Thesis Statements
A thesis statement should have these qualities:
States the topic and focus
States the supporting points (in order)—this may be optional
Uses direct, easy-to-understand language
Topic & Focus
You want your thesis statement to clearly present the topic. See the examples below. What are the topics?
Belief in romantic love, the division of family responsibilities, and attitudes towards divorce are the three main differences between American and Indian expectations of marriage.
Lack of affordable housing, inadequate public assistance, and the breakdown of family are three causes of homelessness.
Two results of promoting birth control are increased education for women and greater economic opportunity for everyone.
Alcoholism is a disease that has four symptoms: physical dependence, a need to drink more to feel its effects, a strong urge to drink, and an inability to stop drinking.
Types of Focus (Strategies of Arguing)—the table below offers some vocabulary often used in thesis statements to suggest the focus—or strategy or argumentation—often used in essays. (Keep in mind that this list is NOT complete.)
Focus / Possible VocabularyCause & Effect / Reasons, influence, lead to, cause, result in, consequences, results, outcomes, benefits, advantages/disadvantages
Comparison &
Analogy / Differences, similarities, X differs in these ways, X is related to Y in these ways, X has these points in common with Y, X is like Y because
Definition / Characteristics, components, qualities, traits
Classification / Types, categories
Process / Steps, stages, phases
Argument / Reasons, positive, negative, helpful, harmful
Supporting Points
In the thesis statements below, identify the supporting points that the author will discuss. The order of the points should suggest the organization of the essay.
Belief in romantic love, the division of family responsibilities, and attitudes towards divorce are the three main differences between American and Indian expectations of marriage.
Lack of affordable housing, inadequate public assistance, and the breakdown of family are three causes of homelessness.
Two results of promoting birth control are increased education for women and greater economic opportunity for everyone.
Alcoholism is a disease that has four symptoms: physical dependence, a need to drink more to feel its effects, a strong urge to drink, and an inability to stop drinking.
Language
You want your reader to clearly see the point you will make in your essay, so the thesis statement should be written in as simple language and sentence structure as possible.