How to Write a Thesis Statement: Thesis Construction

• A good thesis is unified:

Thesis Examples:

Detective stories are not a high form of literature, but people have always been fascinated by them.

Many  fine writers have experimented with them (floppy).

 vs.

Detective stories appeal to the basic human desire for thrills (concise).

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• A good thesis is specific:

​Thesis Examples

James Joyce’s Ulysses is very good.

vs.

James Joyce’s Ulysses helped create a new way for writers to deal with the unconscious.

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• Be as specific as possible (without providing too much detail) when creating your thesis:​

Thesis Examples

James Joyce’s Ulysses helped create a new way for writers to deal with the unconscious.

vs.

James Joyce’s Ulysses helped create a new way for writers to deal with the unconscious by utilizing the findings of Freudian psychology and introducing the techniques of literary stream-of-consciousness.

 (Source: OWL@Purdue).

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Things To Avoid When Writing A Thesis

 

• A thesis is not a title.

 

Examples:

Homes and schools (title)

vs.

Parents ought to participate more in the education of their children (good thesis).

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• A thesis is not an announcement of the subject. 

 

Examples:

My subject is the incompetence of the Supreme Court

vs.

The Supreme Court made a mistake when it ruled in favor of George W. Bush in the 2000 election.

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• A thesis is not a statement of absolute fact.

Examples:

 

Jane Austen is the author of Pride and Prejudice.

 

• A thesis is not the whole essay.

It is your main idea/claim/refutation/problem-solution expressed in a single sentence or a combination of sentences.

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Please note that according to the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers,

• Eighth Edition, "A thesis statement is a single sentence that formulates both your topic and your point of view" (Gibaldi 56). However, if your paper is more complex and requires a thesis statement, your thesis may require a combination of sentences.