What is a Thesis Statement?

Almost all of us even if we don't do it consciously look early in an essay for a one- or two-sentence condensation of the argument or analysis that is to follow. We refer to that condensation as a thesis statement.

A thesis statement:

• tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.
• is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.
• directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself.
• thesis statement is usually a single sentence somewhere in your first paragraph that presents your argument to the reader but that often feels like a simplistic, unexciting beginning. It more frequently appears at or near the end of the first paragraph or two.
• The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.

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