What is a Thesis Statement?
A thesis statement…
A good thesis statement will usually include the following four attributes:
Let’s see how to generate a thesis statement for an environmental studies paper.
1. Brainstorm the topic.
Let’s say that your class focuses on health problems related to climate change. You find that you are interested in the spread of climate-sensitive diseases.
You start out with a thesis statement like this:
Climate-sensitive diseases
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 climate-sensitive diseases.
2. Narrow the topic.
Your readings about the topic, however, have led you to the conclusion that, although richer countries are responsible for the majority of emissions that contribute to climate change, it is poorer countries that will suffer the majority of the health consequences.
You change your thesis to look like this:
The spread of climate-sensitive diseases will impact economically underdeveloped countries more than developed nations.
This fragment not only announces your subject, it focuses on one segment of the population: economically underdeveloped countries. Furthermore, it raises a subject upon which reasonable people could disagree, because while most people might agree that climate change has brought about an increase in climate-sensitive diseases, not everyone would agree that poorer countries are suffering the worst effects. You should note that this fragment is not a thesis statement because your reader doesn’t know your conclusions on the topic.
3. 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 effects climate-sensitive diseases have on poorer countries.
You revise your thesis statement to look like this:
Development should begin now to reduce the impact climate-sensitive diseases will have on economically underdeveloped countries.
This statement asserts your position, but the terms development, climate-sensitive diseases and economically underdeveloped countries are very general.
4. Use specific language.
You decide to narrow your focus, so you write:
Experts estimate that malaria mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa increases by 8% for every degree of global warming.
This statement is specific, but it isn’t a thesis. It merely reports a statistic instead of making an assertion.
5. Make an assertion based on clearly stated support.
You finally revise your thesis statement one more time to look like this:
To counteract the increase in malaria mortality that results from climate change, developed nations should offer resources and expertise to help strengthen disease-control programs in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Notice how the thesis answers the question, “What should be done to counteract the climate-induced spread of malaria, 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. Here’s an example:
The deaths of Romeo and Juliet, who were driven to suicide by the rivalry between their families, demonstrates Shakespeare’s belief that society will always have more power than the individual.
This is a strong thesis because it takes a stand, and because it's specific.
2. A strong thesis statement justifies discussion. 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. If your thesis statement expresses more than one idea, then you might confuse your readers about the subject of your paper.
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.
Need Help?
The Writing Center and Peer Connections can assist you with your paper. You can also contact a librarian for help with creating your thesis statement.
Now that you have a strong, specific thesis statement, it’s time to move on to Step 8: Work with Your Topic.