How to Write a Thesis Statement: Lesson One

Just as the lead in a newspaper article tells the reader all the important details of the article to follow, the thesis statement of a research paper, term paper, or essay serves the same function. The thesis is the summation of the main point of the paper stated in one or two sentences near the beginning of the written work. Its purpose is to inform the reader of the purpose and structure of the work while providing a distillation and organization of ideas for the writer.

If the professor or instructor assigns the topic, the first step in how to write a thesis statement is to transform the topic into a question. From this question the student should then answer the question in one or two sentences. These answers will become the thesis statement(s). Regardless of the subject matter assigned, every topic can be reduced to a single question and the resulting answers.