Last year, I posted (an awesome, of course) blog post on thesis statements. This post provided a general overview about the thesis statement, such as the structure and major components. I also briefly mentioned that the instructor’s language from the assignment sheet needs to be included in the wording of the thesis statement. Since this part is a pretty important component of crafting thesis statements, I’ve decided to specifically focus on this topic for today’s post. (Bonus: Using the instructor’s words totally makes writing the thesis statement a heck of a lot easier!) Plus, I wanted to also provide an example for all of the visual learners out there (just like me!). So, below I’ll explain in greater detail how to incorporate the instructor’s language into your own thesis statement, and I’ll also provide an example to illustrate how this is done. Happy thesis statement writing!
Incorporating the Instructor’s Language into the Thesis Statement
Before you begin to write your thesis statement, you should first pull out the de-coded assignment sheet. Carefully review the important sentences in which the instructor describes what it is that you have been instructed to research and write about (i.e., those sentences that include the action verbs like analyze, argue, and compare). In the thesis statement, you will be turning these words into a statement of fact in which you address the proposed task. In other words, the instructor’s words will support the thesis statement’s basic foundation: X is Y, because of A, B, and C. You should also review the preceding sentence(s) for any basic background words and phrases about the topic, which you can also use when crafting your thesis statement, specifically the beginning of it.
Example
Assignment: Our city has recently decided to create a new professional sports team. The residents voted and it was decided that the city will establish a professional curling team. The city council members would like to select the team’s official mascot, and they are currently deciding among the following options: a pterodactyl, a marble, and a grilled cheese sandwich. All of the mascot options are special to our city’s residents; however, only one can become the official mascot. Explain which mascot you believe should become the official mascot of the professional curling team and why.
Thesis Statement: While all of the mascot options are special to our city’s residents, the grilled cheese sandwich should become the official mascot of the professional curling team because the stadium only sells cheese sandwiches at the concession stands, the new team can be honored at the city’s annual sandwich festival, and the grilled cheese mascot could lead to a co-mascot—the PB&J.