Thesis statement essay

• English
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 3

Still stuck for a thesis statement?

As soon as you’ve decided on your essay topic, you need to work out what you want to say about it—a clear thesis will give your essay direction and structure.

Step 1: Start with a question

 What would you like to find out or decide about your topic?

Step 2: Write your initial answer

After doing a bit of research, you can try to answer  this question. At this stage it can be simple.

Step 3: Develop your answer

Now you need to consider why this is your answer and how you will convince your reader to agree with you.

Yesterday, we watched the video and made notes that a topic sentence introduced the paragraph to the reader. 

A good topic sentence is specific enough to give a clear sense of what to expect from the paragraph, but general enough that it doesn’t give everything away. You can think of it like a signpost: it should tell the reader which direction your argument is going in.

Topic sentences as transitions between paragraphs

As you write each topic sentence, ask yourself: how does this point relate to what you wrote in the preceding paragraph? It’s often helpful to use linking words in your topic sentences to show the connections between your ideas. (Therefore, however, also)

While the words “also,” “and,” and “so” are used in formal writing, they are considered too informal when used at the start of a sentence.

Compare and contrast

If the paragraph makes a comparison or introduces contrasting information, the topic sentence can use linking words that highlight difference or conflict (for example, in contrast, however, yet, on the other hand).

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