example of how to restate a thesis

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How to Restate a Thesis

Last Updated: February 27, 2024 Fact Checked

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 44 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 382,776 times. Learn more...

A thesis statement serves as your paper’s (or speech’s) guiding idea, alerting readers to the main points of your paper and the direction it will take. A thesis restatement, which comes in the paper’s conclusion, is the thesis’s kindred spirit, though not its identical twin. It differs from the thesis in both word choice and sentence structure. Restating your thesis at the end of the paper allows you to remind your readers of what you have proven in your body paragraphs and helps to bring your paper to a successful close.

Working out the Restatement Basics

• Sketching out a rough conclusion (the main points you want to get across) will give you an idea of the best place for the restated thesis before you actually try your hand at writing the restatement.
• Depending on the nature of your paper or of your conclusion, you may want to open your conclusion with a question or some other kind of rhetorical device, rather than a restatement of the thesis. While writing often follows prescribed formulas (such as the 5-paragraph essay), there is no one-size-fits-all approach for writing a concluding paragraph, and you may need to try out several positions for your thesis restatement to find out what works best.

• You can use the restated thesis to provide a greater level of sophistication or emotional impact to the original argument. For example, if your initial argument was that buying pets as holiday gifts is dangerous, you might restate your thesis this way: "Remember: buying that puppy as a Christmas present might seem like a good idea at the time, but it could end in the tragedy of another homeless dog by Easter."
• You can also restate your thesis to incorporate the relationship you've built with your reader. For example, if your essay was about developing business partnerships, you could begin your restatement by saying something like, "As a businessperson...." Not only will this make your restatement different from the original, but it will also help draw connections with important elements from the essay/speech.

• For example, if you have written an essay about alcohol use on college campuses, you could revisit the "So what?" question in your conclusion by providing a statement about what that means for students and for college officials. It could look something like this: "Because alcohol abuse depends on more than just the legal drinking age, it is crucial that students be educated about how alcohol abuse occurs, and also that college officials broaden their perspective to include a greater variety of aspects."

• You may be able to use something like “In conclusion” at the end of a speech, however. Signaling or signposting words—like “in conclusion” or “next”—are very important in speeches because listeners only have one chance to follow along with what you’re saying, and these words help them to keep their place.

• Avoid saying things like, “It seems like” or “It is possible that” in the restatement. One exception would be if this conditional language is part of your original thesis statement and your paper is devoted to discussing a topic that is only a possibility, not something you are stating is definitely the case. Otherwise, maintain a level of confidence.
• While maintaining confidence is crucial to the success of your paper, it’s important to acknowledge when opposition exists and not to use absolute statements which may alienate readers. Confidence in your position and in the fact that you’ve proven your point is one thing; blind certainty in your opinion is another!

Making the Restatement Distinct from the Thesis

• You can use your word processor’s thesaurus function for this, an online thesaurus, or a good old-fashioned paper thesaurus. If you use a thesaurus, however, check your chosen word in the dictionary to ensure that you know its precise meaning. Thesauruses group words very loosely by general meaning, and there is often a significant difference in connotation between them.
• It’s not necessary to change every single word, such as prepositions (“in,” “on,” “above,” “over”) and articles (“a,” “an,” and “the”). Spend your time focusing on words/phrases that receive the most emphasis, like those that are central to the points you’re making.

• Try varying your sentences by starting with different parts of speech. For example, if you began the original thesis with a prepositional phrase, start the restatement with the subject of the sentence. For instance, if the thesis starts out “Around the turn of the nineteenth century in England, women frequently…”, you might start your restatement out with something like “Women in early nineteenth-century….”
• Another way to vary the structure is to present your points in a different order. Many thesis statements include three ideas, presented in the order in which they will be discussed in the body paragraphs. When restating, you can list the points in an alternate order.

Community Q&A

• When restating your thesis, if you find that the statement doesn’t fit your paper anymore, you’ll want to go back to the body of your paper and try to find where things went off track. You may find that you need to revise the original thesis to reflect what you actually wrote in the paper, or that parts of the body of the paper need to be revised to better suit the thesis. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• While restating your thesis is essential to the conclusion of your paper or speech, it’s not enough. You will need to emphasize main points and, depending on the assignment/goal of the paper, you may also need to call your audience to action, discuss the implications of what you have talked about in the paper, or make predictions for the future. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• Think of the restatement as a new, more powerful version of your thesis—you’ve written the paper and learned a lot over that process, and now you have all of this knowledge to draw on. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0

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• ↑ https://wts.indiana.edu/writing-guides/writing-conclusions.html
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/cliches/
• ↑ https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/conclusion
• ↑ https://lsa.umich.edu/sweetland/undergraduates/writing-guides/how-do-i-write-an-intro--conclusion----body-paragraph.html

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How to Restate a Thesis Statement: Examples & Tips

What is the most important part of any essay or research paper? Of course, it’s the thesis statement —a sentence that expresses the paper’s main idea and guides the readers through your arguments.

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But where do you place the thesis? You’ve probably answered, “in the introduction.” However, that’s not all of it—you also need to restate the thesis statement in the conclusion. Moreover, it should be paraphrased using a more diverse vocabulary.

If you’re unsure about how to restate a thesis, this article by Custom-Writing.org will be helpful for you. Here, you will find:

• various rephrasing strategies,
• a step-by-step guide,
• the most actionable thesis restatement tips.
• ✍️ Thesis Restatement Definition
• ✅ Step-By-Step Guide
• 💡 Rephrasing Strategies
• 📋 Example Sentences
• 🖼️ How to Reframe
• ✨ Bonus Tips

🔍 References

✍️ what is a restated thesis.

A restated thesis is a reworded and restructured version of the original statement. It is presented in a conclusion or any other part of the essay requiring a recap of the paper’s main idea. It shouldn’t repeat the thesis statement word for word: instead, it’s better to focus on its content.

Why Restating Your Thesis Is Necessary

For a solid, effective academic work, a restated thesis in a conclusion is a must. Here’s why:

• A restated thesis helps reintroduce your central argument, thus enhancing its perceived significance.
• A correctly restated main claim makes the transition to the implications smoother.
• A paraphrased thesis restatement signals the readers about the wrap-up of your paper.

✅ How to Restate a Thesis Step by Step

Now, let’s dwell on the restatement process in more detail. We recommend you follow the steps we described below. It will help you make your paraphrased thesis effective without undermining your persuasive arguments.

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💡 How to Rephrase a Thesis: Different Strategies

You can approach the restatement of thesis in several ways. Here are the best strategies that will make your argument effective and easily understood.

How to Restate a Claim by Substituting Synonyms

English is a language rich in synonyms, so you’ll hardly experience any trouble finding suitable substitutes for the words you’ve used in the original thesis. You can also try out an online reword generator or thesis statement maker to get different versions of your central claim.

For instance, imagine that this is your thesis:

People of color have achieved pronounced success in the fight for their civil rights and equality in the USA over the last century,

You may experiment with synonyms as freely as you want. Here are some variants:

• The 20-century civil rights movement gave many rights and freedoms to the minorities in the United States.
• The situation with racial equality improved significantly over the past 100 years, giving racial minorities a strong voice in American society.

Restating Your Thesis by Altering the Sentence Structure

The syntax is also a rich source of inspiration for thesis changes. If the original statement is compound, divide it into several shorter sentences. If you’ve used several simple sentences in the first version, consider combining them into one longer statement.

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Here is an example of altering the thesis’ structure without changing the main points:

In the original version, we started by focusing on diabetes. In the reworded thesis, we presented the numbers as the first piece of data. This way, we’re directing the reader’s attention to the gravity of the problem.

How to Restate Your Thesis by Changing the Tense

In most cases, the original thesis statement uses future or present tense. It helps to inform the readers about what they are about to read. For instance, it can start with an introductory phrase:

I will argue that homework should be canceled to give students more free time and ease the burden of high school studies.

In this example, the thesis statement is written in the present tense. It links to the general statistics of time students spend on their homework. You can transform this statement into a past-tense sentence in the conclusion, showing that your argument has been proven.

The presented evidence showed that students benefited from homework cancellation and had more quality time for their hobbies and relaxation.

Restating a Thesis by Shortening or Lengthening It

The length of your thesis statement also matters. You may present it in a shorter way at the beginning of your paper, focusing only on the gist of your research question. Later on, once the arguments are laid out and explained in detail, you can present a more extended version of the initially formulated problem.

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In this restates thesis example, we have extended the original idea, explaining what “assigned seating” and “school bullying” mean. This way, the reworded version could embrace the evidence discussed in the argumentative essay’s body.

Restating a Thesis by Linking It to the Research Problem

The strategy we’re about to describe is suitable for use in research paper writing. You will need to tie the thesis statement to the problem you’ve outlined in the introduction, linking it to the issue you’re examining.

For instance, in an essay on child obesity in the USA, you can restate the thesis as follows:

Although preventive healthcare has witnessed much advancement in the past decade, evidence proves that child obesity is still on the rise, with alarming annual increase rates.

📋 How to Restate a Thesis: Example Sentences

Now, let’s examine how to rephrase a sentence in practice. Have a look at these examples:

Example # 1

Here, we expanded the thesis statement by making it longer and adding some details.

Here, we have changed the sentence structure by switching the first and second parts. The first example focuses on the legalization of marijuana, while the second version starts by mentioning the rising rates of teenage weed consumption.

In this example, we’ve changed the thesis statement’s tense from future to past, showing how an intention transformed into a completed task.

🖼️ How to Reframe a Reworded Thesis?

Once you’ve approached the conclusion paragraph of your work, it’s time to think about reframing your main claim. It’s important not to duplicate the introductory thesis because its role in the final section is different. Here are some workable reframing suggestions:

• Reword the original thesis and put it at the beginning of your conclusion. It will bring the focus back to your initial research purpose.
• Enumerate the central claims you’ve focused on. They can be compiled from topic sentences used in the body paragraphs.
• After restating the thesis, you can dwell on the broader significance of the problem you’ve examined. Make a logically related call to action based on the cited evidence. You can also mention your study’s limitations and clarify what additional research is needed.

✨ Bonus Thesis Statement Tips

Now, it’s time to give you a bonus for careful reading: our tried-and-tested tips for good thesis rewriting. Check them out:

As you can see, rephrasing a thesis statement requires effort. Using extensive vocabulary and syntax will help you restructure the content and retain its meaning. And, of course, make sure to follow our tips!

Further reading:

• Best Thesis Statement Examples with Expert Comments
• How to Write a Conclusion for a Research Paper: Examples & Tips
• How to Write a 5-Paragraph Essay: Outline, Examples, & Writing Steps
• What Are the 5 Different Types of Essays? A Complete Guide

❓ How to Restate Thesis in Conclusion FAQs

Restatement of your thesis involves restructuring and changing the vocabulary originally used in the introduction. However, the altered thesis should preserve your work’s meaning and central message.

You will typically need a reworded thesis in a conclusion paragraph. This part of your essay or research paper should wrap up everything you’ve said and summarize your claims in different words.

When composing your essay conclusion paragraph, it is vital to reword your thesis statement initially presented in the introduction. This strategy will help you make the conclusion sound non-redundant while preserving the original main idea.

When restating the claim, you do the same work as when you reword the thesis. You need to change the wording and syntax while preserving the overall meaning of the original claim.

A good example is as follows: “children should wear uniforms at school.” The reworded thesis would contain the same meaning rephrased in your own words: “Uniforms are recommended for all students.”

• Writing the Conclusion: Indiana University Bloomington
• Writing Introductory and Concluding Paragraphs: University of Minnesota
• How to Restate a Thesis Statement: Classroom: Synonym
• Writing a Paper: Conclusions: Walden University
• Conclusions: Purdue University
• Ending the Essay: Conclusions: Harvard University
• Thesis Statements: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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How to Restate a Thesis: Various Approaches to Restating Your Thesis

Table of contents

• 1 Understanding the Purpose of Restating a Thesis
• 2.1 Paraphrasing.
• 2.2 Summarizing.
• 2.3 Reflecting.
• 2.4 Significance.
• 2.5 Rhetorical Devices.
• 2.6 Emotional Appeal.
• 2.7 Call to Action.
• 2.8 Broader Context.
• 2.9 Engaging Language.
• 2.10 Memorable Statement.
• 3.1 Understand the purpose of restatement
• 3.2 Avoid clichés and overused phrases
• 3.3 Be specific and avoid vague language
• 3.4 Keep it concise
• 3.5 Reflect on the essay’s journey
• 3.6 Emphasize the significance
• 3.7 Check for coherence
• 3.8 Avoid introducing new ideas

A thesis statement guarantees that your essay will be read, and a paraphrased thesis states that the main points of your essay will be remembered. Students have already heard about the importance of formulating a thesis statement to interest the reader in your written work. However, inexperienced authors often forget to restate the thesis.

The purpose of the successful thesis restatement is to reinforce the essay’s main idea. This way, you intensify the original argument and influence the reader’s mind. For your research paper to be convincing, it must be coherent. For this reason, the thesis and the restated thesis should not contradict but complement each other.

In this article, detailed instructions will help you restate your thesis and make your essay memorable. Our experienced specialists are ready to share with you the most working strategies for high-quality rewording of the thesis. Moreover, we want to make it easier for you and have created a checklist of the necessary details to consider to restate your thesis effectively.

Understanding the Purpose of Restating a Thesis

We remind you that the thesis statement is a claim that summarizes the main idea of your essay. It is often used as the first sentence in the introductory paragraph to dedicate the reader to the context of the written work. However, a good thesis statement is not limited to the first paragraph. In academic and persuasive writing, for example, there is a need to restate the original thesis to maintain coherence.

What does restate thesis mean? Let’s start with the fact that a restated thesis is a statement based on the original thesis used in the concluding paragraph or throughout the body paragraphs. Quoting the original thesis statement word by word will not be effective, so you have to analyze the original meaning and reword it. You may use a paraphrasing tool in case you struggle with an issue of how to restate a thesis.

You must be wondering why restating a thesis statement in the conclusion paragraph is so important. It is sometimes difficult for the reader to follow your thought course while reading. Remember when you read a book, then by the last page, you begin to forget about what happened at the beginning. To regularly refresh the reader’s memory of your argument, you need to recall it by restating the original thesis statement in the essay’s conclusion paragraph and body paragraphs.

Thus, the thesis claim should permeate your essay. Each part should contain a reminder of the central idea to reinforce the perceived significance of the thesis word. The restated thesis acts as a link between the main components of your essay. It’s necessary to restate the thesis in conclusion, connect it with topic sentences and provide a logical analysis flow.

Strategies for Restating a Thesis Effectively

Unfortunately, a simple understanding of the importance of restructuring the thesis is insufficient. It is also necessary to understand the primary strategies for good restating. Our PapersOwl experts have prepared a list with good examples for you on how to restate a thesis statement effectively. The most effective strategies are:

Paraphrasing.

Reword your original thesis statement using different words and changing the sentence structure. With this technique, the form changes, but not the main point.

Initial thesis: The desegregation of public schools is considered to be the key purpose of the Civil Rights Movement.

Restatement: The anti-segregation movement in America was aimed at equalizing public schools.

Summarizing.

In this technique, you should analyze and summarize the overall meaning of the original point in the introduction. Thus, the statement will be concise and informative.

Initial thesis: Increased anxiety and stress exposure by the mother during pregnancy can negatively affect the intrauterine development of the child, making his nervous system more vulnerable to stress.

Restatement: A pregnant mother’s stress can make a child more anxious.

Reflecting.

Link your restated thesis to the ideas you uncovered in the body paragraph of the paper.

Initial thesis: The opportunities for women to develop professionally were historically equal to the career prospects of men, or were they?

Restatement of thesis: In the nineteenth century, the inequality in the career opportunities of the two sexes was drastic.

Significance.

Emphasize that the thought you expressed in the original thesis statement is so crucial that it is worth developing in restating the thesis.

Initial thesis: The lack of sex education in schools and families leads to increased unwanted pregnancies among adolescents.

Restatement: Again, 50% of pregnancies among teenagers are unwanted. As a result of the lack of sex education, the total number of teenage pregnancies continues to grow.

Rhetorical Devices.

Use rhetorical techniques in your thesis statement, such as parallelism and repetition, to enhance the persuasiveness of the paper and rephrase the original contribution.

Initial thesis: The film provides a detailed picture for our eyes.

Restatement: The film provides a detailed picture for our eyes, and a book provides an even more detailed image for our mind.

Emotional Appeal.

Use a moving phrase or concept to appeal to the reader’s emotions to enhance interaction. If you don’t know how to apply this technique, try asking for help with college papers , and get expert help.

e.g. How long must pass before people realize that their grandchildren will suffer from the consequences of environmental disasters.

Call to Action.

Formulate your paper’s central argument, and motivate the reader to take action by introducing a thesis restatement in the conclusion.

Example: Do not delay, nature needs your intervention right now, sort garbage responsibly!

Broader Context.

Explain to the reader the background of your thought.

Example: Initial thesis: The world was a millimeter far from a nuclear war.

Restatement: In the 20th century, the development of the nuclear industry reached such a level that the advanced countries were on the verge of starting a nuclear war.

Engaging Language.

Use vocabulary that is close and understandable to the reader.

Example: Lack of sleep is the major reason for heart diseases, so don’t worry, go take a nap!

Memorable Statement.

A powerful version of your original claim has a good potential to be remembered by readers.

Example: Realizing that you owe nothing to anyone is difficult, but only by recognizing this do you begin to live for real.

Checklist to help you ensure an effective restatement of your thesis

Now that you’re familiar with working strategies for paraphrasing a thesis statement, as well as with illustrative examples, it’s time to stock up on all the tips from our experienced writers. We have created a checklist of eight points you need to follow to know how to write a thesis statement for the conclusion section so that most professors truly value your writing.

Understand the purpose of restatement

Understanding the reasons and motivation for your actions gives you the key to rephrase a thesis right. Having realized the primary goal of restating your thesis statement will help you articulate it more clearly. Remember that this writing technique exists to strengthen your arguments and improve their perception by readers. So let’s see how to restate a thesis for your conclusion and write a perfect paper.

Avoid clichés and overused phrases

The reader will not be interested in hackneyed formulations, absolute statements, and overused concepts in your thesis restatement. Our brain always demands novelty, so unique information will attract more attention and arouse interest in your research paper. Try to make your thesis restatement look fresh and intriguing.

Be specific and avoid vague language

Vague concepts, conditional language, overly long sentences, and oversimplification of information will make your thesis statements more boring. Do not think that your reader is a fool. On the contrary, provide him with food for thought. Also, reconsider the sentence structure, for it not to be too weary, use different words to be diverse.

Keep it concise

An excellent conclusion thesis restatement should be concise, giving only the most necessary context to make it easier to understand. You can expand on your idea in more detail in the following main paragraphs. To get a perfect reworded thesis, use the thesis statement generator to make the process easier. Still, to make rephrasing effective, it should be concise, write shorter sentences and use different words.

Reflect on the essay’s journey

Summarize your main ideas. After all, the thesis restatement is precisely the information you want the reader to remember the most. Why don’t you recall once again the main points and central claims of your writing? Use grammar tenses to convey your point. Perhaps your original statement was written in the present or future tense, then use past tense to show you’ve accomplished your ideas. Or, at the beginning of your writing, you used a sentence with a subject. So, restate the thesis in the conclusion with a prepositional phrase instead.

Emphasize the significance

Your opinion and your words must be heard. Emphasize the importance of your ideas with a strong conclusion paragraph thesis restatement. Choose the right strategy for your body paragraphs and paper’s conclusion to sound more convincing. Restate the thesis so that the reader has no doubts regarding the expertise of your writing and the words you say.

Check for coherence

Do not forget about the connection between the thesis sentence in the introduction paragraph and the restatement in the essay conclusion section and the main body. Follow the logic of the presentation of your thoughts when you restate claim. Your paper should not contain contradictory words and statements.

Avoid introducing new ideas

New and creative ideas are good, but they should be pre-planned as part of your paper. An unexpected and unforeseen conclusion that isn’t related to the research problem can confuse the reader at the end of the essay. Stick to your original concepts and the same meaning for the coherence of your writing. Rewrite existing concepts to reinforce your introduction thesis statement.

A thesis statement is an effective technique for attracting the attention of the reader, as well as ensuring his interest. However, using a thesis statement only in the introductory paragraph will not provide you with the desired result. For a more comprehensive result, you will have to rephrase a thesis statement a few more times in the writing process.

No strong conclusion is complete without a good reworded thesis. Remember to connect the rephrasing to the main research question. Use our strategies to write an effective thesis and get a well-deserved assessment from the teacher. Stick to our recommendations to make your paraphrased thesis effective.

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Thesis Statements

What this handout is about.

This handout describes what a thesis statement is, how thesis statements work in your writing, and how you can craft or refine one for your draft.

Introduction

Writing in college often takes the form of persuasion—convincing others that you have an interesting, logical point of view on the subject you are studying. Persuasion is a skill you practice regularly in your daily life. You persuade your roommate to clean up, your parents to let you borrow the car, your friend to vote for your favorite candidate or policy. In college, course assignments often ask you to make a persuasive case in writing. You are asked to convince your reader of your point of view. This form of persuasion, often called academic argument, follows a predictable pattern in writing. After a brief introduction of your topic, you state your point of view on the topic directly and often in one sentence. This sentence is the thesis statement, and it serves as a summary of the argument you’ll make in the rest of your paper.

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement:

• tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.
• is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.
• directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel.
• makes a claim that others might dispute.
• is usually a single sentence near the beginning of your paper (most often, at the end of the first paragraph) that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.

If your assignment asks you to take a position or develop a claim about a subject, you may need to convey that position or claim in a thesis statement near the beginning of your draft. The assignment may not explicitly state that you need a thesis statement because your instructor may assume you will include one. When in doubt, ask your instructor if the assignment requires a thesis statement. When an assignment asks you to analyze, to interpret, to compare and contrast, to demonstrate cause and effect, or to take a stand on an issue, it is likely that you are being asked to develop a thesis and to support it persuasively. (Check out our handout on understanding assignments for more information.)

How do I create a thesis?

A thesis is the result of a lengthy thinking process. Formulating a thesis is not the first thing you do after reading an essay assignment. Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to collect and organize evidence, look for possible relationships between known facts (such as surprising contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance of these relationships. Once you do this thinking, you will probably have a “working thesis” that presents a basic or main idea and an argument that you think you can support with evidence. Both the argument and your thesis are likely to need adjustment along the way.

Writers use all kinds of techniques to stimulate their thinking and to help them clarify relationships or comprehend the broader significance of a topic and arrive at a thesis statement. For more ideas on how to get started, see our handout on brainstorming .

How do I know if my thesis is strong?

If there’s time, run it by your instructor or make an appointment at the Writing Center to get some feedback. Even if you do not have time to get advice elsewhere, you can do some thesis evaluation of your own. When reviewing your first draft and its working thesis, ask yourself the following :

• Do I answer the question? Re-reading the question prompt after constructing a working thesis can help you fix an argument that misses the focus of the question. If the prompt isn’t phrased as a question, try to rephrase it. For example, “Discuss the effect of X on Y” can be rephrased as “What is the effect of X on Y?”
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? If your thesis simply states facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it’s possible that you are simply providing a summary, rather than making an argument.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? Thesis statements that are too vague often do not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like “good” or “successful,” see if you could be more specific: why is something “good”; what specifically makes something “successful”?
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? If a reader’s first response is likely to  be “So what?” then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue.
• Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering? If your thesis and the body of your essay do not seem to go together, one of them has to change. It’s okay to change your working thesis to reflect things you have figured out in the course of writing your paper. Remember, always reassess and revise your writing as necessary.
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? If a reader’s first response is “how?” or “why?” your thesis may be too open-ended and lack guidance for the reader. See what you can add to give the reader a better take on your position right from the beginning.

Suppose you are taking a course on contemporary communication, and the instructor hands out the following essay assignment: “Discuss the impact of social media on public awareness.” Looking back at your notes, you might start with this working thesis:

Social media impacts public awareness in both positive and negative ways.

You can use the questions above to help you revise this general statement into a stronger thesis.

• Do I answer the question? You can analyze this if you rephrase “discuss the impact” as “what is the impact?” This way, you can see that you’ve answered the question only very generally with the vague “positive and negative ways.”
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not likely. Only people who maintain that social media has a solely positive or solely negative impact could disagree.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? No. What are the positive effects? What are the negative effects?
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? No. Why are they positive? How are they positive? What are their causes? Why are they negative? How are they negative? What are their causes?
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? No. Why should anyone care about the positive and/or negative impact of social media?

After thinking about your answers to these questions, you decide to focus on the one impact you feel strongly about and have strong evidence for:

Because not every voice on social media is reliable, people have become much more critical consumers of information, and thus, more informed voters.

This version is a much stronger thesis! It answers the question, takes a specific position that others can challenge, and it gives a sense of why it matters.

Let’s try another. Suppose your literature professor hands out the following assignment in a class on the American novel: Write an analysis of some aspect of Mark Twain’s novel Huckleberry Finn. “This will be easy,” you think. “I loved Huckleberry Finn!” You grab a pad of paper and write:

Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is a great American novel.

You begin to analyze your thesis:

• Do I answer the question? No. The prompt asks you to analyze some aspect of the novel. Your working thesis is a statement of general appreciation for the entire novel.

Think about aspects of the novel that are important to its structure or meaning—for example, the role of storytelling, the contrasting scenes between the shore and the river, or the relationships between adults and children. Now you write:

In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a contrast between life on the river and life on the shore.

• Do I answer the question? Yes!
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not really. This contrast is well-known and accepted.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? It’s getting there–you have highlighted an important aspect of the novel for investigation. However, it’s still not clear what your analysis will reveal.
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? Not yet. Compare scenes from the book and see what you discover. Free write, make lists, jot down Huck’s actions and reactions and anything else that seems interesting.
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? What’s the point of this contrast? What does it signify?”

After examining the evidence and considering your own insights, you write:

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

This final thesis statement presents an interpretation of a literary work based on an analysis of its content. Of course, for the essay itself to be successful, you must now present evidence from the novel that will convince the reader of your interpretation.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Anson, Chris M., and Robert A. Schwegler. 2010. The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers , 6th ed. New York: Longman.

Lunsford, Andrea A. 2015. The St. Martin’s Handbook , 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St Martin’s.

Ramage, John D., John C. Bean, and June Johnson. 2018. The Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing , 8th ed. New York: Pearson.

Ruszkiewicz, John J., Christy Friend, Daniel Seward, and Maxine Hairston. 2010. The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers , 9th ed. Boston: Pearson Education.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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