How to Write a Thesis Statement: Lessons Two and Three

At the college and university levels students are often required to form their own thesis statement for research papers and essays. This process can be defined in several steps that will result in a quality concept related to the subject matter covered in class.

The first consideration in how to write a thesis statement when the topic is left to the student’s discretion is to choose a topic with which reasonable readers would disagree. This creates the opportunity for strengthening the argument. The second requires matching the treatment of the topic with the requirements of the paper. For example, a student should not choose to write about the effective strategies of war in a five-page assignment.

The third component in how to write a thesis statement is narrowing the focus to one main idea. Finally, the last consideration is to take a position and definitively state conclusions on the issue. This is often overlooked by students and is the basis for a clear and convincing research paper and essay.

Many college and university students set about writing a research paper or essay prior to developing a thesis or conducting any research. This is like putting the cart before the horse and will only lead to an ill-organized, low quality written assignment. Before the first word is written, time should be spent brainstorming the subject. From this list of ideas, the student should then narrow the topic. The next step in how to write a thesis statement should consist of deciding what position the student wants to take on the issues.

At this point in how to write a thesis statement, the student should draft a thesis statement using very specific words and phrases. Give careful consideration to the terms and attempt to make them definitive and concrete. The final step in how to write a thesis statement should include a position or argument based on preliminary research. This will inform the reader of the paper’s stance along with how the conclusion was reached.