Strong thesis statements – why do they matter?

Writing a strong thesis statement matters, and perhaps even more than you realize. “Having a strong thesis statement helps you craft a strong writing assignment. We can turn to an analogy to consider the importance of the thesis statement,” said Sarah Gibbons, writing specialist, Writing and Learning Support. “When building a house, you need to have a strong foundation and solid structure before you can start painting rooms or choosing furniture. Similarly, when you’re writing an essay, you need to have a strong thesis statement to build your paper before you start finetuning your sentences.”

So, what is a thesis statement and how do you use it?

A thesis statement is the main point or argument of a writing assignment. You can use your thesis statement to ensure that every paragraph and sentence you write in your paper supports it. “Many writing assignments in university require a strong thesis statement, and this statement is often worth a significant portion of points on the assignment rubric,” said Gibbons.

What resources does the library have to support writing strong thesis statements?

1. Five Type of Thesis Statements: This handout identifies five common types of thesis statements that you encounter in university papers and offers examples of each. The five types include argument, evaluation, analysis, comparison, and cause and effect. 
   1. Tip: Read this alongside your assignment guidelines to determine what kind of thesis statement you need to write for your paper.
2. Templates for Writing Thesis Statements: This worksheet provides five questions that you can ask about your thesis statement draft to ensure that you’ve written a strong statement that you can support in your writing assignment.
3. Five Questions to Strengthen Your Thesis Statement: This handout provides five questions that you can ask about your thesis statement draft to ensure you’ve written a strong statement that you can support in their writing assignment.

Receiving writing support from the library

“Writing a thesis statement is an iterative process. Writing a thesis statement can help you develop your ideas, but developing your ideas can also help you refine your thesis statement,” said Gibbons. “As a writer, you don’t need to feel stuck with the first version of your thesis statement. You can change your thesis statement as you write to better reflect the development of your ideas and the evidence you find.”
If you need writing support, book a writing appointment. Whether you’re an undergraduate student or a graduate student, a writing appointment is beneficial, as everyone is always improving their writing. Learn more about what to expect in a writing appointment.

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