Marketing

How to Put 3 Points into a Thesis Statement

By Jimmy Rafter, eHow Contributor

When writing essays for high school and college, you must always include a thesis statement. It is the controlling idea for your essay, and a point of reference for your reader. Perhaps most important, the first item a teacher looks for in an essay is its thesis. Sometimes a thesis can be simple, but the best ones contain several elements. If you can learn how to consistently write a thesis with three points, your essay grades will improve dramatically.

Instructions

1. Identify the three points you want to make. For an example, let's say that you are writing on the advantages of solar power as compared to fossil fuels. Your three examples could be: solar power is renewable energy; solar power is less of a pollutant; solar power is less expensive in the long term.

2. Rephrase your three points into propositions. These propositions will eventually become your topic sentences. For example, you can write the following proposition: "Coal and oil will eventually disappear from the face of the earth, but the sun will exist for a much lengthier time." Do the same with the other two points in Step 1.

3. Write your thesis. Using the example from Step 1, the thesis statement of this essay would read as follows: "Solar power is preferable to fossil fuels because it is more plentiful, cleaner, and less expensive than coal or oil." Your essay would then proceed to prove each of these points.

Tips & Warnings

When generating points to make in Step 1, don't stop at just three. Write as many as possible, and then choose the three best points.

2. How to Start a Thesis Statement

By Meredith Jameson, eHow Contributor

A thesis statement is a sentence summation of the information, analysis or argument that is contained in an academic or informational article or paper. The thesis statement typically is the last part of an introductory paragraph and provides a summary of the entire paper in one or two sentences. There are a few ways to start a solid thesis statement when writing a paper, essay or article.

Instructions

1 Write down on a piece of paper or type out on a computer what the entire paper is about, using only one or two sentences. This is a good way to start a thesis statement.

2 Organize your information into an outline. Explain the most important information in the article using a clear, simple sentence.

3. Look at the title of your paper, essay or article. If it is presented in a statement, such as "Basics of Creating a Thesis Statement," try turning it into a question, "What are the Basics of Creating a Thesis Statement?" Answering this question can help you start a concise thesis statement.

4. Analyze your first attempts at a thesis statement. If the information is not specific, pointed and informational, you need to rework your thesis statement.

5. Examine the thesis statement you have started to make sure it justifies further discussion.

...