Thesis Statement?

A thesis statement is the sentence that the whole paper supports. It should be broad enough to encompass your ideas on your topic. For instance, let’s say your topic is World War II. Then your thesis statement might be-America was instrumental in winning World War II. In your report, you will have to explain the when, where and who of World War II. You would have to describe the role of the United States before and after D-Day. You will have to write about the Pacific and European theatres. Then in your conclusion, you will show how your report proved that thesis statement.

Some people like working from a thesis question, i.e. How important was the US in the winning of World War II.

In either case, the report, paper, essay must prove your thesis.

A thesis statement is your main idea of your essay. Usually at the beginning of the essay in the intro, or at the end. Sometimes does not have to be stated if the idea is that easy to see. Just depends on what your teacher wants. Look up Toulmin on google.

Once given your assignment, take notes or write in a less structured way (this is called “free writing”) in order to sort out your thoughts on the issue at hand. You may want to create a table listing the pros and cons of two opposing positions before you make your final decision. This will provide you with clarification and perhaps a line of argumentation for the body of your essay.