What is a Thesis Statement


What is a Thesis Statement

Let us examine some of the thesis statement definitions provided by the universities to know more about what is a thesis statement exactly?

“A thesis statement announces the author’s argument, analysis, or explanation in an academic essay.” ~ The University of Louisville Writing Center.

“A thesis statement is a single sentence, preferably a simple declarative sentence that expresses the basic idea around which the paper will develop.” ~ Webster University Writing Center.

“Every paper you write should have a main point, a main idea, or central message. The argument(s) you make in your paper should reflect this main idea. The sentence that captures your position on this main idea is what we call a thesis statement.” ~ University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Center for Writing Studies.

“A thesis statement is one of the greatest unifying aspects of a paper. It should act as mortar, holding together the various bricks of a paper, summarizing the main point of the paper ‘in a nutshell’, and pointing toward the paper’s development. Often a thesis statement will be expressed in a sentence or two…” ~ University of Richmond Writing Center.

“A thesis statement is a very specific argument that guides your paper. Generally, a thesis statement consists of two parts:
1. A clearly identifiable topic or subject matter, and
2. A succinct summary of what you have to say about that topic.” ~ Vanderbilt University Writing Center.

Hope reading these definitions from authority university sources helped you to better understand what a thesis statement is all about.