Writing an essay is one of the most common and yet dreaded assignments secondary and post-secondary students have to write.
Let’s be clear, writing long papers is not for the faint of heart. Writing is hard work, and in most cases cannot be done overnight in an effective way, especially when research is involved. Writing an essay usually takes hours of reading, organization, drafting, revision, and editing.
One of the most important things to do first when writing an essay or paper is to figure out what your purpose is. For many students, that means coming up with a strong thesis.
If you are finding that coming up with a good thesis statement is tough, it is completely normal. Luckily, you are reading the right article to help!
In this article, we will guide you through the thesis statement writing process. You’ll learn that with the right preparation and strategies that writing a thesis isn’t so bad after all! Let’s get started by understanding exactly what a thesis statement is.
What is a Thesis Statement?
Simply put, a thesis statement is a sentence that summarizes the central point of your essay. In many cases, a thesis statement may state your position on a topic or your interpretation of a body of research. Some theses are more complex, and require multiple clauses or sentences to communicate an idea.
How long or complex your thesis is will largely depend on the topic you are writing about, and the expected length of the assignment.
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 does a Thesis Statement Matter?
A Thesis is Likely Part of Your Assessment
A thesis statement matters a lot when you are writing an academic paper. In many cases, you will be assessed based on the clarity and validity of a thesis statement in an essay.
When writing your thesis, read the rubric and assignment instructions your professor or teacher has provided. Understanding what success criteria they will use to determine the success of your thesis will help you to understand what you need to be successful.
A Thesis Will Give You a Sense of Purpose when Writing
On a more practical note, a thesis statement will help to guide your sense of purpose as you write out your essay.
Most essays will require you to do some research. When you have a thesis in mind, it will become much easier to determine what information will help you to prove the validity and strength of your thesis.
A Thesis will Bring Clarity in Your Writing
Having a good thesis will make your writing clear and comprehensible for your reader. It signals to the reader what you want them to take away after reading your work.
When to Use a Thesis Statement?
A thesis statement is used in nearly all essays, literary criticism, and research papers. While theses are most typically seen in long form writing, good writers will usually have a variation on a thesis in an introduction.
If you are writing at the postsecondary level, your professor may request that you write a short summary or extract of your essay, even if you have not yet finished writing the essay. When you submit your extract, you will want to include a thesis or working thesis.
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!
How to Write a Thesis Statement
Next, let’s dive into the practicalities. How do you go about writing a thesis statement? What kinds of things should you do before, during, and after formulating a thesis?
Crafting a thesis statement can come fairly easily depending on your prior knowledge about the topic. You may find that you can generate the purpose of your writing quickly when you already understand the topic well.
However, in many cases students find developing a thesis statement to be incredibly difficult or even dreadful. For this reason, you will want some instructions to unpack the process.
1. Research
Before writing a thesis on any topic, it is important to do some preliminary reading and research on the topic you have been assigned to write about. You should try to be as specific as possible as you search for related articles and texts about your topic, and be open to books and internet resources.
Initial research will give you a sense of what is already being said and discussed about your topic. You may even find an article or book that you can quote or cite evidence from in your essay.
As you read the work of others, keep track of important ideas, words, or people that may be relevant to your writing. You may return to that information later!
2. Brainstorming
Brainstorming exactly what the main point of your writing, or thesis, will be is the next step. There are a number of ways you can go about doing this.
One way is to use a mind map, which is about clustering different words or phrases related to your topic. Start by writing a phrase about your topic in the middle of the page, and use lines to connect it to related ideas or words.
Another thing you can do is to simply think about it. Many writers find going for a walk helps them to generate ideas. Of course, bring a notebook or an electronic device to record any brilliant ideas you have while walking around!
3. Writing Your Thesis Statement
Now it’s time to get down to writing your position or point into a sentence. You might use a sentence starter or frame to help parse your ideas out. For example:
I think ___________ because __________.
I believe _________ since research states that _____________.
While these kinds of statements can seem simple, they can be very helpful in distilling your ideas down to a sentence. Don’t worry if it doesn’t sound perfect on the first or even multiple tries. You will likely change or revise your thesis as you start unpacking the rest of your ideas.
How do you write a thesis statement? Learn all the steps to generate a strong thesis for your essay.
4. Developing Your Thesis
Once you have written down a provisional thesis, you can start developing it. Consider the following questions:
What are some reasons my thesis is true or correct?
What are some objections someone might have to my thesis?
What evidence is there to support or prove my thesis is correct?
As you gather ideas and evidence to prove the validity of your thesis, you may find that you want to tweak elements of your thesis statement to make it more specific or broad. Change your thesis as needed until it is worded in a way that is succinct and clear.
Keep in mind that you are not committed to anything until you submit the final draft of your paper. So even if you feel like you are done with your thesis, you may still make changes as you write and look back at your thesis.
Be flexible and enjoy the creative process!
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.
Where Can I Get Thesis Writing Help?
If you feel like the prospect of generating a good thesis seems daunting or overwhelming, you may want to consider getting a tutor to help.
A tutor can walk you through the thesis writing process, and guide you through the steps of research thesis development. They will be able to introduce you to strategies you may not be familiar with, and model what some good thesis statements look like.
A tutor can also help you develop your writing skills, especially if you don’t consider writing to be a strength. They can show you how to write more complex sentence forms, and how you can transition from one idea to the next in a long form paper.
Finding a writing tutor is easy with Superprof Canada. To find the right tutor for you, use the search tool on the site and type in “writing tutor” or “redaction”. The site will generate a selection of writing tutors that are available, with information about their background and rates.
Once you have found some prospective tutors, contact them directly through the Superprof site to see if they will be the right tutor for you.
Find a writing tutor on Superprof today!
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.
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