Developing a Powerful Thesis Statement

Introduction

The thesis is really an important part of your essay. It is the driving force behind all which you are trying to convey, all that you are striving to present, and the central concern of your research and writing. Developing and supporting your thesis in a methodical, organized manner will allow you to create exceptional essays that do what they are intended to do, convince your audience. This lesson will provide you with the tools needed to produce a highly effective thesis statement no matter what your topic or subject may be. The thesis statement helps you to crystallize the main point that you are trying to convey to those who are reading your essay. It gives your essay focus and your audience a guideline to what you will be proposing.

Essays, by their very nature are meant to be persuasive and informative. The most efficient way to persuade your audience is to be clear and concise in your arguments.



Pose a Question

A very helpful tool for creating a powerful thesis statement is to set your essay topic up as a question. Then use the thesis and the body of your essay to answer that question. This is sometimes called a "question prompt."

To be sure that your thesis is strong and does what it is supposed to do, ask yourself the following four major questions:

1. Do I answer my question prompt? Does your thesis logically, clearly and concisely answer the question prompt that you created for your topic?


2. Would anyone disagree with or challenge the main point of my thesis statement? Your thesis should not be stating facts that no one would want to, or could, disagree with. Telling your reader that elephants are large or that ducks swim is a redundant, pointless endeavor. If you are trying to convince your reader of something that everyone already knows as fact, then you need to revise it so that it makes an argument or challenges a dubious standard.


3. Does my thesis statement pass the "Who cares?" test? If a reader's first response is, "Who cares?" then you need to make your statement and argument more dynamic and interesting to reach the big issue that you are focusing on.


4. Does the body of my essay support my thesis statement without wandering? If your thesis and the body of your essay do not go together, you should change one or the other. If you are writing about Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar, don't use a paragraph in your essay body discussing Hamlet. Keep him out of it.