How to write a thesis statement
Write a thesis that answers the question, makes a defensible claim and gives your essay a direction.
By ATARMAxxing · Updated
What does a thesis statement do?
A thesis is the main claim your essay will defend. Use the prompt to identify the issue and the judgement it asks you to make. Your thesis should give that judgement in terms you can support with evidence.
How can you make a broad claim more precise?
Suppose the prompt asks how a story presents loyalty. Start with your interpretation of what changes. For an imagined story about a family business, a thesis could be: “The story presents loyalty as a choice to protect people, even when that means challenging a tradition.”
The claim gives your paragraphs jobs. One could show why the family equates loyalty with obedience. Another could explain how the ending changes the meaning of loyalty. Each needs a specific detail from the story.
How do you check that your thesis answers the prompt?
Underline the key idea and command word in the prompt. Then name the claim each planned paragraph will establish. If the claims only describe events, revise them so they support the judgement in your thesis.