At the same time, thesis statements for different types of papers are not the same. Here’s how to write a thesis statement for a research paper.
- “Social interaction is important for the personal development of adolescents.”
A thesis statement is the central element of any academic paper. It summarizes the main ideas of the paper, gives a roadmap for the project, and prepares readers for what will follow.
To prove your main point, you will need some weighty arguments. The main arguments that will be further developed in the project make your thesis statement more persuasive. Here’s what you may say in your paper on social activity of adolescents:
👣 Steps to write a thesis statement for a research paper
The last but not least step to writing a good thesis statement for a research paper is checking whether it leaves readers indifferent. Ask yourself whether someone can read your thesis statement and exclaim “so what?” If yes, you’re doing it wrong.
Step 1. Write a description of the subject of your research. Why is it so important?
Step 2. Use your overview to narrow down your research subject and make it clearer.
Step 3. Provide evidence to support your thesis statement.
Step 4. Mention your potential opponent’s evidence (if available) based on your overview.
Step 5. Write the thesis statement in such a way that it clearly and concisely summarizes the information you gathered from the first four steps.
Step 6. As you research, write, arrange your main ideas, and think through other supporting ideas in your research paper, you should refine your working thesis statement in the following ways:
When the thesis statement in your research paper is well developed, it displays several distinct characteristics:
By the way, this same principle can also be applied to informational essay thesis statements. Take a look at this example for an idea:
Because it is so important, writing a good thesis statement can be tricky.
If we were to write the rest of the essay based on this thesis statement, the outline would look something like this:
- Write about your favorite sports team.
- Describe how a motor works.
- Pick a famous scientist and write about their life.
- Compare and contrast the themes of a poem and a short story.
Argumentative essay thesis statements
- Who is your hero and why?
- How do scientists research the effects of zero gravity on plants?
- What are the three branches of government, and what do each of them do?
For these, we recommend using one of the following sentence starters to write your thesis with:
Any one of these thesis statements (or all three!) could be used for an informational essay about the Pittsburgh Steelers football team and their impact on the history and culture of Pittsburgh.
Original question: Who is your hero and why?
Drop the question words: Who is your hero and why?
Answer the question using the key words: My hero is Amelia Earhart, because she was very brave, did things many women of her time did not do, and was a hard worker.
- In this essay, I will …
- [Subject] is interesting/relevant/my favorite because …
- Through my research, I learned that …
You can use some of the same vocabulary and structure from the questions to create a thesis statement. Drop the question words (like who, what, when, where, and why). Then, use the keywords in the question or prompt to start your thesis statement. Be sure to include because if the question asks “why?”
The objective of an informational essay is to inform your audience about a specific topic. Sometimes, your essay will be in response to a specific question. Other times, you will be given a subject to write about more generally.
Before we get into the specifics, let’s review the basics: what thesis statement means. Thesis is a fancy word for “the subject of an essay” or “a position in a debate.” And a statement, simply, is a sentence (or a couple of sentences).
Essays that are responding to a statement or given subject
Because it is so important, writing a good thesis statement can be tricky.
As an example of how to use these sentence starters, we’ve put together some examples using the first prompt: Write about your favorite sports team.
If you aren’t given a specific question to respond to, it can be a little more difficult to decide on a thesis statement. However, there are some tricks you can use to make it easier.
If we were to write the rest of the essay based on this thesis statement, the outline would look something like this:
Just as there are different types of essays, there are different types of thesis statements. The thesis should match the essay.
Conversely, the formula for a thesis with only one point might follow this template:
A thesis can be found in many places—a debate speech, a lawyer’s closing argument, even an advertisement. But the most common place for a thesis statement (and probably why you’re reading this article) is in an essay.
One thing I find that is helpful for students is having a clear template. While students rarely end up with a thesis that follows this exact wording, the following template creates a good starting point:
2 Categories of Thesis Statements: Informative and Persuasive
Strength: Finally, for a persuasive thesis to be strong, it needs to be arguable. This means that the statement is not obvious, and it is not something that everyone agrees is true.
In the above persuasive thesis, you can see my opinion about Narnia followed by three clear reasons. This thesis is perfect for setting up a tidy five-paragraph essay.
This thesis showed the reader the topic (a type of sandwich) and the direction the essay will take (describing how the sandwich is made).
This thesis statement, for example, could open a paper on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s importance as a civil rights leader: “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most influential figures of the American civil rights movement. His moving speeches and nonviolent protests helped unite a nation divided by race.”
In an argumentative essay, the writer takes a stance on a debatable topic. This stance, and the claims to back it up, is the argument. Unlike an explanatory thesis statement, an argumentative thesis statement allows the writer to take a position about a subject (e.g., the deeper meaning of a literary text, the best policy towards a social problem) and to convince readers of their stance. The body of the argumentative essay uses examples and other evidence to support the writer’s opinion.
A thesis statement is “a short summary of the main idea, purpose, or argument of an essay that usually appears in the first paragraph.” It’s generally only one or two sentences in length.
For example: Shakespeares’s Taming of the Shrew uses humor, disguise, and social roles to criticize the lack of power women had in Elizabethan England.
What is a good thesis statement?
For example: The school’s policy to start its school day an hour later revealed three related benefits: students were more alert and attentive in class, had a more positive about school, and performed better in their coursework.
An explanatory thesis statement is based solely on factual information. It doesn’t contain personal opinions or make claims that are unsupported by evidence. Instead, it tells the reader precisely what the topic will be and touches on the major points that will be explored in the essay. An explanatory thesis statement is sometimes also called an expository thesis statement.
This example lays out the writer’s basic argument (King was an important leader of the American civil rights movement), offers two areas of evidence (his speeches and nonviolent protests), and explains why the argument matters (united a divided nation).
A good thesis statement delivers a clear message about the scope of the topic and the writer’s approach to the subject. In contrast, poor thesis statements fail to take a position, are based solely on personal opinion, or state an obvious truth. For example, “Democracy is a form of government,” is a weak thesis statement because it’s too general, doesn’t adopt a stance, and states a well-known fact that doesn’t need further explanation.
This thesis statement, for example, could open a paper on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s importance as a civil rights leader: “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most influential figures of the American civil rights movement. His moving speeches and nonviolent protests helped unite a nation divided by race.”
For example: The core components of a healthy lifestyle include a nutritious diet, regular exercise, and adequate sleep.
An explanatory thesis statement is based solely on factual information. It doesn’t contain personal opinions or make claims that are unsupported by evidence. Instead, it tells the reader precisely what the topic will be and touches on the major points that will be explored in the essay. An explanatory thesis statement is sometimes also called an expository thesis statement.
What are the different types of thesis statements?
A thesis statement is “a short summary of the main idea, purpose, or argument of an essay that usually appears in the first paragraph.” It’s generally only one or two sentences in length.
In an argumentative essay, the writer takes a stance on a debatable topic. This stance, and the claims to back it up, is the argument. Unlike an explanatory thesis statement, an argumentative thesis statement allows the writer to take a position about a subject (e.g., the deeper meaning of a literary text, the best policy towards a social problem) and to convince readers of their stance. The body of the argumentative essay uses examples and other evidence to support the writer’s opinion.
For example: Shakespeares’s Taming of the Shrew uses humor, disguise, and social roles to criticize the lack of power women had in Elizabethan England.