What is a thesis?

The thesis statement tells the overall idea—or controlling idea—of the essay. It focuses on the writer's view of the topic and often answers the question: "What important or interesting things do I have to say?" The thesis helps determine what other information needs to be brought into or left out of the rest of the essay.

A good thesis statement:

• is not too broad
• gives your opinion about the topic, and is not just a fact or an observation
• is written as a complete statement
• does not "announce" what you plan to do
• is clear and written correctly
• responds directly to the topic, if the topic is one that has been assigned

A good thesis statement is not too broad:

Weak Thesis: Abraham Lincoln was a good public speaker.
Good Thesis: Abraham Lincoln was one of the greatest of Amerian speechmakers. Nowhere is his skill more evident than in the "Gettysburg Address."

Weak Thesis: Television is a total waste of time.
Good Thesis: "Reality" television shows are harmful because they encourage people to behave badly.

A good thesis statement is not just a fact or an observation, but gives the writer's opinion on the topic:

Weak Thesis: Boston is the capital of Massachusetts.
Good Thesis: Boston is an ideal city to visit if a tourist is interested in American history.

Weak Thesis: Some students enjoy doing volunteer work for political campaigns.
Good Thesis: Doing volunteer work for political campaigns can help students become better citizens.

A good thesis statement is written as a complete statement:

Weak Thesis: Should something be done about bad drivers?
Good Thesis: Bad drivers should have to attend a driving course before being allowed to drive again.

Weak Thesis: The problem is with information on the Internet.
Good Thesis: Some "facts" found in Internet searches are correct, but some are not. To make sure information on the Internet is valid, computer users must check their sources carefully.

A good thesis statement does not formally "announce" what the essay will be about:

Weak Thesis: In my paper, I will write about whether schools should require uniforms.
Good Thesis: Public schools should not require students to wear uniforms.

Weak Thesis: The subject of this essay is what we did when we put on a play.
Good Thesis: Putting on a play helped everyone to learn something new.

A good thesis statement is clear and written correctly:

Weak Thesis: To do something for the environment each one, of us. that will help the environment.
Good Thesis: Each one of us can do something to help the environment.

If the essay is about an assigned topic, the thesis should clearly respond to that topic.

An assigned topic might be: "Think about your favorite television shows that feature teenage characters. How realistic are these characters? Write an essay comparing and contrasting television portrayals of teenagers with real life. Make sure you include several ways they are similar and several ways they are different. Give examples from specific shows to support your points."

For this assignment, a weak thesis would be one that does not clearly respond to the specified question (how realistic are teenage characters on television shows?), even if it might be a good thesis for an essay on another topic.

Weak Thesis: My own class at school is a good example of how different students are from one another.
Good Thesis: Teenage characters on television should not be confused with real teenagers, even when they seem similar.

Weak Thesis: Reading books is the best way to understand people who are very unlike those you know.
Good Thesis: Teenage characters on television don't always have to be realistic to help viewers understand teenage life.

How do I make sure that my reader understands my thesis?

Sometimes you might use a word in your introduction or thesis that you should define or explain. For example, if you are writing about "Who is a hero?" you should first explain what you think the word hero means. Is a hero a person who risks his life to save others? Is a hero a person whom you admire for any reason? People might have their own way of thinking about a certain word. When you define the word, you help your reader better understand what you mean.

Do you have enough main ideas to support your thesis?

Your instructor can help you decide if you have enough main ideas. A main idea should be closely related to the thesis and should help to explain why your thesis is valid.

When you don't have enough main ideas, you may want to do some re-thinking. Here are five suggestions for how to get more ideas about your subject.

Ask yourself these questions to get you started again.

• Who?

  Who in my life has influenced me to consider becoming a teacher?

• What?

  What do teachers do?

• When?

  When did I first become interested in becoming a teacher?

• Where?

  Where are teachers most needed?

• Why?

  Why would a person want to become a teacher?
  Why do I want to become a teacher?

• How? How much?

  How does a teacher learn how to teach?
  How has my idea of becoming a teacher changed over the years?
  How much money does a teacher make?
  How much time does a teacher have to work outside of school?
  

• What if? Why not?

  What if teachers do not feel free to teach what they need to teach?
  Why not teach over the Internet instead of in a classroom?

Talk to others about your topic. Take good notes because you may want to quote them in your essay.

• Other students in your school probably have opinions.
• A teacher who knows about the issue or subject could give you some opinions.
• Other people who are experts may have valuable information or opinions. Get suggestions from your instructor or research your subject on the Internet or in a library. Don't be shy about sending email to someone who may be an expert; lots of people are happy to share what they know.

Think about the kind of writing that you are doing. This will help you figure out which ideas you need to add, or how you should arrange those ideas.

• Are you showing how things are alike (comparison) and different (contrast)? You can use this purpose when you are describing something (such as how to teach elementary students compared to how to teach high school students) or when you are analyzing different viewpoints (such as whether children should go to school year-round).
• Are you putting your ideas in categories? You might be able to describe something in general and then describe its specific traits or qualities. For example, you might want to talk about what it takes to be a good teacher and then talk about the unique qualities of a particular teacher you've had.
• Are you giving reasons to show how a problem developed and what the effects of the problem are? For example, if you were discussing how much students pay attention to events happening in their school, you might want to describe first what has caused their attitude to develop. Then you might want to discuss the effects of their attitude.
• Are you trying to convince someone to think like you or to do something that will improve a situation in the way that you want it to be improved? For example, if you are writing to your school principal, you might want to start by saying what should be changed and then give several reasons why.

Start all over and see where you go this time in your writing!

• Don't be afraid to start over. Lots of writers get new and better ideas when they do.

Look at your previous draft and start at the point that interests you the most or at the point that you think is your best statement.

• Try to write three more sentences from your best statement or most interesting point.
• Look at the three new sentences, pick the best one, and write three more sentences that explain the most important idea in that sentence.