Breaking Down the Thesis

Breaking down the thesis of an essay, term paper, or research paper is not as difficult as it seems. An extremely well written paper can be hard to determine precisely what the thesis statement is because it flows with the paper and is not easily spotted.

This can pose for some difficulties for students who are still understanding the concept of a thesis statement. Remember, a thesis statement is sentence that summarizes the entire paper in a few short words. Many instructors would rather have a thesis statement before the paper is written, but for students who are attending school for careers in education such as English or writing will need to be able to identify in any given paper that is thrown at them.

Normally, the thesis statement is in the introductory paragraph. However, extended papers or lengthy papers may not show the thesis until the second paragraph, or the second introduction. There have been papers that show the thesis statement not only in the introduction, but in the abstract of the paper as well. Also, a good note to go by is that thesis statements are always reworded at the end of a paper.

That last statement can be the one key that helps you find the thesis statement in a paper. Find the two sentences in the paper that mean the exact same thing, but are written completely different. By knowing that one is in the beginning and the other is at the end, you should be able to find the statement fairly easily. No matter what, that statement is going to be the one that says exactly the opinion of the writer, or describes precisely what the paper is going to be about... all in one sentence.

Thinking Thesis–That Thought That Escapes

 

The thoughts of a thesis statement are sometimes really difficult to work with. Think about it: your instructor tells you they want a thesis statement for a persuasive essay about gun control. They want your thesis statement by the next class, but the problem is this: you not only don’t know how to write a thesis statement, but you haven’t the slightest idea as to what one is either.

Never fear. A thesis statement is very simple to work with and to create. If you already know where you stand on your paper, then you have the general idea. If you can say your opinion, then you can write your thesis.

For example, let’s say you are for gun control. Your paper is to persuade others to be for gun control. State your opinion out loud, writing it down as you go. This works on the opposite side of the opinion, too. If you are against gun control, state why. Boom! You have your thesis.

Now, what is a thesis? A thesis statement is the one sentence in the very beginning and very end of a paper that says what your paper is about. Although some teaching careers will tell you it can be broken down into two sentences, usually one does the trick. This sentence summarizes the entire opinion of the paper into a few short words, without running on and on like it’s telling the whole paper in one paragraph.

Thesis papers are the same thing as essays, only normally the thesis statement is stated for you. If your instructor asks you to write a thesis on the death of Edgar Allen Poe, and gives you the statement: “Edgar Allen Poe’s death still remains a mystery, but conclusions have been made to determine the actual cause of death”, then you know exactly what you are writing in your paper. The entire concept is right there: reasons and conclusions to Edgar Allen Poe’s death. This is your body. All you have to do is the research and put it together.

All in all, a thesis is very simple to comprehend. Whether a statement or an entire paper, you can write a thesis. Just spit it out and write it down.