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 that you often use in your daily life. You convince your roommate to tidy up, your family members to permit you to borrow their vehicle, and your friend to cast a vote for your preferred candidate or for a particular policy. In college, assignments usually require students to write a persuasive argument in writing. The goal is to convince the audience of your point of opinion. This method of persuasion, commonly referred to as academic argument, follows a pattern that is common in writing. Following a short introduction to the topic, you present your view of the subject in a clear and usually in a single sentence. The thesis statement. It is an outline of your argument for the remainder of your essay.
The thesis:
- The reader is told what you think your understanding of the issue is discussed.
- It is a roadmap for the paper in terms of telling readers what to expect from the rest of the essay.
- The thesis directly addresses the question asked to the person asking. The thesis is a definition of a subject or question but not the subject. The topic or the subject of an essay could include World War II or Moby Dick. The thesis should provide a method to analyze the story or war.
- Makes a claim that others might disagree with.
- Typically, it is a short paragraph at the start of your essay (most typically, towards the beginning of the paragraph) which explains your position in front of the audience. The remainder of the essay, which is the body of your essay, assembles and arranges evidence that convinces the reader to accept the logic of your reasoning.
If the assignment requires you to adopt a position or formulate a statement on an issue, you might be required to state your idea or argument in a thesis at the top of your essay. The assignment might not specifically require a thesis statement, but the instructor might assume that you’ll have one. If you are unsure, ask your instructor if the task calls for an argumentative thesis statement. If an assignment requires you to think about, interpret or contrast and compare in order to show the relationship between cause and effect or to make a statement on a topic, you are likely to find that you will be required to write an argument and support your argument persuasively.
How can I write it?
The thesis is the product of a long-term thinking process. Doing a thesis is not the first thing you’ll do when you read an essay. Before you begin to formulate an argument on any subject, it is necessary to gather the evidence and then organize it. Search for connections between the known facts (such as shocking similarities or contrasts) and consider the importance of those connections. After you have done this, you’ll likely come up with a “working thesis” that presents an idea that is basic and an argument you believe you can back by providing evidence. Both your argument and your thesis may require adjustments along the way.
Writers employ all sorts of methods to help them think more clearly and assist them in establishing relationships or grasping the greater significance of a subject and coming up with the thesis statement. Thesis statement generator is one of the good options. For more suggestions about how to start, look at our handout on brainstorming.
How can I tell whether my thesis is solid?
If you have the time, pass the thesis through your instructor or thesis writer to get some feedback. Even if you don’t have time to seek out assistance elsewhere, you could make a thesis assessment of your own. After reviewing your draft as well as your thesis, consider these questions:
- How do I answer the question? Reviewing the prompt again following the process of constructing a thesis can help you to fix arguments that don’t get to the main point in the query. If the prompt isn’t structured as a query, try to modify the question. For instance, “Discuss the effect of X on Y” could be changed to “What is the effect of X on Y?”
- Have I taken a stand that other people might contest or disagree with? If your thesis merely states facts that nobody would agree with or perhaps be able to agree with, it’s possible that you’re simply giving a summary instead of arguing.
- Is my thesis statement specific enough? Statements in your thesis that are vague usually are not backed by a convincing argument. If your thesis is based on phrases such as “good” or “successful,” try to clarify why the thing you’re talking about is “good”; what specifically defines something as “successful”?
- Does your thesis meet the “So what?” test? If the reader’s initial reaction will likely be, “So What?” then it is necessary to clarify your thesis, establish a connection, or connect it to a bigger problem.
- Does my essay back up my thesis with precision and not wander? If your thesis and part of the essay don’t seem to align and one or the other needs to be changed. It’s fine to alter your thesis in order to reflect what you’ve discovered in the course of writing your essay. Always review and revise your work whenever required.
- Does your thesis be able to pass its “how and why?” test? If the first question a reader will ask is “why” or “how?” or “why?” your thesis might be too loose and not provide any direction to the viewer. Consider what you can include providing the reader with an understanding of your thesis starting from the very beginning.
