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Thesis Statements

Organizing Your Main Point and Support

Arranging Your Ideas

Thesis Statements

The thesis statement of an essay states the main point you want to get across about your topic. It is your position on whatever you are writing about.

A strong thesis statement has several basic features.

BASICS OF A GOOD THESIS STATEMENT

It focuses on a single main point or position about the topic.
It fits the size of the assignment.
It is specific.
It is something that you can show, explain, or prove.
It is a forceful statement written in confident, firm language.

WEAK THESIS STATEMENT

I think college is good, and there are lots of them.

The weak statement does not follow the basics of a good thesis statement: It focuses on two points, not one; it is very broad; the word good is not specific; and the words I think are not forceful or confident.

GOOD THESIS STATEMENT

A college degree brings many potential benefits such as better jobs, more career choices, and higher salaries.

This statement has all the basics of a good thesis statement.

A good thesis statement is essential to most good essays. Early in your writing process, you may develop a draft thesis (or working thesis), a first-try version of the sentence that will state your main point. You can revise it into a final thesis statement later in the writing process.