Writing the Thesis Statement

Limiting a topic and clarifying your purpose are important first steps before writing the single sentence that summarizes and introduces an essay, the thesis statement. The thesis statement controls what is written and suggests how to present the material. The body of the essay itself supports the thesis statement.

A good thesis statement has the following characteristics.

1. It is a complete sentence expressing a thought and usually does not begin with an interrogative word. "My college is the best in the area in student achievement" rather than "Why my college is the best in the New York area."

2. It limits the writer's idea to a manageable size. "New York State sales taxes are unnecessarily high" is more limited than "Taxes are unneces­sarily high."

3. It often indicates the writer's opinion or purpose rather than stating an indisputable fact. Thus, it is frequently an idea that can be disagreed with. "Because cigarettes cause diseases, pollute the air, and annoy non-smokers, they should be banned from public places" is workable. "Cigarettes are expensive" is not.

4. It should not give the writer's intention directly. "Most people from my country share two common characteristics: friendly personalities and fierce national pride" would be better than "I am going to tell you about people from my country."

Look back at the introduction to the essay, "How to Be a Good Surgeon," at the beginning of this chapter. Note the thesis statement. Does it have these four characteristics?

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