The Thesis of My Eye: Writing a Thesis Statement

So you have to write a paper. We’ve all been there. Usually when I’m writing a paper, the most challenging part for me is the introduction paragraph. Specifically, the thesis sentence, because I feel like it is one of the most important parts. I look at the thesis statement as the backbone of my papers.

The thesis statement is the main idea of a paper and is traditionally at the end of the introduction. They’re important because they allow the audience to see a preview of what your paper will be about. If you don’t have a thesis statement then your introduction paragraph didn’t effectively do its job. If you don’t have a clear thesis then your audience may not know what to expect in the rest of your paper.

They are also important for writers because they solidify for the writer the main points of the paper and they can be a framework for your body paragraphs. If you have a clear thesis statement, it can be easier to expand on it to build your body paragraphs. 

You can write your thesis statement once you’ve completed your body paragraphs or in the beginning when you write your introduction. The route you take in getting to it doesn’t matter. The format typical theses have are along the lines:

I am arguing x, y, and z (claim) because of a, b, and c(supporting information). This can be a good starting point if you’re not sure how a thesis should look.

If I were to argue why a song is the best song ever, following that form, I might write:

“Bad Boy by Red Velvet is the best song ever because it is iconic, has a great hook, and has amazing vocalists singing the song.”

Now that was a very basic thesis, but you can see how the thesis has two parts, the claim and the support for that claim. I would later expand on each of the supporting reasons in my body paragraphs. When writing for your classes there are expectations and rules that you have to follow to get a good grade, but writing doesn’t have rules. All thesis statements don’t have to follow that format, please take as many creative liberties as you want and give your thesis your personal touch. The most important point is that you get your argument across clearly.

The last tip is, if your paper is arguing about another piece of writing or published work, then your thesis statement should mention that work and its authors(s). Remember, writing is a process and no one starts off amazing so don’t be discouraged.

Good luck with your paper!

Contributed by: Aliyah Adegun, Writing Center intern