The Thesis Statement
The Academic Excellence Center’s Writing Center-LAC Rm.222
The Thesis Statement
What is a Thesis Statement?
A thesis statement is the main idea in a piece of writing. The thesis statement is typically placed in the introduction and should be comprised of two parts: a topic part, which states the topic, and a comment part, which makes an important point about the topic.
Example: Recent studies of second-hand smoke (topic part) have determined that it is more damaging than originally thought (comment part).
Thesis statements may vary depending on the particular structure of a piece of writing.
Here are a few examples following the above structure.
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Narrative Thesis: The year I left for college on the east coast was the scariest, yet most memorable experience I had ever encountered in my young life.
Compare/Contrast: Although both the MAC and PC perform their tasks with efficiency, the MAC is superior to the PC when it comes to the special needs of the graphic artist.
Cause and Effect: Although rap music comments on the harsh reality of life for many minorities, its message of violence often results in the degradation of women, the promotion of drugs, and the severance of the family structure.
How to Write a Thesis Statement when the Subject is Given:
If you are given a question, the simplest way to write your thesis is to rephrase the question into a statement.
Example:
If you are given the question: “What are the greatest contributions to global warming?” then your thesis could be stated as follows: The greatest contributions to global warming are hairspray, car emissions and methane gas from cows. Here, “The greatest contributors to global warming” is the topic section, and “hairspray, car emissions and methane gas from cows” is the comment section.
1
How to Write a Thesis Statement when the Subject is not Given:
This is when developing the thesis statement becomes more difficult. If you are asked to write on a topic of your choice, then how should you
The Thesis Statement
What is a Thesis Statement?
A thesis statement is the main idea in a piece of writing. The thesis statement is typically placed in the introduction and should be comprised of two parts: a topic part, which states the topic, and a comment part, which makes an important point about the topic.
Example: Recent studies of second-hand smoke (topic part) have determined that it is more damaging than originally thought (comment part).
Thesis statements may vary depending on the particular structure of a piece of writing.
Here are a few examples following the above structure.
•
•
•
Narrative Thesis: The year I left for college on the east coast was the scariest, yet most memorable experience I had ever encountered in my young life.
Compare/Contrast: Although both the MAC and PC perform their tasks with efficiency, the MAC is superior to the PC when it comes to the special needs of the graphic artist.
Cause and Effect: Although rap music comments on the harsh reality of life for many minorities, its message of violence often results in the degradation of women, the promotion of drugs, and the severance of the family structure.
How to Write a Thesis Statement when the Subject is Given:
If you are given a question, the simplest way to write your thesis is to rephrase the question into a statement.
Example:
If you are given the question: “What are the greatest contributions to global warming?” then your thesis could be stated as follows: The greatest contributions to global warming are hairspray, car emissions and methane gas from cows. Here, “The greatest contributors to global warming” is the topic section, and “hairspray, car emissions and methane gas from cows” is the comment section.
1
How to Write a Thesis Statement when the Subject is not Given:
This is when developing the thesis statement becomes more difficult. If you are asked to write on a topic of your choice, then how should you