engine. A good strategy to use is to ask questions that might yield to a compelling area of content that you can develop your own stance or perspective on.
For example, some questions you might ask on the topic of nursing in the early 20th century are:
- What were work conditions like for nurses in Canada in the 1900s?
- Where did nurses train in Canada in the 1900s?
- Why were there so many women nurses in the 1900s?
By generating questions that combine the topic with your own inquiry interests, you will hopefully find information that intrigues you and helps you to meet the task expectations.
2. Take time to Research
With a good inquiry, you should now invest the time into doing a deep dive into the information and discourses on the topic. While you may think it is premature to engage in so much reading, you will find that you will be better positioned to formulate a stance or position on the topic.
Researching now will also help you to feel better about the direction of your writing. It can be frustrating to write a thesis and realize that the direction you started in your writing is not working out.
When you are in the initial phase of research, be sure to bookmark articles and resources that you think will be useful when writing the actual paper.
If your assignment doesn’t require a lot of research, reading the writing of others is still useful. You will likely find great models of writing, and possibly learn more perspectives that will give your thesis more nuance.
Thesis writing is a task that few students look forward to. It can involve painstaking research, days poring over a single sentence. Get some tips to write your thesis quickly!
3. Brainstorm Ideas
With a solid foundation of research, you can start brainstorming your thesis. The whole point of this exercises is to write freely without any worry about structure, syntax, or developing paragraphs. The goal is to experiment with ideas on paper. Some strategies for brainstorming include:
- freewriting
- mind mapping
- answering inquiry questions with knowledge or ideas you have discovered
- writing new inquiry questions
- using a graphic organizer
This is a great time to make connections between ideas that you haven't fleshed out yet, and identify common trends in your research notes. Feel free to doodle, use arrows, or cluster ideas to map connections between concepts.
You may even feel comfortable writing your thesis out in a sentence, or multiple sentences. If you choose this option, do not worry about punctuation or even writing coherently. You can always go back and select the ideas that worked best.
4. Write a Provisional Thesis
After generating ideas, try writing out a provisional thesis. You may find it useful to use an inquiry based approach, this time using questions that are more specific than your original inquiry. Your thesis should take a position on your topic, or show a definite stance. Let's go back to our original inquiry about nursing in Canada. An example of a thesis might be:
Despite the widespread inequities women faced in society during the early 2oth century, the accomplishments of Catholic nurses during that period show that women had significant power and autonomy in their work.
In this thesis, the author is taking the position that women nurses were empowered in their work, and might prove that thesis by describing examples of the accomplishments of nurses during the specified time period.
Keep in mind that the thesis is provisional until the entire essay writing process is complete. It is highly likely that you will adjust and rewrite parts of the thesis statement as you continue to write and research.
Writing a thesis statement can seem like an impossible task, especially for those of us who dread essay writing. Learn more about the steps to crafting a perfect thesis statement.
5. Get Feedback from a Classmate or Teacher
With a provisional thesis in hand, you can now seek feedback from classmates or teachers. Getting feedback is critical to improving your writing. When we share our writing with others, we can check to see if it makes sense to another reader. If they are familiar with the topic, they may ask questions that will inform your work.
Be sure to return the favour and share your own feedback on their work. Sometimes, seeing how someone else has responded to the same assignment can be surprising and inspire you to try new things in your own writing.
What Happens if I Get Stuck While Writing a Thesis Statement?
Getting a bad case of writer's block is a pain, and when you are under pressure to finish an assignment by a deadline you might feel like there is not time to take a break.
However, sometimes stepping away from your work and taking a mental health break can help you to come up with ideas more efficiently than staring at a blank screen or page. Try going to the gym, or taking a brisk walk or stroll outdoors. Getting oxygen to your brain is healthy, and your body may have a lot of stress to release.
If getting outside is not an option, try deep breathing or meditation. There are many apps out there that help you to ground yourself in the present moment. If possible, get a good night's sleep and go back to work in the morning.
You may find it useful to go back to researching, or change the topic you have chosen. Yes, this can seem tiresome, but sometimes you will be surprised at how fresh information can bring about new thoughts and discoveries.
How Do I Know if I Have Written a Strong Thesis Statement?
Knowing what makes a strong thesis statement is a good way to evaluate your own. Here are some questions to ask yourself when writing a thesis statement.
Is My Thesis Clear?
A good thesis is clear and plainly written. Avoid being too verbose or wordy, and eliminate anything that does not contribute to the meaning of your thesis. An easy way to check for clarity is to ask for feedback from someone else. A clear thesis will make sense to the reader, even if they do not know the topic well.
It is near impossible to do so without the investing significant time in prewriting and planning. Find out how to write a winning thesis statement.
Does my Thesis have the Right Balance of Specificity and Breadth?
A thesis is supposed to be a common thread that runs through a long form text, so check to see if can carry the scope of your paper. You can do this by writing an outline of the arguments or supporting detail you plan to include in an organizer. If you thesis is too narrow, you will find that you do not have enough supporting details to write a a full length essay.
On the other hand, if your thesis is not specific enough, you will find that there is too much information that you could include. To go back to our nursing example, a thesis that is too broad might be:
Nursing is a challenging job.
This thesis lacks specificity. When was it challenging? Why was it challenging? Being more specific will make the thesis stronger, and will help the writer to narrow down from the countless examples they would find on the challenges of nursing. A better thesis might be:
Nursing is a challenging job in a Ontario today due to labour shortages and budget cuts to health care.
Does My Thesis State a Clear Position?
A good thesis statement will have a clear position on the topic at hand. In some cases, it can almost sound like a highly informed opinion, or an interpretation of a body of research.
Having a strong position in your thesis statement signals to the reader a clear sense of direction and purpose. Always remember that you are writing for an audience. If a thesis does not have a clear position, the paper can be very boring for the reader.
If you your purpose is weak, and your reader does not understand what you are trying to communicate, do not be surprised if your grade is similarly weak.
What Should I do After I Have Formulated my Thesis?
Once you have formed your thesis, you can move on to the the task of writing out the introduction, supporting paragraphs, and conclusion of your essay. Your thesis should be stated explicitly in the introduction, and restated in the conclusion. The supporting paragraphs should prove your thesis is valid.
Though most professors and teachers will give you a specific amount of words or pages in the assignment description, it is best to write without thinking about those details in the first draft. While you don't want your paper to be too short, you also do not want your essay to be repetitive or filled with unnecessary detail.
If you do find that you are rather short of the mark in terms of length, seek feedback to see if there is anything more you can unpack or add detail to. You might need to adjust your thesis, or identify a weak argument that needs to be rewritten.
Is it Worth it to Hire a Writing Tutor?
Writing an essay is challenging work that you may not want to do by yourself, especially if it is your first major paper. It can also be intimidating when a big part of your grade is on the line!
This is why having a tutor is a worthwhile investment. Having a tutor can be a great source of support. A tutor can work with you through every step of the writing process, from generating a thesis to crafting topic sentences for your supporting details and proofreading your first draft.
Tutors can give you valuable feedback on your writing, and suggest when you can expand, add detail, or clarity. They will give you constructive criticism, and work with you to help you write the best paper. you can.
Finally, a tutor can help by giving you strategies and tools that align with your strengths and interests. They know what works, and can leverage their experiences as writers to help you reach your goals.
How do I Find the Right Writing Tutor for Me?
Finding the right tutor is as easy as a few clicks thanks to Superprof Canada. Superprof is a rich resource for finding local tutors, or tutors that can work with you remotely.
Use the search tool on the site to find a tutor with experience and expertise in writing academic papers. You’ll see loads of tutor profiles that describe each tutor’s area of specialization, rates, and availability.
When choosing a tutor, find someone that has acquired at least 1-2 levels above your own. If you are in secondary school, you will want someone who is either in their senior years of university or in graduate school. If you are in university, a full-time English teacher or graduate level student will likely suit your needs.
Find a writing tutor on Superprof today!
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