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Thesis Statements
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Connors Writing Center 7Hamilton Smith Hall . UNH . [email protected] 603-862-3272
A thesis statement articulates the purpose of your paper. It tells the reader what your paper will be about
and what your stance will be on the paper’s topic . Strong thesis statements are specific and limited in scope.
This limited scope will not only give direction to your readers, it will also give direction to your writing
process by providing a focus for your research, outlining, and writing.
Here are some tips on how to create a thesis statement and use it effectively.
Developing a Thesis Statement
• Use a series of questions to develop your thesis statement.
Decide which aspect of a topic interests you most.
What is your stance or position on the topic? State this as a complete sentence.
Why do you believe this? State your reasons in a “because” clause.
Why would someone disagree with this? State the opposing opinion in an “although” clause.
See the following example.
⇒ Topic: US culpability for not bombing and destroying the Nazi concentration camp at
Auschwitz
⇒ Stance: The US could not have effectively targeted and destroyed Auschwitz directly.
⇒ Why do you believe this? Because the US lacked the technological precision and
intelligence necessary to destroy the camp’s death houses without also destroying many
or most of the Jewish captives
⇒ Opposing opinion: Although the US possessed sufficient firepower and information
to attack Auschwitz’s industrial sector…
⇒ Although + Stance + Because: Although the US possessed sufficient firepower and
information to attack Auschwitz’s industrial sector, the US could not have effectively
targeted and destroyed Auschwitz directly because the US lacked the technological
precision and intelligence necessary to destroy the camp’s death houses without also destroying many or
most of the Jewish captives.
• Now you have a trial thesis. You may need to revise or clarify it at a later date, but the trial
thesis will provide you with a blueprint for the rest of your essay.
• Before you begin writing, make sure that your trial thesis matches the instructor’s
intended purpose for your essay.
Watch for key words and phrases that indicate the aim your instructor has in mind. If you are
asked to analyze, illustrate, or discuss a topic, your main goal should be to make your reader
understand your thesis. If you are asked to argue, convince, evaluate, take a stand, or develop an opinion,
your purpose is argumentative, and your thesis should be a debatable claim you will have to
support in order to win the reader’s sympathy.