This handout is available for download in DOCX format and PDF format. Thesis statements are essentially the driving force and backbone of an academic essay. Without a thesis statement, your essay will ...

Otherwise, you're just stating your intent, not your thesis or claim. Example: My essay will discuss handgun legislation. Better: Banning handguns is the first step toward controlling crime in America ...

This is an academic essay, however, so your paper must have an argument. A sentence like “Belle is fond of reading, yet Ariel is not” would not function as a thesis statement, because you are stating ...

Writing is a difficult task. Even though it is a common aspect of our daily life, especially when it presents itself as a mandatory school task. We’re familiar with the fundamental guidelines ...

Because it is essential to clearly define an essay's topic before presenting a thesis about it, the topic statement also precedes the thesis statement. However different his characters may be, ...

Look at the "what" column. Does the essay move logically? (For example, the argument moves from general topic to thesis statement to contextual background to evidence to example to evidence to example ...