Thesis Statement

THESIS STATEMENT
A thesis statement is a sentence that tells the idea of an essay and the overall idea or argument of
your work. It is a general statement that presents the essential points of your work leading the reader as to
the direction of the piece. A good thesis statement should be focused and succinct and must be framed as a
declarative sentence. For most student work, it’s a one or two-sentence statement that explicitly outlines the
purpose or point of your paper. It is generally a complex, compound sentence.
Several qualities of a good thesis statement:

1. It is always framed as a declarative sentence.
2. It is focused.
3. It has clear boundaries.
What a thesis statement does?

1. It describes your topic, what your essay will be about.
2. It introduces a specific claim you are making about your topic.
3. It describes three ways in which you will support and develop your claim.
The formula for a thesis statement is: SUBJECT + CLAIM + THREE POINTS OF SUPPPORT
Let’s look at this example:

“Going back to college (1) was a complex process (2) that involved researching a school, applying for
admission, and enrolling in classes (3).”
1. The subject or topic of the essay: “Going back to college…”
 The essay is about going back to college. But there is a lot to say on this subject, so you have to
narrow it down to one specific claim.
2. The claim made about the subject or topic of the essay: “Going back to college was a complex
process…”
 The topic is narrowed down to the complexity of going back to college. Now the topic is easier to
talk about. You just need to list the three points to support this claim.
3. Three points of support for the claim: “…a complex process that involved researching a school,
applying for admission and enrolling in classes.”
 The three reasons of going back to college is complex: you need to research for a school, you need
to apply for admission and you need to enroll in classes.
In supporting your claim, your thesis statement comes in your introductory paragraph; then you need
to devote at least one paragraph for each supporting point.
One paragraph will be about researching a school. The next paragraph will discuss applying for admission. And
the third paragraph will be about enrolling in classes.
These will be followed by the concluding paragraph, summarizing how these points prove your claim.
What should be avoided in writing a thesis statement?

1. The first person (I believe, in my opinion, etc.)
2. Unclear language (it seems, etc.)
3. Attempting two topics at once, even if they seem related.
-pick one and stick with it.
4. Just stating a fact. A thesis is something you plan to make an argument about.
Consider the sample abstract and introduction with the underlined thesis statement presented below.
Sample abstract
Previous studies revealed that meaning-focused instruction (MFI) and form-focused instruction (FFI) are
two of the most effective approaches in developing the overall language skills of second language
learners, separately. However, no experimental studies have been conducted to prove their effectiveness
when integrated. This study, therefore, aims to fill in this gap by investigating the effects of combining MFI
and FFI in developing the speaking, writing, and grammar skills of selected secondary ESL students in
public high school in the Philippines. The participants involved in this study are 480 third year high school
students. These students were divided into four groups: Group A (n=120) received the MFI and FFI, Group
B (n=120) received MFI only, Group C (n=120) received FFI only, and group D (n=120) received the
Standard English programme foe secondary ESL students. Findings revealed that students from Group A,
B, and C significantly improved in their speaking, writing, and grammar skills but not Group D. Base on
ANOVA, findings further showed that students from Group A have outperformed students from Group B,
C, and D. from these findings, it is concluded that combining MFI and FFI is an effective way in significantly
improving the language skills of students. Future directions and implications for teaching are also
discussed.
Sample introduction
Filipinos are frequent moviegoers. Perhaps because of the comic relief that comedy films promise, or
fairytale ending we all want to have that the rom-coms provide, we indulge in the cinematography of
moving picture. In the 1984 Guinness Book of World Record, the Philippines was listed as the nation with
the world’s most avid film-going public, averaging 19 trips to the cinema per year, per person (Yeatter,
2007). In a more recent statistic, the country has also been known to have the highest level of theatre
admission in South East Asia, with 63 million moviegoers in 2004 (“phil.indie films”,n.d.). More often than
not, movie theatres all over the metro filled with people who want to break out from their usual working
routine to catch a 2-hour movie with friends. Oddly enough, however, we as constant consumers of this
motion pictures tend to patronize those that are made particularly international.
Source: Tagudina, M. (n.d.) (Curiouser and curiouser: The making of a better Philippine cinema.
Prepared by:
ROLANDO A. ESCALADA JR.

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THESIS STATEMENT

Several qualities of a good thesis statement:

What a thesis statement does?

Let’s look at this example:

What should be avoided in writing a thesis statement?

ROLANDO A. ESCALADA JR.

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