The textbook way students tend to approach thesis statements is to say, “this paper will be about,” without saying it quite so crudely. But when papers lack aim, or arguments get disorganized in the body paragraph, a poorly formed thesis statement is often to blame. While the thesis statement provides the overall topic for a paper, without creating an arguable position to support the observations and facts on the subject, writing content for an essay becomes increasingly harder.
Creating a thesis statement PRIOR to drafting is essential to determining the essay’s real focus. Thesis statements guide the writer through the paper’s development. While different areas of study require thesis statements to work in different ways, approaching it in an analytical statement can help you begin to organize it into a beginning draft.
In general, a thesis statement follows the structure of an analytical statement,
There are two parts to an analytical statement:
Let’s imagine you’re writing an argumentative thesis statement about The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
Example: During the reaping, Katniss takes her little sister’s place in the games, which symbolizes the types of sacrifices that older sisters must make for their younger siblings.
Part one is inarguable and part two (italicized) is arguable. Throughout the essay, it is your job to prove the argumentative claim using evidence from the primary source, your own analysis, and in some cases research.