So you have been given the assignment of writing an essay. Where do you even begin?
Typically, a solid essay will be based on a strong thesis statement. Developing a strong thesis statement, however, does not always come easy. Students must often spend hours researching and brainstorming until they create something worthwhile.
And it is important to keep in mind that writing is hard work that requires a lot of intellectual energy and application. While it would be great to simply sit down and write a perfect thesis statement based on sheer willpower and effort, it is near impossible to do so without the investing significant time in prewriting and planning.
Students that are inexperienced in essay writing often struggle with the initial steps of thesis formulation. Does this situation sound familiar to you?
Luckily, you can use this trusty guide to know whether or not you are on the right track in your thesis development and writing. Let’s take a closer look at what you can do to write a strong thesis statement!
How do you write a thesis statement? Learn all the steps to generate a strong thesis for your essay.
What Makes a Thesis Statement Strong?
Before going into the step-by-step work of writing a thesis statement, it is useful to consider what the elements of a strong thesis are.
Clarity
A strong thesis statement will be clear and easy to understand. Always keep in mind that you will be writing for an audience, and they will be relying solely on how clearly and simply you have communicated your thesis - or the main point of your essay.
Try to write as simply and plainly as you can in your thesis statement. If you find this hard, try unpacking your thesis out in multiple sentences, and see what your writing looks like. Is there anything you can take out? Are there ideas that might be better reflected in your supporting details?
Typically, a thesis is a sentence long, but you may take multiple sentences to develop your main point.
A Strong Point or Perspective
Your thesis should not only be clear in its communication, but have a clear purpose or perspective about the topic you are writing about.
Remember, the goal of your thesis is to prove the validity your point of view on an topic. So your thesis should have a unique point to make. Depending on the topic or assignment expectations, that point could be an opinion, an argument, or a synthesis.
Writing a strong point is not easy, especially if you are working with a text or multiple texts. Don’t hesitate to read sample thesis statements on your topic so you can get some models to follow when you are ready to write.
Are you faced with the task of writing an essay? Find out what a thesis is and why it matters to your assignment.
Specificity and Scope
While being specific and broad might seem like an oxymoron of sorts, a good thesis statement should have both. For example, it should be as specific as possible, and avoid being vague or too general.
On the other hand, your thesis should be broad enough to cover the scope of your supporting details or arguments. You might want to think of your thesis as an axis that runs through each part of your essay, connecting all the details together.
If think this sounds complicated, you are not alone! Writing a winning thesis statement is not an easy task, and usually requires many revisions to get to the final product.
Next, let’s take a look at what not to do when writing a thesis.
What Makes a Thesis Statement Bad?
A poor or weak thesis statement will be clear to your professor or teacher as soon as they read it. Here are some of the things you should not do when writing a thesis.
Use of Bloated, Wordy Language
Bad thesis statements are filled with bloated, wordy language that may unfortunately be a way to cover its weaknesses. In many cases, a poorly written thesis may sound like a run-on sentence and be challenging for the reader to understand.
Too General or Vague
Another sign of a poor thesis statement is one that is too general or vague. There is no clear point being made about the topic at hand, and lacks the depth required to be the foundation of an entire paper.
Not Aligned with the Rest of the Essay
When the supporting arguments go beyond the scope of the thesis, it is clear that the thesis needs to be rewritten to connect the entire essay. To avoid having a thesis that is too short in scope, be sure to revisit it throughout your writing to ensure that overall, your writing is coherent.
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.
How to Write a Good Thesis Statement?
Now that we know what a strong thesis is, and what it is not, let’s review the steps you can take to write a great thesis statement.
The first step toward writing a thesis is to ensure you have enough information. This means spending time reading articles, books, or watching related content. You want to make sure you have a solid foundation of knowledge about your topic. Be sure to take note of any good resources you find!
Secondly, you will want to take time to brainstorm ideas. Brainstorming is a great way to generate ideas and document words and vocabulary that will be useful when you really start writing your essay.
Third, you will want to write out some possible theses you might use. Avoid fixating on a single statement. Instead, write as many statements you want, even if they seem repetitive. Choose the best one after you’ve had some time to think and work with it, looking back at your other statements if needed.
Next, you will want to start drafting an outline of your entire essay, just to get a sense of whether or not your thesis will cover all the content you will write. With a rough outline, you can go back to your thesis draft and tweak it so it covers the scope of your plan of writing.
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!
Why Should I Hire an Essay Writing Tutor?
Let’s face it, writing an essay is challenging work that you may not want to do alone, especially if it is your first major paper.
Having a tutor can be a great source of support when writing a big paper. 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.
They can give you valuable feedback on your writing, and suggest when you can expand, add detail, or clarity to your work. They will give you constructive criticism, and work with you to achieve your potential as a writer.
Finally, a tutor can help by giving you strategies and tools that work well with your strengths and interests as a student. They know what works, and can leverage their experiences as writers and educators to help you reach your goals.
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.
How do I Find the Right Writing Tutor for Me?
Finding the right tutor for you is as easy as a few clicks thanks to Superprof Canada. Superprof is a fantastic source for finding local tutors near you, or tutors that can work with you remotely to help you write your essay.
Use the search tool on the site to help you find a tutor with experience and expertise in writing. You’ll see loads of tutor profiles that describe each tutor’s area of specialization, rates, and availability.
When choosing a tutor, be sure to find someone that has acquired at least 1-2 levels above your own. For example, 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 Canada today!
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