How to Write a Thesis Statement?

Whether you’re writing a debate speech, an essay, research paper or proposal, or a closing legal argument, you’ll need a straight-to-the-point, and cut-to-the-chase sentence. Two sentences that will caption the main idea of your writing in a sound, clear, precise, and assertive way- This is your thesis statement. 

However, writing your thesis statement may be tricky and complicated. This is because your thesis statement will provide direction for your entire thesis. Your whole dissertation is written to support your thesis statement. A good thesis statement is a roadmap to a successful thesis or essay writing.

Also, your thesis statement is what your professor or reader will use to judge your entire thesis or essay. However, you don’t need to panic about how your thesis statement will turn out. This article will show you how to write a thesis statement–for beginners and amateurs alike. 

Write a Thesis Statement—Step-by-Step

1. Get a Question

In almost every case, a thesis answers a unique question. Your chosen or assigned thesis topic may not have a question mark at the end. However, you can formulate one out of it, and precisely state the issues you want to address or the problem you intend to solve.

For example, your professor may tell you to write an essay on this topic: The Effect of Drug Abuse in African. This topic can also be rewritten as: Does Drug Abuse Have Any Effect in African? The first topic is a statement, while the second topic is a question.

So, you can rewrite your essay topic when crafting your thesis statement. This will help you define the goal of the thesis statement of your essay. 

2. Research your Question

Every subject, idea, and case is multi-faceted. There are many aspects to a single topic and the question you intend to answer in your thesis. A thesis statement must centre on a specific area of the problem. Exploring the topic or subject will help you review your question and write a particular and striking thesis statement. 

For example, drug abuse has psychological, societal, economic, and medical effects. These effects may differ in different across various age group, gender, or occupation. When you research your topic, you’ll be able to pick out the specific area you intend to focus your thesis on.

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You can communicate this to your professor and get your topic modified. Your question could now be written as: What are the general (or psychological, or economic) effects of drug abuse on African youths? Here, your research has given more specificity and direction to the question your thesis intends to answer. 

3. Define Your Style, Intent, and Audience

The style and intent of your dissertation will have a significant effect on the content, and outlook of your thesis statement. Likewise, the potential audience of your thesis will also affect how you craft and write your thesis statement.

If you intend to write the closing legal argument, you’ll need to write a persuasive or argumentative thesis. If you want to review or breakdown a concept and make it more straightforward and easy-to-understand, you may need to write an analytical, expository, or explanatory thesis.

For example: Effects of Drug Abuse in Africa 

1. Style: Analytical 
2. Intent: What are the effects of drug abuse on African youths 
3. Audience: Teacher 

Effects of Drug Abuse in Africa 

1. Style: Argumentative 
2. Intent: Does drug abuse affect Africa in any way? 
3. Audience: Panel of debate judges

The examples above clearly depict how you can take up different writing styles and intent on a single topic for your thesis, depending on the audience you intend to address. 

4. Answer your Question—Your Thesis Statement 

You can now provide a short answer to your thesis question based on your research and specific area of interest in your topic area. This answer is written to match the style and intent of your thesis, and the audience you seek to address. Let’s see a better thesis statement definition:

“A thesis statement is a precise text that provides a specific answer to the question your thesis intends to answer. It summarizes your arguments on the facts about a subject, and presents your unique opinion to your audience simply and understandably.”

For example: “Through careful sociology study, we discovered that drug abuse reduced the productivity index of most African countries by 3%, and a majority of the affected population are youths between 14 and 28.”

5. Write Your Thesis 

Everything about your thesis will focus on supporting your thesis statement. Once you’ve written your thesis statement, you can draft out the outline of your thesis and begin to write. 

6. Evaluate your Thesis and Thesis Statement

We advise that you evaluate your argument, and your thesis statement, and ensure that there is no conflict of interest in both parts. Your thesis statement should direct the plot of your thesis. However, you may come across some new findings when writing your thesis statement. Evaluating both your thesis and thesis statement will help you modify your thesis statement to capture the latest results. 

7. Place Your Thesis Statement

There is no general rule for placing your thesis statement in your thesis. However, most commentators recommend that you place your thesis statement at the beginning of the end of the introductory parts (introduction section) of your thesis.

What Makes a Good Thesis Statement?

You can test whether your thesis statement is good enough for your thesis by subjecting it to the following parameters:

• Specific: A good thesis statement must be specific. It must communicate one main idea and show the reader everything that your thesis talks about in a glance.
• Assertive: A good thesis statement must show a sound conclusion on the design or question you seek to address in your thesis.
• Supported: A good thesis statement must be evidence-based.
• Justifying: A good thesis statement must justify your thesis. 
• Sound: A good thesis statement must be written in an active voice. 

Your thesis statement is a microcosm of your entire thesis. It could credit or discredit your entire dissertation. Therefore, it must be written with due diligence.