Nearly all people – whether consciously or not – will look at any piece of writing and look for a thesis within the first paragraph. Newspapers, essays, articles, book chapters, etc. will more than likely one or two sentences that state clearly what argument is being made. A thesis statement makes for easier reading, and also makes for easier essay writing.
Here’s how to craft and write a thesis to help you complete your paper:
Even if your writing assignment doesn’t have a specific essay prompt or question for you to answer, your thesis statement should answer some question about an issue you would like to explore further. Good thesis statements will usually contain for attributes, including choosing a side on an issue which people could disagree with, consist of a topic that can reasonably be covered within the scope of the paper, express a single important idea, and assert your conclusions on a topic.
In order to have an easier time research and writing your paper, you should make sure that your thesis statement is narrow and focused. You can just write about sugar consumption; you need to write about something specific about sugar consumption or you risk writing to broadly on a subject and losing your readers’ interest. A great thesis, for instance, would be “High schools need to pay more attention to how much sugar is being consumed through beverages offered on campus.”
As mentioned above, an important attribute of your thesis is that it includes your conclusions about a particular topic. Using the same example from before, your stance is clear: Schools need to pay attention to sugar consumption. This lets the reader know what you will be arguing and trying to prove. He or she will know what to look for when reading the rest of the paper and will comprehend where you are going with each paragraph.
Your thesis shouldn’t be confusing in any way. Your reader should easily point out your single idea and answer the questions What and Why. Don’t stuff your thesis statement with adjectives or adverbs, and try to stick to just one main noun and one main verb. Adhering to these rules will make writing the rest or your paper much easier, and will make your reader’s experience much more enjoyable.