Thesis Statement Generator

If you’re stuck and can’t come up with a thesis statement for your paper, try this thesis statement generator!  It will get you exactly what you need to get started.

When you can’t seem to conjure up just the right words to focus your essay, that’s when you know you need a thesis statement generator.

In this tutorial, we’ll explain how to use our thesis statement generator, what a thesis statement is, and how to write one.  We’ll even give you a bunch of thesis statement examples to let you see what your next thesis could look like!  Let’s go

What is a Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is a sentence that expresses the main idea of your paper.  It usually comes at the end of your introductory paragraph.  It may be an argument that you will prove over the course of the essay, a subject you will define and describe, a point of view you will try to persuade the reader to adopt, or a simple acknowledgement of what the essay is about.  The thesis statement can even come in two parts:  one sentence explaining the topic or point of the essay, and another sentence explaining how the essay will proceed, i.e., how the point will be proven or the subject described.

In other words, the thesis statement is basically a signpost for the reader.  It lets the reader know up front what the paper will be about.  Most readers like that.  They don’t want to go into an essay wondering what point they’re supposed to be looking for.  They want to know ahead of time where their thoughts should be directed.  It is no different from getting out a map before getting on the road.  You familiarize yourself with the destination and the route—and that way you feel better about setting off.

Think of the thesis statement as the target—the goal—the final destination.  If you don’t have it, you won’t know what route to take with your writing.  You won’t know where to go with the words.  You won’t have a structure or purpose from paragraph to paragraph.  The thesis statement lays out where you are going and how you will get there.  Don’t try to write without it!

How to Write a Thesis Statement

To write a thesis statement, you first need to know what kind of essay you are writing.  Is it a compare and contrast essay?  Is it a descriptive essay?  Is it an argumentative essay?  This will determine the type of thesis statement to make.  Because each essay type has its own set of rules to follow, you will want to know whether you are presenting two sides to an argument, discussing similarities and differences, and so on.

Second, a thesis statement is like a telescope.  It lets you see all the way to the end.  This is your main point—the distillation in just a few words of everything you want to say on your subject.  It has to be narrow, concise, clear, and effective.  It should show what your essay will do and how it will do it (for instance, give evidence to support an argument). 

Third, remember that a thesis statement is where you state your position.  It is in this sentence that you tell the reader what your belief is or where you stand on the matter.  If you’re going to argue a position on abortion, don’t just say that in your thesis statement—say what your position is and why you hold that position.  Give the reader a sense of the evidence you possess that is informing your stance.

How to Start a Thesis Statement

One of the best ways to start a thesis statement is to ask a question and then answer it.  The question is like the set-up to your thesis:  it gets the runners on base, and then the batter (your statement) can bring them home to score.  For example, you might start off your essay with a question like, “What are the benefits of school uniforms in high school?”  From there you could allude to the different arguments on the matter.  Finally, at the end of the introductory paragraph, you can state your position, why you hold it, and how you will prove it.  All that from asking a simple question!  See how easy it can be?

Of course, it helps to know a little bit about your subject ahead of time.  That is why it is usually important to research a subject before you start writing about it.  If it’s a topic you already know a lot about, you will probably already hold a position and know why.  But if it’s something you aren’t too well-versed in, you may need to read up on it.  Do that before you settle your mind on a position one way or another.  As you read, it will likely become clear to you what the different positions are.  You may find yourself leaning one way or the other.  Try to realize why, and then use that info for your thesis statement.

Another way to start is by beginning with a claim.  This can be a presentation of a fact or statistic that gets people thinking.  Your thesis statement can then be an explanation of how you will substantiate or refute that claim.  For instance, you might write, “Some people say 9/11 was an inside job.”  This is a claim.  Your thesis statement might then be:  “This paper will explain what people mean by that—notably, that they believe a conspiracy to attack the US was implemented from within the US government—and it will explain why the USA’s own track record with real conspiracies has led them to believe that.”

Or you could start with a famous quote or a quote that you take from research.  It is just another way to get your topic across quickly.  Once it is out there, you can state your position or purpose in writing on the matter.  That’s really all it takes to start a thesis statement.

How Long is a Thesis Statement?

A thesis statement should not be very long.  One or two sentences at most.  Remember, it is really just a summation of your point with a quick reference to the support you will use to make your case.  State your position—boom.  State why that’s your position—boom, done.

It’s not the place to linger and digress.  It should be direct, to the point, clear, and concise.  It should bite right through all the fluff.  It should have teeth.  Teeth should leave a mark.  There should be no question about what your point is, what your purpose is, or what your plan is, once you make your thesis statement.

Thesis Statement Examples

Still confused?  Enjoy these free statement examples on some different subjects.  They will help you to better understand how to write a great thesis statement.

Climate Change

1. “Climate change is just the latest scare tactic that the institutionalize political class is using to justify further draconian changes to the way the Western world is governed.  This paper uses evidence from actual scholars, insider testimony, and historical facts to show why this is so.”
2. “This paper explains how to combat climate change by reducing the amount of pollution and run-off that results from factories the world over.”
3. “Electric vehicles will not stop climate change.  The fact is that producing green energy and green energy products actually has far more detrimental impacts on the environment than using fossil fuels does.”
4. “If people really want to stop climate change, the best way to do that is not gluing hands to art work or block traffic by sitting in the middle of the road.  The best way is to advocate for nuclear power—which is both clean and sustainable.”

Mental Health

1. “Mental health in professional sports is a problem that needs to be addressed, and thanks to courageous statements like those made by Kevin Love we now know more about it and what we need to do to help.”
2. “The stigma around mental health persists because of the way mental health is portrayed in popular media.”
3. “Mental health is influenced by a combination of factors, including social, environmental, behavioral, biological, psychological, and even spiritual factors.”
4. “The best way to help promote mental health is to talk more openly and positive about the importance and value of mental health and to be less condemning and judgmental of people working on improving their mental health.”

Social Media

1. “Social media is a great way to generate enthusiasm for a cause and rally people together at a grassroots way, and evidence abounds—from the trucker’s rally in Canada to protest government overreach to the Arab Spring in the Middle East.”
2. “Social media represents a serious danger for young people, as this paper will show:  it can cause depression, self-loathing, and isolation.”
3. “Free speech is an important part of social media, but companies like Meta and YouTube want to restrict one’s right to free speech, and this is a serious problem.”
4. “Social media has created a culture of look-at-me clones, all of whom will do just about anything for clicks.”

School Uniform

1. “The school uniform is a time-honored tradition for a reason:  it takes attention away from ‘fitting in’ and ‘standing out’ and puts attention back on what matters—taking pride in your school, your education, and making the most of your time.”
2. “Some say the school uniform restricts personal choice—but this is not really a bad thing because it also eliminates the tendency to turn school into a fashion show.”
3. “The research shows that school uniforms contribute to a culture of greater academic seriousness and success.”
4. “In spite of what some say, the evidence is inconclusive:  school uniforms make no clear impact one way or another.”

Huckleberry Finn

1. “Huckleberry Finn is a timeless American classic that should be read in schools because it has great lessons on honor and integrity.”
2. “Huckleberry Finn’s use of the ‘n-word’ should not be a reason to keep it out of schools; rather, it should be seen as an opportunity to talk about how language is used and the effects of language on society.”
3. “Huckleberry Finn is a great coming-of-age novel—in which the main character decides at the end that it is better to not come of age, after all.”
4. “Mark Twain sends Huck Finn off on another adventure at the end of the novel because Twain himself had little liking for ‘civilized society.’”

Conclusion

Now that you’ve seen some examples and learned how our thesis statement generator works, go ahead and give it a try now!  It takes only a second, and you’ll see that getting stuck at the start is now a thing of the past.  With our tool, you won’t have to worry about ever getting blocked at the outset of your writing. 

Struggling with generating a thesis statement is not fun.  You might have a subject to write about, but if you don’t have a thesis, you won’t know where to start.  The thesis statement is really the most important thing you need:  it’s like gas for your car.  You simply will not get very far without it.

Try our thesis statement generator, and see how simple writing can be!