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Thesis Statement for an Essay – Writing Tips & Detailed Examples

Published by at August 17th, 2021 , Revised On August 22, 2023

The thesis statement for an essay allows you to summarise the key point of your essay within a few sentences. Its length usually comprises one or two sentences, which are generally placed at the end of the introduction section, although you can reiterate the statement elsewhere.

A thesis statement is the main point or claim of academic essays and research papers and is generally considered a summary of the research question’s answer.

Importance of Essay Thesis Statement

The thesis statement is one of the most important elements of an essay. It plays a vital role in the essay and performs the following functions:

  • Tick Keeps the writing consistent
  • Tick Entails the key point or claim of the topic
  • Tick Guides the readers

Ensure that you consider your essay thesis statement during the whole essay writing process; the main body also elaborates on it in a detailed way with arguments in its support.

Examples of Thesis Statement for an Essay

Argumentative

The thesis statement for an argumentative essay involves an argument by presenting a claim supported by logical reasons. Your thesis statement for an essay should clearly state your claim and a justification.

For example, if you are writing on cricket, your essay thesis statement might look like the second example given below:

  • Cricket should be a part of the Olympics.
  • Cricket should be a part of the Olympics as more than 20 countries play it internationally.

The first example mentioned above is making an argument but not providing any logical reason to support it. In contrast, the second example is compact yet precise and provides an argument backed up by the reason.

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Analytical

Rather than developing a strong, convincing argument, here, you will be required to conduct an analysis and understand and assess various aspects of the essay topic. In such an essay, you would present key points for your readers and gradually lead them towards the results.

  • Cartoons and video games contain violent content.
  • Due to technological advancement, it is difficult to prevent our children from watching violent content since it is readily available to them in video games and cartoons.

The first example doesn’t provide any concrete analysis of who is affected by the violent content and why we cannot stop our children from watching it.

The second example clearly states the problem we face in restricting our children from using video games and watching cartoons, thus indirectly injecting violence into their personalities.

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Expository

An expository essay aims to describe the topic to the audience. It addresses the most vital aspects of your topic, i.e., the essay’s main claim points. The thesis statement for an expository essay will briefly describe the key claims of the essay.

  • There are various merits and demerits of adoption.
  • Adoption allows parents to increase their family size, especially those with no children. The majority of orphan children are being adopted and bestowed love, care, and affection, thus making the idea of adoption a noble act for a social and personal cause.

The first example is ambiguous, not providing any details of what your essay would address. The second example is more detailed and descriptive in nature, discussing the key points like how adoption helps to take care of multiple children deprived of their actual parents.

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Steps to Write a Thesis Statement for an Essay

Step 1: Develop a Research Question

Before you start writing an essay thesis statement, you will need to develop a research question that addresses the problem that you want to provide suitable solutions for in your essay.

It must be directly related to your topic and provide a clear idea of what the essay is about to discuss.

Step 2: Provide an Answer

The research question is followed by the answer to the problem and an explanation. At this stage, you need to take a position/claim in a way that should clearly convey your stance about the specific topic. The weight of the position/claim (how strongly your stance should be) varies depending on the type of thesis statement for an essay.

Step 3: Justify Your Answer with Logic and Reason

The final step involves your claim being supported by logic and reasons. In this step, you will be guiding the audience towards the potential results (which are to be placed in the conclusion section), hence making them aware of where this thesis statement will lead them to.

What Constitutes a Good Thesis Statement?

It Must Be Concise

A thesis statement is typically brief and concise and forms up a central point. It shouldn’t include any irrelevant or unnecessary information. Therefore it shouldn’t exceed 2-3 sentences.

Also Read: What Are Topic Sentences?

It Must Be Logical

A thesis statement generally comprises several parts, but all of these sections must be logical and coherent. You are not just meant to write catchy sentences unless they are supported with logic.

It Must Take a Clear Stand

No matter what type of essay you are writing, you must state a vivid claim based on your essay.

It Must Justify Your Essay

If your essay thesis statement doesn’t validate your whole argument, you need to restructure your statement. Make sure that the statement you provided is following the central argument of your essay.

It Must Be Contentious

Your thesis statement isn’t just about winning an argument; rather, it should be debatable in an engaging way.

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Frequently Asked Questions

To write a thesis statement for an essay:

  1. Clearly state your main point.
  2. Be specific and concise.
  3. Address the essay’s purpose.
  4. Make a strong argument.
  5. Guide the essay’s direction.
  6. Revise as needed for clarity and focus.

About Grace Graffin

Avatar for Grace GraffinGrace has a bachelor's and a master's degree from Loughborough University, so she's an expert at writing a flawless essay at ResearchProspect. She has worked as a professional writer and editor, helping students of at all academic levels to improve their academic writing skills.