Where Does the Thesis Statement Go?
The Thesis Statement belongs in the opening paragraph of your essay. It is usually the last sentence in that opening paragraph. Content of the Thesis Statement: It may be helpful to think of the thesis statement as being a sentence containing a question and the answer: • The Question is Your Topic – either your assigned topic or the topic you have chosen to write about. (What material am I going to cover in this essay?) • The Answer is the point or points you are making about the topic. This can be your analysis of the topic, your explanation of the topic or your argument about the topic, seeking to persuade your readers of the validity of your opinion. In shorter essays, only one of these three forms is used. Thesis Statements for Essays Doing an Analysis of the Topic: • Tell your readers what you are analyzing. • Give the parts of your analysis. • Give the order in which these parts are presented. Thesis Statements for Essays Giving an Explanation of the Topic: • Tell your readers wh
