How to Write a Thesis Statement

Every essay must have a thesis statement. The thesis statement can be explained as a condensed version of the essay's argument. It can be found in a statement of question form and it may be one or two sentences. One important aspect of the thesis statement is that it gives your paper clear organization and the reader will understand what your paper will be about.

Writing an effective thesis statement can be done with a few simple steps.

Think about your topic and what aspect of it interests you the most. For example, let's say your topic surrounds health habits among Americans. You find sleep deprivation to be an interesting aspect of that topic.

So far your thesis statement looks like this:

Sleep deprivation.

However, this is not yet a thesis statement as it is only the subject of your essay. This subject does not yet tell your reader what your essay will be about. Next, you should narrow your topic by doing research and deciding what about sleep deprivation you plan to talk about. Let's say you discover that sleep deprivation has shown to decrease the lifespan of people.

Your thesis now looks like this:

Sleep Deprivation is shown to decrease the overall lifespan of the average person.

Lastly, you should take a stance so that your audience understands your argument and what your paper will discuss. In addition, provide more information and be specific so that you can narrow your topic more clearly.

In Today's hectic and demanding society, American adults are suffering from sleep deprivation every day. This condition is not only a hindrance to individuals, but it is a health threat which experts believe leads to a decreased lifespan.

And there you go! You have constructed a thesis statement.