How to Write a Thesis
S ta tement
WE ARE
WRITING TUTORS
What is a Thesis Statement?
•The main idea of the essay
•Contains an element of opinion or an argument
•It’s not a fact, but something that needs to be proven
•Must be a complete sentence
•Should contain some of the same words from
the assignment question
•Found at the end of the introduction paragraph
Thesis or Fact?
Are the statements below a thesis or a fact?
1. In Canada, kindergarten is not compulsory.
2. Children should begin learning to read in kindergarten.
3. Putting a child into kindergarten before he or she is physically or
emotionally ready can have several unfortunate effects on a child.
4. In some European countries, children do not begin formal schooling until
the age of seven or eight.
FACT
FACT
THESIS
THESIS
Title, Thesis, or Fact?
Are the statements below a title, a thesis, or a fact?
1. The personal interview is the most important step in the employment
process
2. Looking for a job
3. Sixty percent of all jobs are obtained through newspaper
advertisements
4. The best time to learn a second language is in grade school
5. The importance of learning a second language
THESIS
TITLE
FACT
THESIS
TITLE
Writing Thesis Statements from Essay
Ques tions
1. S hould the government support young a rtists?
The government should support young artists through funding.
2. What is the value of being able to speak two languages in Canada?
Canadians who speak two languages gain valuable employment.
3. Is it harmful or beneficial to adopt a child from one culture and raise
that child in another culture?
It is beneficial for an adopted child to be raised in a new culture.
Writing Thesis Statements from Essay
Questions (continued)
4. In what ways can the government discourage people from drinking and
driving?
The government can discourage drinking and driving through public
education.
5. Are some forms of advertising harmful, and if so, should harmful
advertising be banned?
All forms of advertisements are acceptable, and there should not be bans
placed on advertising.
The Focused Topic
Your thesis statement should focus on a specific part of the topic.
Bad example: Grades for exams are unfair
This is too broad. What grades? Why are they unfair?
Good example: Course grades based solely on exams don’t
accurately show a student’s knowledge of the material.
This tells us specifically why exam grades are unfair
Examples of a Good Thesis:
Persuasive Essay
A thesis for a persuasive essay contains an opinion or argument that
needs to be proven.
The should statement uses should to clearly show your position.
For example: “High school students should wear uniforms”.
The position statement doesn’t use should, but shows your position.
For example: “Uniforms are essential for high school students”.
How do I develop my thesis statement?
Include the main points that will be discussed in the essay.
The points should be listed in the same order as they appear in the body
paragraphs.
For example:
“High school students should wear uniforms because they eliminate
status, raise students’ expectations of themselves, and deter crime and
improve students’ safety”.
“Uniforms are essential for high school students as they eliminate status
between students, raise students’ expectations of themselves, and deter
crime and improve students’ safety”.
Parallelism
When you develop your thesis, it has to be parallel.
INCORRECT: “Uniforms are essential for high school students as they
eliminate status between students and students’ safety is improved”.
What does parallel mean?
It means all parts of the
sentence are grammatically
equal.
→ Why is it incorrect?
The first point sta rts with a verb a nd the second point sta rts with a noun.
B oth points ha ve to start with the sa me part of speech.
CORRECT: “Uniforms are essential for high school students as they
eliminate status between students and improve students’ safety”.
Verb
Noun
Verb
Verb Noun Noun
Parallelism
Here’s another example:
INCORRECT: “High school students should wear uniforms because they
eliminate status, students’ expectations are raised, and the safety of
students is improved”.
→ Why is it incorrect?
The first point sta rts with a verb, but points 2 and 3 start with a noun. All 3
points must follow the same pattern.
CORRECT: “High school students should wear uniforms because they
eliminate status, raise students’ expectations of themselves, and
improve students’ safety.”
Noun
Verb
Noun
Verb
Verb Verb Noun
Noun
Noun
Review your Thesis
Ask yourself:
• Is the thesis statement a single sentence?
• Is the topic broad or narrow enough?
• Are the three supporting points different from each other?
• Are the three main points parallel?
What to Avoid
1. Clichéd openings
2. Announcements
3. Too many details
“In toda y’s society…”
“In this essay, I will discuss…”
