THESIS STATEMENT FOR ESSAYS
Does it ever happen to you that you take out your pen to write an essay, but the pen doesn’t move and you keep scratching your head because you do not know what to write?
Well, you are not alone in this. We all have to go through the writer's block. But what if I tell you that 99% of the content of your essay depends on the first sentence.
This first sentence is called by many names. But for the sake of convenience, I will call it the Thesis Statement.
What is the Thesis Statement?
The thesis statement is mostly the very first sentence that defines the course of your essay. It is the sentence on which the direction of your whole essay depends. It defines the purpose of writing the essay.
In simple words, it is the main idea of the essay. Your essay, whether argumentative of expository/factual, would be based on this.
But why do we even need to write the thesis statement?
One, it gives your essay a direction.
Two, it makes your essay focused, and gives weight to your argument.
Three, it gives the purpose to your essay.
Four, it makes it easier for the reader to grasp the message at the outset.
Examples of the thesis statement:
1. Topic: Future of Democracy in Pakistan.
Thesis Statement: The democracy is bound to thrive in Pakistan if all the institutions operate within their constitutional limits, and the rule of law is respected.
2. Topic: Feminism is not really a third world issue. (CSS-2017)
Contrary to the belief that feminism is confined within the territorial jurisdiction of the underdeveloped nations, it is a universal phenomenon which advocates the equal social, political, legal and economic rights for women.
3. Does foreign aid help to achieve economic stability. (CSS-2016)
Foreign aid rarely helps to bring economic stability if it is not coupled with the reforms in the home economy such as securing property rights, improving tax culture, abolishing the culture of corruption, and improving the governance.
4. Brains, Like Hearts, Go Where They Are Appreciated.
Recently, the country has seen a significant number of skilled professionals from all walks of life leaving the country. The fundamental reason for this brain drain is the inability of the government to appreciate the potential value that they might add to the country.
Qualities of a strong thesis statement:
1. A strong thesis statement directly answers the hidden question asked in the topic.
For instance, in the 4th topic, there is a hidden question asked in the topic and that is: “Why is brain drain happening in Pakistan?” Therefore, your thesis statement should be able to answer the question asked in the topic.
2. Your thesis statement should not just state the facts. In fact, it should be based on the argument on which your essay has to revolve.
Look at the third topic. The thesis statement is not saying that foreign aid is defined as this or that and that this country got help from foreign funding and that did not. Rather, it picks up an argument on which the whole essay will be based.
3. The thesis statement should always be specific. You should always avoid taking a generalised approach to the thesis statement. The generalised approach makes your essay weak and loses the focus.
For instance, the first topic in the essay is very specific. It does not go into the history of democracy in Pakistan. Instead, it focuses solely on the future and gives the reasons thereof.
4. The Thesis statement should always be within the introduction. It can be placed anywhere, but mostly it is the first sentence.
The first three topics above had the first sentence as the thesis statement. However, the fourth sentence has the second sentence as the thesis statement. But, keep in mind that it would always be within the introductory paragraph.
So, in this post, I defined what a thesis statement is and I also gave you some examples of the thesis statement. In the next post, I will tell you how to write a thesis statement.
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| THESIS STATEMENT FOR ESSAYS |