The Writing Center- Valle Verde
Thesis Statement
The thesis statement is the most important sentence in any academic paper. It allows writers to state
the following:
An attitude/position regarding a topic
Clear reasons for adopting said position
Structure and direction to their body paragraphs’ main ideas
Focus and coherence for the entire paper
Writers sometimes encounter problems when establishing a thesis statement, particularly making the
thesis state an arguable topic or position. It is important to distinguish what is, in fact, a thesis
statement, from what does not constitute one.
Unacceptable Thesis Statements
Acceptable Thesis Statements
Facts
Ex.
Barack Obama is the President of the United
States
.
This is a fact; almost everyone knows this to be
true, and the writer has not established any sort
of position regarding the topic.
Barack Obama has defined himself as an
ineffective leader of this country because of his
lack of leadership and the impact his decisions
have made in US economy.
Announcements
Ex. In this paper I will write about how the
death penalty is inhumane.
The thesis is never an announcement. It must
clearly state a position regarding a topic or
theme.
The death penalty is inhumane because human
life should prevail no matter the crime or fault
committed by a person.
Titles
Ex. Differences and similarities between the
Bible and the Qur’an.
This does not state a particular position; it can be
understood the writer will compare/contrast
both religious texts; however, no criteria have
been established.
The Bible and the Qur’an are two of the most
important books in modern religion as they
both dictate how man can transcend after this
life, yet they differ in their doctrine and faith
based truths.
Questions
Ex. Which is better, Android or iOS?
A thesis is a statement: something that can be
agreed or disagreed with based on the
information given. It should not elicit a response
iOS is the best smart phone operating system
as it allows for faster processing, better images
and unparalleled performance.
Opinions
Ex. In my opinion, public schools should allow
students to use cell phones in class.
Like announcements, opinions focus solely on the
writer’s point of view, and they reduce the scope
of the paper.
For their many advantages in conducting
simple research and essential arithmetic
operations, students in public school should be
allowed to use their smart phones in class.
The Writing Center- Valle Verde
Types of Thesis Statements
There are two main types of thesis statements writers can use. Regardless of the type, the thesis
statement should achieve two purposes:
State the topic/subject/theme of the paper in a clear manner.
Establish a controlling idea or position regarding the topic using clear reasons.
Factored Thesis
Subject+First point+Second point+Third point
Non-Factored Thesis
Subject+Position regarding subject
This type of thesis states the topic and the writer’s
position along with three main points that will
become the three body paragraphs for the essay. It
is used with the traditional five paragraph essay
structure, and it clearly presents what the writer
will focus on developing.
Ex. Parents should give an allowance to their
children so they can become responsible, get an
early start on managing money, and learn how to
save.
This type of thesis is broader than the factored
thesis, and is commonly used in lengthier
assignments (such as research papers or critical
analyses) since it allows the writer to incorporate
more details beyond just three main points. It
does not limit the length of a paper to only three
body paragraphs.
Ex: Parents should provide an allowance to
young children to give them a head start on
being financially responsible.
Things to Remember
The thesis has to state something about a topic. This is what makes it a statement and not just a
mere title or fact.
The thesis must always be one complete sentence. Writers need to make sure their thesis
contains a subject, verb and correct modifiers.
The thesis is often the last sentence of the introductory paragraph.
Each main point/topic sentence in the body of the paper must relate back to the original thesis.
The thesis controls the content of the paper.
Writers need to re-state (not copy) the thesis statement in the conclusion to remind the reader
the main point(s) of the essay. Re-stating the thesis can be done in more than one sentence.
If there is no thesis statement, there is, technically, no paper.
