Thesis StatementsNotes
Definition:
- the summary sentence that introduces your argument and ideas
- the last sentence in the introduction paragraph
Why should your essay contain a thesis statement?
- to put your main ideas into one summary sentence
- to better organize and develop the argument of your essay
- to provide your reader with a "guide" to your argument
How to write a thesis statement…
The thesis should answer a single question that will give the main idea of your essay. Your first step, then, is to come up with a specific question.
Write a question based on your argument:
Question:"Why is ______one of the most influential people in history?”
the answer to the question is the thesis statement for the essay
Answer / THESIS:"______is one of the most influential people in history because…"(3 reasons)
How to tell a strong thesis statement from a weak one…
A strong thesis takes a stand.
Here are two thesis statements:
It seems like Lorenzo DeMedici influenced a lot of people.
This is a weak thesis. It doesn’t take a strong stand or explain the argument. There is no “roadmap.”
Lorenzo DeMedici was one of the most influential people in history because of his motivation to make Florence a prosperous city, his accomplishments in Florentine government and arts, and the lasting impact he had on many artists and people in Florence.
This is a strong thesis because it takes a stand – it tells why DeMedici was one of the most influential people in history.
A strong thesis expresses one main idea and is specific.
Readers need to be able to see that your paper has one main point. If your thesis expresses more than one idea, then you might confuse your readers about the subject of your paper. For example:
Lorenzo DeMedici had a lot of influence over Florentine culture, but Leonardo DaVinci was more popular in Rome.
This is a weak thesis statement because the reader can't decide what the paper is about: DeMedici or DaVinci. To revise the thesis, the writer needs to focus on one main idea.
Lorenzo DeMedici had a lot of influence over Florentine culture because of his motivation for Florence to prosper, his participation in the government and the arts, and the impact he had on so many Italian artists.
Here is an example of how the thesis statement fits into the introductory paragraph(s):
Around the time of the Medici rule, the people of Florence, Italy, expressed their love of the arts through sculptures, painting, and architecture (Mee 14). Just as Florence was a beautiful city, Italy was just as beautiful. The landscape consisted of great castles perched on top of many vast mountain peaks (Mee 14). As for the surrounding land, it was devoted to agriculture (Mee 15).
In 1,000 A.D., things began to change in Florence as it began to fill with merchants, traders, bankers, cloth makers, and craftsmen from all over Europe (Mee 15). Thus, commerce arrived. It is here that Lorenzo’s story begins.
Lorenzo De’ Medici was born on January 1, 1449, into a family that was ruling Florence at the time (“Medici”222). You see, his family, the Medici family, was the most famous of all Italian dynasties, and its members were among the greatest patrons in the Italian Renaissance (“Medici”222). Lorenzo was gifted with a strong, athletic body, intelligence, a wide range of talents, and all the money he could ever want (Mee 27). Lorenzo De Medici was one of the most influential people that in history because of the inspiration he received to become such a motivated leader, his accomplishments in the Florentine society and government, and the lasting impact he had on all of Florence, Italy.