Developing a Thesis Statement

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Once you have homed in on your topic, general purpose, and specific speech purpose, you can start to encapsulate your speech in the form of a thesis statement, a statement that conveys the central idea about your topic. The thesis statement must clearly summarize what you want the audience to get out of your speech, but it is not the same thing as your specific purpose statement; as noted, it is more specific. Revisiting the example about volunteer reading programs, note how your thesis statement works with your general purpose and specific speech purpose and how it expresses the core idea that you want your listeners to walk away with:

Thesis statement: Volunteers who read with local elementary schoolchildren through programs such as Everybody Wins improve young lives by enhancing children’s self-esteem and expanding their possibilities for academic success.

Can you see how the thesis statement works? Offering a solid thesis statement your audience will remember long after your visual aids have faded from their minds will help you achieve your general purpose and your specific purpose: to persuade your listeners to get out there and read with local kids. For additional examples of thesis statements, see Table 11.1.