How do i write a thesis statement for an essay

How do i write a thesis statement for an essay

How to Generate a Thesis Statement if the Topic is Assigned. Almost all assignments, no matter how complicated, can be reduced to a single question. Your first step, then, is to distill the assignment into a specific question. For example, if your assignment is, “Write a report to the local school board explaining the potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class,” turn the request into a question like, Tips for Writing a Good Thesis. Find a Focus: Choose a thesis that explores an aspect of your topic that is important to you, or that allows you to say something new about your topic. For example, if your paper topic asks you to analyze women’s domestic labor during the early nineteenth century, you might decide to focus on the products they made from scratch at home Jan 11,  · What makes a good thesis statement? The best thesis statements are concise, contentious and coherent. Concise. A good thesis statement is short and sweet—don’t use more words than necessary. State your point clearly and directly in one or two sentences. Contentious. Your thesis shouldn’t be a simple statement of fact that everyone already blogger.coms: 2

Creating a Thesis Statement, Thesis Statement Tips // Purdue Writing Lab

Almost every assignment you complete for a history course will ask you to make an argument. Your instructors will often call this your "thesis" -- your position on a subject. An argument takes a stand on an issue. It seeks to persuade an audience of a point of view in much the same way that a lawyer argues a case in a court of law. It is NOT a description or a summary. A thesis statement is a sentence in which you state an argument about a topic and then describe, briefly, how you will prove your argument.

A thesis makes a specific statement to the reader about what you will be trying to argue. Your thesis can be a few sentences long, but should not be longer than a paragraph. Do not begin to state evidence or use examples in your thesis paragraph.

Idea 1. If your paper how do i write a thesis statement for an essay asks you to answer a specific question, turn the question into an assertion and give reasons for your opinion. Assignment: How did domestic labor change between and ? Why were the changes in their work important for the growth of the United States?

Beginning thesis: Between and women's domestic labor changed as women stopped producing home-made fabric, although they continued to sew their families' clothes, as well as to produce butter and soap. With the cash women earned from the sale of their butter and soap they purchased ready-made cloth, which in turn, helped increase industrial production in the United States before the Civil War. Idea 2. Write a sentence that summarizes the main idea of the essay you plan to write.

Main Idea: Women's labor in their homes during the first half of the nineteenth century contributed to the growth of the national economy. Idea 3, how do i write a thesis statement for an essay. Spend time "mulling over" your topic. Make a list of the ideas you want to include in the essay, then think about how to group them under several different headings.

Often, you will see an how do i write a thesis statement for an essay plan emerge from the sorting how do i write a thesis statement for an essay. Idea 4. Use a formula to develop a working thesis statement which you will need to revise later. Here are a few examples:. These formulas share two characteristics all thesis statements should have: they state an argument and they reveal how you will make that argument.

They are not specific enough, however, and require more work. As you work on your essay, your ideas will change and so will your thesis. Here are examples of weak and strong thesis statements. You are the best and only! advocate for your thesis. Your thesis is defenseless without you to prove that its argument holds up under scrutiny. The jury i. To prove thesis statements on historical topics, what evidence can an able young lawyer use? Remember -- if in doubt, talk to your instructor.

See writing. The University of Iowa Make a Gift Contact Search. You are here Home » History Teaching and Writing Center » Writing Guides » Writing a Thesis and Making an Argument.

Writing a Thesis and Making an Argument. What is an Argument? This is an argument: "This paper argues that the movie JFK is inaccurate in its portrayal of President Kennedy.

A Thesis Helps You and Your Reader Your blueprint for writing: Helps you determine your focus and clarify your ideas. Provides a "hook" on which you can "hang" your topic sentences. Can and should be revised as you further refine your evidence and arguments. New evidence often requires you to change your thesis. Gives your paper a unified structure and point. Keeps the reader focused on your argument. Signals to the reader your main points.

Engages the reader in your argument. Tips for Writing a Good Thesis Find a Focus: Choose a thesis that explores an aspect of your topic that is important to you, or that allows you to say something new about your topic. Look for Pattern: After determining a general focus, go back and look more closely at your evidence.

As you re-examine your evidence and identify patterns, you will develop your argument and some conclusions. For example, you might find that as industrialization increased, women made fewer textiles at home, but retained their butter and soap making tasks.

Strategies for Developing a Thesis Statement Idea 1. Refine As you work on your essay, your ideas will change and so will your thesis. Unspecific thesis: "Eleanor Roosevelt was a strong leader as First Lady. Why was Eleanor Roosevelt a strong leader? Unspecific thesis: "At the end of the nineteenth century French women lawyers experienced difficulty when they attempted to enter the legal profession, how do i write a thesis statement for an essay.

Specific thesis: "At the end of the nineteenth century French women lawyers experienced misogynist attacks from male lawyers when they attempted to enter the legal profession because male lawyers wanted to keep women out of judgeships.

Making an Argument-- Every Thesis Deserves Its Day in Court You are the best and only! Secondary sources: articles and books from your class that explain and interpret the historical event or person you are writing about, lecture notes, films or documentaries.

How can you use this evidence? Make sure the examples you select from your available evidence address your thesis. Use evidence that your reader will believe is credible. This means sifting and sorting your sources, looking for the clearest and fairest. Be sure to identify the biases and shortcomings of each piece of evidence for your reader. Use evidence to avoid generalizations. If you assert that all women have been oppressed, what evidence can you use to support this?

Using evidence works to check over-general statements. Use evidence to address an opposing point of view.

How to write a thesis for beginners

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Your thesis statement should be specific—it should cover only what you will discuss in your paper and should be supported with specific evidence. 3. The thesis statement usually appears at the end of the first paragraph of a paper An informative (or expository) thesis statement will: •1. state what you are going to explain •2. outline the organization of your explanation •Example: The lifestyles of barn owls include hunting for insects and animals, building nests, and raising their young Tips for Writing a Good Thesis. Find a Focus: Choose a thesis that explores an aspect of your topic that is important to you, or that allows you to say something new about your topic. For example, if your paper topic asks you to analyze women’s domestic labor during the early nineteenth century, you might decide to focus on the products they made from scratch at home