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EP 43: The Most Important Part of Your Essay: The Thesis Statement
When a professor reads your essay, they will be able to tell almost immediately whether you have done a good job in framing your topic.
How do they know this after just reading the first few lines of your work? They focus on the most important part of your essay – the thesis statement. But what is a thesis statement and how do you write a good one? Join Cath Anne on Episode 43 as she discusses the most important part of your essay.
Looking for study tips, help with essay writing, or advice on how to be a better student? Welcome to The Homework Help Show, a weekly show where we teach, assist, and offer valuable insights for student life. From study hacks to writing tips, discussions about student mental health to step-by-step guides on academic writing and how to write a resume, we’ve got you covered. Want your questions answered? Write them below or join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #askHHG
TRANSCRIPT:
Cath Anne: [00:00:00] Hi guys and welcome back to our channel. My name is Cath Anne and this is Episode 43 of The Homework Help Show by Homework Help Global. Here on the show we provide you with valuable content before your academic and student life. Let’s jump in.
Cath Anne: [00:00:23] Essays are a necessary component of an undergraduate college or graduate degree. An essay is something that is written to inform people of something or to allow the professor to know that you are comprehending the information they provide to you in your coursework.
Cath Anne: [00:00:40] When a professor reads your essay they will be able to tell almost immediately if you have done a good job in framing your topic. How do they know this? After just reading a few lines of your essay this is because they focus on the most important part of your essay. The thesis statement. But what is the thesis statement and how do you write a good one?
Cath Anne: [00:01:03] Your thesis statement is like a road map for the reader, aka your professor. It tells the reader where your essay is about to go. It also helps to guide the ideas in the paper. The thesis statement is not only a topic it reflects an opinion or a judgment that the writer has made about a reading or a personal experience. The thesis statement is a sentence that states the main idea of a writing assignment. What’s more the thesis statement should intriguer reader keep them wanting to read more. It is also clear eloquent and fact based.
Cath Anne: [00:01:42] Let’s talk about an example. Humans are not genetically required to eat meat. So vegetarianism is the only moral choice to avoid the senseless killing of animals. This thesis statement provides a valid point, expresses a strong and debatable opinion and it can be supported by research. This does not necessarily mean that the statement is true, it only means that it can be debated. When you provide a strong thesis statement at the beginning of an essay, it tells the reader what the paper is going to be about right away. The reader will know what you’re going to talk about and how you feel about the topic in question and this is a very important point. But how do you write a strong thesis statement? No Pressure it will help you figure it out.
Cath Anne: [00:02:24] First you have to establish an issue or problem like humans impact on climate change, the factors that contribute to homelessness in Canada, or the slow death of the television industry. Try to come up with something topical and preferably something controversial. The thesis statement should not be something like cats are cute. First of all no one is going to debate you on that and you’ll want more than just cat fanatics being interested in reading your essay. Instead it should be something more interesting something your reader may not have thought about before.
Cath Anne: [00:03:02] Play devil’s advocate with yourself and ask yourself whether this is something only you will find interesting. Like how much your cat loves to be cuddled when you come home from work. Or is it something that has more of a universal appeal like Donald Trump’s potential connection to Russia? Is it something that can be argued and is based on fact like the rise and fall of the stock market? Or is pretty much going to be your opinion? Like cats are cuter than dogs.
Cath Anne: [00:03:32] You’re not just explaining facts. You’re also going to want to provide your opinion. Take a strong position on the matter and debate it either argues strongly for or against a matter. Don’t be wishy washy your reader will want to know how you feel about the topic and they will either be on board or not.
Cath Anne: [00:03:54] Let’s discuss some examples of good thesis statements and bad thesis statements. Good thesis statement: Traveling the world is an important element of any young person’s well rounded education. Bad thesis: Europe is a great place for students to visit. Good thesis: more than anything else in our society, cell phones are responsible for loneliness in American society. Bad thesis: American people are lonely. Good thesis: When an elderly person is thinking about adopting a pet a cat is a more appropriate choice than a dog. Bad thesis: Cats are cuter than dogs. Get the point?
Cath Anne: [00:04:34] Your thesis statement should be broad enough to appeal to a large audience but also specific enough so that you can narrow it down and focus on specific details within your argument. At the end of the day the thesis is definitely the most important part of your essay. However you can’t just state your thesis statement and then walk away. You must back it up with research and evidence. Make sure to have at least three pieces of evidence that you can use to back up your thesis statement. You definitely want to make a point, you want it to be debatable and you want it to be fact based.
Cath Anne: [00:05:11] Good luck writing your thesis statements and I hope you are excited for this semester. We will join you along the way.
Cath Anne: [00:05:18] Okay that’s it for me this week guys. I hope this video was of benefit and I can’t wait to talk to you soon. As always if you have any questions leave them in the comments below. Make sure to give this video a like a thumbs up if you’re looking to connect with us on social media. Please check out our links in the description below. Have a great week guys. Talk soon. Take care.
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