Almost all academic writing assignments, especially essays, need an outstanding thesis statement. If you hire reliable academic assistance services, coming up with the best thesis can be easier.
But; on the other hand, if you are doing it by yourself, you are likely to fall into the trap of developing a more generic (weak) one.
However, don’t panic.
With this article at your disposal, you will understand everything you need to know about thesis statements. Just keep reading.
The guide will discuss;
- What is a Thesis Statement? (Simplified Definition)
- Importance of A Thesis Statement
- Types of Thesis Statements
- Steps for Writing an Outstanding Thesis Statement
- Difference Between an Outstanding (Strong) and Generic (Weak) Thesis Statement
That said, let’s get started.
What is a Thesis Statement? (Simplified Definition)
A thesis statement is a one- or two-sentence long statement that introduces, summarizes, or analyzes the central point of an academic paper or essay.
Conventionally, the statement is placed at the end of the introductory paragraph.
Thesis statements can differ depending on the type of essay. However, the main idea here is that they should clearly summarize an essay’s main idea or stand.
Get this;
Outstanding thesis statements are;
- Inclusive: they are not only short but also sweet. These thesis statements are clearly stated in one or two sentences.
- Coherent: arguments raised by the thesis statements have been justified or explained further in the paper.
- Contentious: these thesis statements have hooks that compel readers to visit other parts of the essays/ assignments and learn more.
What is the Importance of a Thesis Statement?
A thesis statement improves a reader’s understanding of the essay topic and related ideologies.
Here’s what you should know;
Having an outstanding thesis statement makes it easier for readers to understand the context and scope of your essay in relation to the main topic.
Also, it makes it easier to identify academic papers or essays on specific topics, especially in research and thesis paper databases.
Take for example, you want to write an essay on a certain topic such as “Nursing shortage in the United States.”
In this case, one of the practical routes to take would be to visit Google Scholar.
Then, you will scan through the results and pick some of the papers with rich evidence (sources)
In this case, we have used the topic of ‘nursing shortage in the United States’ to identify potential thesis options that could be linked to search a topic.
From the illustration, you can see that ‘nursing shortage’ is a major challenge that the American health care system is grappling with. One can create a thesis statement that focuses on the effectiveness of the implemented interventions or the nature of the problem.
It is also worth noting that thesis statements help test ideas by refining them into single or double sentences. With that in mind, you can develop and organize arguments.
How Many Types of Thesis Statements Exist?
There are three main types of thesis statements.
- Argumentative thesis statements
They are based on the position taken by a writer regarding a debatable topic. The writer takes a stance and presents claims to back it up.
Here’s a perfect example of an argumentative thesis statement;
‘Nurses should have additional support teams to help them manage the increasing demand for patient-centered care and work-related stress.’
- Explanatory thesis statements (Sometimes identified as an expository thesis statements)
They are based on factual insights, with associated claims supported by evidence.
Here’s an example of an explanatory thesis statement.
‘Nursing shortage is a major issue that the United States health care system is still grappling with.’
- Analytical thesis statements
They focus on breaking down (analyzing) a topic or idea into different parts and presenting the evaluation outcome to the reader.
Here’s an example of an analytical thesis statement;
‘An analysis of restaurant advertisements in geographic zones with high populations of African Americans reveals that: fast food billboards increase habitual consumption among residents.’
What Are the Steps for Writing an Outstanding Thesis Statement?
The process of writing outstanding thesis statements can be summarized into three steps.
Step One: Draft a Working Thesis
A working thesis (also identified as an initial thesis) contains a rough idea of your essay’s position.
Look;
In this step, there are two possible circumstances. The first one involves an instance where the essay topic has been assigned, and in the second one, the topic has not been assigned.
In the first case (topic assigned), you should distill the topic based on the assignment guidelines to create a working thesis.
Take for example, your topic is, ‘Fast food advertisements increase the prevalence of obesity among African Americans’
In such a case, you can distill the topic by evaluating whether you must support the claim or present valid arguments that might oppose it.
In simple terms,
Draft one or two questions about the topic and pick the most applicable one.
On the other hand, in the second case (topic not assigned), you will have to read the assignment instructions, brainstorm the best topic, distill the topic, and draft the most applicable question.
Step Two: Write A Clear Answer to the Most Applicable Question
After picking the most applicable question, go ahead and formulate a tentative answer to the question.
Here’s the bottom line.
The answer should guide the process of searching for supportive evidence and writing the paper.
Take for example, in the above-mentioned obesity case, the answer should either support the impact of fast-food advertisements in increasing the number of African Americans suffering from obesity or oppose the statement.
Step Three: Refine Your Answer
After successfully completing step two, it’s now time for you to consider the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of your thesis statement.
Simply put;
You should consider why your answer fits into the context that the academic paper will be based on and how you are going to convince your reader to agree with your position/ perspective.
This step ensures that you are certain about the position you took in relation to the topic and are ready to provide more details regarding arguments that support your thesis statement.
In the highlighted example on obesity among African Americans, you can decide to go with the position that;
“Fast food advertisements increase the prevalence of obesity among African Americans.”
Or
“Fast food advertisements do not increase the prevalence of obesity among African Americans.”
Either way, your answer should be justifiable based on valid arguments.
The deal here is your answer (thesis statement) should reveal to the reader;
- Reasons for holding the selected position
- Potential lessons from the essay
- Major points of argument.
What is the Difference Between an Outstanding (Strong) and Generic (Weak) Thesis Statement?
The main difference between an outstanding (strong) and a generic (weak) thesis statement is that a strong thesis statement takes a justifiable position based on valid arguments and evidence. In contrast, the weak thesis statement is built on opinions lacking substantial claims/evidence.
In addition, a strong thesis statement is built on one main idea. Simply put, readers can easily identify the main idea that the statement is built on.
This makes evaluating whether the presented arguments have clearly explained the writer’s stance easier.
Besides, a strong thesis statement is specific.
The deal here is;
By being specific, we mean that the statement should show exactly what the essay or academic paper will be about.
Final Thoughts
This guide has detailed information that will help you create an outstanding thesis statement. We have also presented different examples to help you navigate swiftly through creating the best thesis statements. For more help with your thesis-based assignments, click here to get started. Let our expert writers and instructors help you solve all your assignment problems.