What is a Thesis Statement?

Thesis Statement

• A thesis statement is an arguable claim that takes a stance on a topic.
• It is a complete sentence that states the main idea of the essay.
• A good thesis statement should be specific, arguable, well-written, clear, concise, and interesting.
• It should also be narrow and specific, and reflect the main idea of the essay.

Revision Process

• The revision process involves revising the thesis statement as the essay progresses.
• It is important to be willing to revise the thesis statement to ensure it remains relevant and makes a strong claim.
• The revision process involves six steps: reading the essay aloud, listing areas for improvement, planning changes, making changes, rereading the essay, and editing.

Editing

• Editing is an important part of writing an essay.
• It involves reviewing the work to identify and correct errors, ensuring the essay flows well, and making necessary changes.
• Editing can be time-consuming, but it is essential to ensure the essay is error-free and of high quality.

Proofreading

• Proofreading is the final step in the revision process.
• It involves reading the essay aloud to catch errors, awkward phrasing, or incorrect word choice.
• Other strategies for proofreading include reading the essay backward and taking time to review the work carefully.

Pre-Writing Process

• Pre-writing is the process of brainstorming and organizing thoughts before writing the essay.
• It involves generating ideas and developing a clear and concise argument.
• Techniques for pre-writing include brainstorming, freewriting, outlining, and researching.

Brainstorming

• Brainstorming is a technique used to generate ideas for the essay.
• It can be done individually or in groups, and can be formal or informal.
• Techniques for brainstorming include free writing, where you write down all ideas without stopping, and mind mapping, where you draw lines from a central idea to related concepts.

Outlining

• Outlining is the process of organizing an essay's main ideas, supporting details, and structure into a coherent whole.
• It is usually done before writing the essay itself and can be used to determine what information is necessary to include and how to organize it.
• Outlining can be done using bullet points or a more traditional outline with Roman numerals, letters, and numbers.

Academic Writing Process

• Academic writing generally tries to avoid being too personal.
• The writing process involves pre-writing, outlining, drafting, revising, and editing.
• It is an essential part of essay writing and involves developing a clear and concise argument.

General Essay Writing Tips

• Tips for writing a conclusion paragraph include restating the thesis statement, summarizing main points, and ending with a strong concluding statement.
• Tips for proofreading include reading the essay aloud, reading it backward, and taking time.
• Standard formatting requirements for essays include font size and type, margin size, and line spacing.
• Resources for essay writing include books, online guides, and sample essays.

A thesis statement is an assertion, not a statement of fact or an observation. Learn what makes a good thesis statement, including being arguable, specific, and well-written.