What is a Thesis Statement?
A thesis statement is a sentence that expresses the central argument or main point of your paper. It should be phrased in the form of a claim that can be supported with evidence. A good thesis statement will direct the structure of your essay and allow your reader to understand specifically what you will argue within your paper. It should be a statement and not a question.
Where does a Thesis Statement go?
Your thesis should be stated somewhere in the opening paragraphs of your paper, most often as the last sentence of the introduction. Often, a thesis statement will be one sentence, but for complex subjects, you may find it more effective to break it into two sentences.
How do you write a Thesis Statement?
The kind of thesis statement you write will depend on the type of paper you are writing. Here is how to write the different kinds of thesis statements:
An argumentative thesis states the topic of your paper, your position on the topic, and the reasons you have for taking that position. For help making an argumentative thesis, try using our Thesis Generator tool.
Sample Argumentative Thesis:
An analytical thesis states the topic of your paper, what specifically you analyzed, and the conclusion(s) you reached as a result of that analysis.
Sample Analytical Thesis:
An expository thesis statement states the topic of your paper and lists the key aspects of your topic that will be discussed in the paper.
Sample Expository Thesis:
When should I use a Thesis Statement instead of a Purpose Statement and vice versa?
A thesis statement must be present in papers that require the writer to take a stance on a topic or present a clear claim about a topic. Think of your thesis as the clear answer to a research question, supported by evidence. The thesis statement is most commonly used in student argumentative papers.
A purpose statement can be present in papers where the writer is exploring a topic without necessarily taking a firm stance and wants to simply provide the scope of the paper and what they are aiming to do within the paper. It is commonly used in scholarly journal articles, dissertations, and student research papers, and in these, it is commonly paired with a thesis statement as well.
Some faculty prefer a thesis over a purpose statement; ask your instructor if you are unsure which to use.
What is a Purpose Statement?
A purpose statement is a sentence that states the goal, direction, and basis for your paper. It should be phrased bluntly but should not make a claim that requires evidence for support. Like a thesis statement, a good purpose statement will direct the structure of your essay, but instead of drawing any conclusions, it should simply tell your reader why you have written your paper and what you will cover.
Where does a Purpose Statement go?
A purpose statement should be stated somewhere in the opening paragraphs of your paper, most often as the last sentence of the introduction. Often, a purpose statement will be one sentence, but for complex subjects, you may find it more effective to break it into two sentences.
How do you write a Purpose Statement?
A purpose statement is intended to be a direct statement about what you are doing in your paper. Common beginnings to purpose statements include:
- The goal of this paper is to…
- This paper will…
- The purpose for this analysis is to…
Often, it can recycle ideas from the prompt itself. For instance, if the prompt asks a student to “Identify and explain the differences between Grammy-winning soul albums from the 1960s to the present day in order to show how the genre has evolved,” you might consider writing:
Ex: This paper will examine differences between early award-winning soul music and more modern iterations to demonstrate the genre’s evolution.
Can my paper have both a Thesis Statement and a Purpose Statement?
The short answer is yes. Some papers can have both. However, it depends on the assignment prompt for your paper. Most student papers will have one or the other. In some cases, instructors may consider purpose statements too direct, so it is best to check with your instructor.
When used together, a purpose statement usually appears right before a thesis statement.
Ex: [Purpose] The goal of this paper is to examine the effects of electrical interference and dense foliage on antenna reception. [Thesis] While some antennas can get a full signal regardless of proximity to power lines and trees, placing an antenna far from power lines and above big trees is ideal for obtaining the best signal.
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