If you look at any of your grading rubric materials throughout the duration of your university or college education, you’ll likely see that the thesis statement always accounts for a large percentage of your overall mark. Your professor is looking specifically to see how you use a good thesis to set the tone and message of the paper, because this is an important way to structure and organize your work. Without that structure, you just have an essay that doesn’t get a point across, and that is probably hard to read.

Learn How to Write a Thesis Statement With The Homework Help Show

College student using computer to look up how to write a thesis statement

Learning how to write a thesis statement will help you make sure that you have an A+ paper. This is the heart of your paper, no matter what type of essay you need to write. And that’s why it is so important.

Do you want to learn how to write a thesis statement that will impress your professor, get you the grade, and make you feel genuinely proud of your work? We can help. Keep reading for our expert tips, and for some advice from Cath Anne, top writer and host of The Homework Help Show.

Here is the difference: When writing a research paper, the thesis statement may be, “Julius Caesar rose to power in Ancient Rome during the first century B.C., and contributed to the development of the empire through political, economic, and military developments.” Meanwhile, the thesis statement for an argumentative paper may be something like, “Julius Caesar was a tyrant and enforced a rule of political oppression, military destruction, and ruthless dictatorship.” This step can prove to be useful if you&rsquo

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement comprises one or two declarative sentences that summarize the main point of a paper or a piece of writing such as an essay. A thesis statement identifies the topic to be discussed, as well as the purpose of the paper itself. Most importantly, a study&rsquo

Due to its nature as a condensation of the argument or analysis to follow (How to Write a Thesis Statement, n.d.), the thesis statement is commonly placed in the opening paragraphs of a paper. Many authors also place this statement towards the end of the introduction.

formula for constructing a thesis statement

Types of Thesis Statements

There are various forms that a thesis statement can take, depending on the author&rsquo

Expository &ndash

Example: Factors that increase the likelihood of childhood anxiety include peer pressure, genetics, and higher intelligence levels.
Topic	childhood anxiety
Key aspects of the topic to be discussed	peer pressure, parental education, and higher intelligence levels

Analytical &ndash

Example: An analysis of alternatives to traditional fossil fuel energies indicates that solar and hydroelectric power are the best options today.
Specific aspect analyzed	alternatives to fossil fuel energy
Topic	fossil fuel energy
Conclusion	solar and hydroelectric power are the best options today

Argumentative &ndash

Example: The result of the Brexit referendum was driven by Britons' worries with existing EU immigration policies, caused by the quickly growing immigrant population and the insufficient integration of immigrants into British society.
Topic	the result of the Brexit referendum
Position	driven by Britons' worries with existing EU immigration policies
Reasons for the position	quickly growing immigrant population, the insufficient integration of immigrants into British society

The Importance of the Thesis Statement

Firstly, the thesis statement establishes the purpose of a paper and sets up the author&rsquo

Secondly, by expressly stating the purpose of an essay or research paper, the thesis also helps authors keep their writing focused. By identifying a clear research statement, authors and researchers can more easily organize and develop their arguments.

Lastly, the thesis statement guides the reader through the main argument in a piece of writing. These sentences identify relationships between the pieces of evidence or research that support your argument. (Developing a Thesis Statement, n.d.)

Thesis Statement vs Research Hypothesis

A research project&rsquo

Meanwhile, a research hypothesis is a statement that can be proved or refuted based on the results of the study&rsquo

If your research aims to prove or disprove a statement or claim, your study must also contain a research statement (Research and Course Guides, 2020). In cases where a research study has a set of hypotheses, it is obligatory to write a thesis statement that would serve to summarize the main contributions stemming from the studied hypotheses.

Argumentative &ndash Do you notice the difference between the good thesis statements and the bad thesis statements? The bad statements are general, not specific. They also use very casual language. The good statements clearly lay out exactly what aspects of the argument your essay will focus on, in a professional manner.

Argumentative essay thesis statements

The basic building blocks of an informational essay also apply when it comes to an argumentative essay. However, an argumentative essay requires that you take a position on an issue or prompt.

You then have to attempt to persuade your reader that your argument is the best. That means that your argumentative thesis statement needs to do two things:

Some examples of argumentative essay prompts are:

Should high school students be required to do volunteer work? Why or why not?
What is the best way to cook a turkey?
Some argue that video games are bad for society. Do you agree? Why or why not?

In order to create a good thesis statement for an argumentative essay, you have to be as specific as possible about your position and your evidence. Let’

Prompt 1: Should high school students be required to do volunteer work? Why or why not?
Bad thesis statement: No, I don’

Prompt 2: What is the best way to cook a turkey?
Bad thesis statement: The best way to cook a turkey is the way my grandma does it.
Good thesis statement: The best way to cook a turkey is using my grandmother’

Prompt 3: Some argue that video games are bad for society. Do you agree? Why or why not?
Bad thesis statement: Video games aren’

Do you notice the difference between the good thesis statements and the bad thesis statements? The bad statements are general, not specific. They also use very casual language. The good statements clearly lay out exactly what aspects of the argument your essay will focus on, in a professional manner.

By the way, this same principle can also be applied to informational essay thesis statements. Take a look at this example for an idea:

Prompt: What are the three branches of government, and what do each of them do?
Bad thesis statement: There are many branches of government that do many different things.
Good thesis statement: Each of the three branches of government—the executive, the legislative, and the judicial—have different primary responsibilities. However, these roles frequently overlap.

In addition to being more specific than the bad thesis statement, the good thesis statement here is an example of how sometimes your thesis statement may require two sentences.