can you start a thesis with even though

Create a Thesis Statement

Create a thesis statement..

• opinions about the topic
• some reasons for your opinion and why other people might disagree.

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Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements

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Tips for Writing Your Thesis Statement

1. Determine what kind of paper you are writing:

• An analytical paper breaks down an issue or an idea into its component parts, evaluates the issue or idea, and presents this breakdown and evaluation to the audience.
• An expository (explanatory) paper explains something to the audience.
• An argumentative paper makes a claim about a topic and justifies this claim with specific evidence. The claim could be an opinion, a policy proposal, an evaluation, a cause-and-effect statement, or an interpretation. The goal of the argumentative paper is to convince the audience that the claim is true based on the evidence provided.

If you are writing a text that does not fall under these three categories (e.g., a narrative), a thesis statement somewhere in the first paragraph could still be helpful to your reader.

2. Your thesis statement should be specific—it should cover only what you will discuss in your paper and should be supported with specific evidence.

3. The thesis statement usually appears at the end of the first paragraph of a paper.

4. Your topic may change as you write, so you may need to revise your thesis statement to reflect exactly what you have discussed in the paper.

Thesis Statement Examples

Example of an analytical thesis statement:

The paper that follows should:

• Explain the analysis of the college admission process
• Explain the challenge facing admissions counselors

Example of an expository (explanatory) thesis statement:

• Explain how students spend their time studying, attending class, and socializing with peers

Example of an argumentative thesis statement:

• Present an argument and give evidence to support the claim that students should pursue community projects before entering college

Thesis Statements

What this handout is about.

This handout describes what a thesis statement is, how thesis statements work in your writing, and how you can craft or refine one for your draft.

Introduction

Writing in college often takes the form of persuasion—convincing others that you have an interesting, logical point of view on the subject you are studying. Persuasion is a skill you practice regularly in your daily life. You persuade your roommate to clean up, your parents to let you borrow the car, your friend to vote for your favorite candidate or policy. In college, course assignments often ask you to make a persuasive case in writing. You are asked to convince your reader of your point of view. This form of persuasion, often called academic argument, follows a predictable pattern in writing. After a brief introduction of your topic, you state your point of view on the topic directly and often in one sentence. This sentence is the thesis statement, and it serves as a summary of the argument you’ll make in the rest of your paper.

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement:

• tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.
• is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.
• directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel.
• makes a claim that others might dispute.
• is usually a single sentence near the beginning of your paper (most often, at the end of the first paragraph) that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.

If your assignment asks you to take a position or develop a claim about a subject, you may need to convey that position or claim in a thesis statement near the beginning of your draft. The assignment may not explicitly state that you need a thesis statement because your instructor may assume you will include one. When in doubt, ask your instructor if the assignment requires a thesis statement. When an assignment asks you to analyze, to interpret, to compare and contrast, to demonstrate cause and effect, or to take a stand on an issue, it is likely that you are being asked to develop a thesis and to support it persuasively. (Check out our handout on understanding assignments for more information.)

How do I create a thesis?

A thesis is the result of a lengthy thinking process. Formulating a thesis is not the first thing you do after reading an essay assignment. Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to collect and organize evidence, look for possible relationships between known facts (such as surprising contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance of these relationships. Once you do this thinking, you will probably have a “working thesis” that presents a basic or main idea and an argument that you think you can support with evidence. Both the argument and your thesis are likely to need adjustment along the way.

Writers use all kinds of techniques to stimulate their thinking and to help them clarify relationships or comprehend the broader significance of a topic and arrive at a thesis statement. For more ideas on how to get started, see our handout on brainstorming .

How do I know if my thesis is strong?

If there’s time, run it by your instructor or make an appointment at the Writing Center to get some feedback. Even if you do not have time to get advice elsewhere, you can do some thesis evaluation of your own. When reviewing your first draft and its working thesis, ask yourself the following :

• Do I answer the question? Re-reading the question prompt after constructing a working thesis can help you fix an argument that misses the focus of the question. If the prompt isn’t phrased as a question, try to rephrase it. For example, “Discuss the effect of X on Y” can be rephrased as “What is the effect of X on Y?”
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? If your thesis simply states facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it’s possible that you are simply providing a summary, rather than making an argument.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? Thesis statements that are too vague often do not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like “good” or “successful,” see if you could be more specific: why is something “good”; what specifically makes something “successful”?
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? If a reader’s first response is likely to  be “So what?” then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue.
• Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering? If your thesis and the body of your essay do not seem to go together, one of them has to change. It’s okay to change your working thesis to reflect things you have figured out in the course of writing your paper. Remember, always reassess and revise your writing as necessary.
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? If a reader’s first response is “how?” or “why?” your thesis may be too open-ended and lack guidance for the reader. See what you can add to give the reader a better take on your position right from the beginning.

Suppose you are taking a course on contemporary communication, and the instructor hands out the following essay assignment: “Discuss the impact of social media on public awareness.” Looking back at your notes, you might start with this working thesis:

Social media impacts public awareness in both positive and negative ways.

You can use the questions above to help you revise this general statement into a stronger thesis.

• Do I answer the question? You can analyze this if you rephrase “discuss the impact” as “what is the impact?” This way, you can see that you’ve answered the question only very generally with the vague “positive and negative ways.”
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not likely. Only people who maintain that social media has a solely positive or solely negative impact could disagree.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? No. What are the positive effects? What are the negative effects?
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? No. Why are they positive? How are they positive? What are their causes? Why are they negative? How are they negative? What are their causes?
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? No. Why should anyone care about the positive and/or negative impact of social media?

After thinking about your answers to these questions, you decide to focus on the one impact you feel strongly about and have strong evidence for:

Because not every voice on social media is reliable, people have become much more critical consumers of information, and thus, more informed voters.

This version is a much stronger thesis! It answers the question, takes a specific position that others can challenge, and it gives a sense of why it matters.

Let’s try another. Suppose your literature professor hands out the following assignment in a class on the American novel: Write an analysis of some aspect of Mark Twain’s novel Huckleberry Finn. “This will be easy,” you think. “I loved Huckleberry Finn!” You grab a pad of paper and write:

Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is a great American novel.

You begin to analyze your thesis:

• Do I answer the question? No. The prompt asks you to analyze some aspect of the novel. Your working thesis is a statement of general appreciation for the entire novel.

Think about aspects of the novel that are important to its structure or meaning—for example, the role of storytelling, the contrasting scenes between the shore and the river, or the relationships between adults and children. Now you write:

In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a contrast between life on the river and life on the shore.

• Do I answer the question? Yes!
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not really. This contrast is well-known and accepted.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? It’s getting there–you have highlighted an important aspect of the novel for investigation. However, it’s still not clear what your analysis will reveal.
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? Not yet. Compare scenes from the book and see what you discover. Free write, make lists, jot down Huck’s actions and reactions and anything else that seems interesting.
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? What’s the point of this contrast? What does it signify?”

After examining the evidence and considering your own insights, you write:

Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain’s Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of American democratic ideals, one must leave “civilized” society and go back to nature.

This final thesis statement presents an interpretation of a literary work based on an analysis of its content. Of course, for the essay itself to be successful, you must now present evidence from the novel that will convince the reader of your interpretation.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Anson, Chris M., and Robert A. Schwegler. 2010. The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers , 6th ed. New York: Longman.

Lunsford, Andrea A. 2015. The St. Martin’s Handbook , 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St Martin’s.

Ramage, John D., John C. Bean, and June Johnson. 2018. The Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing , 8th ed. New York: Pearson.

Ruszkiewicz, John J., Christy Friend, Daniel Seward, and Maxine Hairston. 2010. The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers , 9th ed. Boston: Pearson Education.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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How to use "even though" in sentences without common mistakes, what does “even though” mean.

"Even though" is a conjunction used to introduce a contrast or unexpected situation between two clauses . It is synonymous with "although" and "though" and indicates that something surprising or contrary to what might be expected is going to be stated in the second part of the sentence.

How to Use Even Though in Sentences

At its core, "Even though" is a  subordinating conjunction that introduces a subordinate (dependent) clause. This clause usually contrasts the information presented in the main (independent) clause. Here's how to use it effectively:

Use #1: Real Situations and Facts

One of the primary uses of "even though" is to talk about real situations or express facts while introducing a surprising contrast. 

• I’m going out right now, even though it’s raining. (Despite the rain, I'm going out.)
• Even though she was exhausted, she managed to finish her project before the deadline. (Contrary to her exhaustion, she completed the project.)
• Even though he studied hard, he didn't perform well in the exam. (Surprisingly, his hard work didn't yield good results.)
• The restaurant was crowded, even though the food wasn't that great. (Despite the average food, the restaurant was full.)

Use #2: Expressing Surprise

"Even though" is also used at the beginning of a subordinate clause to express that the action in the main clause is surprising, unusual, or unexpected. In these cases, the conjunction emphasizes the unexpected nature of the situation. 

• Even though she had little experience, she managed to impress everyone with her performance. (Her impressive performance was unexpected due to her lack of experience.)
• Even though he was tired, he stayed up all night to finish the project. (The fact that he stayed up all night despite being tired is surprising.)
• Even though it was his first attempt, he won the competition. (Winning the competition on the first try was unexpected.)
• Even though they had limited resources, they managed to create a successful startup. (Their success despite limited resources was surprising.)
• Even though it was freezing outside, they decided to go for a swim. (The decision to swim in freezing weather is unexpected.)
• Even though she was scared of heights, she went skydiving. (Her decision to go skydiving despite her fear is surprising.)

Use #3: Position in a Sentence

"Even though" typically appears at the beginning of a sentence, followed by a comma. Alternatively, it can be placed at the end of a sentence, followed by a comma before the main clause.

• Even though it was raining, they decided to go for a picnic.
• They decided to go for a picnic even though it was raining.

Common Mistakes to Avoid While Using "Even though"

The phrase "Even though" is a powerful tool for expressing contrast in English sentences. However, improper usage can lead to confusion and miscommunication. Let's explore some common mistakes to avoid when using "Even though" in sentences:

Missing Comma : One of the most common errors is omitting the comma after "Even though" when it appears at the beginning of a sentence. The comma is essential to separate the introductory phrase from the main clause.

Incorrect: Even though he was tired he went to the party.

Correct: Even though he was tired, he went to the party.

Unnecessary "That":  Avoid using "that" after "Even though." The phrase is complete without it.

Incorrect: Even though that she was late, she apologized.

Correct: Even though she was late, she apologized.

Subject-Verb Agreement:  Ensure that the subject and verb agree in the main clause and the dependent clause.

Incorrect: Even though the books is expensive, I bought it.

Correct: Even though the book is expensive, I bought it.

Incorrect Placement: "Even though" should introduce a dependent clause, not a main clause.

Incorrect: I, even though, love to travel.

Correct: Even though I love to travel.

Using "Even though" for Cause and Effect: "Even though" is used for contrasting ideas, not cause and effect relationships.

Incorrect: I am tired even though I stayed up late.

Correct: I am tired because I stayed up late.

Mixing "Even though" with "Despite": While they have similar meanings, "Even though" is used to introduce a contrasting idea, whereas "Despite" introduces a concession.

Incorrect: Even though Despite the rain, they went hiking.

Correct: Even though it was raining, they went hiking.

Incomplete Sentences: Avoid using "Even though" without a complete dependent clause.

Incorrect: Even though he won the race.

Correct: Even though he won the race, he wasn't satisfied with his performance.

Redundancy: Using both "Even though" and "although" in the same sentence is redundant.

Incorrect: Even though Although she was busy, she made time for the meeting.

Correct: Even though she was busy, she made time for the meeting.

Overuse: While "Even though" is useful, overusing it can make your writing repetitive. Vary your language for better flow.

Incorrect: Even though the movie was long, even though the plot was interesting, and even though the acting was superb, I didn't enjoy it.

Correct: Despite the movie's length, interesting plot, and superb acting, I didn't enjoy it.

Incorrect Emphasis: Be mindful of the contrast you want to emphasize with "Even though." It should highlight meaningful differences.

Incorrect: Even though I love both colors, I prefer blue.

Correct: Even though I love both colors, I prefer blue for its calming effect.

• How to Use "Therefore" in Sentences Avoiding Common Mistakes
• How to Use "Whereas" with Examples and Avoid Common Mistakes
• When and How to Use "Thus" Correctly Without Common Mistakes
• How to Use "On the Contrary" Properly with Meaning and Examples
• When and How to Use "Either/Or" with Examples and Common Mistakes to Avoid
• Parts of Speech
• Preposition
• Conjunction
• Interjection
• Conditionals
• How to Use "On the Other Hand" Effectively without Mistakes
• How to Use "Respectively" with Example and Common Errors to Avoid
• How and When to Use "Moreover" Without Mistakes
• How to Use "Likewise" in Sentences Based on Context & When not to Use
• When & How to Use "Although" in Sentences to Avoid Mistake

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How to Write a Strong Thesis Statement: 4 Steps + Examples

What’s Covered:

What is the purpose of a thesis statement, writing a good thesis statement: 4 steps, common pitfalls to avoid, where to get your essay edited for free.

When you set out to write an essay, there has to be some kind of point to it, right? Otherwise, your essay would just be a big jumble of word salad that makes absolutely no sense. An essay needs a central point that ties into everything else. That main point is called a thesis statement, and it’s the core of any essay or research paper.

You may hear about Master degree candidates writing a thesis, and that is an entire paper–not to be confused with the thesis statement, which is typically one sentence that contains your paper’s focus. 

Read on to learn more about thesis statements and how to write them. We’ve also included some solid examples for you to reference.

Typically the last sentence of your introductory paragraph, the thesis statement serves as the roadmap for your essay. When your reader gets to the thesis statement, they should have a clear outline of your main point, as well as the information you’ll be presenting in order to either prove or support your point. 

The thesis statement should not be confused for a topic sentence , which is the first sentence of every paragraph in your essay. If you need help writing topic sentences, numerous resources are available. Topic sentences should go along with your thesis statement, though.

Since the thesis statement is the most important sentence of your entire essay or paper, it’s imperative that you get this part right. Otherwise, your paper will not have a good flow and will seem disjointed. That’s why it’s vital not to rush through developing one. It’s a methodical process with steps that you need to follow in order to create the best thesis statement possible.

Step 1: Decide what kind of paper you’re writing

When you’re assigned an essay, there are several different types you may get. Argumentative essays are designed to get the reader to agree with you on a topic. Informative or expository essays present information to the reader. Analytical essays offer up a point and then expand on it by analyzing relevant information. Thesis statements can look and sound different based on the type of paper you’re writing. For example:

• Argumentative: The United States needs a viable third political party to decrease bipartisanship, increase options, and help reduce corruption in government.
• Informative: The Libertarian party has thrown off elections before by gaining enough support in states to get on the ballot and by taking away crucial votes from candidates.
• Analytical: An analysis of past presidential elections shows that while third party votes may have been the minority, they did affect the outcome of the elections in 2020, 2016, and beyond.

Step 2: Figure out what point you want to make

Once you know what type of paper you’re writing, you then need to figure out the point you want to make with your thesis statement, and subsequently, your paper. In other words, you need to decide to answer a question about something, such as:

• What impact did reality TV have on American society?
• How has the musical Hamilton affected perception of American history?
• Why do I want to major in [chosen major here]?

If you have an argumentative essay, then you will be writing about an opinion. To make it easier, you may want to choose an opinion that you feel passionate about so that you’re writing about something that interests you. For example, if you have an interest in preserving the environment, you may want to choose a topic that relates to that. 

If you’re writing your college essay and they ask why you want to attend that school, you may want to have a main point and back it up with information, something along the lines of:

“Attending Harvard University would benefit me both academically and professionally, as it would give me a strong knowledge base upon which to build my career, develop my network, and hopefully give me an advantage in my chosen field.”

Step 3: Determine what information you’ll use to back up your point

Once you have the point you want to make, you need to figure out how you plan to back it up throughout the rest of your essay. Without this information, it will be hard to either prove or argue the main point of your thesis statement. If you decide to write about the Hamilton example, you may decide to address any falsehoods that the writer put into the musical, such as:

“The musical Hamilton, while accurate in many ways, leaves out key parts of American history, presents a nationalist view of founding fathers, and downplays the racism of the times.”

Once you’ve written your initial working thesis statement, you’ll then need to get information to back that up. For example, the musical completely leaves out Benjamin Franklin, portrays the founding fathers in a nationalist way that is too complimentary, and shows Hamilton as a staunch abolitionist despite the fact that his family likely did own slaves. 

Step 4: Revise and refine your thesis statement before you start writing

Read through your thesis statement several times before you begin to compose your full essay. You need to make sure the statement is ironclad, since it is the foundation of the entire paper. Edit it or have a peer review it for you to make sure everything makes sense and that you feel like you can truly write a paper on the topic. Once you’ve done that, you can then begin writing your paper.

When writing a thesis statement, there are some common pitfalls you should avoid so that your paper can be as solid as possible. Make sure you always edit the thesis statement before you do anything else. You also want to ensure that the thesis statement is clear and concise. Don’t make your reader hunt for your point. Finally, put your thesis statement at the end of the first paragraph and have your introduction flow toward that statement. Your reader will expect to find your statement in its traditional spot.

If you’re having trouble getting started, or need some guidance on your essay, there are tools available that can help you. CollegeVine offers a free peer essay review tool where one of your peers can read through your essay and provide you with valuable feedback. Getting essay feedback from a peer can help you wow your instructor or college admissions officer with an impactful essay that effectively illustrates your point.

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Can You Start a Sentence With “Even Though”?

It is acceptable to start a sentence with “even though” in formal and informal writing. When you use “even though” to begin a sentence, it makes the clause dependent. E.g., “Even though it was hot, he still wore a coat.”

When using the words “even though” at the beginning of a sentence, it means the same as “despite the fact” or” although.”

Because of the meaning of “even though,” whatever clause it appears in automatically becomes dependent.

• Even though he studied for his German exam, he failed miserably.
• Even though she is the manager, I do not trust her ability to do the job well.

You can combine “even” with the word “so.” In this role, the meaning changes , becoming “nevertheless” or something similar to “even if that is true.”

• He doesn’t speak French. Even so, he is going to live in France.

In addition, when you use the word “if” after” even,” the sentence is a conditional sentence.

• Even if he had asked me, I wouldn’t have gone.
• Even if it rains, I am still going for a run.

Are you still unsure of how to start sentences with “even though”? Then continue scrolling down the rest of the page to learn about how to use “even though” in formal and informal situations.

We’ve also gathered some synonyms to use instead of “even though” in formal writing.

Can You Start a Sentence With “Even Though” in Formal Writing?

Starting a sentence with “even though” in academic writing is perfectly acceptable. People do not regard it as incorrect or too informal as long as you punctuate it correctly.

Sometimes “even though” creates a dependent clause. As shown below:

• Even though the experiment was a success, there were limitations that we would try to avoid in the future.
• Even though the results confirmed the hypothesis, their severity was surprising.

You can change the word order so that “even though” appears in the middle of the sentence.

• The severity of the results was surprising even though they confirmed the hypothesis.

You can use “even though” in academic writing, and it is considered formal. However, you can also use a formal alternative such as:

• Despite the fact
• Nevertheless

Can You Start a Sentence With “Even Though” in Informal Writing?

You can start a sentence or paragraph with “even though” in informal writing or messaging.

The term “even though” itself is neither formal nor informal. However, the words that appear after it determine the sentence’s formality.

• Even though I said I wasn’t going out, I need to get out of the house.
• Even though he asked me to go with him, I can’t really be bothered.

You will notice in the above examples that you need to put a comma at the end of the “even though” clause. However, when you change the word order so that “even though” is not at the start, you do not need a comma.

• I need to get out of the house even though I said I wasn’t going out.
• I can’t really be bothered to go with him even though he asked me.
• Can You Start a Sentence With “After”?
• Can You Start a Sentence With “Other”?
• Can You Start a Sentence With “Otherwise”?
• Can You Start a Sentence With “Though”?

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