The comment: Unclear thesis
THE COMMENT: Unclear thesis
similar comments: Vague thesis • State your position • What is your main point?
understanding the comment When readers point out that your thesis is unclear, the comment often signals that they have a hard time identifying your essay’s main point.
strategies for revising
- Ask questions. What is the thesis, position, or main point of the draft? Can you support it with the available evidence? (See 1c, 5c, and 5d.)
- Reread your entire draft. Because ideas develop as you write, you may find that your conclusion contains a clearer statement of your main point than does your working thesis. Or you may find your thesis elsewhere in your draft. (See 1e.)
- Try framing your thesis as an answer to a question you pose, the resolution of a problem you identify, or a position you take in a debate. And put your thesis to the “So what?” test: Why would a reader be interested in this thesis? (See 1c and 1e.)