Where Should Your Thesis Go?
Your thesis belongs in your introductory paragraph, which is the first paragraph of your essay. The most effective way to incorporate your thesis is to work it in towards the end of this paragraph. Begin with some general information that introduces your topic before coming to your thesis, which will tell your reader the argument you plan to make in relation to this topic. For an example of a strong introductory paragraph with an effective thesis, see below.
What Makes A Good Thesis?
- It is focused on the topic of your paper.
- It makes an argument and not a statement of fact.
- It reflects the supporting arguments (main points) that you will develop in your essay in the order that you will discuss them.
- It sounds original and not mechanical.
- It is phrased as a statement, not a question.
Something to keep in mind: While you can state your thesis in positive or negative terms, it is a good idea to state your thesis positively (argue in favour of a position) rather than negatively (argue that something was never the case). A negative argument usually requires more detail to support it, which is time consuming and difficult to gather, and hard to adequately express in a short essay. The goal of an essay is to prove that the position stated in your thesis is correct; it is far easier to gather sufficient evidence in support of a position as it is usually a more focussed approach to the topic.
Examples:
Negative thesis: The voting age should not be lowered for any reason.
This argument would be difficult to support because the writer would have to take into account every possible argument in favour of lowering the voting age and show all of them to be invalid.
Positive thesis: The voting age should be lowered to sixteen because youth are highly impacted by government decisions, and they are willing and responsible enough to take on this important civic duty.
This argument would be easier to prove because the writer can focus on developing only the specific points mentioned in the thesis.
Still not sure how to write a thesis? Check out this helpful video:
How do I create a strong thesis from a very general writing topic?
It is not unusual to be asked to write an essay based on a very general topic. Trying to create a thesis that covers every possible aspect of the topic is far too difficult, especially if you are only being asked to write a short essay. Instead, most instructors will expect you to narrow the topic and develop a more specific thesis.
Example: On your government unit test, you are asked to write a five paragraph essay on this topic: The voting age in Canada needs to be lowered.
It would be difficult to argue that all Canadians should be eligible to vote regardless of their age. There is a big difference between the comprehension and abilities of babies, young children, teens and adults. You couldn’t effectively argue so many points in a short amount of time. Even saying the age should be lowered so that more teens can vote is too general. There is still a huge difference between the knowledge, maturity and ability of a thirteen-year-old when compared to a nineteen-year-old.
Instead, narrow your topic until you have a specific argument with clear main points that you can argue thoroughly within the time frame and space you have been given. In this case, it is best to decide on a specific age at which people should begin voting and argue why people of that specific age are ready for the responsibility:
Sixteen-year-olds should be allowed to vote in Canadian elections because they have already begun to take on adult responsibilities and learn about government in school.
Example: On your government unit test, you are asked to write a five paragraph essay on this topic: The voting age in Canada needs to be lowered.
It would be difficult to argue that all Canadians should be eligible to vote regardless of their age. There is a big difference between the comprehension and abilities of babies, young children, teens and adults. You couldn’t effectively argue so many points in a short amount of time. Even saying the age should be lowered so that more teens can vote is too general. There is still a huge difference between the knowledge, maturity and ability of a thirteen-year-old when compared to a nineteen-year-old.
Instead, narrow your topic until you have a specific argument with clear main points that you can argue thoroughly within the time frame and space you have been given. In this case, it is best to decide on a specific age at which people should begin voting and argue why people of that specific age are ready for the responsibility:
Sixteen-year-olds should be allowed to vote in Canadian elections because they have already begun to take on adult responsibilities and learn about government in school.
8 Things to Avoid When Writing a Thesis
The following examples are poorly written thesis statements for papers on the topic of lowering the voting age in Canada.
1. Being unclear or too general: The voting age should be lowered to sixteen for many reasons.
2. Making a statement of fact rather than opinion: You must be eighteen-years-old to vote in Canada, but the government has the power to lower the voting age to sixteen.
3. Not taking a clear stance on the issue: I think the voting age should be lowered to sixteen, but there are also many reasons to keep the current voting age of eighteen.
4. Sounding formulaic or mechanical: In this essay I will discuss the many reasons sixteen-year-olds should be allowed to vote, including their maturity, the support systems they have in place and the need for young people to be more involved in politics.
5. Using an example in your thesis: Sixteen-year-olds should be allowed to vote because they are already given many responsibilities; for example, they can drive a car.
6. Using information that is contradictory or not logically connected to your argument: While some sixteen-year-olds are responsible and mature enough to vote, many would not exercise their right to vote or take voting seriously if the age was lowered.
7. Phrasing your thesis as a question: Should the voting age be lowered to sixteen?
8. Veering off-topic in your thesis: The government should change laws that discriminate against teenagers, like the voting age and the graduated licensing system.
1. Being unclear or too general: The voting age should be lowered to sixteen for many reasons.
2. Making a statement of fact rather than opinion: You must be eighteen-years-old to vote in Canada, but the government has the power to lower the voting age to sixteen.
3. Not taking a clear stance on the issue: I think the voting age should be lowered to sixteen, but there are also many reasons to keep the current voting age of eighteen.
4. Sounding formulaic or mechanical: In this essay I will discuss the many reasons sixteen-year-olds should be allowed to vote, including their maturity, the support systems they have in place and the need for young people to be more involved in politics.
5. Using an example in your thesis: Sixteen-year-olds should be allowed to vote because they are already given many responsibilities; for example, they can drive a car.
6. Using information that is contradictory or not logically connected to your argument: While some sixteen-year-olds are responsible and mature enough to vote, many would not exercise their right to vote or take voting seriously if the age was lowered.
7. Phrasing your thesis as a question: Should the voting age be lowered to sixteen?
8. Veering off-topic in your thesis: The government should change laws that discriminate against teenagers, like the voting age and the graduated licensing system.
An Example of an Effective Introductory Paragraph and Thesis
One of the biggest challenges facing our democracy in Canada is voter apathy, especially among youth. In fact, young people aged eighteen to twenty-four are the least likely to cast a ballot on election day (Barnes par. 11). When teens first learn about the political system in Canada, they are in high school and considered too young to vote. While they may feel passionate about political issues when they first learn about them, they must wait, sometimes for several years, before they can vote and make their voices heard. Political leaders may dismiss the views of youth because they are too young to vote and cannot help their party to get elected. This whole process can be very discouraging and causes many young people to withdraw from political life before they even turn eighteen. The government should consider lowering the voting age to sixteen so that Canada's youth become more politically active and engaged at a time when they are most passionate about political issues, have the free time to become involved in politics and still have the support of parents and teachers to guide them in taking on this important responsibility.
