Now that you have learned how to formulate a thesis statement, how will you know if your thesis statement is strong? Below are the characteristics of an effective thesis statement:
- Responds to the assignment by following instructions. Going back to the instructions can assure you that your thesis statement is relevant and addresses what your teacher has prescribed. It can also refocus your argument if needed.
- Expresses the main idea in one to two sentences. A thesis statement should be comprehensive yet concise because you will be spending the rest of the paper proving your point.
- Focuses on a specific issue. Your thesis statement should be sufficiently narrowed based on the boundaries of the assignment, and should only discuss one or a few related issues so that your paper remains focused and you do not ramble or leave some parts undeveloped.
- States a stand on the topic. A thesis statement must reveal your attitude toward the topic. Your attitude will show how you intend to interpret or discuss the issue, and this is what differentiates you from other writers who may be writing about the same topic. Your attitude also is what helps you elaborate on a topic, because there is only so much that can be said about something factual.
- Says something meaningful by answering the questions: “So what?” “How?” “Why?”. A good thesis statement shows why the reader should care about your work. The significance of your paper is clear to the reader if your thesis statement is able to answer the question, “So what?” Next, your thesis statement should be able to substantiate your claims by providing the reader evidence, or an idea of how you intend to support your stand. This is usually answerable by addressing “how” and “why.”
- Previews the rest of the essay by being placed in the introduction. A thesis statement is usually placed in the introduction so that the reader knows what to expect in reading your essay.
- Reflects a tone and point-of-view appropriate to the identified purpose and audience. Your thesis statement should consider the writing situation you find yourself in. This requires thinking about why you are writing and who you are writing for. Does the way your thesis statement is written, reflect these concerns adequately?
You can make your thesis statements more effective if you keep the following guidelines in mind:
- Avoid making overly-opinionated stands. While a thesis statement needs to reveal your attitude toward the topic, be careful not to go to the extremes and write a thesis statement with an exaggerated claim. This is because you need to prove your thesis statement first, and avoid imposing your opinion on the reader, lest you affect their disposition toward you. For example, instead of saying, “The officers of the Reserve Officers Training Corps are merciless slave drivers who abuse their fellow students,” you might say, “The officers of the Reserve Officers Training Corps should exercise more responsibility toward their authority by being sensitive to how they lead their fellow students.” The way this statement is worded makes the same point without coming on too strongly.
- Avoid making announcements. Sometimes, it is easier just to tell your reader what you intend to write about. You might say, “In this essay, I will be discussing the benefits of joining the Reserve Officers Training Corps.”The problem with this statement is that it does not specify what those benefits are or what your attitude toward the subject is.
- Avoid stating only facts. As previously mentioned, your thesis statement must reveal your attitude toward the topic. This is what allows your topic to be developed. if you rely only on facts in your thesis statements, you will not have much room for discussion, because facts are generally not as debatable as opinions. Your thesis statement must contain a position that your readers can oppose. Thus, a thesis statement like ‘The Reserve Officers Training Corps is a program that prepares students to serve in the military” does not invite much debate from a reader because that statement is generally accepted.
