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Thesis statements
Most formal, academic essays must include a thesis statement, which is a one (or two) sentence summary of a paper's purpose or point, and which usually exists as the last sentence in the introduction. A thesis statement lets your reader know early on exactly what your essay is going to be about, and it also keeps you focused on your essay's main point.
A thesis statement should be very clear as it announces your topic and your point, and limited in scope, so that writing your essay is a managed task. Most often, thesis statements will be either argumentative or explanatory in nature.
Crafting the Thesis Statement
A good thesis is restricted, almost bite-sized.
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The world is a terrible mess. |
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Trade barriers contribute to international tensions. |
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Old age has many difficulties. |
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The worst part of being old is the loneliness. |
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Crime must be stopped. |
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Our courts should hand out tougher sentences. |
A good thesis is concise.
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Arizona's new health program is excellent, but it has several drawbacks, and it should be run only on an experimental basis for two or three years. |
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Arizona's new health program has several drawbacks. |
A good thesis is specific, not vague.
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Hemingway's war stories are really good. |
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Hemingway's war stories helped to create a new prose style. |
A thesis is not a title.
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The Decline of Baseball |
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In recent years, baseball has experienced a significant decline in popularity. |
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Inflation and Old Age |
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Continuing inflation makes it almost impossible to plan intelligently for one's retirement. |
A thesis is not an announcement of the subject.
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My subject is the incompetence of Professor Doolittle. |
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Professor Doolittle is incompetent at teaching and researching. |
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I want to share some thoughts with you about our space program |
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Our space program is a waste of money. |
A thesis is not a statement of absolute fact.
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The capital of California is Sacramento. |
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Sacramento is a great place to live. |
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Jane Austen is the author of Pride and Prejudice. |
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Pride and Prejudice is boring. |
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