🤔 What Is the Purpose of a Thesis Statement?
First, we need to figure out the purpose of the thesis in your essay. Its main goal is to deliver the main idea of the further text. It shows your position on the topic and briefly touches on the arguments you’ll provide.
The thesis also structures your work, making a pile of claims and ideas into a coherent essay. Last but not least, the statement creates space for debate by briefly introducing the opposite of your point of view.
The thesis is usually placed at the end of your introduction paragraph as a single but detailed sentence. 30-40 words are the average length of the sentence.
A work without a thesis can exist, but in very specific cases like a narrative essay. Usually, it’s a dubious idea to leave out the thesis statement. By doing so, you risk making your text look pointless.
Thesis Statement: Typical Mistakes to Avoid
To make your thesis statement more effective, avoid the common mistakes listed below.
- Too factual thesis. A strong thesis statement should not just repeat the facts. Instead, it should represent your argument or position on the topic. Ask yourself what it is that you will be trying to prove in your paper and revise your thesis statement so that it answers this question clearly.
- Too vague thesis. You should avoid merely announcing your research paper topic. Make your original and specific take on the subject clear to the reader.
- Too subjective thesis. Your thesis statement and entire research paper need to be based on thorough research, in-depth analysis, and critical assessment. Don’t be guided by your personal taste or opinions. When you make a judgment, always explain your reasoning.
- The thesis that can’t be proven. This one is simple: If your thesis statement cannot be proven, you shouldn’t try to prove it. Avoid making universal, black-and-white judgments that oversimplify complex problems. One clear sign of this problem is using “always “or “never” in your thesis statement.
⚙️ Parts of a Thesis Statement (with Examples)
While the general formula for a thesis is the same, its components can differ from style to style. To help you grasp these details, here are some formulas and examples:
- Informative essay
- Argumentative essay
- Analytical essay
- Compare and contrast essay
If you still find yourself struggling, make sure to use our thesis statement generator.
Informative Thesis Statement Formula
An informative essay is all about educating your reader on a certain topic. A thesis formula to such work is fairly simple:
Your main conclusion + your main argument (one or more).
Informative Thesis Statement Examples
- Bad example: The monopoly is a bad thing.
- Good example: The monopoly has no positive effect on the market due to it causing a drastic decrease in product quality and destroying any possibility of innovation in the monopolized field.
Surely, monopoly is bad. A good thesis statement must also remind people why it is this way.
- Bad example: Police brutality should be prohibited on every level possible.
- Good example: Police brutality has caused much harm and even death to innocent people; thus, it should be stopped as a phenomenon completely.
Same thing here. Always enhance your thesis with an argument or two.
Argumentative Thesis Statement Formula
Argumentative-style work focuses on proving your point by using facts and logic. A thesis statement formula for this type of essay is a bit different from the previous one.
This is what it looks like:
Your main conclusion + your main argument (one or more) + the counterargument (one or more).
Refrain from appealing to emotions while coming up with arguments.
Argumentative Thesis Statement Examples
- Bad example: College athletes must be paid because it would be just.
- Good example: Though many think that scholarships are fair financial compensation for college athletes, they should be paid as they are constantly risking their bodies.
Although the first example contains an argument, it is mostly emotional. “Justice” is not a concept you should prove your point with in an argumentative essay. The fact that college athletes are risking their bodies, on the other hand, is an objective one.
- Bad example: National stereotypes can never be positive.
- Good example: Though some of the national stereotypes might be positive, they still create a false image for a person and strengthen the generalization among society. Thus, they can never be a good thing.
Here the first example doesn’t even have an argument. Never forget to support your point with a thesis.
Analytical Thesis Statement Formula
The whole point of an analytical-style essay is to provide a substantive analysis of a certain topic. The formula here will be a different one:
Your main conclusion + the main issue under the analysis.
Analytical Thesis Statement Examples
- Bad example: Listening to music daily is good.
- Good example: Although the mental influence of music is not fully discovered, researches show that listening to music daily has a positive effect on a person: it lowers the risk of depression and helps to avoid anxiety.
First examples lack arguments. Furthermore, it sounds like a poor thesis for an argumentative essay. Keep in mind you are not trying to argue or prove anything. You analyze research.
- Bad example: Junk food is bad for your health, and you shouldn’t eat it.
- Good example: The health issues caused by junk food are known by everyone, although the amount of food enough to put your health at risk is in question; however, researcher believe that it would be best to stop eating junk food completely.
Same thing as before. Remember that you can divide your thesis into two sentences if you feel like it’s too bulky.
Compare & Contrast Thesis Statement Formula
Compare & Contrast style is self-explanatory. You take two different subjects and compare them. Since we have several subjects in one essay, the formula is a bit complex. You need to decide if you want to show the subjects similar, different, or both. After that, you plan your thesis accordingly:
- Similar. Topic 1 + topic 2 + a similarity (one or more)
- Different. Topic 1 + topic 2 + a difference (Topic 1 is … while topic 2 is…)
- Both. Topic 1 + topic 2 + a similarity + a difference
Compare & Contrast Thesis Statement Examples
- Bad example: Rap music and rock music have nothing in common.
- Good example: Due to drastic differences in style, lyrics, rhythm, musical instruments, and a number of other things, it is safe to say that rap music and rock have almost nothing in common.
If you want to show the difference between two things, don’t forget to mention these differences in your thesis. Keep in mind you can write the pieces of the formula in any order you like.
- Bad example: E-books and textbooks are almost the same things.
- Good example: Despite being the most popular argument among book lovers, E-book and textbooks have very few differences: they hold the same information and serve the same purpose of entertaining you.
This time the bad examples lack similarities. No matter how you compare things, always show what exactly you juxtapose.
If you want to look at more examples of thesis statements on various topics, you are welcome to read our article, which contains a collection of thesis statement examples. We are also happy to recommend our free thesis-making tool that will generate a beautiful thesis statement for you in a couple of clicks.
And with that, we end our little guide on the thesis formula. Make sure to let us know what tip you found the most useful in the comment section. And don’t forget you’ll need to restate your thesis in the conclusion paragraph. If you have trouble rephrasing your statement, our paraphrase generator is always there to help you out!
❓ Thesis Statement Formula: FAQ
What Is a Working Thesis Statement?
A working thesis statement is a statement that:
- Creates room for a discussion. It mentions the opposite point of view.
- Supports your position with arguments. It Lets the reader know how exactly you are going to prove your point.
- Raises an actual issue. It makes the essay useful to the overall research.
How Long is a Thesis Statement?
A thesis statement is a single sentence with a length of 30-40 words. If the idea you express seems complicated, you can divide the statement into two sentences. Don’t make it three, however. Remember, we are writing a thesis statement, not a thesis paragraph.
What Is the Purpose of a Thesis Statement?
The goal of any thesis statement is to:
- Show the main idea of the text
- Structure your paper
- Argument your position
If you follow our guide carefully, your thesis should reach all three of them.
Where Is a Thesis Statement Located?
The thesis statement is normally located at the end of your introduction paragraph. After the background info and prior to the first body paragraph. However, no one is stopping you from experimenting with the placement.