Guidelines for a Great Thesis Statement
A thesis statement is the GPS system, the driving force for any good composition. It is also
indicates to your reader whether you have a clear purpose for writing the paper, or whether you
simply don’t know what you are doing. It is the first thing most composition teachers look for.
There are four requirements for a good thesis statement. Thesis statements should:
- focus on one central point or issue
- tailor the scope of the issue to the length of the paper
- provide an accurate forecast of what is to come
- be precise, and often preview the organization of the paper
The Breakdown:
Focus on One Central Point
If you do not center on one point or issue, then you need to go back to the development stage of
the writing process and review your pre-writing exercises. Narrow down the topic so that you are
not attempting to examine too many things in one short paper.
Often, you can tell immediately when you haven’t narrowed your focus enough. Your thesis
statement will take on the form of a “list.”
Example of a list: “The microchip bill biologically damages the health of children, invades the
privacy of independent teenagers, increases crime, turns children against their parents, induces a
sense of robotry about the individual, and finally, may result in the possible takeover of the
government.”
Narrower focus: “By surgically inserting circuitry similar to cell phone devices that has been
known to cause headaches and fatigue, the microchip biologically endangers the health of
children.” – here the focus is narrowed to just one point – health hazards – whereas in the list
example, there were six points.
Academic writing almost always prefers DEPTH over breadth. This means focusing on the
“although…actually” format.
Example: Although it appears that computers may help students learn to write, actually they can
become a detriment to the generation of what creative writers call “flow.”
Tailor the Scope of the Issue to the Length of the Paper
In this requirement, two mistakes are common:
1) You make an assertion about which there can be nothing else written.
Example: “Computers are becoming an efficient mechanism for managing and transmitting
information in large businesses.” – Who can dispute this? It’s a stated fact.
How to change it to a good thesis statement? Write: “Heavy use of computers may disrupt
family cohesion and increase divorce in society.” – Many people may not believe this
statement, and now you have something to prove.
2) You make an assertion that is just too broad to cover in a two to three page paper.
Example: “Extending Middletown’s intercity transit system will save consumers money,
reduce pollution, and increase city revenues. – This thesis statement commits the writer to
dealing with three separate issues, any one of which will give a two to three page paper.
Improvement: pick one issue.
Provide an Accurate Forecast of What Is to Come
The best way to make sure that you do not confuse your readers is to examine your thesis
statement against the body paragraphs of the paper AFTER you have written your first draft.
Be Precise (specific) – and sometimes: Preview the Organization of the Paper
Examples of non-specific thesis statements:
The first year of college can be hard.
Facebook offers lots of features.
We should not pass the Microchip Bill.
How to change them to targeted thesis statements?
“Students in their first year of college are challenged by a greater than expected workload.”
“Facebook offers users the ability to connect to a number of virtual friends, list interests, post
pictures, write blogs that let friends know what they are doing, and even schedule group
activities.” – This thesis statement also previews the organization, as presumably, the body
paragraphs will follow the order of the list.
“Because the microchip insert causes serious health hazards to those who use it, the Microchip
Bill should not be passed.”
ONE THING NEVER TO WRITE IN A THESIS STATEMENT:
This paper is about….
I will show how…
In this paper, I will tell you…
Sometimes, you just get stumped. Try writing a preliminary draft on your topic, and then
examining the paragraphs for a central theme. Then you can write a thesis focusing on that
theme.
Works Cited
Reinking, James A., & Robert von der Osten. eds. Strategies for Successful Writing. 9th ed.
Prentice Hall: Boston, 2011. 44-48.
Johnson, Tom. “Ten Steps to Writing an Essay.” The American University in Cairo. May 2004.
Web. 8 April 2010.
< http://www1.aucegypt.edu/academic/writers/thesis.htm >