A good thesis statement can be debated and therefore supported by research to persuade others that the hypothesis is correct or the best solution to a problem. You want the reader of your essay to agree with everything you have argued, so stating facts will not make for a good thesis or essay. The purpose of research is to provide additional knowledge on a specific topic. Take a look at this thesis statement for a simple but defensible example:
Saving endangered species like the polar bear should be the responsibility of every country.
How to know your statement is strong
- It’s short and informative.
- Make a clear argument with your opinion on the topic or an aspect of the topic that you support.
- It has a logical basis. Even if you share your personal opinion, be sure to back it up with logic or facts.
In other words, your thesis should identify the theme, the claim, and the main points you will use in an essay to support the claim.
Tips for writing a good thesis statement
Essays should be based on a specific argument. Review your thesis statement to see if the main idea of your writing is too vague. If you defend something too general (for example, if you say that all pop music is bad), your essay will try to overload the ideas and become confusing.
Please update your argument to be more specific.
You could say that pop music suffers from repetitive chord progressions, or that pop songs have unimaginative lyrics. These narrower statements make it easier to gather evidence to support your thesis.
A good thesis makes claims that are supported later in the article.
As I explained in the article How to Create a Powerful Argument Test Plan, your assertions are an essential part of building your argument roadmap.
It is important to first include a summary of your claims in your thesis statement. During your essay, you will back up each of your claims with well-documented evidence.
Be brief and precise
A strong thesis is brief and precise. Avoid using more words than necessary. You should try to summarize the entire document in a few sentences.
Your thesis statement should not be a fact that everyone already knows. A good thesis statement is a claim that needs to be backed up with more data or research. Your thesis statement, especially in an argumentative essay, should be something others can question or disagree with.