Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements
 

[B][CENTER][SIZE="4"]Tips for Writing Your Thesis Statement[/SIZE][/CENTER][/B]

[B][U]1. Determine what kind of paper you are writing:[/U][/B]

An [B]analytical[/B] paper breaks down an issue or an idea into its component parts, evaluates the issue or idea, and presents this breakdown and evaluation to the audience.
An [B]expository[/B] (explanatory) paper explains something to the audience.
An [B]argumentative[/B] paper makes a claim about a topic and justifies this claim with specific evidence. The claim could be an opinion, a policy proposal, an evaluation, a cause-and-effect statement, or an interpretation. The goal of the argumentative paper is to convince the audience that the claim is true based on the evidence provided.

[B][I]If you are writing a text that does not fall under these three categories (e.g., a narrative), a thesis statement somewhere in the first paragraph could still be helpful to your reader.[/I][/B]

[B]2.[/B] Your thesis statement should be specific—it should cover only what you will discuss in your paper and should be supported with specific evidence.

[B]3.[/B] The thesis statement usually appears at the end of the first paragraph of a paper.

[B]4.[/B] Your topic may change as you write, so you may need to revise your thesis statement to reflect exactly what you have discussed in the paper.

[B][U]Thesis Statement Examples[/U][/B]

[B]Example of an analytical thesis statement:[/B]

[B][I]An analysis of the college admission process reveals one challenge facing counselors: accepting students with high test scores or students with strong extracurricular backgrounds.[/I][/B]

The paper that follows should:

Explain the analysis of the college admission process
Explain the challenge facing admissions counselors
Example of an expository (explanatory) thesis statement:

[B][I]The life of the typical college student is characterized by time spent studying, attending class, and socializing with peers.[/I][/B]

The paper that follows should:

Explain how students spend their time studying, attending class, and socializing with peers
Example of an argumentative thesis statement:

[B][I]High school graduates should be required to take a year off to pursue community service projects before entering college in order to increase their maturity and global awareness.[/I][/B]

The paper that follows should:

Present an argument and give evidence to support the claim that students should pursue community projects before entering college.

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