nppp
Thesis and Thesis Statements
Everything you write should develop around a clear central thesis. Your thesis is the backbone of your paper: the main point, the central idea. In fact, if you ask yourself -- "What is the main point of this paper?" -- your answer should resemble your essay's thesis statement. The thesis statement focuses your central ideas into one or two sentences.
Developing a well-crafted thesis statement and revising that statement as you write will help you discover what your essay is really about, what you really want to say. The suggested guidelines below show how to evaluate and refine your thesis statements, and thus how to best showcase your ideas. >WHERE IS YOUR THESIS STATEMENT?
You should provide a thesis early in your essay -- paragraph #1, or in longer essays #2 --in order to establish your position and give you reader a sense of direction. Avoid burying a great thesis statement in the middle of a paragraph or late in the paper. >IS YOUR THESIS STATEMENT UNIFIED?
Choose one single focus for development. Don't split your energy between two bulky topics.
ORIGINAL THESIS Queen Victoria set the tone of the British Empire, and she allowed powerful prime ministers to take political control of Britain.
REVISED THESIS Victoria set the tone for later monarchs by ruling through a series of prime ministers. ORIGINAL THESIS The United Nations Organization has major weaknesses and cannot prevent a major war.
REVISED THESIS The organization of the UN makes it incapable of preventing a war between major powers. ORIGINAL THESIS Printing has had a long and complex history during which it has brought about social and cultural reforms.
REVISED THESIS The development of printing sparked a series of social and cultural reforms.
Check your thesis: Are there two large statements connected loosely by a coordinate conjunction (and, but, or, for, nor, so, yet)? Would a subordinate conjunction help (through, although, because, since) to signal a
Everything you write should develop around a clear central thesis. Your thesis is the backbone of your paper: the main point, the central idea. In fact, if you ask yourself -- "What is the main point of this paper?" -- your answer should resemble your essay's thesis statement. The thesis statement focuses your central ideas into one or two sentences.
Developing a well-crafted thesis statement and revising that statement as you write will help you discover what your essay is really about, what you really want to say. The suggested guidelines below show how to evaluate and refine your thesis statements, and thus how to best showcase your ideas. >WHERE IS YOUR THESIS STATEMENT?
You should provide a thesis early in your essay -- paragraph #1, or in longer essays #2 --in order to establish your position and give you reader a sense of direction. Avoid burying a great thesis statement in the middle of a paragraph or late in the paper. >IS YOUR THESIS STATEMENT UNIFIED?
Choose one single focus for development. Don't split your energy between two bulky topics.
ORIGINAL THESIS Queen Victoria set the tone of the British Empire, and she allowed powerful prime ministers to take political control of Britain.
REVISED THESIS Victoria set the tone for later monarchs by ruling through a series of prime ministers. ORIGINAL THESIS The United Nations Organization has major weaknesses and cannot prevent a major war.
REVISED THESIS The organization of the UN makes it incapable of preventing a war between major powers. ORIGINAL THESIS Printing has had a long and complex history during which it has brought about social and cultural reforms.
REVISED THESIS The development of printing sparked a series of social and cultural reforms.
Check your thesis: Are there two large statements connected loosely by a coordinate conjunction (and, but, or, for, nor, so, yet)? Would a subordinate conjunction help (through, although, because, since) to signal a