What is a Thesis Statement, and How is it Written? - Know Here

You ever wondered how important it is to write a perfect thesis statement for your essay or research paper? Well, it is as important as water is to the human body. 

Getting the right thesis statement for your academic writing is everything. If the statement is correct, the whole essay will fall into place. 

Take every step to ensure that your statement is perfect and appealing. Continue reading the blog to learn how to write a good thesis statement for your assignments.  

What is a Thesis Statement?

A thesis statement is a sentence that communicates the key idea of an essay or a research paper. It is mandatory in essays such as argumentative essays, expository essays, analytical essays, etc.

It explicitly expresses the topic under discussion and is written for some specifically targeted readers. This statement is a part of your essay introduction and is used to build interest in the readers.

In other words, it describes your position in the essay. The purpose of a thesis statement is:

• It narrows downs the topic into a specific focus of research
• It sets a direction for the entire paper.
• It leads up to a conclusion.
• It is always to be presented on the topic.
• It is a stand that a writer takes and justifies the further argument.

It is not a typical statement with facts. However, it should be arguable and not factual. The reason behind it is that the factual statement can easily be proved.

It is impossible to write interesting essays and papers about facts. The purpose of writing is to show its instructor analytical and critical thinking skills, which is only possible by creating an argument. 

Another characteristic is it always takes the side and stands and justifies the further argument in your work.

Thesis Statement and Topic Sentence

Apart from other elements of your research papers and essays, the two most common are a thesis statement and topic sentences. Students often confuse the two sentences, but in reality, they are remarkably different from each other.

As stated before, a thesis statement is the document's major argument on which the whole content is based. On the other hand, a topic sentence is an opening sentence of a paragraph that includes an idea that is to be discussed in that specific paragraph. 

All the topic sentences in the body paragraphs collectively support the major statement.

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Types of Thesis Statements

Typically, differentiated on the explicitness of the statement, there are two types for your thesis statement. The types are:

1. Direct Thesis Statement
2. Indirect Thesis Statement

A type of statement provided gives the reader a clue about what a writer is going to discuss in his essay or paper. Let us discuss these two types in detail.

1. Direct Thesis Statement
   
   A direct thesis statement is a statement that explicitly indicates what your essay will discuss and talk about.

   For Example: “Plastic bags are a major cause of cancer these days”. In this statement, it is pretty clear what your reasoning will be about. All of the information presented will support this argument.

2. Indirect Thesis Statement
   Unlike the direct thesis statement, the indirect statement doesn't explicitly indicate the idea that is going to be presented in the essay.

   For Example: “Plastic bags cause major fatal disease. The disease will be discussed further in the essay” . In this, the disease is not obvious, and people will have to read the essay to know about it..

Writing a Thesis Statement: Four Steps to Crafting an Effective Thesis

Following is a list of all the steps of writing a thesis statement!

Step 1: Start with a Question

The first step in developing a strong thesis statement is to start with a compelling question related to your essay topic. This question should be thought-provoking and invite further exploration. For example:

Question: How does social media impact mental health?

 Step 2: Write Your Initial Answer

After pondering the question, formulate an initial answer or opinion that captures your stance on the topic. This initial answer will serve as the foundation for your thesis statement. Remember, it can be simple and subject to refinement later. For example:

Initial Answer: Social media has a negative impact on mental health.

 Step 3: Develop Your Answer

Now it's time to delve deeper into your answer and develop a more nuanced understanding of your position. Conduct research, gather evidence, and analyze different perspectives to support your thesis statement. 

This step will help you form the key arguments or points that will be explored in your essay. For example:

Developed Answer: The excessive use of social media has been linked to increased feelings of anxiety, depression, and decreased self-esteem among users. Additionally, the constant exposure to unrealistic standards of beauty and comparison with others' curated lives on social media platforms contributes to negative mental health outcomes.

Step 4: Refine Your Thesis Statement

In the final step, refine your thesis statement to make it clear, concise, and compelling. This refined statement should not only reflect your position but also provide a preview of the main points or arguments that will be discussed in your essay. 

Consider the broader context and potential counterarguments to strengthen your thesis statement. For example:

Refined Thesis Statement: The excessive use of social media has a detrimental impact on mental health, leading to increased anxiety, depression, and decreased self-esteem. Furthermore, the pervasive culture of comparison and the unrealistic portrayal of lives on social media platforms contribute to these negative outcomes.

By following these four steps, you can create a strong and effective thesis that guides your essay and engages the reader. Remember to ensure your thesis statement is concise and coherent, setting the stage for a well-supported and focused essay.

The thesis statement of different essay types is written differently as the purpose of the essay differs. A thesis statement of some common essay types are written in the following way

• Argumentative Thesis Statement - The argumentative paper includes the main argument that a writer proves. In some cases, depending on the topic, there is more than one thesis statement.
• Analytical Thesis Statement - In an analytical essay highlights the in-depth analysis of a selected issue. In the introduction paragraph, tell your readers what your analysis is going to be about and how it will be done.
• Expository Thesis Statement - An expository thesis statement performs an explanatory function and describes an idea about the topic. In this, you simply explain to the reader what your main idea is.

The statements for research papers are written in the same manner. No matter what writing type is, an essay, or college research, it should clearly present the main argument and subject of your writing.

Instructors believe that a strong statement is the most important element of the document. It is specific and direct and points towards the conclusion. Do not make a weak thesis statement as it will simultaneously weaken the whole introduction and body paragraphs of an essay.

4. Thesis Statement Examples

In order to make you clear of the concept, we have gathered some thesis statement examples for your better understanding. Learn how statements for a research paper and essay are drafted to make your content impactful

Thesis Statement Examples for Research Papers

• Cyberbullying is the major cause of stress and anxiety among teenagers at this time. The common use of smartphones and social media has made children be part of this vicious crime of cyberbullying.
• More women should run for political office to get empowered. On a grassroots level, this can be done by educating women and telling them the need and importance of their power.
• It is important for teachers to tell students the difference between illegitimate and authentic news as digital literacy is growing, which is spreading misleading and deceiving information.
• Companies and corporations should lay extra emphasis on the rights and comfort of their employees to make the best out of them and making it easier for them to maintain a balance in their work and social life.
• Although teaching about a good and bad touch to students at school is helpful, parents should teach their children the meaning of consent in the early years of a child’s age.

Thesis Statement Examples for Essays

• Cultural diversity in the workplace leads to richer ideas for the betterment of the company, more cooperation, and empathy between different racial groups.
• Taylor Swift, being extremely influential, should run for political office to empower women as she has feminist perspectives, which are quite obvious from the lyrics she writes.
• Mercy killing should be legal as it is good to take people out of undue pain and struggle towards life when they know they will not survive.
• Fashion magazines are evolving and bringing forward diverse groups, but it has yet to break the stereotype of thin bodies as healthy images.
• Library culture is dying, and the state should preserve it as they are the best resource for communication.

Tips For Writing Thesis Statements

The thesis statement should be the central idea of your paper. It's not just any old sentence or phrase - it has to summarize what you will argue. Thus, readers can follow every step of its reasoning as well as understand why this point matters more than others.

Below are some tips you should follow for writing a strong thesis statement.

• Before you start writing your paper, you should choose a topic you are interested in or know about. It is much easier to write about a topic you are interested in and have researched than to write about something you know nothing about.
  
• You need to focus on your topic so that you can write a good paper on the subject. If your topic is too broad, you will need more time to write about it. But if your topic is narrower, you can prove it with less writing.
  
• Brainstorm the ideas and choose the good ones. Thus, you can easily create a great thesis statement. 
  
• Don’t write your point of view in the thesis statement. 
  

In order to write a good statement, make sure you follow all the steps mentioned above to make your essay and research paper effective.

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