thesis statement machine

Free Thesis Statement Generator - Create Your Thesis Online

1. State your topic*

Your topic is the main idea of your paper. It is usually a phrase or a few words that summarize the subject of your paper.

2. State the main idea about this topic*

Explicitly state what the main point of your thesis will be early in your paper.

3. Add evidence that supports your main idea*

What evidence could you use to drive home your thesis’ point? What facts or reasons support your argument?

4. Give another evidence that supports your main point

5. Include a counterargument if possible

Every topic has alternative schools of thought. Think of someone who would disagree with your arguments and/or evidence. What would they say? The more you understand the counterargument, the better you can defend your thesis and its arguments with evidence.

Read the options and choose the one you like:

How to use thesis generator by papersowl.

• Enter all the information we need in brief, do not use full sentences.
• Everything you need is to insert your text and its title into the box.
• Do not use capital letters, periods, or full stops in your answer.
• Hit the “Generate Thesis” button and get samples of your thesis statement.
• Choose the one that suits you from the five presented.

What should you have before using Thesis Generator?

• The topic of your paper. Get creative topic with our topic generator .
• Main conclusion. Use conclusion generator to compose a summary for any type of paper!
• Arguments for your conclusion
• Argument against

(Votes: 0 )

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Thesis Statement Generator Review

Other platforms charge for the use of their thesis statement generator that are not always reliable or unique; you get the opposite with Papersowl’s simplistic and reliable thesis statement generator.

How Does Thesis Statement Generator Work?

• The task is to formulate the key concept of your paper; in other words, this is your topic. A statement or a few phrases summarize your paper's main theme. Fill in the requested topic of your paper. First, you should enter all the relevant information. Use clear and concise phrases. You do not need to use complete sentences.
• Explain your major point regarding this subject by inserting the title and the text into the box. Write what you need to say or prove about your subject. When expressing your viewpoint, explain one main thought, define the subject, and declare something particular about it. Avoid using capital characters, periods, or full stops.
• Fields marked with an asterisk are mandatory. Once you have filled them in, hit the generate thesis button. You will see the results below in a separate window. Key phrases will be highlighted in different colors. You can rephrase the thesis or click the button to get a new one. In addition to generating a thesis, you can request the design of examples. Several possible theses will be displayed in the same window.
• The last step is optional. The program offers you sample essays. Click on the corresponding button to get acquainted with examples of related works. The search will return essays or excerpts as close as possible to your topic. You can read them for free or, if necessary, order the full version.
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Advantages Of Thesis Statement Generator By PapersOwl

A thesis statement may appear the most complicated task in the process of writing an academic assignment. We’ve covered you here by developing a game-changing tool. Generating perfect thesis statements, it fills the gaps for you and provides some other tasty benefits:

Our service formulates a powerful thesis statement that informs readers about the scope, objectives, and subject of the paper. The thesis statements derived from our tool are catchy, unique, and relevant, so you don't have to worry about their intelligibility.

We understand your pains arising in the process of creating an efficient research paper and we don't want to further increase them. That's why we made our tool free for you to use.

Students may spend hours trying to come up with a relevant thesis statement they can defend in the course of the research. We offer a simple and time-saving algorithm for a great outcome.

We developed our tool with experts so that you could receive the best service. The brand-new software analyzes your inputs and produces a 100% unique statement that guides the reader and backs up your research.

Thesis Statement Generator Online

The most difficult and main part of each writing work is to form a thesis statement. The assignments of different topics are not so easy to create it perfectly at the beginning of writing. But to solve this problem and to help people all around the world who have been puzzled for hours over this issue, an online thesis statement generator was developed and that’s why you can try now to make your ideal one with filling the gaps. Sounds too complicated?

Don’t be scared of wasting lots of time or payments because it will take you less than 2 minutes to get your wish from the free thesis generator. There is nothing sophisticated, just start your research by stating your topic and then write down the main idea of the text, your position. After that you have to fill in a few more gaps, press submit and Bob’s your uncle.

By the way, our website involved lots of professionals to create such a wise thesis maker. And you may not be informed that this service is mostly chargeable on different websites. But we offer you is entirely free of payment. And if you are interested in such an experiment for your writing skills you can try a thesis for a research paper .

If You Pay For Research Paper You Get Many Advantages

Main types of thesis statement.

There are some kinds of essay papers that have ideas and purposes. Therefore, it is logical that for each particular type of essay you should use your own corresponding thesis creator. Each of them has specific skills to find an appropriate one analyzing all information you brought in and producing a well-directed idea in accordance with the essay type.  Also, each of them has its own system of calculation.

• Informative speech statement  generator

The main idea is to form no argument or expressing but a general goal of your essay. Here it is very important since this expository thesis statement provides the reader with a clear and accessible view of your paper and keeps reading curious.

• Compare and contrast the thesis statement generator.

This calculator works with comparison two or more things depending on your writing task. Instead of wasting lots of time to find an appropriate one to contrast it is very wise to work out the best statement. And having already all the points to work with it would be much easier to finish your work.

• Argumentative thesis statement generator

The problem of this writing helper is to get your opinion and to find out perfect arguments towards it. This one is based on examining your counter position, suggesting different reasons for the subject. Also, get your short summarize on exploring the issue.

• Cause and effect thesis statement generator

Using this one you will get a variety of reasons that refer to the text main idea, which is always hard to produce much. Moreover, you will receive effects that are related to just-ready causes. After that, it is no problem to get over with the rest of the analytical writing information to have your essay one of the best.

• Expository thesis statement generator

Helping students with explaining the sense of an issue to the audience is how it works. What does it imply? Working out evidence evaluating and investigating the problem of the text you will get the very one you needed. The hardest difficulties of such kind of essay leave for its solving.

Choose the appropriate thesis statement maker to enjoy its results on research paper writing service.

The Structure Of Thesis Statement

Its structure is a strong argument you should prove through the whole text. To build it you need to a generalization in one or two sentences. It should include a comment on your position, central message, be something clear and useful for readers. Shape it to show the reader that all information and main you mean there is in your narrative work, nothing extra. Every sentence should be informative or has a reason to think about it.

Samples Of Thesis Statement Created By Our Users

People who visited our website tried to create their own samples and here is what they got:

• After graduating high school, students need a gap year because this leads to socialization and students become aware of what do they want from life.

Considering high schools and people it is a fact as that is the true and the second part of the sentence is a reason because that could be the answer to the previous part of the sentence.

Sample Of Thesis Statement On Gender Roles.

Using a thesis statement creator makes it possible to receive such a sentence:

• There are some expectations that we grow familiar as the times passes and they are regarded to be the gender roles. Basically, the gender role is what is convenient for a man or woman to do in society.
• You get it when explaining that, for example, what I believe on this matter is that it affects children and teenagers negatively because it puts pressure on them and creates a superiority relation between the genders in our society.

Sample Of Statement On Advertising

How to make one? To express your opinion even on advertising it is available with thesis statement generator free. Just look at the problem from different sides. Here we have:

• Advertising can be incredibly effective and powerful in promoting causes and beneficial products, while at the same time be negative for forcing ideas upon its audience. Advertising, despite its causes, is beneficial and necessary towards creating a stable and free-flowing society and economy.

Thus here we have a strong one and already positive and negative sides. They are significant in developing good text and picking up all the audience. By the way, if it is difficult to continue with the writing and thesis generator for the research paper didn’t give you a strong new one, because you can always choose buy a research paper at our website.

Sample Of Statement On Fake News

To form such kind of them also needs some efforts but if you are already little experience in this area it wouldn’t be quite difficult. Everything is about practice.

• We present new evidence on the role of false stories circulated on social media prior to the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Drawing on audience data, archives of fact-checking websites, and results from a new online survey, we find: social media was an important but not dominant source of news in the run-up to the election.

This is a phrase we should work with. Having studied that we can claim that:

Exploring many reliable sources it turned out that presidential elections weren’t clear and even social media were accused of it.

Now you are acquainted much closer with statement generators of different kinds. We believe your life will become easier with its help and good grades expect for you soon. Thus, don’t give up on your writing, use smart technologies and make progress. You can much more than you are expected to do.

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Thesis-statement-generator

Use our thesis statement generator to write a main introductory idea statement for your essay or research paper that reflects the main idea of your whole paper in simple steps., thesis generator to write compelling thesis statements.

Writing the thesis statements that completely define the concept of your research paper or essay is complex, and the thesis is the foundation of your whole research paper.

We know for a student, a difficult task in the academic journey is the worst part because it makes the nights sleepless.

But we have got you covered. Writing a compelling and concise thesis statement now becomes more accessible with Writi’s thesis statement generator

Whether you are writing an argumentative essay, an analytical paper, or an explanatory research project, our free thesis statement generator will help you generate a plagiarism-free thesis statement in seconds.

You need to input the main topic of your research paper and press the “Create my thesis statement” button.

Now say goodbye to the writer’s block and level up your game of thesis statement writing! Use our thesis statement generator to write a main introductory idea statement for your essay or research paper that reflects the main idea of your whole paper in simple steps.

How To Use Thesis Statement Maker?

To generate a thesis that aligns with the overall concepts of your research paper or essay, follow the steps below.

• Enter the main topic of your research paper in the input box.
• Select your preferred language.
• Hit the “Create my thesis” button.
• Now relax and let our tool craft a compelling thesis statement.
• Click the "Generate" button. The AI title generator tool will start working on your inputs.
• You can save it to your device using the “download” button.

That’s it; you can also edit your generated thesis statement directly into the output and fine-tune it according to your preference.

Benefits of Using Thesis Statement Creator

Writing a claim statement defining the central theme of the research paper and essay is an important step. However, we have simplified this step by developing our thesis statement writer for students and researchers with various benefits.

Save You Valuable Time

Using our claim generator, users can accelerate their writing process by swiftly generating persuasive and concise thesis statements and save valuable time for research, analysis, and refining the overall quality of their research paper or essay.

Helps in Clarity and Focus

A focused and clear thesis statement is the cornerstone of any research paper and essay; our tool ensures that your research paper's central argument is well crafted in your thesis statement, providing a clear roadmap of understanding for you and your reader.

Versatile for All Paper Types

It doesn't matter whether you are writing an argumentative essay, an analytical research paper, or an explanatory piece. Our thesis statement generator will craft a well-written thesis statement according to requirements, ensuring relevance and precision.

We have discussed a few benefits from a thousand - Generate your thesis statement and enjoy the stressless research paper writing.

Our features - we are different from other tools..

Our advanced features set us apart from the other thesis writing generators; we have discussed our features below.

Easy-To-Use Interface

With the easy-to-use interface, our thesis statement generator simplifies the writing process; just input your topic and select your preferred language, and our tool will make a comprehensive statement.

Real-Time Editing

Once your thesis statement is generated, you can directly edit it right in the output box to refine and perfect it, ensuring that it precisely reflects the central concept of your research paper.

Download and Copy Option

You can download your thesis in the docx, pdf or txt format in your local storage, or you can also use the "copy" button to copy your thesis and paste it at the start of your research article after refining and making necessary edits.

Free To Use

This thesis generator is free to use and requires no registration or signup. You can generate unlimited thesis statements for free.

Fast Processing

Our thesis statement generator is fast and instantly creates the thesis statement after analyzing and processing your input prompt or main topic idea.

Ai-Based Thesis Statement Generator

With the use of advanced NLP and large language models like GPT-3 and GPT-4, our AI thesis statement generator creates contextually relevant, accurate and coherent statements.

Use Cases of Thesis Statement Writer

Following are the use cases of our tool; if any of these use cases fit you, then you are an ideal user of this thesis statement generator.

Whether a high school student is assigned an essay assignment or a college student writing a research paper, you need our thesis statement generator to create compelling and well-written comprehensive thesis statements.

Educators and Instructors

Our tool is valuable for educators and instructors because it can help them smoothen their writing process and tailor their ideas into excellent thesis statements in seconds.

Researchers

Our thesis statement generator for research papers acts as a time and life-saving tool which allows them to generate strong thesis statements for their research paper. It will enable them to focus on the substance of their content while ensuring a strong and coherent thesis statement

Frequently Asked Questions

We know you have questions about our tool; we have already answered the most common questions below. Check them out to find your answer.

What Is a Thesis Statement?

A thesis statement is a to-the-point and main idea of a research paper. It serves as your reader's roadmap, outlining your work's focus and direction. It is often included in the introductory part of the research paper.

Is the Thesis Statement Generator Free To Use?

Yes, this tool is free to use; you don't have to sign up because we believe in supporting students and researchers and making this tool accessible for anyone without any hidden limitations and costs.

What Types of Thesis Statements Can I Generate?

You can create various types of thesis statements for argumentative, analytical, and explanatory research papers within a few clicks using our thesis statement generator.

Thesis Statement Generator: Free & Precise

Looking for a thesis statement generator? The free online tool we offer will make a thesis in no time! Our thesis sentence generator will suit argumentative, informative, and comparative essays. All you need to do is look at the examples and add the necessary information.

☑️ How to Use the Thesis Generator?

• 📝 Essay Thesis
• ✍️ Research Paper Thesis
• 📜 Dissertation Thesis
• 🙊 Thesis For a Speech

💡 Make a Thesis with Our Tips

🏆 10 best thesis generators, ⭐ thesis statement maker: the benefits, 🔗 references, 🔧 thesis generator: what is it.

Sometimes it can be challenging to come up with a topic, research question, or a thesis statement for your paper. An excellent solution is to use online topic makers, problem statement generators, and thesis topic generators, such as ours! Our free online generator will help you create the perfect thesis statement! Follow the steps below to get thesis statements relating to your topic:

• Introduce your topic. It can also be the title of your paper (e.g., the benefits of online education).
• State the main idea about this topic. It is the specific point of view that you will discuss in your paper (e.g., online learning is beneficial)
• Make an argument supporting your point of view. It must be a strong and valid argument. Don't claim something that you can't back with facts (e.g., online learning is flexible)
• Make another argument supporting your point of view (e.g., online learning is affordable).
• Make an argument against your point of view. Make sure you don't just dismiss it, but acknowledge its validity (e.g., online learning is not always taken seriously)
• Decide on the topic of your paper.
• Think about the main idea that you will express in your paper. It will also be the conclusion.
• Choose arguments that can support your point of view. Also, think of at least one counterargument. It will help you discuss your topic better.
• Enter this information into respective fields. Use short sentences. Do not use punctuation or capital letters.
• Click on the "Generate Thesis" button to get samples.
• Choose the sample you like best!

📍 Why Make a Thesis Statement?

You might have already heard about theses and thesis statements. Well, the main difference is: a thesis is the key point or argument of your assignment. And the thesis statement is this point expressed in one sentence.

Here’s one crucial thing you should always keep in mind when you write this sentence: it should meet the professor’s requirements.

There are two types of thesis statements:

• Direct. It states the exact reasons for your paper. For example, "I do not support vegan lifestyle because animals do not have feelings, this lifestyle is too expensive, and a vegan diet is not healthy." Such a thesis sentence would tell the reader what each body paragraph or section is going to be about.
• Indirect. Unlike the direct thesis statement, it does not state clear arguments. Here’s the sample: "I do not support vegan lifestyle for three reasons." The fact “I do not support vegan lifestyle” is the topic, and "three reasons" represent an indirect thesis statement. The assignment will contain these three reasons.

Most kinds of academic papers require a thesis statement, which can also be considered as your answer to the research question.

Now that you've learned the basics let's see what can help you to create an excellent thesis statement for anything: from history research to a critique paper!

📝 Essay Thesis Statement

You will probably write many essays as a high school or college student. Writing an essay is quite easy: it doesn't require any serious research on your part, and the resulting text is usually short. That's why you choose a narrow thesis statement that you can talk about in 4-5 paragraphs.

Your choice of a thesis statement depends on what type of essay you're writing. Here are some examples:

In an expository essay , you explain the topic logically, using your analytical skills. This type of essay relies only on facts, without any reference to the writer's personal opinion. The topic statement is the most critical part of an expository essay. It should be short and manageable so that you can describe it in just a few paragraphs. As you can see from the definition, it also should be based on facts and not on the writer's position. This category includes compare and contrast essays, definition essays , and others:

e.g., While online education is not always taken seriously, it is beneficial because of its flexibility and affordability.

On the contrary, argumentative essays are centered on the writer's personal opinion. This type of essay is also called persuasive because your aim is to persuade people that your idea is right. The thesis statement should reflect this:

e.g., Vegan lifestyle should not be promoted because it's expensive and not healthy.

Note: it's better not to use the word "I," because it may appear as too subjective. Remember: a strong thesis statement means an excellent essay!

✍️ Research Paper Thesis Statement

Unlike essays, research papers require more information, and they are lengthier than essays. That's why a research paper thesis statement should be slightly broader. This way, you make sure that you have a lot to discuss and can demonstrate your more profound knowledge on the topic.

Research paper thesis statements can be simple or more complex, depending on the purpose of your paper. Simple thesis statements can be formulated with the help of the outlines:

Something is true because of these reasons .

The US Constitution is not outdated because it's an integral part of the country's identity.

Despite these counterarguments , something is true.

e.g., Despite not being outdated, the US Constitution needs many amendments to keep up with the changing times.

You can make more complex thesis statements by combining several arguments:

e.g., The US Constitution is not outdated, because it's a part of the country's identity; still, some amendments need to be made.

Remember: it is essential to stay on topic! Avoid including unnecessary and random words into your statement. Our online thesis creator can help you in writing a statement directly connected with your theme.

Our thesis statement generator can help writing a thesis for your research. Create a short, catchy thesis statement, and you are one step closer to completing a perfect research paper!

📜 Dissertation Thesis Statement

Writing a master's thesis or a Ph.D. dissertation is not the same as writing a simple research paper. These types of academic papers are very lengthy. They require extensive analysis of information, as well as your ideas and original research.

Besides, you only have limited time for writing a dissertation, so you'll have to work on it systematically.

That's why it's better to come up with a thesis statement as early as possible . It will help you always stay on topic and not to waste your time on irrelevant information.

A dissertation can have an even broader thesis statement because of how lengthy your work should be. Make sure it's something you can study extensively and from different points of view:

e.g., The use of memory techniques at school can boost children's abilities and revolutionize modern teaching.

Don't forget to include a statement showing why your dissertation is interesting and relevant!

🙊 Thesis Statement For a Speech

Similarly, the thesis statement for a speech should be catchy and exciting . If you include it in the introduction, you will provide your audience with a sense of direction and make it easier to concentrate. The audience will know what to expect of your speech, and they will pay more attention.

Speech, unlike a research paper, includes only the most relevant information . If your speech is based on a paper, use your thesis statement to decide what to leave out. Remember that everything you say should be connected to your thesis statement! This way, you'll make your speech consistent, informative, and engaging.

Another useful tip is to rehearse your speech several times before deciding that it's finished. You may need to make some corrections or even rephrase the thesis statement. Take your time and make sure you do your best!

Now, we will concentrate on your thesis writing. We’ve prepared six tips that would help you to master your thesis statement regardless of the paper type you were assigned to:

• Formulate your topic. Here’s the secret: the good topic makes half of the success when you write a paper. It defines your research area, the degree of your involvement, and, accordingly, how good will the result be at the end. So what is the topic of an essay? Basically, it’s a phrase that defines the subject of your assignment. Don’t make it too broad or too specific.
• Determine the key idea. It will help you get an understanding of your essay subject. Think about things you are trying to state or prove. For example, you may write down one main idea; consider a specific point of view that you’re going to research; state some facts and reasons you will use in your assignment, or express your opinion about the issue.
• Choose the central argument to support your thesis. Make a list of arguments you would use in your essay. This simple task has at least two benefits. First, you will get a clear understanding on what you’re going to write. It will wipe out the writer’s block. Second, gathering arguments for the topic will help you create an outline for your assignment.
• Generate other arguments to support the thesis. Free thesis generators suggest you proceed with a few arguments that support your topic idea. Don’t forget to prepare some logical evidence!
• Come up with a counterargument to the main idea. You might find this exercise a bit hard, but still, if you're dreaming of writing an excellent paper, think of another side of the argument. To complete this task, you should conduct preliminary research to find another standpoint and evidence behind it.
• Provide your thesis statement as early as possible in your paper. If you're writing a short paper, put your thesis in the introductory paragraph. For more extended essays, it is acceptable to write it in the second paragraph. And avoid phrases like, "The point of my essay is…"
• Make your thesis statement specific. Remember to keep it short, clear, and specific. Check if there are two broad statements. If so, think about settling on one single idea and then proceed with further development. Avoid making it too broad. Your paper won’t be successful if you write three pages on things that do not disclose the topic and are too generic.

Original thesis:

There are serious objections to abortions.

Revised thesis:

Because of the high risk of breast cancer or subsequent childbearing, there should be broadly implemented the informed consent practice that certifies that women are advised of such risks prior to having an abortion.

When writing your thesis, you use words that your audience will understand:

• Avoid technical language unless you’re writing a technical report.
• Forget about jargon.
• Avoid vague words: “exciting,” “interesting,” “usual,” “difficult,” etc.
• Avoid simply announcing the topic. Share your specific “angle” and show why your point on the issue matter.
• Do not make judgments that oversimplify complex topics.
• If you use judgment call in your thesis, don’t forget to specify and justify your reasoning.
• Don't just report facts. Instead, share your personal thoughts and ideas on the issue.
• Explain why your point matters. When you’re writing a thesis, imagine that your readers ask you a simple question: “So what?” Instead of writing something general, like "There are a lot of pros and cons of behaviorism", tell your readers why you think the behaviorism theory is better than cognitivist theory.
• Avoid quotes in your thesis statement. Instead of citing someone, use your own words in the thesis. It will help you to grab the reader's attention and gain credibility. And the last advice: change your thesis as you write the essay. Revise it as your paper develops to get the perfect statement. Now it's time to apply this knowledge and create your own thesis! We believe this advice and tools will be useful in your essay writing!

To ease your writing, we prepared an IvyPanda thesis statement generators. Check the list below:

1. Thesis Statement Generator

Thesis Statement Generator is a simple online tool which will guide you through the thesis statement creation. To get your thesis, you will have to provide the following information: the topic, your personal opinion, the qualification, and reason sentences. Then press the button “My Thesis” to see the final draft, edit it and print or save it on your computer.

Also, you can make an outline for your future paper within a couple of clicks. The tool works with any type of paper.

2. Grammarly AI Thesis Statement Generator

Grammarly is known for its superb grammar-checking software, but it has recently added various AI-powered tools. An AI Thesis Statement Generator is one of them. To use this tool, specify your audience and briefly describe your paper type and topic. After that, wait a few seconds, and Grammarly will provide three thesis statement options.

However, as with any AI writing tool, you should be critical of the information they provide. Therefore, we recommend you check the generated thesis statements for inaccuracies before using them in your writing.

3. HelpfulPapers Thesis Statement Checker

HelpfulPapers Thesis Statement Checker is another free service that requires no registration and provides unlimited attempts for thesis creation. To create a thesis statement, you should put a topic, your main conclusion about it, two arguments, and a counterargument. Then, click the button “Make a thesis statement.” You will get a few thesis examples to choose from.

On the page, you will also find a comprehensive guide on thesis statement writing with good and bad samples. This website doesn’t allow its users to create an outline draft. However, the HelpfulPapers blog contains lots of useful articles on writing.

4. Thesis Builder

Thesis Builder is a service by Tom March, which is available for students since 1995. This ad-free tool allows you to generate a persuasive thesis and create your essay outline. This web app is completely free, so fill in the boxes and write your assignment. You can print a result or send it as email.

5. Thesis Statement Creator

The next tool in our list is Thesis Statement Creator. The service is ad-free and offers unlimited attempts to generate thesis statement. It works with any type of paper and requires no registration. Users can find a short guide and thesis statement prompts. The app allows printing the result.

6. UAGC Thesis Generator

The University of Arizona Global Campus has designed a convenient tool for crafting compelling argumentative thesis statements. Just follow the prompts on the website to fill in all the boxes and get a strong and focused thesis.

If you want to learn more about developing thesis statements, the university invites you to follow the link to their thesis writing guide. From there, you’ll learn how to craft not only argumentative thesis statements but also analytical and expository ones.

7. HIX.AI Thesis Statement Generator

HIX.AI is an AI-powered thesis statement generator. To use the tool, enter your topic, specify the main idea and supporting evidence, and add a counterargument. You can also choose your audience, tone of voice, and language. Then, click the button and check your thesis.

HIX.AI offers a free plan: you can generate a maximum of 1,000 words per week without charge. Although not quite a lot, it can be enough to craft 20-25 thesis statements a week. So, you are highly likely to get the one that suits you.

8. Editpad Thesis Statement Generator

Editpad Thesis Statement Generator is another AI-powered tool for crafting thesis statements. Yet, it has a much simpler interface: you only have to enter your topic and click the button to get your thesis statement.

If you’re looking for a quick, unsophisticated tool or haven’t identified your main point, evidence, and counterargument yet, the Editpad thesis generator can be just what you need. However, if you want a more customizable option, you’d better choose something different from our list.

9. Thesis Statement Maker

Thesis Statement Maker is similar to the previous tool. The page contains hints on thesis writing, four fields to fill and get a thesis, and works with any type of paper. As a bonus, you will find a list of thesis statements on various topics.

The key drawback is the same too: lots of ads and no paper outline option.

10. Thesis Generator | SUNY Empire State College

The truly academic tool in our list: SUNY Empire State College Thesis Generator. Students can find a lot of useful information on thesis writing. To generate summary, choose the type of paper you are going to write, fill the form and get your thesis. The website is ad-free and provides a short guide on most common types of thesis.

Among its drawbacks are only three supported types of thesis statements and no outline generation.

Updated: Dec 19th, 2023

• Argumentative Essays: Purdue OWL
• Developing A Thesis: Harvard College Writing Center
• 5 Types of Thesis Statements: University of Guelph
• The Ultimate Guide to Writing a Thesis Statement: Grammarly
• Expository Essays: Purdue OWL
• How to Write a Thesis Statement: Indiana University Bloomington
• Thesis Statements: UNC Writing Center
• Thesis Statements: Texas A&M University Writing Center
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If you need help to write a thesis for your paper, this page will give you plenty of resources to do that. You’ll find out about the essentials of thesis statement. There are also tips on how to write the statement properly. But most importantly, this page contains reviews and links to online thesis generators.

Thesis Statement Generator

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Your topic is the essential idea of your paper. It is usually a few words or a phrase that summarizes the subject of your paper. For your thesis statement, try to make your topic as specific as possible.

What is your argument regarding your subject? How do you intend to convince the reader of your perspective?

Write your reason as a clear statement. Be sure that you can support this reason with logical facts and evidence.

A strong thesis statement recognizes the existence of a counterargument. Incorporate a perspective that contrasts with your own by detailing what someone with an opposing view might assert about your topic.

Step 1 : Fill out the fields to the best of your ability. You can include as little or as much detail as you would like.

Step 2 : Submit your answers and your words should appear above after a few seconds. Fine tune your answers and submit again if needed.

Step 3 : When you are happy with the results, copy and paste your words wherever you want! Be sure to proofread for accuracy and edit to make them your own.

How to Use the Thesis Statement Generator Tool

Understanding the form layout.

Before we begin crafting a compelling thesis statement, let’s familiarize ourselves with the form provided by the Thesis Statement Generator tool. This tool is designed to guide you through the process of creating a strong thesis statement for your paper. It has several fields:

• What is your topic?
• State your main idea about this topic
• Give 3 reasons that support your main idea
• Counterargument

Now, let’s explore each field with a fresh example, ensuring your thesis is both robust and convincing.

Crafting Your Thesis

Identifying your topic.

In the “What is your topic?” field, you’ll pinpoint the central theme of your essay. Specificity is key. For a new example, instead of “education,” you might delve into “the benefits of bilingual education in primary schools.”

Articulating Your Main Idea

For the next field, “State your main idea about this topic,” you’ll declare your principal argument. Let’s say your stance is that “Bilingual education in primary schools fosters cognitive flexibility and cultural awareness.”

Providing Supporting Reasons

Moving on to “Give 3 reasons that support your main idea,” here is where you provide the pillars of your argument. For our educational theme, you could argue that bilingual education “enhances problem-solving skills,” “improves multitasking abilities,” and “prepares students for a globalized workforce.”

Acknowledging Counterarguments

In the “Counterargument” field, consider potential criticisms of your argument. Presenting an opposing view shows depth in your analysis. A counterargument might be “bilingual education may lead to initial language learning challenges for students.”

Best Practices

• Be Precise : Aim for detail while maintaining brevity, so your thesis statement remains clear and effective.
• Employ Assertive Language : Use strong and affirmative language to convey your argument confidently.
• Prepare with Research : Arm yourself with research to effortlessly supply robust reasons and anticipate counterarguments.

After filling in each field, the “Write Thesis Statement” button will craft your thesis. Use this as a blueprint for your paper, fine-tuning it as needed to capture your voice and argument. With regular use, this tool can enhance your writing process, making thesis creation a seamless and thought-provoking task.

How did this tool work for you? How can we make it better?   Please send us your feedback by using the form below and include as many details as you can. 

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Thesis Generator by AcademicHelp

Key Features of Our Thesis Generator

Complex ideas made easier

Time efficient

High quality

Free thesis generator.

Start Your Paper Using Thesis Statement Generator

The benefits of using thesis generator.

Your thesis is no joke. It’s an important part of your academic journey and growth as a professional. However, the seriousness of the work doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to do it completely on your own with no outside help whatsoever. If you have an opportunity to optimize your writing process, why not do it?

This is where our thesis statement maker steps in. The tool will be able to help you:

• boost writing time
• Improve readability
• Come up with ideas

With this feature, you will receive a unique thesis for your paper, that will be both free from plagiarism and an AI-generation mark.

How to Use Thesis Maker Efficiently

Nothing could be easier than working with our tool. We specifically designed it to make the writing more straightforward, so you don’t waste your time and effort on gruesome processes.

So, here’s a quick guide on how to better use Thesis Statement Creator to boost your paper writing experience:

• In the ‘Category’ block, choose the field of your study (e.g. Psychology, English, Biology, etc.)
• Then enter the chosen topic. For example, if you are writing a paper in Sociology/Social Work your topic may sound like “Gender biases in the work of Clinical social workers”
• After that, you can give a specific instruction to generate a Thesis statement based on the given topic. The prompt may sound something along the lines of:

“Based on the topic [insert your topic here], please create a clear and concise thesis statement that reflects the main argument or point of view of the essay or research paper.”

This is everything you will have to do to make our tool make a thesis statement for you. You can ignore the fields for page number and citation style and just enter random meanings. However, they will be useful in case you need help with some other parts of your research paper.

Find Necessary Inspiration with Thesis Statement Writer

Writing a thesis isn’t easy. You need to go through so much information that even the thought of it makes you anxious. And the more afraid you are to start, the less inspired you feel with the overall idea of writing your own research.

We are here to help you though. With our Thesis Generator, you will be able to jump-start the writing process and see that, in reality, there’s no paper that you can’t finish. Give it a try – in the end, you will probably enjoy the overall feeling of achievement after finishing that thesis.

How to create a thesis statement?

To create a thesis statement you first need to come up with the topic for your paper and or at least an area of your future research. Only then you will be able to sketch an approximate thesis statement which still will probably be altered during future edits. However, there’s a shortcut to this process and it’s using the AcademicHelp Thesis Generator. With it, you can quickly come up with what the main idea of your research paper is going to be.

Can AI write a thesis for me?

Both yes and no. AI can help you write your paper and come up with the thesis statement for you. However, you will still need to do the work yourself too. After all, for now, technology can’t compare with human creativity and effort but it certainly can be of great assistance and boost the overall work process.

Can I use ChatGPT for thesis?

ChatGPT is a very popular AI bot, so yeah, you may try it for your thesis writing. Nonetheless, as our research and experience show, it doesn’t produce high-quality results. Most of its answers are marked by plagiarism and AI content so they have to be closely reviewed, fact-checked, and heavily edited. In case you want to try AI to assist with your thesis, you can use several tools, like Academichelp Thesis Generator, for example. It was proven to provide good results in a short period of time.

What 3 things must a thesis statement have?

Your thesis statement has to include the topic, the claim (meaning your argument, opinion or stance that you will support and defend in your paper), and the key points of your research. This part of your paper is included at the end of the introduction part of your writing.

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Best online thesis statement creator 
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Generate your thesis statement in 3 easy steps with our thesis creator:

Provide the necessary information.
 Use phrases, not full sentences

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full stops

Press “Generate thesis”

Why choose thesis statement generator by Studyfy?

It’s free and requires no registration.

Many tools that pretend to be free ask for registration and payments when you try to use them. We are different. Our free thesis statement generator is indeed 100% free and requires no sign up.

Fast & easy
to use

All you need to do to get your unique thesis statement is fill in a few gaps and press one button. You won’t waste a minute – our tool works at top speed!

High quality

We use high-end software in our thesis-generating tool, so you may be sure that it will always provide you with the most comprehensive and strong thesis statements.

Free features

We can make your essay flawless.

If you need proofreading service or help with editing your essay, Studyfy is your one-stop-shop! We offer a history essay help , and you can also hire an essay writer from us. Our dissertation writing service is top-notch, and we also offer paid to write essays services. Additionally, we provide college essay help to ensure that your academic papers are perfect. Choose from our vast pool of skilled editors and proofreaders, and rest assured that no error will escape their attention!

What is the ideal structure of a thesis statement?

A thesis statement is the main idea of your essay compressed into one or two sentences. An ideal thesis statement should be concise, direct, and relevant. To build it, start with a generalization and proceed with your stance or claim. Structure it in a way that will give your readers a clear idea of what you’re going to write about.

How does this thesis generator work?

Give us your topic.

Firstly, state your topic in general, then continue with the main idea of your essay, and your position regarding this topic.

Fill in all gaps

Fill in a few more gaps to provide information about your arguments and counterargument. Then, press the “Submit” button.

Get your thesis statement done

After the data is submitted, the tool’s algorithm analyzes it meticulously. Then, the system generates a thesis statement, extracting the main message from all the information you’ve provided.

What our customers say

Thousands of students have already used our free thesis statement generator to create immaculate thesis statements and save lots of time. 
Here’s what they say:

Thank you guys:) I save a lot of hours that I could spend on choosing an arguments for my essay, on writing a thesis statement using them, and then understanding that it is not inaf strong argumentation and doing it once more.

I always write essays by my own, as I really like to do it. But sometimes it happens that I need some inspiration or the hint on how to say something better. I use it for all my essays now, becose it useful to see in few steps how my thesis statement looks like with different argumentation!

I use it regularly for my essays, and this is free and really good! Thank you guys, I start writing more confidently and much more quicker since I started using Studyfy!

Finally, it is a good strong thesis statement generator for free without any weaknesses. You should leave a comment on your position, central message, and it generates clear and useful for readers thesis statement. I've been a Studyfy user for two months now and I'm very pleased with it!

It really understand the idea of thesis statement structure. The best thesis generator I’ve ever tried!

Frequently asked questions

Is this a genuinely free thesis creator, what should the best thesis statement generator be like, are there any limitations for using this tool, is there any possibility of my thesis being stolen, stay safe with studyfy thesis statement generator for essay.

• No information is recorded and stored when you use our thesis statement generator
• Your data will never be used by third parties
• If you decide to seek further help from our writing or editing services, we guarantee that your request stays confidential
• We only help you create thesis statements to improve your essay writing skills
• All information is thoroughly protected. Your positive experience with Studyfy is our top priority!

First-Rate Thesis Maker

Take your academic writing to the next level with our powerful thesis maker! Just fill the form below and grab five-star thesis statement for your paper.

Result for thesis statement

Even though some studies show that school uniform’s adoption improves students’ performance, school uniform should not be adopted at schools because it limits students’ individuality, it is a burden for low-income families, and it restricts students’ physical activity.

Whereas some studies show that school uniform’s adoption improves students’ performance, school uniform should not be adopted at schools given that it limits students’ individuality, it is a burden for low-income families, and it restricts students’ physical activity.

What Is a Thesis Maker?

Our thesis maker is an online AI-powered tool developed to assist students and novice writers creating a perfect reasonable thesis statement matching their needs. Lots of experienced writers, academic experts, and software developers worked together to create the tool that will precisely meet any writing goal.

Why Use a Thesis Generator?

Still not sure if you need to use our tool? Check out the 3 Main Idea Finder’s benefits and find out why users love our summarizing tool!

Clear and Valuable Results

Improve your writing

Use the Power of AI

How to Create a Thesis Statement?

This sophisticated thesis maker can create a perfect two-clause thesis sentence that announces and sums up the key ideas of your paper. Our AI-powered tool is super-easy to use:

• Fill all the boxes above providing the topic, supporting arguments, and counterarguments.
• Press the button "Generate My Thesis" and get an instant topic sentence.
• Copy the 100% authenthic thesis statement and paste it right into your paper.

Why Use Our Thesis Maker?

Rewriting is a text processing method that presupposes your use of external evidence from published sources without copy-paste.

If thesis statement formulation seems challenging or confusing, it's time to try our handy thesis maker. It's an automated tool that takes on much of your manual academic writing work. Here are the benefits you're sure to enjoy:

Adequate rewriting is a valuable academic skill that helps you:

• The tool is absolutely free of charge; no registration is needed.
• It suits all essay types (argumentative, persuasive, expository, etc.).
• You can use the examples to understand how to formulate a thesis well.

So, with our thesis statement generator, you will never get stuck at this initial point of essay production. Proceed to write at once without cracking your brain about how to make a striking thesis.

What Is a Thesis Statement?

A thesis statement is one sentence at the beginning of your academic work that summarizes the gist of your writing intention and the idea you want to argue. It is located at the end of the introductory paragraph, setting the scene for evidence-based discussion in the body of your paper. So, you first need to set the context and familiarize your readers with the problem and terminology in the first paragraph, ending it with a clear and concise thesis.

It's also vital to keep in mind that a thesis statement is NOT:

• A personal opinion

Effective thesis statements should name your major arguments, offer a debatable position on the discussed topic, and address the potential counterarguments.

Making a Thesis in 4 Steps

Now, let's do some practice. Here, we offer a workable step-by-step algorithm for thesis creation. It is universally suitable for research papers, essays, or dissertation projects.

1. Reword the Prompt

For instance, your professor asks you to examine financial aid's effect on third-world countries' economies. Your question format for this prompt may be as follows:

What is the impact of financial aid on third-world countries' economies?

2. Formulate a View

The next step is to decide on what side of the debate you are. Naturally, there will be opponents and proponents of continuing financial aid to third-world countries. And what do you think about it? For example:

Financial aid harms the third-world countries' economies

3. Provide Evidence

Now, it's time to back up your viewpoint. It's no use saying that something is good or bad; you will sound credible only by relying on trustworthy experts who also say so. For example:

Financial aid doesn't foster domestic growth, fuels corruption, and makes poor states addicted to aid injections.

4. Combine Everything

The final step involves combining your viewpoint with evidence. Here is the outcome of our exercise:

Financial aid harms third-world countries' economies because it doesn't foster economic growth, fuels corruption, and makes poor states addicted to aid injections.

Argumentative

• Thesis Statement Generator

Thesis statement generator helps students to write explanatory, argumentative, or analytical thesis statements for their  research papers.

Our AI thesis generator allows you to generate plagiarism free thesis statements in seconds by simply typing the topic or subject details in the input box.

What is Thesis Statement?

A thesis statement is a piece of text that is used to describe the main idea or concept of a research paper. It is usually placed at the start of the paper and is often a compulsory element that has to be included in the introductory parts.

How to use Thesis Statement Generator?

Here are the steps to use this thesis statement generator:

• Enter your thesis topic in the input box.
• Click on the “ Generate ” button.
• Copy the thesis statement by clicking on the “Copy” button or save it to your device by clicking on the “ Download ” button.

Features of Editpad's Thesis Statement Generator

Here are some features that we are offered in our thesis statement generator:

Completely Free to Use

Quick processing, easy copy button, downloadable output, benefits of thesis generator.

Here are some benefits of using our thesis generator:

AI Thesis Generator

A great way to save time, helps stimulating creativity and great ideas, provides new outputs, helps you come up with unique statements for your paper, how to create a thesis statement.

You can create an opening statement for your thesis using our thesis statement generator by Editpad. All you have to do is enter the topic, and the statement will be generated in a few seconds.

Can AI write a thesis statement?

Yes, Editpad AI Thesis Statement Generator can write an effective, confident, and argumentive thesis statement with a single click based on your topic.

Which AI is best for writing thesis statement?

Thesis statement generator by Editpad is one of the best AI that you can use for this purpose. It has an advanced AI mechanism, and it generates concise and original statements every time.

Can AI generate a thesis?

Yes, Editpad AI thesis generator can generate a fluent, coherent, and researched thesis without any plagiarism. It will also help you come up with new ideas to structure your argument.

Is it okay to use AI for writing thesis statement?

Yes, it is fine to use AI to write a thesis statement for your research paper as long as there is no prohibition on it. For this purpose, you can use Editpad’s thesis statement generator for free without signing.

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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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Developing a Thesis Statement

Many papers you write require developing a thesis statement. In this section you’ll learn what a thesis statement is and how to write one.

Keep in mind that not all papers require thesis statements . If in doubt, please consult your instructor for assistance.

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement . . .

• Makes an argumentative assertion about a topic; it states the conclusions that you have reached about your topic.
• Makes a promise to the reader about the scope, purpose, and direction of your paper.
• Is focused and specific enough to be “proven” within the boundaries of your paper.
• Is generally located near the end of the introduction ; sometimes, in a long paper, the thesis will be expressed in several sentences or in an entire paragraph.
• Identifies the relationships between the pieces of evidence that you are using to support your argument.

Not all papers require thesis statements! Ask your instructor if you’re in doubt whether you need one.

Identify a topic

Your topic is the subject about which you will write. Your assignment may suggest several ways of looking at a topic; or it may name a fairly general concept that you will explore or analyze in your paper.

Consider what your assignment asks you to do

Inform yourself about your topic, focus on one aspect of your topic, ask yourself whether your topic is worthy of your efforts, generate a topic from an assignment.

Below are some possible topics based on sample assignments.

Sample assignment 1

Analyze Spain’s neutrality in World War II.

Identified topic

Franco’s role in the diplomatic relationships between the Allies and the Axis

This topic avoids generalities such as “Spain” and “World War II,” addressing instead on Franco’s role (a specific aspect of “Spain”) and the diplomatic relations between the Allies and Axis (a specific aspect of World War II).

Sample assignment 2

Analyze one of Homer’s epic similes in the Iliad.

The relationship between the portrayal of warfare and the epic simile about Simoisius at 4.547-64.

This topic focuses on a single simile and relates it to a single aspect of the Iliad ( warfare being a major theme in that work).

Developing a Thesis Statement–Additional information

Your assignment may suggest several ways of looking at a topic, or it may name a fairly general concept that you will explore or analyze in your paper. You’ll want to read your assignment carefully, looking for key terms that you can use to focus your topic.

Sample assignment: Analyze Spain’s neutrality in World War II Key terms: analyze, Spain’s neutrality, World War II

After you’ve identified the key words in your topic, the next step is to read about them in several sources, or generate as much information as possible through an analysis of your topic. Obviously, the more material or knowledge you have, the more possibilities will be available for a strong argument. For the sample assignment above, you’ll want to look at books and articles on World War II in general, and Spain’s neutrality in particular.

As you consider your options, you must decide to focus on one aspect of your topic. This means that you cannot include everything you’ve learned about your topic, nor should you go off in several directions. If you end up covering too many different aspects of a topic, your paper will sprawl and be unconvincing in its argument, and it most likely will not fulfull the assignment requirements.

For the sample assignment above, both Spain’s neutrality and World War II are topics far too broad to explore in a paper. You may instead decide to focus on Franco’s role in the diplomatic relationships between the Allies and the Axis , which narrows down what aspects of Spain’s neutrality and World War II you want to discuss, as well as establishes a specific link between those two aspects.

Before you go too far, however, ask yourself whether your topic is worthy of your efforts. Try to avoid topics that already have too much written about them (i.e., “eating disorders and body image among adolescent women”) or that simply are not important (i.e. “why I like ice cream”). These topics may lead to a thesis that is either dry fact or a weird claim that cannot be supported. A good thesis falls somewhere between the two extremes. To arrive at this point, ask yourself what is new, interesting, contestable, or controversial about your topic.

As you work on your thesis, remember to keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times . Sometimes your thesis needs to evolve as you develop new insights, find new evidence, or take a different approach to your topic.

Derive a main point from topic

Once you have a topic, you will have to decide what the main point of your paper will be. This point, the “controlling idea,” becomes the core of your argument (thesis statement) and it is the unifying idea to which you will relate all your sub-theses. You can then turn this “controlling idea” into a purpose statement about what you intend to do in your paper.

Look for patterns in your evidence

Compose a purpose statement.

Consult the examples below for suggestions on how to look for patterns in your evidence and construct a purpose statement.

• Franco first tried to negotiate with the Axis
• Franco turned to the Allies when he couldn’t get some concessions that he wanted from the Axis

Possible conclusion:

Spain’s neutrality in WWII occurred for an entirely personal reason: Franco’s desire to preserve his own (and Spain’s) power.

Purpose statement

This paper will analyze Franco’s diplomacy during World War II to see how it contributed to Spain’s neutrality.

• The simile compares Simoisius to a tree, which is a peaceful, natural image.
• The tree in the simile is chopped down to make wheels for a chariot, which is an object used in warfare.

At first, the simile seems to take the reader away from the world of warfare, but we end up back in that world by the end.

This paper will analyze the way the simile about Simoisius at 4.547-64 moves in and out of the world of warfare.

Derive purpose statement from topic

To find out what your “controlling idea” is, you have to examine and evaluate your evidence . As you consider your evidence, you may notice patterns emerging, data repeated in more than one source, or facts that favor one view more than another. These patterns or data may then lead you to some conclusions about your topic and suggest that you can successfully argue for one idea better than another.

For instance, you might find out that Franco first tried to negotiate with the Axis, but when he couldn’t get some concessions that he wanted from them, he turned to the Allies. As you read more about Franco’s decisions, you may conclude that Spain’s neutrality in WWII occurred for an entirely personal reason: his desire to preserve his own (and Spain’s) power. Based on this conclusion, you can then write a trial thesis statement to help you decide what material belongs in your paper.

Sometimes you won’t be able to find a focus or identify your “spin” or specific argument immediately. Like some writers, you might begin with a purpose statement just to get yourself going. A purpose statement is one or more sentences that announce your topic and indicate the structure of the paper but do not state the conclusions you have drawn . Thus, you might begin with something like this:

• This paper will look at modern language to see if it reflects male dominance or female oppression.
• I plan to analyze anger and derision in offensive language to see if they represent a challenge of society’s authority.

At some point, you can turn a purpose statement into a thesis statement. As you think and write about your topic, you can restrict, clarify, and refine your argument, crafting your thesis statement to reflect your thinking.

As you work on your thesis, remember to keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times. Sometimes your thesis needs to evolve as you develop new insights, find new evidence, or take a different approach to your topic.

Compose a draft thesis statement

If you are writing a paper that will have an argumentative thesis and are having trouble getting started, the techniques in the table below may help you develop a temporary or “working” thesis statement.

Begin with a purpose statement that you will later turn into a thesis statement.

Assignment: Discuss the history of the Reform Party and explain its influence on the 1990 presidential and Congressional election.

Purpose Statement: This paper briefly sketches the history of the grassroots, conservative, Perot-led Reform Party and analyzes how it influenced the economic and social ideologies of the two mainstream parties.

Question-to-Assertion

If your assignment asks a specific question(s), turn the question(s) into an assertion and give reasons why it is true or reasons for your opinion.

Assignment : What do Aylmer and Rappaccini have to be proud of? Why aren’t they satisfied with these things? How does pride, as demonstrated in “The Birthmark” and “Rappaccini’s Daughter,” lead to unexpected problems?

Beginning thesis statement: Alymer and Rappaccinni are proud of their great knowledge; however, they are also very greedy and are driven to use their knowledge to alter some aspect of nature as a test of their ability. Evil results when they try to “play God.”

Write a sentence that summarizes the main idea of the essay you plan to write.

Main idea: The reason some toys succeed in the market is that they appeal to the consumers’ sense of the ridiculous and their basic desire to laugh at themselves.

Make a list of the ideas that you want to include; consider the ideas and try to group them.

• nature = peaceful
• war matériel = violent (competes with 1?)
• need for time and space to mourn the dead
• war is inescapable (competes with 3?)

Use a formula to arrive at a working thesis statement (you will revise this later).

• although most readers of _______ have argued that _______, closer examination shows that _______.
• _______ uses _______ and _____ to prove that ________.
• phenomenon x is a result of the combination of __________, __________, and _________.

What to keep in mind as you draft an initial thesis statement

Beginning statements obtained through the methods illustrated above can serve as a framework for planning or drafting your paper, but remember they’re not yet the specific, argumentative thesis you want for the final version of your paper. In fact, in its first stages, a thesis statement usually is ill-formed or rough and serves only as a planning tool.

As you write, you may discover evidence that does not fit your temporary or “working” thesis. Or you may reach deeper insights about your topic as you do more research, and you will find that your thesis statement has to be more complicated to match the evidence that you want to use.

You must be willing to reject or omit some evidence in order to keep your paper cohesive and your reader focused. Or you may have to revise your thesis to match the evidence and insights that you want to discuss. Read your draft carefully, noting the conclusions you have drawn and the major ideas which support or prove those conclusions. These will be the elements of your final thesis statement.

Sometimes you will not be able to identify these elements in your early drafts, but as you consider how your argument is developing and how your evidence supports your main idea, ask yourself, “ What is the main point that I want to prove/discuss? ” and “ How will I convince the reader that this is true? ” When you can answer these questions, then you can begin to refine the thesis statement.

Refine and polish the thesis statement

To get to your final thesis, you’ll need to refine your draft thesis so that it’s specific and arguable.

• Ask if your draft thesis addresses the assignment
• Question each part of your draft thesis
• Clarify vague phrases and assertions
• Investigate alternatives to your draft thesis

Consult the example below for suggestions on how to refine your draft thesis statement.

Sample Assignment

Choose an activity and define it as a symbol of American culture. Your essay should cause the reader to think critically about the society which produces and enjoys that activity.

• Ask The phenomenon of drive-in facilities is an interesting symbol of american culture, and these facilities demonstrate significant characteristics of our society.This statement does not fulfill the assignment because it does not require the reader to think critically about society.

Drive-ins are an interesting symbol of American culture because they represent Americans’ significant creativity and business ingenuity.

Among the types of drive-in facilities familiar during the twentieth century, drive-in movie theaters best represent American creativity, not merely because they were the forerunner of later drive-ins and drive-throughs, but because of their impact on our culture: they changed our relationship to the automobile, changed the way people experienced movies, and changed movie-going into a family activity.

While drive-in facilities such as those at fast-food establishments, banks, pharmacies, and dry cleaners symbolize America’s economic ingenuity, they also have affected our personal standards.

While drive-in facilities such as those at fast- food restaurants, banks, pharmacies, and dry cleaners symbolize (1) Americans’ business ingenuity, they also have contributed (2) to an increasing homogenization of our culture, (3) a willingness to depersonalize relationships with others, and (4) a tendency to sacrifice quality for convenience.

This statement is now specific and fulfills all parts of the assignment. This version, like any good thesis, is not self-evident; its points, 1-4, will have to be proven with evidence in the body of the paper. The numbers in this statement indicate the order in which the points will be presented. Depending on the length of the paper, there could be one paragraph for each numbered item or there could be blocks of paragraph for even pages for each one.

Complete the final thesis statement

The bottom line.

As you move through the process of crafting a thesis, you’ll need to remember four things:

• Context matters! Think about your course materials and lectures. Try to relate your thesis to the ideas your instructor is discussing.
• As you go through the process described in this section, always keep your assignment in mind . You will be more successful when your thesis (and paper) responds to the assignment than if it argues a semi-related idea.
• Your thesis statement should be precise, focused, and contestable ; it should predict the sub-theses or blocks of information that you will use to prove your argument.
• Make sure that you keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times. Change your thesis as your paper evolves, because you do not want your thesis to promise more than your paper actually delivers.

In the beginning, the thesis statement was a tool to help you sharpen your focus, limit material and establish the paper’s purpose. When your paper is finished, however, the thesis statement becomes a tool for your reader. It tells the reader what you have learned about your topic and what evidence led you to your conclusion. It keeps the reader on track–well able to understand and appreciate your argument.

Writing Process and Structure

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Getting Started with Your Paper

Interpreting Writing Assignments from Your Courses

Generating Ideas for

Creating an Argument

Thesis vs. Purpose Statements

Architecture of Arguments

Working with Sources

Quoting and Paraphrasing Sources

Using Literary Quotations

Citing Sources in Your Paper

Drafting Your Paper

Generating Ideas for Your Paper

Introductions

Paragraphing

Developing Strategic Transitions

Conclusions

Revising Your Paper

Peer Reviews

Reverse Outlines

Revising an Argumentative Paper

Revision Strategies for Longer Projects

Finishing Your Paper

Twelve Common Errors: An Editing Checklist

How to Proofread your Paper

Writing Collaboratively

Collaborative and Group Writing

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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.

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Writing a Thesis Statement

Whether you write it first or last, a strong thesis statement is a crucial piece of a top-quality paper. It clarifies exactly what you’re writing about and lays the foundation for your argument. Here’s how to improve your thesis statement in three steps.

When you’re done with your paper, take a moment to run it through an online  paper checker like the one right here on Citation Machine.

Step 1: Identify Your Purpose

There are three main paper types: argumentative, expository, and analytical. There are also paper subtypes, such as the persuasive essay (which is a type of argumentative writing) or the reflective essay (which is an analytical paper). However, every essay can be sorted into one of these three categories.

The type of paper you’re writing will determine how you write your thesis statement. In an argumentative paper, the thesis statement is also called the claim, because it states a point that you’re trying to make. An analytical paper’s thesis statement is typically called just that: it’s an idea that you’re suggesting based on existing materials. Finally, an expository paper contains a topic sentence. This is because you are writing about a specific area or object, and not just an idea.

• Argumentative
• Debatable point
• Terminology may need to be defined to clarify the argument

Thesis Statement:

• Proposes a new idea
• Reflects on learning
• “Digs deep” into a topic
• Involves some theoretical thinking

Topic Sentence

• Indicates a specific topic discussed
• Is limited to a specific scope of study
• Is rarely readily debatable

These three types of thesis statement and their varying names lead you to your next step: learning.

Step 2: Research

It can be tempting to latch onto an intriguing thesis statement and run with it, looking for evidence that supports your claim or topic sentence. However, it’s better to do some thorough research before hanging your hat on a thesis statement. Why?

• You may find your opinion changes with research
• There may not be much trustworthy information to support your ideas
• The specific focus of your paper may change once you’ve gathered evidence from reliable sources

Once you have a general idea of what you’re going to write about, and what type of paper you’re writing, do your research. This may be based on a professor’s assignment (What social, political, or technological development most contributed to the rise of the European feudal system?), or it may be based on your own areas of interest (Choose an aspect of modern public policy to explain). Get as much information as you can, and start loosely organizing it by comparing and contrasting facts. This will also help you when it’s time to create your works cited page or annotated bibliography .

Once you have a strong body of information, see if your initial idea for a thesis statement still works.

Step 3: Be Specific

The golden rule of a thesis statement is be concise . The thesis statement is not the place to add evidence, reasoning, or specifics. It’s the simplest possible phrase you can think of to present your idea. The hook (beginning introduction) of your paper can be wild, but the thesis statement should be short and sharp. Leave no room for confusion.

• A good example of a strong claim is: “Poaching damages local ecosystems.”
• A weak example of a claim is: “Poaching damages ecosystems and is illegal, too.”

Illegality is a tangent. It shouldn’t be part of the thesis statement because it blurs the focus of the paper.

• A strong analytical thesis statement for an English paper may read: “Keats’ poems represent the unrealistic ideology of the Romantic movement.”
• A weaker analytic thesis statement might read: “Keats was a Romantic poem, and his poems showed impossible ideas, just like other Romantic era writers, like Brontë.”

Mentioning other poets and lengthening the thesis statement makes it unclear which poet is the focus of the paper, and why.

• A strong topic sentence for a science paper could be: “True hibernation differs from partial hibernation in many ways.”
• The weaker sentence could say: “Hibernation isn’t always sleeping a whole winter, because there are different ways different animals hibernate.”

The second sentence here makes it unclear whether the focus is on how different animals hibernate, or on hibernation itself.

Check Yourself

If you’ve done it right, your thesis statement will “pop” when you’re done with your paper. It will be short and sweet, clearly stating your main focus. Each paragraph of your paper will relate back to it clearly. And if a reader were asked what the paper was about, he or she should answer in a way that clearly reflects the thesis statement.

If you can check these off, you’re ready to sharpen your MLA works cited page and make sure your evidence fulfills your awesome thesis statement!

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Good thesis: Makes a strong argument

The point of a thesis, ultimately, is to posit an argument that you will then support through the rest of the paper. So a good thesis will put forth a strong statement that 1) needs proving and 2) can be proven with the information in the rest of the essay.

Ultimately, an environment of rampant piracy helps no one and hurts all artists trying to make a living from creative work.

A paper arguing about media piracy might use this sentence as a thesis statement. It’s an opinion or a theory, not a given fact, and could be argued against. It’s the kind of statement that takes a definitive stance and clearly leads into supporting arguments to follow. That’s where your research will come in – and make sure to cite everything properly, whether the guidelines call for an annotated bibliography , Chicago in-text citation , or something else entirely!

Bad thesis: Does not make an argument or states a simple fact

When it comes to the actual argument of a thesis, there are two major pitfalls that writers may fall into. The first: writing a thesis that doesn’t actually make an argument that lends itself to evidence. The second: stating a simple fact that doesn’t need proving because it’s already assumed to be true, even by someone with no knowledge of the field.

Let’s try turning the above example into a sentence like this.

According to these studies, there is an environment of rampant piracy in this country.

There is no real argument here, especially given the clause “according to these studies,” which means that evidence has already been referenced. This is not a thesis, but a conclusion.

Good thesis: A complex sentence

An okay thesis might be a straightforward sentence, but a truly excellent one is likely to be a longer sentence with multiple clauses. Why? Because the best theses make an argument that also includes context, reasons, or acknowledgement of opposing views.

While some readings may suggest that Romeo and Juliet is about the foolishness of impetuous young love between naïve, hyper-emotional partners, the play is more overtly a critique of feud culture and its effects on future generations.

Here, the author would acknowledge the validity of another viewpoint, but argue that theirs is, ultimately, the best or most accurate one – and then the paper would proceed to present evidence. Having this complex sentence for a thesis statement opens up avenues for a thoughtful paper that ultimately makes a stronger argument because it doesn’t pretend alternatives don’t exist, but answers the “why?” question of why its argument should win.

Bad thesis: A simple statement

When you’re first learning how to write essays, simple statements are the norm, but as you advance in your writing, theses should become more advanced as well. A short sentence is not likely to contain the kind of in-depth or multifaceted argument that you’ll need in order to support a thoughtful paper.

The play Romeo and Juliet is about the dangers of feud culture .

Not incorrect, but not great either. A simple statement like this isn’t a good thesis because it barely scratches the surface; a great thesis will dig deeper.

Good thesis: Stays on topic

When writing a thesis statement, it’s important to stay close to the prompt. A thesis statement is designed to provide a road map for what’s to come, and if it’s not clear, then the rest of the paper is likely to be unclear or disorganized, too. This is especially true for compare and contrast style prompts, where the writer is asked not to make a new argument of their own, but to find meaning in the relationship between existing arguments. Let’s try one:

While Brecht’s analysis focuses on the political aspects and how the play’s adaptation fit into the development of his own theatrical paradigm, Nussbaum analyzes from a more theoretical, literary approach, discussing language and moral ambiguities in the context of Hegelian dialectic and revealing the manipulation of paradigm within the universe of the play itself.

The author here sticks to a clear topic: the relationship between two theorists’ takes on a single play. By finding a common theme that is addressed differently – “paradigms” – the writer makes an “argument” as to what that relationship is. Staying on topic is no different than sticking to MLA format : it’s about checking your work to follow directions.

Bad thesis: Has no specific topic

If you create a thesis statement and it doesn’t narrow down a broad topic to something specific, you probably need to do some reworking. A weak version of the complex thesis above might look something like this:

Brecht and Nussbaum both analyze the play, but differently .

Although this is, technically, an opinion statement (one could theoretically argue that two analyses are similar rather than different), it’s a weak one that provides no guidance for the rest of the essay. We need specifics to tie it together and form a strong road map for the paper.

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Writing Tutorial Services

How to write a thesis statement, what is a thesis statement.

Almost all of us—even if we don’t do it consciously—look early in an essay for a one- or two-sentence condensation of the argument or analysis that is to follow. We refer to that condensation as a thesis statement.

Why Should Your Essay Contain a Thesis Statement?

• to test your ideas by distilling them into a sentence or two
• to better organize and develop your argument
• to provide your reader with a “guide” to your argument

In general, your thesis statement will accomplish these goals if you think of the thesis as the answer to the question your paper explores.

How Can You Write a Good Thesis Statement?

Here are some helpful hints to get you started. You can either scroll down or select a link to a specific topic.

How to Generate a Thesis Statement if the Topic is Assigned How to Generate a Thesis Statement if the Topic is not Assigned How to Tell a Strong Thesis Statement from a Weak One

How to Generate a Thesis Statement if the Topic is Assigned

Almost all assignments, no matter how complicated, can be reduced to a single question. Your first step, then, is to distill the assignment into a specific question. For example, if your assignment is, “Write a report to the local school board explaining the potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class,” turn the request into a question like, “What are the potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class?” After you’ve chosen the question your essay will answer, compose one or two complete sentences answering that question.

Q: “What are the potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class?” A: “The potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class are . . .”

A: “Using computers in a fourth-grade class promises to improve . . .”

The answer to the question is the thesis statement for the essay.

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How to Generate a Thesis Statement if the Topic is not Assigned

Even if your assignment doesn’t ask a specific question, your thesis statement still needs to answer a question about the issue you’d like to explore. In this situation, your job is to figure out what question you’d like to write about.

A good thesis statement will usually include the following four attributes:

• take on a subject upon which reasonable people could disagree
• deal with a subject that can be adequately treated given the nature of the assignment
• express one main idea
• assert your conclusions about a subject

Let’s see how to generate a thesis statement for a social policy paper.

Brainstorm the topic . Let’s say that your class focuses upon the problems posed by changes in the dietary habits of Americans. You find that you are interested in the amount of sugar Americans consume.

You start out with a thesis statement like this:

Sugar consumption.

This fragment isn’t a thesis statement. Instead, it simply indicates a general subject. Furthermore, your reader doesn’t know what you want to say about sugar consumption.

Narrow the topic . Your readings about the topic, however, have led you to the conclusion that elementary school children are consuming far more sugar than is healthy.

You change your thesis to look like this:

Reducing sugar consumption by elementary school children.

This fragment not only announces your subject, but it focuses on one segment of the population: elementary school children. Furthermore, it raises a subject upon which reasonable people could disagree, because while most people might agree that children consume more sugar than they used to, not everyone would agree on what should be done or who should do it. You should note that this fragment is not a thesis statement because your reader doesn’t know your conclusions on the topic.

Take a position on the topic. After reflecting on the topic a little while longer, you decide that what you really want to say about this topic is that something should be done to reduce the amount of sugar these children consume.

You revise your thesis statement to look like this:

More attention should be paid to the food and beverage choices available to elementary school children.

This statement asserts your position, but the terms more attention and food and beverage choices are vague.

Use specific language . You decide to explain what you mean about food and beverage choices , so you write:

Experts estimate that half of elementary school children consume nine times the recommended daily allowance of sugar.

This statement is specific, but it isn’t a thesis. It merely reports a statistic instead of making an assertion.

Make an assertion based on clearly stated support. You finally revise your thesis statement one more time to look like this:

Because half of all American elementary school children consume nine times the recommended daily allowance of sugar, schools should be required to replace the beverages in soda machines with healthy alternatives.

Notice how the thesis answers the question, “What should be done to reduce sugar consumption by children, and who should do it?” When you started thinking about the paper, you may not have had a specific question in mind, but as you became more involved in the topic, your ideas became more specific. Your thesis changed to reflect your new insights.

How to Tell a Strong Thesis Statement from a Weak One

1. a strong thesis statement takes some sort of stand..

Remember that your thesis needs to show your conclusions about a subject. For example, if you are writing a paper for a class on fitness, you might be asked to choose a popular weight-loss product to evaluate. Here are two thesis statements:

There are some negative and positive aspects to the Banana Herb Tea Supplement.

This is a weak thesis statement. First, it fails to take a stand. Second, the phrase negative and positive aspects is vague.

Because Banana Herb Tea Supplement promotes rapid weight loss that results in the loss of muscle and lean body mass, it poses a potential danger to customers.

This is a strong thesis because it takes a stand, and because it's specific.

2. A strong thesis statement justifies discussion.

Your thesis should indicate the point of the discussion. If your assignment is to write a paper on kinship systems, using your own family as an example, you might come up with either of these two thesis statements:

My family is an extended family.

This is a weak thesis because it merely states an observation. Your reader won’t be able to tell the point of the statement, and will probably stop reading.

While most American families would view consanguineal marriage as a threat to the nuclear family structure, many Iranian families, like my own, believe that these marriages help reinforce kinship ties in an extended family.

This is a strong thesis because it shows how your experience contradicts a widely-accepted view. A good strategy for creating a strong thesis is to show that the topic is controversial. Readers will be interested in reading the rest of the essay to see how you support your point.

3. A strong thesis statement expresses one main idea.

Readers need to be able to see that your paper has one main point. If your thesis statement expresses more than one idea, then you might confuse your readers about the subject of your paper. For example:

Companies need to exploit the marketing potential of the Internet, and Web pages can provide both advertising and customer support.

This is a weak thesis statement because the reader can’t decide whether the paper is about marketing on the Internet or Web pages. To revise the thesis, the relationship between the two ideas needs to become more clear. One way to revise the thesis would be to write:

Because the Internet is filled with tremendous marketing potential, companies should exploit this potential by using Web pages that offer both advertising and customer support.

This is a strong thesis because it shows that the two ideas are related. Hint: a great many clear and engaging thesis statements contain words like because , since , so , although , unless , and however .

4. A strong thesis statement is specific.

A thesis statement should show exactly what your paper will be about, and will help you keep your paper to a manageable topic. For example, if you're writing a seven-to-ten page paper on hunger, you might say:

World hunger has many causes and effects.

This is a weak thesis statement for two major reasons. First, world hunger can’t be discussed thoroughly in seven to ten pages. Second, many causes and effects is vague. You should be able to identify specific causes and effects. A revised thesis might look like this:

Hunger persists in Glandelinia because jobs are scarce and farming in the infertile soil is rarely profitable.

This is a strong thesis statement because it narrows the subject to a more specific and manageable topic, and it also identifies the specific causes for the existence of hunger.

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