The thesis statement is the most important part of a paper,
because it tells the reader what you will discuss and what you
want the reader to know from reading your work.
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A thesis statement
should outline the specific topic of your paper.
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What am I going to say in this paper and how am I going to
say it? Check whether you are getting a good answers to these
questions in your thesis statement.
Your
thesis statement should not be too
general, and it
should state your topic as an
argument which your essay will
support, rather than merely an
opinion or a statement of fact.
Examples:
- This essay is about computers
in education.
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- This statement is too
general; what are you going to discuss
about education?
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- Nowadays many students use
computers as part of their
educational experiences.
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- This
is a fact,
but does it present a clear
argument?
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- This paper will discuss the ways in which computers have
revolutionized education, such as distance learning, computer-assisted
research, and communication with other students anywhere
in the world.
Clearer
focus, but this thesis is more of a
list than an argument.
It is also somewhat mechanical.
- Computers have revolutionized
education by allowing
students the opportunity to
learn about any subject
without having to leave home,
and by making it possible to
communicate almost
instantaneously with other
students anywhere in the
world.
This
statement presents a clear argument
that is easy to follow.
Try to avoid the form "In this paper, I will discuss..."
or "This paper will..." in a thesis statement. Present
your argument in a natural, though still formal, style.
Examples:
- In this essay, I will discuss
the attitudes of artists and censors toward the issue of
violent imagery in the media.
This thesis sentence is too mechanical and will not hold
a reader=s interest.
- The groups of people with the strongest views on violent
imagery in the media are artists, who believe that a fictional
depiction is a reflection of reality; and censors, who believe
that reality is directly influenced by fantasy.
This is better.
Unless you are writing something
very technical,
Avoid
technical language or jargon
in a thesis statement.
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Check the thesis statement
carefully after you have finished writing the paper.
Modify the statement if you find that it does not reflect
the main points of your paper.
Usually, you will present your thesis statement
at the beginning of the paper, often in the last sentence
of your introduction. You can also place
the thesis statement at the beginning of the introduction,
but this is not always as effective as building up to your
thesis in the introduction.
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