HOW
When writing a thesis statement, you must be very specific, summarizing points that are about to be made in your paper. Generally, your thesis statement is the last line of the first paragraph in your research paper or essay. You can follow this template when writing one:
Specific noun + strong action verb + assertive predicate
Example: The tax policies of the current administration (specific noun) <em>threaten to reduce</em> the tax burden on the middle class (action verb) by sacrificing education and health-care programs for everyone (assertive predicate).
MORE EXAMPLES
Bad: Everyone should exercise.
- Why should I? What's in it for me?
Good: Americans should add exercise to their daily morning routine because it not only keeps their bodies at a healthy weight but also reduces the risk of high blood pressure.
- Here, we've made several specifications i.e. Americans (not everyone), the morning routine (not the evening), weight maintenance, and high blood pressure prevention. Your research actually becomes easier when you have very specific objectives.
Bad: High levels of alcohol consumption are bad for you.
- This is too broad. What are the specific detriments of alcohol consumption that you would like to discuss?
Good: High levels of alcohol consumption have detrimental effects on your personal health, such as weight gain, heart disease, and liver complications.
- Notice we got very specific in our reasons why. In your thesis statement, you don't need to state every single detriment you're going to lay out (in fact, you shouldn't as it will risk becoming a run-on sentence) but you can point to the main areas you will explore.
Bad: Reading can develop a child's analytical mind.
- Words like "can," aren't strong enough. This thesis statement begs the question of how? If you're about to write several paragraphs (or pages) about a topic make sure you can confidently defend every point you make.
Good: Reading develops a child's mind by fostering comprehension skills, increasing vocabulary, and exposing them to new worlds they might not otherwise encounter.
- Now, we've not just stated that reading is good, we've provided a sampling of all the benefits we're about to bring to light in our paper.
Credit: Your Dictionary
I hope this helps and God bless!
