Lesson 4 of 7
Writing a Thesis Statement
A thesis statement is the one sentence that tells your reader exactly what your essay will argue. It lives at the end of your introduction. A strong thesis is the backbone of a good grade, because everything else in the essay has to support it.
Strong vs weak
- ●Weak: The Great Gatsby is about the American Dream. That is just a topic, not an argument.
- ●Strong: In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald shows that chasing the American Dream destroys the very people who believe in it most. That takes a side and can be proven.
- ●Weak: There are many reasons dogs are good pets. Too vague, no real claim.
- ●Strong: Dogs make better pets than cats because they build loyalty through training, exercise, and daily routine. Specific and arguable.
Test your thesis
- 1Can someone disagree with it? If no one could argue the other side, it is a fact, not a thesis.
- 2Does it take a clear position? Make sure you are claiming something, not just naming a topic.
- 3Can you back it with three points? If you can list three reasons or pieces of evidence, you have your body paragraphs.
REMEMBER
An arguable thesis is a claim somebody could reasonably push back on. If nobody can argue with it, dig deeper until you have a real take.