what i know about thesis statement

Developing a Thesis Statement

Many papers you write require developing a thesis statement. In this section you’ll learn what a thesis statement is and how to write one.

Keep in mind that not all papers require thesis statements . If in doubt, please consult your instructor for assistance.

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement . . .

• Makes an argumentative assertion about a topic; it states the conclusions that you have reached about your topic.
• Makes a promise to the reader about the scope, purpose, and direction of your paper.
• Is focused and specific enough to be “proven” within the boundaries of your paper.
• Is generally located near the end of the introduction ; sometimes, in a long paper, the thesis will be expressed in several sentences or in an entire paragraph.
• Identifies the relationships between the pieces of evidence that you are using to support your argument.

Not all papers require thesis statements! Ask your instructor if you’re in doubt whether you need one.

Identify a topic

Your topic is the subject about which you will write. Your assignment may suggest several ways of looking at a topic; or it may name a fairly general concept that you will explore or analyze in your paper.

Consider what your assignment asks you to do

Inform yourself about your topic, focus on one aspect of your topic, ask yourself whether your topic is worthy of your efforts, generate a topic from an assignment.

Below are some possible topics based on sample assignments.

Sample assignment 1

Analyze Spain’s neutrality in World War II.

Identified topic

Franco’s role in the diplomatic relationships between the Allies and the Axis

This topic avoids generalities such as “Spain” and “World War II,” addressing instead on Franco’s role (a specific aspect of “Spain”) and the diplomatic relations between the Allies and Axis (a specific aspect of World War II).

Sample assignment 2

Analyze one of Homer’s epic similes in the Iliad.

The relationship between the portrayal of warfare and the epic simile about Simoisius at 4.547-64.

This topic focuses on a single simile and relates it to a single aspect of the Iliad ( warfare being a major theme in that work).

Developing a Thesis Statement–Additional information

Your assignment may suggest several ways of looking at a topic, or it may name a fairly general concept that you will explore or analyze in your paper. You’ll want to read your assignment carefully, looking for key terms that you can use to focus your topic.

Sample assignment: Analyze Spain’s neutrality in World War II Key terms: analyze, Spain’s neutrality, World War II

After you’ve identified the key words in your topic, the next step is to read about them in several sources, or generate as much information as possible through an analysis of your topic. Obviously, the more material or knowledge you have, the more possibilities will be available for a strong argument. For the sample assignment above, you’ll want to look at books and articles on World War II in general, and Spain’s neutrality in particular.

As you consider your options, you must decide to focus on one aspect of your topic. This means that you cannot include everything you’ve learned about your topic, nor should you go off in several directions. If you end up covering too many different aspects of a topic, your paper will sprawl and be unconvincing in its argument, and it most likely will not fulfull the assignment requirements.

For the sample assignment above, both Spain’s neutrality and World War II are topics far too broad to explore in a paper. You may instead decide to focus on Franco’s role in the diplomatic relationships between the Allies and the Axis , which narrows down what aspects of Spain’s neutrality and World War II you want to discuss, as well as establishes a specific link between those two aspects.

Before you go too far, however, ask yourself whether your topic is worthy of your efforts. Try to avoid topics that already have too much written about them (i.e., “eating disorders and body image among adolescent women”) or that simply are not important (i.e. “why I like ice cream”). These topics may lead to a thesis that is either dry fact or a weird claim that cannot be supported. A good thesis falls somewhere between the two extremes. To arrive at this point, ask yourself what is new, interesting, contestable, or controversial about your topic.

As you work on your thesis, remember to keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times . Sometimes your thesis needs to evolve as you develop new insights, find new evidence, or take a different approach to your topic.

Derive a main point from topic

Once you have a topic, you will have to decide what the main point of your paper will be. This point, the “controlling idea,” becomes the core of your argument (thesis statement) and it is the unifying idea to which you will relate all your sub-theses. You can then turn this “controlling idea” into a purpose statement about what you intend to do in your paper.

Look for patterns in your evidence

Compose a purpose statement.

Consult the examples below for suggestions on how to look for patterns in your evidence and construct a purpose statement.

• Franco first tried to negotiate with the Axis
• Franco turned to the Allies when he couldn’t get some concessions that he wanted from the Axis

Possible conclusion:

Spain’s neutrality in WWII occurred for an entirely personal reason: Franco’s desire to preserve his own (and Spain’s) power.

Purpose statement

This paper will analyze Franco’s diplomacy during World War II to see how it contributed to Spain’s neutrality.

• The simile compares Simoisius to a tree, which is a peaceful, natural image.
• The tree in the simile is chopped down to make wheels for a chariot, which is an object used in warfare.

At first, the simile seems to take the reader away from the world of warfare, but we end up back in that world by the end.

This paper will analyze the way the simile about Simoisius at 4.547-64 moves in and out of the world of warfare.

Derive purpose statement from topic

To find out what your “controlling idea” is, you have to examine and evaluate your evidence . As you consider your evidence, you may notice patterns emerging, data repeated in more than one source, or facts that favor one view more than another. These patterns or data may then lead you to some conclusions about your topic and suggest that you can successfully argue for one idea better than another.

For instance, you might find out that Franco first tried to negotiate with the Axis, but when he couldn’t get some concessions that he wanted from them, he turned to the Allies. As you read more about Franco’s decisions, you may conclude that Spain’s neutrality in WWII occurred for an entirely personal reason: his desire to preserve his own (and Spain’s) power. Based on this conclusion, you can then write a trial thesis statement to help you decide what material belongs in your paper.

Sometimes you won’t be able to find a focus or identify your “spin” or specific argument immediately. Like some writers, you might begin with a purpose statement just to get yourself going. A purpose statement is one or more sentences that announce your topic and indicate the structure of the paper but do not state the conclusions you have drawn . Thus, you might begin with something like this:

• This paper will look at modern language to see if it reflects male dominance or female oppression.
• I plan to analyze anger and derision in offensive language to see if they represent a challenge of society’s authority.

At some point, you can turn a purpose statement into a thesis statement. As you think and write about your topic, you can restrict, clarify, and refine your argument, crafting your thesis statement to reflect your thinking.

As you work on your thesis, remember to keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times. Sometimes your thesis needs to evolve as you develop new insights, find new evidence, or take a different approach to your topic.

Compose a draft thesis statement

If you are writing a paper that will have an argumentative thesis and are having trouble getting started, the techniques in the table below may help you develop a temporary or “working” thesis statement.

Begin with a purpose statement that you will later turn into a thesis statement.

Assignment: Discuss the history of the Reform Party and explain its influence on the 1990 presidential and Congressional election.

Purpose Statement: This paper briefly sketches the history of the grassroots, conservative, Perot-led Reform Party and analyzes how it influenced the economic and social ideologies of the two mainstream parties.

Question-to-Assertion

If your assignment asks a specific question(s), turn the question(s) into an assertion and give reasons why it is true or reasons for your opinion.

Assignment : What do Aylmer and Rappaccini have to be proud of? Why aren’t they satisfied with these things? How does pride, as demonstrated in “The Birthmark” and “Rappaccini’s Daughter,” lead to unexpected problems?

Beginning thesis statement: Alymer and Rappaccinni are proud of their great knowledge; however, they are also very greedy and are driven to use their knowledge to alter some aspect of nature as a test of their ability. Evil results when they try to “play God.”

Write a sentence that summarizes the main idea of the essay you plan to write.

Main idea: The reason some toys succeed in the market is that they appeal to the consumers’ sense of the ridiculous and their basic desire to laugh at themselves.

Make a list of the ideas that you want to include; consider the ideas and try to group them.

• nature = peaceful
• war matériel = violent (competes with 1?)
• need for time and space to mourn the dead
• war is inescapable (competes with 3?)

Use a formula to arrive at a working thesis statement (you will revise this later).

• although most readers of _______ have argued that _______, closer examination shows that _______.
• _______ uses _______ and _____ to prove that ________.
• phenomenon x is a result of the combination of __________, __________, and _________.

What to keep in mind as you draft an initial thesis statement

Beginning statements obtained through the methods illustrated above can serve as a framework for planning or drafting your paper, but remember they’re not yet the specific, argumentative thesis you want for the final version of your paper. In fact, in its first stages, a thesis statement usually is ill-formed or rough and serves only as a planning tool.

As you write, you may discover evidence that does not fit your temporary or “working” thesis. Or you may reach deeper insights about your topic as you do more research, and you will find that your thesis statement has to be more complicated to match the evidence that you want to use.

You must be willing to reject or omit some evidence in order to keep your paper cohesive and your reader focused. Or you may have to revise your thesis to match the evidence and insights that you want to discuss. Read your draft carefully, noting the conclusions you have drawn and the major ideas which support or prove those conclusions. These will be the elements of your final thesis statement.

Sometimes you will not be able to identify these elements in your early drafts, but as you consider how your argument is developing and how your evidence supports your main idea, ask yourself, “ What is the main point that I want to prove/discuss? ” and “ How will I convince the reader that this is true? ” When you can answer these questions, then you can begin to refine the thesis statement.

Refine and polish the thesis statement

To get to your final thesis, you’ll need to refine your draft thesis so that it’s specific and arguable.

• Ask if your draft thesis addresses the assignment
• Question each part of your draft thesis
• Clarify vague phrases and assertions
• Investigate alternatives to your draft thesis

Consult the example below for suggestions on how to refine your draft thesis statement.

Sample Assignment

Choose an activity and define it as a symbol of American culture. Your essay should cause the reader to think critically about the society which produces and enjoys that activity.

• Ask The phenomenon of drive-in facilities is an interesting symbol of american culture, and these facilities demonstrate significant characteristics of our society.This statement does not fulfill the assignment because it does not require the reader to think critically about society.

Drive-ins are an interesting symbol of American culture because they represent Americans’ significant creativity and business ingenuity.

Among the types of drive-in facilities familiar during the twentieth century, drive-in movie theaters best represent American creativity, not merely because they were the forerunner of later drive-ins and drive-throughs, but because of their impact on our culture: they changed our relationship to the automobile, changed the way people experienced movies, and changed movie-going into a family activity.

While drive-in facilities such as those at fast-food establishments, banks, pharmacies, and dry cleaners symbolize America’s economic ingenuity, they also have affected our personal standards.

While drive-in facilities such as those at fast- food restaurants, banks, pharmacies, and dry cleaners symbolize (1) Americans’ business ingenuity, they also have contributed (2) to an increasing homogenization of our culture, (3) a willingness to depersonalize relationships with others, and (4) a tendency to sacrifice quality for convenience.

This statement is now specific and fulfills all parts of the assignment. This version, like any good thesis, is not self-evident; its points, 1-4, will have to be proven with evidence in the body of the paper. The numbers in this statement indicate the order in which the points will be presented. Depending on the length of the paper, there could be one paragraph for each numbered item or there could be blocks of paragraph for even pages for each one.

Complete the final thesis statement

The bottom line.

As you move through the process of crafting a thesis, you’ll need to remember four things:

• Context matters! Think about your course materials and lectures. Try to relate your thesis to the ideas your instructor is discussing.
• As you go through the process described in this section, always keep your assignment in mind . You will be more successful when your thesis (and paper) responds to the assignment than if it argues a semi-related idea.
• Your thesis statement should be precise, focused, and contestable ; it should predict the sub-theses or blocks of information that you will use to prove your argument.
• Make sure that you keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times. Change your thesis as your paper evolves, because you do not want your thesis to promise more than your paper actually delivers.

In the beginning, the thesis statement was a tool to help you sharpen your focus, limit material and establish the paper’s purpose. When your paper is finished, however, the thesis statement becomes a tool for your reader. It tells the reader what you have learned about your topic and what evidence led you to your conclusion. It keeps the reader on track–well able to understand and appreciate your argument.

Writing Process and Structure

This is an accordion element with a series of buttons that open and close related content panels.

Getting Started with Your Paper

Interpreting Writing Assignments from Your Courses

Generating Ideas for

Creating an Argument

Thesis vs. Purpose Statements

Architecture of Arguments

Working with Sources

Quoting and Paraphrasing Sources

Using Literary Quotations

Citing Sources in Your Paper

Drafting Your Paper

Generating Ideas for Your Paper

Introductions

Paragraphing

Developing Strategic Transitions

Conclusions

Revising Your Paper

Peer Reviews

Reverse Outlines

Revising an Argumentative Paper

Revision Strategies for Longer Projects

Finishing Your Paper

Twelve Common Errors: An Editing Checklist

How to Proofread your Paper

Writing Collaboratively

Collaborative and Group Writing

Reference management. Clean and simple.

What is a thesis statement? [with example]

What is a thesis statement?

Purpose of a thesis statement, how to write the best thesis statement, thesis statement example, frequently asked questions about thesis statements, related articles.

A thesis statement is a concise description of the goal of your work. This element is one of the most essential components of academic writing , as it tells your readers what they can expect in your paper.

A thesis statement is the main argument of your paper or thesis.

If you find yourself in the process of writing a a paper, but you don't know how to create a thesis statement , you've come to the right place. In the next paragraphs, you will learn about the most important elements of a thesis statement and how to come up with one.

A thesis statement highlights the main topic, shows how it will evolve, and conveys clearly the aim of your work. It does not only share the topic but it conveys the conclusion you came up with.

A good thesis statement provides directions for the development of the topic throughout the paper. In sum, this element of academic writing is crucial to sound research .

You can create a great thesis statement by following the format we outlined in our guide How to write a thesis statement .

In general, you should adhere to the following tips to write the best thesis statement:

• Focus the main idea of your thesis into one or two sentences.
• Write the answer to the main question of your topic.
• Clearly state your position in relation to the topic.
• Do not state the obvious. Give a disputable stance that requires evidence.

Tip: To check if your thesis is clear, explain it to a peer or colleague. If they are confused, then you likely need to re-write it.

Here's an example of a thesis statement:

In what follows, I will explore Fiorina’s position in more depth, focusing especially on her claim that technology is "a great tool for democratization." Ultimately, I argue that the primary problem with Fiorina’s stance lies in her laissez-faire understanding of technology. By granting technology a kind of independent existence apart from human motivation and intent—by positing that "technology permits anybody to play," as if it possesses an autonomy all its own—Fiorina unwittingly opens the way for the very kind of discriminatory and undemocratic mechanisms that her position seemingly rejects.

Tip: Once you finish your paper, return to your thesis statement to make sure that it reflects what you actually wrote.

A thesis statement is part of the introduction of your paper. It is usually found in the first or second paragraph to let the reader know your research purpose from the beginning.

In general, a thesis statement should have one or two sentences. It really depends on your academic and expertise level. Take a look at our guide about the length of thesis statements, for more insight on this topic.

Here is a list of Thesis Statement Examples that will help you understand better how to write them.

Yes. Every good essay should include a thesis statement as part of its introduction. Of course, if you are a high school student you are not expected to have an extremely elaborate statement. A couple of clear sentences indicating the aim of your essay will be more than enough.

Here is a great YouTube tutorial showing How To Write An Essay: Thesis Statements .

Writing Center

Thesis statements, formulating a working thesis.

• Define: Explain a complex term’s meaning. Select words with disputed definitions or words that lend themselves to extended, thoughtful definition, such as “life” or “intelligence.”
• Classify: Explain a topic by categorizing it with like items. Athletes can be placed in the same category as dancers because of their training; plagiarism can be categorized as fraud.
• Compare/Contrast: Illustrate the similarities or differences between set topics, or introduce an outside idea to illuminate a difficult concept. Metaphors can be a powerful method for exploring or explaining. The circulatory system can be compared to geographical structure: it is like rivers but unlike lakes.
• Cause: Consider the cause or root of something. Was a car accident simply driver error? Or was it caused by fatigue? What about our society causes so many people to fall asleep behind the wheel? Do we live in a culture where exhaustion is promoted? Why?
• Effect: Discuss the effects of something. If obesity leads to disease, what does this suggest about policy, laws, or education? How can we avoid bad effects and replicate good ones?
• Evaluate: Determine whether something is good or bad, desirable or undesirable, ethical or unethical, effective or ineffective, etc. Or is it is somewhere in-between?
• Propose: Suggest a necessary action to take, or a solution for a problem.

Types of Thesis Statements

Thesis placement, thesis checklist.

• Specific and precise. “Vouchers are important to schools” is too vague to be useful.
• Arguable. “The Civil War was a crucial event in U.S. history” is too obvious to make a solid thesis.
• The right “size” for the assignment. “The American civil war is the defining event in our country’s history” is arguable, but probably too big to cover in a two-page paper.
• Suited to the assignment. Read back over the assignment prompt to make sure your thesis (and paper as a whole) address the right issue.
• Supported by the content of your paper. Read back over your supporting paragraphs and make sure they demonstrate what your thesis is arguing. If the paper has veered in an unexpected direction during the course of your writing process, revise your thesis to fit your evidence. It may help to write a summary sentence for each key piece of support and then compare those to your thesis statement.

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How to write a thesis statement, 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.

Why Should Your Essay Contain a Thesis Statement?

• to test your ideas by distilling them into a sentence or two
• to better organize and develop your argument
• to provide your reader with a “guide” to your argument

In general, your thesis statement will accomplish these goals if you think of the thesis as the answer to the question your paper explores.

How Can You Write a Good Thesis Statement?

Here are some helpful hints to get you started. You can either scroll down or select a link to a specific topic.

How to Generate a Thesis Statement if the Topic is Assigned How to Generate a Thesis Statement if the Topic is not Assigned How to Tell a Strong Thesis Statement from a Weak One

How to Generate a Thesis Statement if the Topic is Assigned

Almost all assignments, no matter how complicated, can be reduced to a single question. Your first step, then, is to distill the assignment into a specific question. For example, if your assignment is, “Write a report to the local school board explaining the potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class,” turn the request into a question like, “What are the potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class?” After you’ve chosen the question your essay will answer, compose one or two complete sentences answering that question.

Q: “What are the potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class?” A: “The potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class are . . .”

A: “Using computers in a fourth-grade class promises to improve . . .”

The answer to the question is the thesis statement for the essay.

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How to Generate a Thesis Statement if the Topic is not Assigned

Even if your assignment doesn’t ask a specific question, your thesis statement still needs to answer a question about the issue you’d like to explore. In this situation, your job is to figure out what question you’d like to write about.

A good thesis statement will usually include the following four attributes:

• take on a subject upon which reasonable people could disagree
• deal with a subject that can be adequately treated given the nature of the assignment
• express one main idea
• assert your conclusions about a subject

Let’s see how to generate a thesis statement for a social policy paper.

Brainstorm the topic . Let’s say that your class focuses upon the problems posed by changes in the dietary habits of Americans. You find that you are interested in the amount of sugar Americans consume.

You start out with a thesis statement like this:

Sugar consumption.

This fragment isn’t a thesis statement. Instead, it simply indicates a general subject. Furthermore, your reader doesn’t know what you want to say about sugar consumption.

Narrow the topic . Your readings about the topic, however, have led you to the conclusion that elementary school children are consuming far more sugar than is healthy.

You change your thesis to look like this:

Reducing sugar consumption by elementary school children.

This fragment not only announces your subject, but it focuses on one segment of the population: elementary school children. Furthermore, it raises a subject upon which reasonable people could disagree, because while most people might agree that children consume more sugar than they used to, not everyone would agree on what should be done or who should do it. You should note that this fragment is not a thesis statement because your reader doesn’t know your conclusions on the topic.

Take a position on the topic. After reflecting on the topic a little while longer, you decide that what you really want to say about this topic is that something should be done to reduce the amount of sugar these children consume.

You revise your thesis statement to look like this:

More attention should be paid to the food and beverage choices available to elementary school children.

This statement asserts your position, but the terms more attention and food and beverage choices are vague.

Use specific language . You decide to explain what you mean about food and beverage choices , so you write:

Experts estimate that half of elementary school children consume nine times the recommended daily allowance of sugar.

This statement is specific, but it isn’t a thesis. It merely reports a statistic instead of making an assertion.

Make an assertion based on clearly stated support. You finally revise your thesis statement one more time to look like this:

Because half of all American elementary school children consume nine times the recommended daily allowance of sugar, schools should be required to replace the beverages in soda machines with healthy alternatives.

Notice how the thesis answers the question, “What should be done to reduce sugar consumption by children, and who should do it?” When you started thinking about the paper, you may not have had a specific question in mind, but as you became more involved in the topic, your ideas became more specific. Your thesis changed to reflect your new insights.

How to Tell a Strong Thesis Statement from a Weak One

1. a strong thesis statement takes some sort of stand..

Remember that your thesis needs to show your conclusions about a subject. For example, if you are writing a paper for a class on fitness, you might be asked to choose a popular weight-loss product to evaluate. Here are two thesis statements:

There are some negative and positive aspects to the Banana Herb Tea Supplement.

This is a weak thesis statement. First, it fails to take a stand. Second, the phrase negative and positive aspects is vague.

Because Banana Herb Tea Supplement promotes rapid weight loss that results in the loss of muscle and lean body mass, it poses a potential danger to customers.

This is a strong thesis because it takes a stand, and because it's specific.

2. A strong thesis statement justifies discussion.

Your thesis should indicate the point of the discussion. If your assignment is to write a paper on kinship systems, using your own family as an example, you might come up with either of these two thesis statements:

My family is an extended family.

This is a weak thesis because it merely states an observation. Your reader won’t be able to tell the point of the statement, and will probably stop reading.

While most American families would view consanguineal marriage as a threat to the nuclear family structure, many Iranian families, like my own, believe that these marriages help reinforce kinship ties in an extended family.

This is a strong thesis because it shows how your experience contradicts a widely-accepted view. A good strategy for creating a strong thesis is to show that the topic is controversial. Readers will be interested in reading the rest of the essay to see how you support your point.

3. A strong thesis statement expresses one main idea.

Readers need to be able to see that your paper has one main point. If your thesis statement expresses more than one idea, then you might confuse your readers about the subject of your paper. For example:

Companies need to exploit the marketing potential of the Internet, and Web pages can provide both advertising and customer support.

This is a weak thesis statement because the reader can’t decide whether the paper is about marketing on the Internet or Web pages. To revise the thesis, the relationship between the two ideas needs to become more clear. One way to revise the thesis would be to write:

Because the Internet is filled with tremendous marketing potential, companies should exploit this potential by using Web pages that offer both advertising and customer support.

This is a strong thesis because it shows that the two ideas are related. Hint: a great many clear and engaging thesis statements contain words like because , since , so , although , unless , and however .

4. A strong thesis statement is specific.

A thesis statement should show exactly what your paper will be about, and will help you keep your paper to a manageable topic. For example, if you're writing a seven-to-ten page paper on hunger, you might say:

World hunger has many causes and effects.

This is a weak thesis statement for two major reasons. First, world hunger can’t be discussed thoroughly in seven to ten pages. Second, many causes and effects is vague. You should be able to identify specific causes and effects. A revised thesis might look like this:

Hunger persists in Glandelinia because jobs are scarce and farming in the infertile soil is rarely profitable.

This is a strong thesis statement because it narrows the subject to a more specific and manageable topic, and it also identifies the specific causes for the existence of hunger.

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How to Write a Strong Thesis Statement: 4 Steps + Examples

What’s Covered:

What is the purpose of a thesis statement, writing a good thesis statement: 4 steps, common pitfalls to avoid, where to get your essay edited for free.

When you set out to write an essay, there has to be some kind of point to it, right? Otherwise, your essay would just be a big jumble of word salad that makes absolutely no sense. An essay needs a central point that ties into everything else. That main point is called a thesis statement, and it’s the core of any essay or research paper.

You may hear about Master degree candidates writing a thesis, and that is an entire paper–not to be confused with the thesis statement, which is typically one sentence that contains your paper’s focus. 

Read on to learn more about thesis statements and how to write them. We’ve also included some solid examples for you to reference.

Typically the last sentence of your introductory paragraph, the thesis statement serves as the roadmap for your essay. When your reader gets to the thesis statement, they should have a clear outline of your main point, as well as the information you’ll be presenting in order to either prove or support your point. 

The thesis statement should not be confused for a topic sentence , which is the first sentence of every paragraph in your essay. If you need help writing topic sentences, numerous resources are available. Topic sentences should go along with your thesis statement, though.

Since the thesis statement is the most important sentence of your entire essay or paper, it’s imperative that you get this part right. Otherwise, your paper will not have a good flow and will seem disjointed. That’s why it’s vital not to rush through developing one. It’s a methodical process with steps that you need to follow in order to create the best thesis statement possible.

Step 1: Decide what kind of paper you’re writing

When you’re assigned an essay, there are several different types you may get. Argumentative essays are designed to get the reader to agree with you on a topic. Informative or expository essays present information to the reader. Analytical essays offer up a point and then expand on it by analyzing relevant information. Thesis statements can look and sound different based on the type of paper you’re writing. For example:

• Argumentative: The United States needs a viable third political party to decrease bipartisanship, increase options, and help reduce corruption in government.
• Informative: The Libertarian party has thrown off elections before by gaining enough support in states to get on the ballot and by taking away crucial votes from candidates.
• Analytical: An analysis of past presidential elections shows that while third party votes may have been the minority, they did affect the outcome of the elections in 2020, 2016, and beyond.

Step 2: Figure out what point you want to make

Once you know what type of paper you’re writing, you then need to figure out the point you want to make with your thesis statement, and subsequently, your paper. In other words, you need to decide to answer a question about something, such as:

• What impact did reality TV have on American society?
• How has the musical Hamilton affected perception of American history?
• Why do I want to major in [chosen major here]?

If you have an argumentative essay, then you will be writing about an opinion. To make it easier, you may want to choose an opinion that you feel passionate about so that you’re writing about something that interests you. For example, if you have an interest in preserving the environment, you may want to choose a topic that relates to that. 

If you’re writing your college essay and they ask why you want to attend that school, you may want to have a main point and back it up with information, something along the lines of:

“Attending Harvard University would benefit me both academically and professionally, as it would give me a strong knowledge base upon which to build my career, develop my network, and hopefully give me an advantage in my chosen field.”

Step 3: Determine what information you’ll use to back up your point

Once you have the point you want to make, you need to figure out how you plan to back it up throughout the rest of your essay. Without this information, it will be hard to either prove or argue the main point of your thesis statement. If you decide to write about the Hamilton example, you may decide to address any falsehoods that the writer put into the musical, such as:

“The musical Hamilton, while accurate in many ways, leaves out key parts of American history, presents a nationalist view of founding fathers, and downplays the racism of the times.”

Once you’ve written your initial working thesis statement, you’ll then need to get information to back that up. For example, the musical completely leaves out Benjamin Franklin, portrays the founding fathers in a nationalist way that is too complimentary, and shows Hamilton as a staunch abolitionist despite the fact that his family likely did own slaves. 

Step 4: Revise and refine your thesis statement before you start writing

Read through your thesis statement several times before you begin to compose your full essay. You need to make sure the statement is ironclad, since it is the foundation of the entire paper. Edit it or have a peer review it for you to make sure everything makes sense and that you feel like you can truly write a paper on the topic. Once you’ve done that, you can then begin writing your paper.

When writing a thesis statement, there are some common pitfalls you should avoid so that your paper can be as solid as possible. Make sure you always edit the thesis statement before you do anything else. You also want to ensure that the thesis statement is clear and concise. Don’t make your reader hunt for your point. Finally, put your thesis statement at the end of the first paragraph and have your introduction flow toward that statement. Your reader will expect to find your statement in its traditional spot.

If you’re having trouble getting started, or need some guidance on your essay, there are tools available that can help you. CollegeVine offers a free peer essay review tool where one of your peers can read through your essay and provide you with valuable feedback. Getting essay feedback from a peer can help you wow your instructor or college admissions officer with an impactful essay that effectively illustrates your point.

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Thesis Statements

A thesis statement is:.

• The statement of the author’s position on a topic or subject.
• Clear, concise, and goes beyond fact or observation to become an idea that needs to be supported (arguable).
• Often a statement of tension, where the author refutes or complicates an existing assumption or claim (counterargument).
• Often answers WHY or HOW questions related to the topic at hand.

A thesis statement is NOT:

• A statement of fact or observation (no matter how astute the observation).
• A statement of personal conviction or opinion.
• A generalization or overly broad claim.

For the writer, the thesis statement:

• Helps the writer determine the essay’s real focus. What are you trying to say with the evidence presented? A thesis provides a theory to be tested by evidence.
• Serves as a planning tool. The component parts of the thesis often correspond with the essay’s topic sentences.

For the reader, the thesis statement:

• Serves as a “map” to guide the reader through the paper. In the same way the thesis helps you organize your paper, the thesis helps organize the reader’s thinking. Once a solid thesis is presented, the reader will understand that all of the evidence presented is in service of proving the thesis.
• Creates a reason to keep reading. The reader will want to discover the support behind the thesis.

If you are having trouble writing a thesis...

...ask yourself a genuine, difficult question about the topic (usually a “how” or “why” question), and state your response, even if you are not sure why you want to give that answer. Your response may very well be a workable thesis, and the pursuit of proving that answer may reveal to you more about your sources of evidence.

...think of a strong statement or observation you have made about the subject beginning with the words “In this essay, I will...” Then ask yourself why this observation is important, or “So What?” 1 Answer the question with “I believe this is because...” In the draft stage you might phrase a working thesis as the following:

In this essay, I plan to explain how Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn contrasts his river and shore scenes. I believe Twain is telling us that in order to find America’s true democratic ideals one must leave “civilized” society (the shore) and go back to nature (the river).

Then revise out the “I” statements. A revised version of this thesis might look like this:

Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Mark Twain’s Adventure’s of Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of American democratic ideals, one must leave “civilized” society and go back to nature.

Writing in the Disciplines

Keep in mind that thesis statements vary depending on the purpose of the assignment (or type of essay), and also by discipline. Here are a few notes on the thesis statements and the purpose of writing in a few different disciplines. 2

English: “A thesis is an interpretive argument about a text or an aspect of a text. An interpretive argument is defined as one that makes a reasonable but contestable claim about a text; in other words, it is an opinion about a text that can be supported with textual evidence."

Sciences (Biology): “A well-written scientific paper explains the scientist’s motivation for doing an experiment, the experimental design and execution, and the meaning of the results... The last sentences of the introduction should be a statement of objectives and a statement of hypotheses.”

Business: “When you write in business courses, you will usually write for a specific audience. Your goal will be to communicate in a straight-forward manner and with a clear purpose." 3

History: “In historical writing, a thesis explains the words or deeds of people in the past. It shows cause and effect; it answers the question why?... A thesis must change a reader’s mind to be of value. If it presents only facts or an obvious finding, it will merely confirm what the reader already believes.”

1. This strategy comes from Writing Analytically by Jill Stephen and David Rosenwasser.

2.  The following statements on writing in the disciplines have been borrowed from the Writing Guides found at the Writing Across the Curriculum website at http://wac.gmu.edu/guides/GMU%20guides.html .

3.  From A Writer’s Reference, 6th Edition, with Writing in the Disciplines, by Diana Hacker.

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Think of yourself as a member of a jury, listening to a lawyer who is presenting an opening argument. You'll want to know very soon whether the lawyer believes the accused to be guilty or not guilty, and how the lawyer plans to convince you. Readers of academic essays are like jury members: before they have read too far, they want to know what the essay argues as well as how the writer plans to make the argument. After reading your thesis statement, the reader should think, "This essay is going to try to convince me of something. I'm not convinced yet, but I'm interested to see how I might be."

An effective thesis cannot be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." A thesis is not a topic; nor is it a fact; nor is it an opinion. "Reasons for the fall of communism" is a topic. "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe" is a fact known by educated people. "The fall of communism is the best thing that ever happened in Europe" is an opinion. (Superlatives like "the best" almost always lead to trouble. It's impossible to weigh every "thing" that ever happened in Europe. And what about the fall of Hitler? Couldn't that be "the best thing"?)

A good thesis has two parts. It should tell what you plan to argue, and it should "telegraph" how you plan to argue—that is, what particular support for your claim is going where in your essay.

Steps in Constructing a Thesis

First, analyze your primary sources.  Look for tension, interest, ambiguity, controversy, and/or complication. Does the author contradict himself or herself? Is a point made and later reversed? What are the deeper implications of the author's argument? Figuring out the why to one or more of these questions, or to related questions, will put you on the path to developing a working thesis. (Without the why, you probably have only come up with an observation—that there are, for instance, many different metaphors in such-and-such a poem—which is not a thesis.)

Once you have a working thesis, write it down.  There is nothing as frustrating as hitting on a great idea for a thesis, then forgetting it when you lose concentration. And by writing down your thesis you will be forced to think of it clearly, logically, and concisely. You probably will not be able to write out a final-draft version of your thesis the first time you try, but you'll get yourself on the right track by writing down what you have.

Keep your thesis prominent in your introduction.  A good, standard place for your thesis statement is at the end of an introductory paragraph, especially in shorter (5-15 page) essays. Readers are used to finding theses there, so they automatically pay more attention when they read the last sentence of your introduction. Although this is not required in all academic essays, it is a good rule of thumb.

Anticipate the counterarguments.  Once you have a working thesis, you should think about what might be said against it. This will help you to refine your thesis, and it will also make you think of the arguments that you'll need to refute later on in your essay. (Every argument has a counterargument. If yours doesn't, then it's not an argument—it may be a fact, or an opinion, but it is not an argument.)

This statement is on its way to being a thesis. However, it is too easy to imagine possible counterarguments. For example, a political observer might believe that Dukakis lost because he suffered from a "soft-on-crime" image. If you complicate your thesis by anticipating the counterargument, you'll strengthen your argument, as shown in the sentence below.

Some Caveats and Some Examples

A thesis is never a question.  Readers of academic essays expect to have questions discussed, explored, or even answered. A question ("Why did communism collapse in Eastern Europe?") is not an argument, and without an argument, a thesis is dead in the water.

A thesis is never a list.  "For political, economic, social and cultural reasons, communism collapsed in Eastern Europe" does a good job of "telegraphing" the reader what to expect in the essay—a section about political reasons, a section about economic reasons, a section about social reasons, and a section about cultural reasons. However, political, economic, social and cultural reasons are pretty much the only possible reasons why communism could collapse. This sentence lacks tension and doesn't advance an argument. Everyone knows that politics, economics, and culture are important.

A thesis should never be vague, combative or confrontational.  An ineffective thesis would be, "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe because communism is evil." This is hard to argue (evil from whose perspective? what does evil mean?) and it is likely to mark you as moralistic and judgmental rather than rational and thorough. It also may spark a defensive reaction from readers sympathetic to communism. If readers strongly disagree with you right off the bat, they may stop reading.

An effective thesis has a definable, arguable claim.  "While cultural forces contributed to the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, the disintegration of economies played the key role in driving its decline" is an effective thesis sentence that "telegraphs," so that the reader expects the essay to have a section about cultural forces and another about the disintegration of economies. This thesis makes a definite, arguable claim: that the disintegration of economies played a more important role than cultural forces in defeating communism in Eastern Europe. The reader would react to this statement by thinking, "Perhaps what the author says is true, but I am not convinced. I want to read further to see how the author argues this claim."

A thesis should be as clear and specific as possible.  Avoid overused, general terms and abstractions. For example, "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe because of the ruling elite's inability to address the economic concerns of the people" is more powerful than "Communism collapsed due to societal discontent."

Copyright 1999, Maxine Rodburg and The Tutors of the Writing Center at Harvard University

Frequently asked questions

What is a thesis statement.

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

Frequently asked questions: Writing an essay

For a stronger conclusion paragraph, avoid including:

• Important evidence or analysis that wasn’t mentioned in the main body
• Generic concluding phrases (e.g. “In conclusion…”)
• Weak statements that undermine your argument (e.g. “There are good points on both sides of this issue.”)

Your conclusion should leave the reader with a strong, decisive impression of your work.

Your essay’s conclusion should contain:

• A rephrased version of your overall thesis
• A brief review of the key points you made in the main body
• An indication of why your argument matters

The conclusion may also reflect on the broader implications of your argument, showing how your ideas could applied to other contexts or debates.

The conclusion paragraph of an essay is usually shorter than the introduction . As a rule, it shouldn’t take up more than 10–15% of the text.

An essay is a focused piece of writing that explains, argues, describes, or narrates.

In high school, you may have to write many different types of essays to develop your writing skills.

Academic essays at college level are usually argumentative : you develop a clear thesis about your topic and make a case for your position using evidence, analysis and interpretation.

The “hook” is the first sentence of your essay introduction . It should lead the reader into your essay, giving a sense of why it’s interesting.

To write a good hook, avoid overly broad statements or long, dense sentences. Try to start with something clear, concise and catchy that will spark your reader’s curiosity.

Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order:

• An opening hook to catch the reader’s attention.
• Relevant background information that the reader needs to know.
• A thesis statement that presents your main point or argument.

The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay .

Let’s say you’re writing a five-paragraph  essay about the environmental impacts of dietary choices. Here are three examples of topic sentences you could use for each of the three body paragraphs :

• Research has shown that the meat industry has severe environmental impacts.
• However, many plant-based foods are also produced in environmentally damaging ways.
• It’s important to consider not only what type of diet we eat, but where our food comes from and how it is produced.

Each of these sentences expresses one main idea – by listing them in order, we can see the overall structure of the essay at a glance. Each paragraph will expand on the topic sentence with relevant detail, evidence, and arguments.

The topic sentence usually comes at the very start of the paragraph .

However, sometimes you might start with a transition sentence to summarize what was discussed in previous paragraphs, followed by the topic sentence that expresses the focus of the current paragraph.

Topic sentences help keep your writing focused and guide the reader through your argument.

In an essay or paper , each paragraph should focus on a single idea. By stating the main idea in the topic sentence, you clarify what the paragraph is about for both yourself and your reader.

A topic sentence is a sentence that expresses the main point of a paragraph . Everything else in the paragraph should relate to the topic sentence.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

• It gives your writing direction and focus.
• It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

The thesis statement should be placed at the end of your essay introduction .

Follow these four steps to come up with a thesis statement :

• Ask a question about your topic .
• Write your initial answer.
• Develop your answer by including reasons.
• Refine your answer, adding more detail and nuance.

An essay isn’t just a loose collection of facts and ideas. Instead, it should be centered on an overarching argument (summarized in your thesis statement ) that every part of the essay relates to.

The way you structure your essay is crucial to presenting your argument coherently. A well-structured essay helps your reader follow the logic of your ideas and understand your overall point.

The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

The vast majority of essays written at university are some sort of argumentative essay . Almost all academic writing involves building up an argument, though other types of essay might be assigned in composition classes.

Essays can present arguments about all kinds of different topics. For example:

• In a literary analysis essay, you might make an argument for a specific interpretation of a text
• In a history essay, you might present an argument for the importance of a particular event
• In a politics essay, you might argue for the validity of a certain political theory

At high school and in composition classes at university, you’ll often be told to write a specific type of essay , but you might also just be given prompts.

Look for keywords in these prompts that suggest a certain approach: The word “explain” suggests you should write an expository essay , while the word “describe” implies a descriptive essay . An argumentative essay might be prompted with the word “assess” or “argue.”

In rhetorical analysis , a claim is something the author wants the audience to believe. A support is the evidence or appeal they use to convince the reader to believe the claim. A warrant is the (often implicit) assumption that links the support with the claim.

Logos appeals to the audience’s reason, building up logical arguments . Ethos appeals to the speaker’s status or authority, making the audience more likely to trust them. Pathos appeals to the emotions, trying to make the audience feel angry or sympathetic, for example.

Collectively, these three appeals are sometimes called the rhetorical triangle . They are central to rhetorical analysis , though a piece of rhetoric might not necessarily use all of them.

The term “text” in a rhetorical analysis essay refers to whatever object you’re analyzing. It’s frequently a piece of writing or a speech, but it doesn’t have to be. For example, you could also treat an advertisement or political cartoon as a text.

The goal of a rhetorical analysis is to explain the effect a piece of writing or oratory has on its audience, how successful it is, and the devices and appeals it uses to achieve its goals.

Unlike a standard argumentative essay , it’s less about taking a position on the arguments presented, and more about exploring how they are constructed.

You should try to follow your outline as you write your essay . However, if your ideas change or it becomes clear that your structure could be better, it’s okay to depart from your essay outline . Just make sure you know why you’re doing so.

If you have to hand in your essay outline , you may be given specific guidelines stating whether you have to use full sentences. If you’re not sure, ask your supervisor.

When writing an essay outline for yourself, the choice is yours. Some students find it helpful to write out their ideas in full sentences, while others prefer to summarize them in short phrases.

You will sometimes be asked to hand in an essay outline before you start writing your essay . Your supervisor wants to see that you have a clear idea of your structure so that writing will go smoothly.

Even when you do not have to hand it in, writing an essay outline is an important part of the writing process . It’s a good idea to write one (as informally as you like) to clarify your structure for yourself whenever you are working on an essay.

Comparisons in essays are generally structured in one of two ways:

• The alternating method, where you compare your subjects side by side according to one specific aspect at a time.
• The block method, where you cover each subject separately in its entirety.

It’s also possible to combine both methods, for example by writing a full paragraph on each of your topics and then a final paragraph contrasting the two according to a specific metric.

Your subjects might be very different or quite similar, but it’s important that there be meaningful grounds for comparison . You can probably describe many differences between a cat and a bicycle, but there isn’t really any connection between them to justify the comparison.

You’ll have to write a thesis statement explaining the central point you want to make in your essay , so be sure to know in advance what connects your subjects and makes them worth comparing.

Some essay prompts include the keywords “compare” and/or “contrast.” In these cases, an essay structured around comparing and contrasting is the appropriate response.

Comparing and contrasting is also a useful approach in all kinds of academic writing : You might compare different studies in a literature review , weigh up different arguments in an argumentative essay , or consider different theoretical approaches in a theoretical framework .

The key difference is that a narrative essay is designed to tell a complete story, while a descriptive essay is meant to convey an intense description of a particular place, object, or concept.

Narrative and descriptive essays both allow you to write more personally and creatively than other kinds of essays , and similar writing skills can apply to both.

If you’re not given a specific prompt for your descriptive essay , think about places and objects you know well, that you can think of interesting ways to describe, or that have strong personal significance for you.

The best kind of object for a descriptive essay is one specific enough that you can describe its particular features in detail—don’t choose something too vague or general.

If you’re not given much guidance on what your narrative essay should be about, consider the context and scope of the assignment. What kind of story is relevant, interesting, and possible to tell within the word count?

The best kind of story for a narrative essay is one you can use to reflect on a particular theme or lesson, or that takes a surprising turn somewhere along the way.

Don’t worry too much if your topic seems unoriginal. The point of a narrative essay is how you tell the story and the point you make with it, not the subject of the story itself.

Narrative essays are usually assigned as writing exercises at high school or in university composition classes. They may also form part of a university application.

When you are prompted to tell a story about your own life or experiences, a narrative essay is usually the right response.

The majority of the essays written at university are some sort of argumentative essay . Unless otherwise specified, you can assume that the goal of any essay you’re asked to write is argumentative: To convince the reader of your position using evidence and reasoning.

In composition classes you might be given assignments that specifically test your ability to write an argumentative essay. Look out for prompts including instructions like “argue,” “assess,” or “discuss” to see if this is the goal.

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

An argumentative essay tends to be a longer essay involving independent research, and aims to make an original argument about a topic. Its thesis statement makes a contentious claim that must be supported in an objective, evidence-based way.

An expository essay also aims to be objective, but it doesn’t have to make an original argument. Rather, it aims to explain something (e.g., a process or idea) in a clear, concise way. Expository essays are often shorter assignments and rely less on research.

An expository essay is a common assignment in high-school and university composition classes. It might be assigned as coursework, in class, or as part of an exam.

Sometimes you might not be told explicitly to write an expository essay. Look out for prompts containing keywords like “explain” and “define.” An expository essay is usually the right response to these prompts.

An expository essay is a broad form that varies in length according to the scope of the assignment.

Expository essays are often assigned as a writing exercise or as part of an exam, in which case a five-paragraph essay of around 800 words may be appropriate.

You’ll usually be given guidelines regarding length; if you’re not sure, ask.

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How To Write a Thesis Statement: Effective & Expert Tips

• DESCRIPTION thesis statement tips dos and don'ts
• SOURCE Background: Tolchik / iStock / Getty Images Plus / via Getty created by YourDictionary
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If you’ve ever summed up your feelings about your favorite croissant or reflected on the moral of a story about your grandfather, you’re already familiar with the basics of a thesis! There are some nuances, but you already have the foundations of thesis statements in mind. With a little refining, you’ll have no problems coming up with a thesis for your next essay.

What Is a Thesis Statement?

A thesis statement is a single sentence that identifies the main idea or argument of the paper, including an overview of what you’ll specifically talk about in your essay.

Every essay has a thesis of some sort that usually appears as the last sentence of the intro paragraph . The thesis is really about the main idea of the essay. 

Some essays, like argumentative essays and critical analysis essays , do present a thesis that is an opinion or argument because the main idea of the essay is an argument or opinion. For example: 

Although peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are one of the most commonly eaten sandwiches, they are inferior to tuna sandwiches in flavor, nutrition, and general satisfaction.

Other thesis statements are just that: statements. They make a claim, but they aren’t truly arguments. For example: 

Tuna sandwiches present a long history within the American working class that has affected the broader regional cultures of the United States.

Tips on How To Write a Thesis Statement

You know what goes into a good thesis statement, but it can take a little time and practice to really figure out a good thesis. Often, the best way to get better at theses is to write more essays and maybe look at some examples of thesis statements , but looking at a few tips doesn’t hurt.

Narrow Down Your Topic, and Be As Specific as Possible

You’ll have two scenarios with your thesis: You’ll either be given a broad topic to focus on, or you’ll be allowed to choose your own topic. In both cases, you’ll have to narrow down your topic.

Don’t try to come up with some all-encompassing thesis statement that covers every single facet of the topic. That would be quite literally impossible, and frankly, trying to cover too much at once in your thesis can be boring. The more specific and direct your thesis statement, the more interesting it’ll be.

• Start with just one main idea related to the topic, and ask yourself questions about that one idea to focus in on it.
• Take a stance on the topic, even if that stance is how effective (or ineffective) something might be. Then consider why it’s effective or ineffective.
• Avoid any overly generalized words, like people , things , or society . What people or population are you talking about? What parts or facets of society do you want to focus on?

Use Your Thesis To Build a Discussion

As mentioned, most students are taught that thesis statements are meant to act as arguments. The main reason for that is the aspect of discussion. An argument naturally builds discussion. (You’re stating an opinion, making points to support that opinion, and possibly considering other points of view.)

But an argument isn’t the only way to create a thesis statement that builds discussion. That can come from a wide range of different things, like:

• Discussing your own experiences
• Suggesting a point of view that might vary from more popular views
• Considering a more critical reading of a text

Use “Although” Statements

Related to the above, one of the tricks of the trade for a good thesis that builds discussion is to work with the word although . An although statement naturally creates a point of comparison. It considers an opposing view before you get into your own claim. For example: 

Although the pizza is a humble and everyday treat for many today, its history and evolution parallels many of the modern economic issues affecting Europe.

Although is by no means the only way to build this sort of thesis. Other starting words that can help you engage with the topic include:

Come Up With More Than One Thesis

This might seem counterintuitive, especially if you’re having trouble writing just one thesis, but in the early stages of an essay, it’s okay to have a few messy theses to choose from. 

As you settle into your research, you can eventually narrow it down to one, but having some options can free you up. You can play around with wording, refine your ideas, or even create completely opposite thesis statements.

Change Your Thesis As You Go

Related to the above, even as you get into the writing process, don’t be afraid to change your thesis. It’s not really meant to be some rigid object. Your thesis can grow and change and evolve with your writing.

Maybe in the middle of your body paragraphs you decide to change the main argument in your thesis. Maybe you forgot to mention an important point. Maybe your conclusion brings in a whole new point of insight. Allowing for a mutable thesis gives you room to make these adjustments.

Ready To Write a Winning Essay

Now that you’ve mastered the art of writing an effective thesis statement, you’re perfectly prepared to write some great essays from now on. Knowing how to write a thesis can help you in all your writing endeavors, even creative writing , but don’t worry if you’re having some trouble. Thesis statements are meant to take thought and time, so give your thesis the time it needs.

How to Write a Solid Thesis Statement

The important sentence expresses your central assertion or argument

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• Writing Research Papers
• Writing Essays
• English Grammar
• M.Ed., Education Administration, University of Georgia
• B.A., History, Armstrong State University

A thesis statement provides the foundation for your entire research paper or essay. This statement is the central assertion that you want to express in your essay. A successful thesis statement is one that is made up of one or two sentences clearly laying out your central idea and expressing an informed, reasoned answer to your research question.

Usually, the thesis statement will appear at the end of the first paragraph of your paper. There are a few different types, and the content of your thesis statement will depend upon the type of paper you’re writing.

Key Takeaways: Writing a Thesis Statement

• A thesis statement gives your reader a preview of your paper's content by laying out your central idea and expressing an informed, reasoned answer to your research question.
• Thesis statements will vary depending on the type of paper you are writing, such as an expository essay, argument paper, or analytical essay.
• Before creating a thesis statement, determine whether you are defending a stance, giving an overview of an event, object, or process, or analyzing your subject

Expository Essay Thesis Statement Examples

An expository essay "exposes" the reader to a new topic; it informs the reader with details, descriptions, or explanations of a subject. If you are writing an expository essay , your thesis statement should explain to the reader what she will learn in your essay. For example:

• The United States spends more money on its military budget than all the industrialized nations combined.
• Gun-related homicides and suicides are increasing after years of decline.
• Hate crimes have increased three years in a row, according to the FBI.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) increases the risk of stroke and arterial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat).

These statements provide a statement of fact about the topic (not just opinion) but leave the door open for you to elaborate with plenty of details. In an expository essay, you don't need to develop an argument or prove anything; you only need to understand your topic and present it in a logical manner. A good thesis statement in an expository essay always leaves the reader wanting more details.

Types of Thesis Statements

Before creating a thesis statement, it's important to ask a few basic questions, which will help you determine the kind of essay or paper you plan to create:

• Are you defending a stance in a controversial essay ?
• Are you simply giving an overview or describing an event, object, or process?
• Are you conducting an analysis of an event, object, or process?

In every thesis statement , you will give the reader a preview of your paper's content, but the message will differ a little depending on the essay type .

Argument Thesis Statement Examples

If you have been instructed to take a stance on one side of a controversial issue, you will need to write an argument essay . Your thesis statement should express the stance you are taking and may give the reader a preview or a hint of your evidence. The thesis of an argument essay could look something like the following:

• Self-driving cars are too dangerous and should be banned from the roadways.
• The exploration of outer space is a waste of money; instead, funds should go toward solving issues on Earth, such as poverty, hunger, global warming, and traffic congestion.
• The U.S. must crack down on illegal immigration.
• Street cameras and street-view maps have led to a total loss of privacy in the United States and elsewhere.

These thesis statements are effective because they offer opinions that can be supported by evidence. If you are writing an argument essay, you can craft your own thesis around the structure of the statements above.

Analytical Essay Thesis Statement Examples

In an analytical essay assignment, you will be expected to break down a topic, process, or object in order to observe and analyze your subject piece by piece. Examples of a thesis statement for an analytical essay include:

• The criminal justice reform bill passed by the U.S. Senate in late 2018 (" The First Step Act ") aims to reduce prison sentences that disproportionately fall on nonwhite criminal defendants.
• The rise in populism and nationalism in the U.S. and European democracies has coincided with the decline of moderate and centrist parties that have dominated since WWII.
• Later-start school days increase student success for a variety of reasons.

Because the role of the thesis statement is to state the central message of your entire paper, it is important to revisit (and maybe rewrite) your thesis statement after the paper is written. In fact, it is quite normal for your message to change as you construct your paper.

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Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements

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Tips for Writing Your Thesis Statement

1. Determine what kind of paper you are writing:

• An analytical paper breaks down an issue or an idea into its component parts, evaluates the issue or idea, and presents this breakdown and evaluation to the audience.
• An expository (explanatory) paper explains something to the audience.
• An argumentative paper makes a claim about a topic and justifies this claim with specific evidence. The claim could be an opinion, a policy proposal, an evaluation, a cause-and-effect statement, or an interpretation. The goal of the argumentative paper is to convince the audience that the claim is true based on the evidence provided.

If you are writing a text that does not fall under these three categories (e.g., a narrative), a thesis statement somewhere in the first paragraph could still be helpful to your reader.

2. Your thesis statement should be specific—it should cover only what you will discuss in your paper and should be supported with specific evidence.

3. The thesis statement usually appears at the end of the first paragraph of a paper.

4. Your topic may change as you write, so you may need to revise your thesis statement to reflect exactly what you have discussed in the paper.

Thesis Statement Examples

Example of an analytical thesis statement:

The paper that follows should:

• Explain the analysis of the college admission process
• Explain the challenge facing admissions counselors

Example of an expository (explanatory) thesis statement:

• Explain how students spend their time studying, attending class, and socializing with peers

Example of an argumentative thesis statement:

• Present an argument and give evidence to support the claim that students should pursue community projects before entering college

Writing Studio

How do i write a thesis statement.

This page is Part 1 of a two-part handout that continues with our Thesis Statement Checklist .

What is a Thesis Statement?

In an effort to make our handouts more accessible, we have begun converting our PDF handouts to web pages. Download this page as a PDF: See p. 1 of How Do I Write a Thesis Statement Return to Writing Studio Handouts

A thesis statement is a very specific argument that guides your paper. Generally, a thesis statement consists of two parts :

• A clearly identifiable topic or subject matter
• A succinct summary of what you have to say about that topic

For your reader, a thesis functions like the case a lawyer has to make to the judge and jury in a courtroom. An effective thesis statement explains to your reader the case you are going to make and how you are going to make it.

For you as the author, your thesis can also help you to stay focused as a writer and determine what information you do (and don’t) need to include in your analysis.

Traditionally, the thesis statement is found near the end of your introduction , though this may change depending on the assignment and context. Don’t be afraid to draft a thesis statement that is more than one sentence.

A Note on Writing Process

You do not need a perfect thesis statement before you draft the rest of the paper. In fact, you will likely need to modify your thesis once you have a complete draft to make sure that your draft and your thesis match one another. If your argument evolves in productive ways as you write, your thesis should, too.

Honing and tweaking a thesis statement during the revision process is ultimately more important than having it exact and precise during the drafting process.

Characteristics of a WEAK thesis statement

• Vague: Raises an interesting topic or question but doesn’t specify an argument
• Offers plot summary, statement of fact, or obvious truths instead of an argument
• Offers opinion or conjecture rather than an argument (cannot be proven with textual evidence)
• Is too broad or too complex for the length of the paper
• Uses meaningful-sounding words, but doesn’t actually say anything of substance

Disclaimer: This is not a complete list! You can probably think of many more characteristics of a weak thesis statement.

Characteristics of a STRONG thesis statement

• Answers a specific question
• Takes a distinct position on the topic
• Is debatable (a reasonable person could argue an alternative position)
• Appropriately focused for the page length of the assignment
• Allows your reader to anticipate the organization of your argument

Having trouble drafting a thesis? Try filling in the blanks in these template statements:

• In this paper, I argue that _____, because/by _____.
• While critics argue _____, I argue _____, because _____.
• By looking at _____, I argue that _____, which is important because _____.
• The text, _____, defines _____ as _____, in order to argue _____.

Disclaimer: These are only models. They’ll be useful to help you to get started, but you’ll have to do quite a bit of tweaking before your thesis is ready for your paper.

For more on thesis statements, check out part 2: Our Thesis Statement Checklist .

Last revised: 07/15/2008 | Adapted for web delivery: 5/2021

In order to access certain content on this page, you may need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader or an equivalent PDF viewer software.

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4.5: Identifying Thesis Statements

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Learning Objectives

• Identify explicit thesis statements in texts
• Identify implicit thesis statements in texts
• Identify strategies for using thesis statements to predict content of texts

Being able to identify the purpose and thesis of a text, as you’re reading it, takes practice. This section will offer you that practice.

One fun strategy for developing a deeper understanding the material you’re reading is to make a visual “map” of the ideas. Mind maps, whether hand-drawn or done through computer programs, can be fun to make, and help put all the ideas of an essay you’re reading in one easy-to-read format.

Your understanding of what the “central” element of the mind map is might change as you read and re-read. Developing the central idea of your mind map is a great way to help you determine the reading’s thesis.

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\) - Hand-drawn Mind Map

Locating Explicit and Implicit Thesis Statements

In academic writing, the thesis is often explicit : it is included as a sentence as part of the text. It might be near the beginning of the work, but not always–some types of academic writing leave the thesis until the conclusion.

Journalism and reporting also rely on explicit thesis statements that appear very early in the piece–the first paragraph or even the first sentence.

Works of literature, on the other hand, usually do not contain a specific sentence that sums up the core concept of the writing. However, readers should finish the piece with a good understanding of what the work was trying to convey. This is what’s called an implicit thesis statement: the primary point of the reading is conveyed indirectly, in multiple locations throughout the work. (In literature, this is also referred to as the theme of the work.)

Academic writing sometimes relies on implicit thesis statements, as well.

This video offers excellent guidance in identifying the thesis statement of a work, no matter if it’s explicit or implicit.

Topic Sentences

We’ve learned that a thesis statement conveys the primary message of an entire piece of text. Now, let’s look at the next level of important sentences in a piece of text: topic sentences in each paragraph.

A useful metaphor would be to think of the thesis statement of a text as a general: it controls all the major decisions of the writing. There is only one thesis statement in a text. Topic sentences, in this relationship, serve as captains: they organize and sub-divide the overall goals of a writing into individual components. Each paragraph will have a topic sentence.

Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\)

It might be helpful to think of a topic sentence as working in two directions simultaneously. It relates the paragraph to the essay’s thesis, and thereby acts as a signpost for the argument of the paper as a whole, but it also defines the scope of the paragraph itself. For example, consider the following topic sentence:

Many characters in Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun have one particular dream in which they are following, though the character Walter pursues his most aggressively.

If this sentence controls the paragraph that follows, then all sentences in the paragraph must relate in some way to Walter and the pursuit of his dream.

Topic sentences often act like tiny thesis statements. Like a thesis statement, a topic sentence makes a claim of some sort. As the thesis statement is the unifying force in the essay, so the topic sentence must be the unifying force in the paragraph. Further, as is the case with the thesis statement, when the topic sentence makes a claim, the paragraph which follows must expand, describe, or prove it in some way. Topic sentences make a point and give reasons or examples to support it.

The topic sentence is often, though not always, the first sentence of a paragraph.

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Vance accused Walz of 'stolen valor.' What to know about Walz’s military record

Quil Lawrence

Left: Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks during a campaign rally on August 6 in Philadelphia. Right: Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, delivers remarks during a campaign rally on August 6 in Philadelphia. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images; Drew Hallowell/Getty Images hide caption

For more on the 2024 race, head to the NPR Network's elections updates page.

Late Tuesday afternoon, the Harris campaign released a video of Tim Walz talking about gun control. Walz, whom Kamala Harris recently announced as her running mate, talks about banning assault rifles as part of what he calls “common sense” proposals.

“We can make sure that those weapons of war, that I carried in war, is the only place where those weapons are at,” Walz said in the video.

That was all Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance needed.

“Well, I wonder, Tim Walz, when were you ever in war? When was this?” Vance said.

The vice presidential candidate is supposed to be an attack dog, sometimes landing the lower blows that might seem unpresidential. But Vance and Walz are also both veterans, with another thing in common: neither one of them saw combat. Their service shored up each ticket, adding a military credential beside two presidential candidates that never served. It didn’t seem like an issue. But in this compressed campaign season, Walz’s phrasing opened up a line of attack — and the Trump campaign took it, accusing the Minnesota governor of one of the most grievous charges possible in military circles.

War, combat and service – and a charge of “stolen valor”

Walz joined the National Guard at age 17 and served 24 years, first in Nebraska then Minnesota. During that time he got called up to national disasters and a deployment to the Arctic Circle in Norway. He completed his 20 years required for retirement in 2001, but then reenlisted after the attacks on Sept. 11. His only wartime deployment was to Italy in 2003, backfilling troops that were deploying to Afghanistan. So Vance, and many veterans on social media, took issue with Walz saying he’d carried weapons “in war.”

The Harris campaign said in a statement: “In his 24 years of service, the Governor carried, fired and trained others to use weapons of war innumerable times. Governor Walz would never insult or undermine any American's service to this country -- in fact, he thanks Senator Vance for putting his life on the line for our country. It's the American way."

But Vance went a lot further, with an attack that the Trump campaign probably had prepared.

“What was this weapon that you carried into war, given that you abandoned your unit right before they went to Iraq, and he has not spent a day in a combat zone? What bothers me about Tim Walz is the stolen valor garbage," Vance said.

Since Walz first ran for Congress and then governor, he’s faced attacks around the timing of his retirement. Vance’s accusation echoes one made by two fellow high-ranking sergeants from the Minnesota Guard who publicly attacked Walz in 2018, in a paid endorsement letter to the editor of the West Central Tribune . They slammed Walz for “conveniently retiring a year before his battalion was deployed to Iraq.”

According to the Minnesota National Guard, Walz retired in May 2005, two months before his unit, the 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery received an alert order for mobilization to Iraq in July 2005. It’s likely that Walz put in for retirement months before that May. It’s also clear that guardsmen anticipated deployment to Iraq months before July.

According to several of his contemporaries in the guard Walz talked about it as a hard decision: that if he deployed he’d miss his best chance to run for Congress.

“He weighed that decision to run for Congress very, very heavy,” Allan Bonnifield, who served with Walz, told Minnesota Public Radio in 2018. “He loved the military, he loved the Guard, he loved the soldiers that he worked with, and making that decision was very tough for him. Especially knowing that we were going on another deployment to Iraq. He didn’t take that decision lightly at all.”

The unit didn’t go to Iraq until March 2006, 10 months after Walz retired, where it stayed for a grueling 22-month extended deployment. The charge has dogged Walz, and in his last run for governor in 2022, it was even leveled by a political opponent who never served at all.

Walz’s rank

The latest round of attacks on Walz stirred up another confusing point about his rank. Walz served as a command sergeant major, the highest enlisted rank. But his retirement papers put him one step lower – a master sergeant. The Minnesota National Guard told NPR that Walz retired before completing academic requirements to keep the higher rank.

“He held multiple positions within field artillery such as firing battery chief, operations sergeant, first sergeant and culminated his career serving as the command sergeant major for the battalion. He retired as a master sergeant in 2005 for benefit purposes because he did not complete additional coursework at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy,” said Army Lt. Col. Kristen Augé, the Minnesota National Guard’s state public affairs officer.

So while Walz can say he served as a command sergeant major, which also made him the highest enlisted member serving in Congress, and he can even get away with saying he retired as a command sergeant major, he cannot say he is a “retired command sergeant major.” On Thursday the Harris campaign changed Walz’s official bio on their website to reflect that.

John Kerry Reflects On Smear Campaigns And Not Taking Anything For Granted

Charges of “swiftboating”.

Attacking an opponent’s military service has a short history in presidential campaigns – the verb “swiftboat” dates back only 20 years, when George W. Bush’s campaign attacked combat-decorated John Kerry’s military service in Vietnam, which might have seemed risky since Bush avoided serving there. Donald Trump, who also avoided going to Vietnam, took the tactic to another level, attacking his GOP critic John McCain’s storied status as a POW. Now, Harris supporters are claiming that Vance is trying to “swiftboat” Walz, and even pointing to a member of the Bush-era campaign who is now working for Trump .

Veterans groups are generally keeping out of the fray; many veterans service organizations are on record praising the choice of two enlisted military veterans as vice-presidential nominees.

“This means that regardless of the outcome in November, the next vice president of the United States will be a former enlisted service member. I am pleased to see both major parties recognize that military service is once again a valued experience in choosing the candidate for the second highest position in the country,” Veterans of Foreign Wars National Commander Al Lipphardt said in a statement.

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OHIO Student Farm provides hands-on agricultural education rooted in sustainability

The OHIO Student Farm is a place where those passionate about farming and agriculture can learn, research and reap fresh produce. The student farm demonstrates the value of sustainable agriculture and how it benefits the University and surrounding communities.

Alex Semancik | August 7, 2024

Do you know where your food comes from? Have you considered the work it took to grow and how it arrived on your favorite store’s shelf?

Modern grocery stores often obscure the long journey some food takes to get from farm to the table. With the help of dedicated faculty, student interns and volunteers, the OHIO Student Farm demonstrates the value of local, sustainable agriculture – and how it continues to benefit the University and its surrounding communities.

The OHIO Student Farm , managed by the Environmental and Plant Biology department  within the College of Arts and Sciences , is a unique resource located on West State Street within the Ohio University Research & Enterprise Green, only a five-minute shuttle ride from Baker University Center . The farm is a place where those who are passionate about farming and agriculture can learn, research and reap fresh produce in the process. The oldest part of the farm was created more than 40 years ago. It has since expanded to include approximately two acres in total including outdoor classrooms, learning gardens, student garden plots and a high tunnel—a structure resembling a greenhouse that extends the growing season for certain crops.

An experience rooted in academics and hands-on learning

The primary goal of the student farm is education. Students from a variety of programs, across multiple colleges utilize the designated experiential learning space for several functions. Classes in subjects like food studies, medicinal plants, nutrition, physiological ecology, plant biology, sustainable agriculture and more are involved with the farm. Internships at the farm are also available to students in the spring, summer and fall.

“Being on the main part of campus is enjoyable, but this is a totally different experience,” said Claire LeMelle, an OHIO Student Farm intern and second-year student majoring in anthropology and philosophy. “We have somewhere that is a local farm but also meant just for learning, so students can not just go see a farm but learn anything they want to there.”

The student farm has no full-time staff and is primarily managed by Associate Professor Emeritus and volunteer Dr. Arthur Trese and Farm Manager Tony Noble whose position is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and nonprofit Rural Action. Trese took over the farm when it was much smaller and still called the learning garden. Over time, he honed his passion to create something bigger and expand what is now the OHIO Student Farm. Nearly all activities on the farm are funded directly from its produce sales. Students also learn the business side of agriculture by selling the produce they grow.

“The OHIO Student Farm really is operating as a small business,” said Trese. “We grow the same kind of produce most local produce farmers grow, that you would grow in a garden any given time of year in Ohio, and then we sell it to local restaurants; we sell some to the university and then we sell some at the Chesterhill Produce Auction.”

OHIO Student Farm interns are given class credit or stipends funded from the farm’s produce sales for their work. Funding from a USDA Capacity Building Grant to the Ohio University Environmental and Plant Biology Department also helps support internships. Interns inherit Trese’s passion for the student farm and enjoy learning from experienced mentors in a hands-on setting.

“People don’t know how rewarding the work is until they do it,” said Kaya Stone, an OHIO Student Farm intern and fourth-year student studying environmental science and sustainability. “I know outside work is not for everyone, but it’s beautiful here and it’s really nice to wake up and know that you’re going to work at a place where everyone is putting in 100 percent and it inspires you to put in 100 percent. Art and Tony really care about teaching us; it’s nice to learn from someone who’s so passionate and has so much experience.”

Experiences beyond the classroom

Beyond class credit and internship experience, students who work on the farm are imparted with high standards of producing quality foodstuffs. The entire student farm is Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certified by the USDA, meaning fruits and vegetables are voluntarily produced, packed, handled and stored to minimize risks of microbial food safety hazards. GAP practices ensure traceability of food from source to sink. Students also work in the USDA certified organic portion of the farm and learn the rigor of producing organic food and the nuances of the organic certification process. Additionally, the OHIO Student Farm provides many students with a different outlook on how food systems function and where food comes from.

“The education component and why that matters from where I'm sitting is that I didn't know where my food came from when I grew up. The experience is the same for many students—they went to the grocery store. That's where food came from,” said OHIO Student Farm Coordinator and Associate Professor of Plant Biology Dr. David Rosenthal. “And so, the promoting of the student farm and what it does is to really give students some grounding in where their food comes from and an understanding of what it takes to grow food on a relatively small scale in a diversified, sustainable farm.”

OHIO Student Farm Interns Lindsey Copeland (left) and Kaya Stone (right) spread leaf compost sustainably collected from University landscaping.

OHIO Student Farm Manager Tony Noble (foreground) and a Student Farm intern hang netting over crops.

Increasing access to sustainably grown food

Through education, the OHIO Student Farm produces an impressive amount of food. The farm operates in spring, summer and fall and grows different fruits and vegetables throughout the different growing seasons. In contrast to larger, industrial monoculture farms, the diversity of crops found on the student farm means the production scale is smaller; however, the variety of fruits and vegetables is incredible. The farm grows more than two dozen different kinds of plants, including, but not limited to:

• Blueberries
• Blackberries
• A variety of herbs
• Hops (used in OHIO’s Craft Brewing Certificate courses)
• A variety of lettuce
• Raspberries
• Strawberries

With the wide array of produce available, there are crops that cater to every taste. Many of the fruits and vegetables grown at the farm make their way to Ohio University students. Being GAP certified allows the Student Farm to sell produce directly to Ohio University Culinary Services during the school year. This food ends up feeding students at dining halls and markets around campus. In 2023, Culinary Services purchased more than 900 pounds of local, sustainably grown produce from the OHIO Student Farm, according to Culinary Services’ Procurement and Contracts Manager Jeff Augsburger.

“We are a proud supporter of the student farm and consider them a great University partner,” said Augsburger.

Ohio University students can access additional Student Farm goods through the Student Farmers Market. Every fall semester a team of volunteers sells produce from the farm to students at or below market price. The Farmers Market has been in Baker University Center in years past but will likely move to the Grover Center Atrium this fall. Any leftover food is donated to Cat’s Cupboard , OHIO’s food pantry. The student farmers market was started by recent Honors Tutorial College (HTC) and Environmental Studies graduate Kate Harmon with the goal of increasing students’ access to local sustainably grown food, especially those living on campus.

“Our main goal was to provide access, not make a profit,” said Harmon. “The overall concept of my thesis is to research the benefits of sustainable agriculture and local food and specifically how the student farm can provide those benefits to students within our campus community.”

Harmon worked with her thesis advisor Dr. Rosenthal and others to continue to engage like-minded students about sustainable agriculture. In addition to the farmers market, Harmon also started Ohio University Student Farmers Club last spring semester. The club provides students with farm tours, workshops, volunteer opportunities and a sense of community surrounding sustainable agriculture. As the club’s advisor, Rosenthal says it is his goal to keep students engaged and involved in the club and sustainable practices in the area. Harmon has similar thoughts.

“Another thing that came from my thesis was starting a club for students who are interested in local food and getting engaged with the student farm and other local farms in the community,” explained Harmon. “We’ve toured a bunch of local farms, volunteered on the student farm and just kind of have been a community for students who are interested in these issues.”

Community impact

Through selling produce to local businesses and working with southeast Ohio nonprofit organizations, the OHIO Student Farm has established intimate connections with the city of Athens and surrounding communities. The student farm provides fresh, sustainable produce to local businesses and restaurants including but not limited to Jackie O’s, Kindred Market, Little Fish, Salaam and The Village Bakery. The farm contributed 8,700 pounds of produce to the local food system in 2022 alone.

Students also sell fruits and vegetables at the Chesterhill Produce Auction , a social enterprise and food hub of the nonprofit Rural Action . The auction connects the community by providing local farmers with a venue to sell their food to thousands of customers throughout Appalachian Ohio, West Virginia and other parts of Ohio.

Dr. Trese developed many of these community relationships before his retirement and his continued dedication to the farm through volunteering has helped the student farm maintain these connections.

“It gradually developed with my class; we had a farm that was something more than just a little garden. As it expanded, we really wanted people to come see,” said Trese. “We did tours here, we did workshops here, I was really able to connect with a lot of the local farming community.”

An Athens-area first-grade student holds carrots harvested from the OHIO Student Farm as part of Community Food Initiatives' Sprouts program.

Dr. David Rosenthal often gives tours of the OHIO Student Farm and helps younger students like those in the Sprouts program engage in hands-on lessons.

The student farm often works with nonprofits to host tours, workshops and other community events. OHIO Student Farm Coordinator David Rosenthal works with Community Food Initiatives Director of Garden Education Molly Gassaway and other entities like Live Healthy Appalachia to organize field trips to the farm for students as young as the first grade. Students on these trips engage in hands-on lessons, harvest produce and learn about the importance of agriculture and the environment.

While the student farm continues to impact the Athens and Ohio University communities, those involved are working to secure its future. The grant-funded position of farm manager expires in 2025; however, there are plans to support Noble and possibly more interns with additional grant funding from the USDA and others. Rosenthal also says he has received departmental support for the time he spends working on and administering the farm and classes associated with the farm.

To ensure the farm’s longevity, Rosenthal and Trese would like to work toward the goal of creating a permanent farm manager position. Trese’s hope is that a portion of this position could be paid out of revenue from produce the farm sells. Personnel exclusively dedicated to teaching at the OHIO Student Farm would make certain it will continue educating students and churning out sustainable produce for years to come.

To learn more about the OHIO Student Farm or to get involved, visit: https://www.ohio.edu/cas/plant-biology/research/facilities-laboratories/ohio-student-farm

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What does woke stand for? Is Kamala Harris woke?

The term "woke" has evolved significantly from its original meaning. Traditionally, it means being awake or conscious, but in recent years, it has taken on a broader, more political significance.

The term has become particularly contentious in the political arena. Vice President Kamala Harris, who has advocated for “staying woke,” has faced criticism from conservative figures, including former President Donald Trump. As Harris prepares to run for president against Trump, her past statements on being “woke” have resurfaced, fueling political debate.

The Free Speech Center describes woke to suggest "someone who has been oblivious to social issues, but then awakens to the see the world differently."

The term can be traced back to a 1938 song about the Scottsboro Boys, nine Black teenagers falsely accused of rape in Alabama. Despite clear evidence of their innocence, they were convicted by an all-white jury. According to Human Rights Careers, "woke" originally meant being smart and alert to racism within the Black community.

In recent times, particularly during the Black Lives Matter movement, "woke" regained prominence as a call to recognize and combat police brutality and systemic racism. It has since broadened to encompass various progressive political concerns.

However, the term has also garnered negative connotations. Merriam-Webster Dictionary notes that "woke" can imply political liberalism or progressivism perceived as extreme or unreasonable.

Today, "woke" is often used to describe identity politics, with phrases like "wokeness," "wokeism," or "woke ideology" entering the lexicon

Conservative politicians, including former President Donald Trump, have rallied against the " woke ideology " of Americans battling for diversity, inclusion, and equity efforts in the workforce, public schools and in legislation.

A clip from 2017 of Vice President Kamala Harris saying "everybody needs to be woke" has resurfaced and caused a stir. It was also posted on her social media at the time.

Is Vice President Kamala Harris woke?

Kamala Harris made the "woke" statement during a 2017 conference when she was a U.S. Senator speaking with Laurene Powell Jobs.

The subject touched on immigration and environmental issues. Harris then spoke out against the Trump administration's drug policies and immigration policies, and then called on Americans to be "woke."

Harris said during the interview that it was "good for democracy," for people on all side to be engaged with what was going on. She called on Americans to be active and "woke." She later posted on her social media , "We have to stay active. We have to stay woke."

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Josh Shapiro quotes ancient rabbi in statement about not being Kamala Harris’ VP pick

When he was elected governor of Pennsylvania in 2022, Josh Shapiro declared victory by quoting a famous adage from Pirkei Avot , an ancient code of Jewish ethics.

Now, after losing the battle to be Kamala Harris’ running mate, Shapiro has turned to the same adage, attributed to Rabbi Tarfon, a sage who lived nearly 2,000 years ago.

“Since I first ran for State Representative 20 years ago, I’ve been called to serve because I want to leave our community, our Commonwealth, and our country better off for our children – and because my faith teaches me that no one is required to complete the task, but neither are we free to refrain from it,” Shapiro, who is Jewish, said in a statement Tuesday morning , following reports that Harris had chosen Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her vice presidential nominee.

The quotation — “It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you at liberty to neglect it” — is generally taken as a reassurance to those facing monumental or seemingly unreachable goals. It has become a mainstay of Jewish activist circles across the political spectrum.

Shapiro’s statement came after a two-week period when he was thought to be one of the frontrunners in Harris’ veepstakes . By Monday, he and Walz were reportedly the final two contenders. The distinction between them had been framed as a choice between one swing-state governor — Shapiro — with a reputation for centrism and bipartisanship, and another — Walz — with a folksy demeanor and cachet with the party’s progressive wing.

Rumors that Shapiro was the leading candidate ignited a campaign by progressives to sink his bid, focused on his support for Israel, his criticism of pro-Palestinian college student protesters, and his positions that buck Democratic norms. Several of Shapiro’s Jewish allies, noting that Walz also has a pro-Israel record, suggested that the anti-Shapiro effort was antisemitic. No parallel anti-Walz campaign emerged in the public eye.

Shapiro, who went to Jewish day school and remains involved in his Philadelphia-area Jewish community , didn’t address those allegations in his statement, which said he had gone through Harris’ vetting process and “was grateful to have the opportunity to speak with the Vice President directly about her vision for the role and the campaign ahead.”

He added, “As I’ve said repeatedly over the past several weeks, the running mate decision was a deeply personal decision for the Vice President and it was also a deeply personal decision for me.”

He congratulated Walz and his wife, whom he referred to as “Tim and Gwen,” and whom he called “good friends of ours.” He wrote that Harris “has my enthusiastic support,” and he pledged to campaign for her in Pennsylvania, seen by many analysts as a must-win state. He said he would appear at a rally with Harris later on Tuesday in Philadelphia, where she will publicly appear with Walz as her running mate.

Shapiro took office at the beginning of last year, and recommitted in his statement to serving as Pennsylvania’s governor, referring back to the Rabbi Tarfon passage.

“Pennsylvanians elected me to a four-year term as their Governor, and my work here is far from finished there is a lot more stuff I want to get done for the good people of this Commonwealth,” he wrote. “In just 19 months, we’ve made a meaningful, positive impact in peoples’ lives, and I’m proud of how Americans all across the country have taken notice of what we’re accomplishing here in Pennsylvania.”

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Did Richard Allen confess to killing two Delphi teens? Here's what we learned

Carroll County Court was abuzz in the first week of August as Special Judge Frances Gull heard testimony ahead of Richard Allen's murder trial .

Testimony revealed that Allen — who is accused in the 2017 killings of two eighth grade girls in Delphi, Indiana —made at least 61 incriminating statements in the first few months after his arrest in 2022, while he was being held in a state prison for safekeeping. 

In the second part of our look at what happened in the recent hearings, we look into what came out about his comments and behavior. In part one , we recapped the testimony around whether evidence related to Odinism and ritualistic killings would be allowed in the trial.

Previously: Will Odinism be part of Delphi murder trial testimony? What we learned

What did Richard Allen say after his arrest?

Statements included things he said during phone conversations with his wife and mother, and to other inmates who were assigned as “companion inmates” while Allen was on suicide watch. He also made statements to prison guards and to the warden and chaplain at the prison, where he was kept in a segregation unit and under constant video surveillance.

Brian Harshman, a detective with the Indiana State Police who monitored calls Allen made from the prison, testified he noticed changes in Allen's behavior in March 2023, when he began saying he'd found God. Allen began confessing to his family several days later, Harshman said, and kept confessing to them and others in the months that followed.

Allen, Harshman said, talked about why he killed the girls and why he delayed in confessing, although the detective did not elaborate on what those motivations were. Harshman also said Allen expressed fears that his family will no longer love him after the trial, during which they will see graphic photos of the girls' bodies.

Harshman, though, acknowledged during questioning from the defense that Allen also proclaimed his innocence during other conversations.

How did Allen’s family respond to the alleged confessions?

Allen's wife and mother became "extremely upset" during those calls, Harshman testified. "As the confessions went on," he said, Allen's mother would tell him that "they're messing with you."

Allen's wife implored him to stop talking, Harshman said.

What did the prosecution and defense say about Allen’s statements?

Defense attorneys want the judge to bar any mention of the statements at Allen’s trial, but the prosecution says they should be allowed because there had been no attempts to force those confessions out of Allen.

Bradley Rozzi, one of Allen’s attorneys, said allowing those statements violates his due process rights. He also cited the conditions under which Allen was placed, saying it amounted to coercion by the state. “The actions of the state," Rozzi said, drove Allen to make those statements.

Stacy Diener, one of the prosecutors, said they were not made during “custodial interrogations.” Allen "was fully aware that his statements were unsolicited," Diener said.

What was Allen’s mental status at the time?

Prosecutors believed Allen was faking psychotic behavior when he confessed to the crimes.

Dr. Monica Wala, the lead psychologist at Westville who had therapy sessions with Allen, testified his mental health began to deteriorate in April 2023, around the time he began confessing. Allen started expressing suicidal thoughts and feelings of hopelessness. He was seen banging his head on the wall to the point that his face was severely bruised, Wala testified. He began eating his own feces. His thoughts were disjointed. During some sessions, Wala said Allen was trembling and his eyes were twitching.

She also said Allen met the criteria of having a serious mental illness, a designation that would've placed a 30-day limit to his solitary confinement. Wala, however, also expressed doubts about Allen's honesty.

Diener, the prosecutor, referred to Wala's notes in which she seemed to question whether Allen was purposefully behaving bizarrely. Wala acknowledged there were times she was not certain whether Allen was legitimately going through a mental health crisis or feigning psychotic behavior.

Harshman, the Indiana State Police detective, testified prison guards assigned to keep an eye on Allen when he was on suicide watch did not believe his symptoms were real.

"Yes, they believe he was faking," Harshman said.

▶ Read the full story: Prosecutor says Delphi murder suspect made 61 incriminating statements while incarcerated

When is Richard Allen’s trial?

The trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 14 and could run for a month.

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Britain’s Violent Riots: What We Know

Officials had braced for more unrest on Wednesday, but the night’s anti-immigration protests were smaller, with counterprotesters dominating the streets instead.

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By Lynsey Chutel

After days of violent rioting set off by disinformation around a deadly stabbing rampage, the authorities in Britain had been bracing for more unrest on Wednesday. But by nightfall, large-scale anti-immigration demonstrations had not materialized, and only a few arrests had been made nationwide.

Instead, streets in cities across the country were filled with thousands of antiracism protesters, including in Liverpool, where by late evening, the counterdemonstration had taken on an almost celebratory tone.

Over the weekend, the anti-immigration protests, organized by far-right groups, had devolved into violence in more than a dozen towns and cities. And with messages on social media calling for wider protests and counterprotests on Wednesday, the British authorities were on high alert.

With tensions running high, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s cabinet held emergency meetings to discuss what has become the first crisis of his recently elected government. Some 6,000 specialist public-order police officers were mobilized nationwide to respond to any disorder, and the authorities in several cities and towns stepped up patrols.

Wednesday was not trouble-free, however.

In Bristol, the police said there was one arrest after a brick was thrown at a police vehicle and a bottle was thrown. In the southern city of Portsmouth, police officers dispersed a small group of anti-immigration protesters who had blocked a roadway. And in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where there have been at least four nights of unrest, disorder continued, and the police service said it would bring in additional officers.

But overall, many expressed relief that the fears of wide-scale violence had not been realized.

Here’s what we know about the turmoil in Britain.

Where arrests have been reported

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