High school students are often asked to write essays as a part of their school assignments. Though most of them are able to come up with a good essay, many face problems in compiling an apt thesis statement. An essay thesis statement summarizes the essay in a sentence or two. However, there are certain guidelines that have to be followed while writing thesis statements, as a reader can comprehend the student's understanding about the subject, just by looking at the thesis statement. Hence, a thesis statement should reflect the argument or the point that the writer wants to make in the essay. As mentioned earlier, an essay thesis statement summaries the opinions and arguments of the essay in just a few lines. It also helps in captivating the attention of the reader and encourages him to read further. Hence, it should give the necessary details by answering all the 'what', 'why', 'where', 'when' and 'how' questions related to the essay topic. Location An essay statement is crucial to steer the attention of the reader towards the focal point of the essay. Hence, it should be strategically placed in the first paragraph in case of small essays and in the second paragraph of the lengthy ones. The best position would be to shift it to the end of introduction, so that it can have reference to the body of the essay. A mistake that most students commit is that they write the thesis statement after they have written the essay. This has to be avoided because the essay should be based on the argument stated in the thesis statement. Length A thesis statement encompasses your ideas in only one or two sentences. It should present the topic of your paper and also make a comment about your stance in relation to the topic. Your thesis statement should tell your reader what the paper is about, and also help guide your writing. Therefore, keep it concise and focused. Structure Once you choose the subject or topic you want to write about, do the research that is needed to write the essay. Once you have done this, think about the argument that you want to support and whether you can provide appropriate evidence to prove your point. After you have decided this, you can move on to create a thesis statement. Types There are three types of thesis statements. Here are some examples that will help you make a good thesis statement. Analytical Thesis Statement It is used when the topic of the essay requires analysis. You are supposed to evaluate the topic by providing at least three cases of the supporting evidence. ► Homeschooling is good for kids because they get individual attention based on their comprehension level. It helps in keeping the negative influences at bay and also encourages excellent academic progress. Expository Thesis Statement An expository thesis statement explains the topic in detail. Remember to follow the specific order of explanation in the body of your essay as mentioned in your thesis statement. ► Recycling helps in saving natural resources, conserving energy, and decreasing pollution. Argumentative Thesis Statement An argumentative paper presents an argument about a certain topic and justifies it by providing specific evidence. ► Advanced technology not only involves high costs, but also leads to unemployment and dependency on machines. Points to Remember Let us take a look at the important points that have to be kept in mind while writing a thesis statement, along with some examples of thesis statements. Be Specific The thesis statement should talk about the main idea that you are going to present in your essay. The most important factor about writing a thesis statement is that it should be specific. One common mistake that many people do while writing it, is making a general statement about what they are going to write in the essay. For instance, if you are writing about capital punishment, your thesis statement should not be something like the following. ► Capital punishment is not the appropriate way of punishing a person for a crime he has committed. This is an example of a weak thesis statement because it is too generic as well as vague. The reader may understand the stance you have taken, but not the reason behind it. Hence, it is important that you write down the reason behind the statement. To make the thesis statement more specific, you can ask yourself why you think it is bad, which will generate an answer that will help in making your thesis statement more specific. For instance, ► Humans do not have the right to take away the life of other humans, hence capital punishment is not the correct way of punishing a criminal. Trigger an Argument Another important characteristic of a good thesis statement is that it should have the ability to trigger an argument. In other words, your thesis statement should not present a stance that everyone agrees upon. Moreover, it should be something that some people may not agree upon. Here, we will take the example of making school uniforms mandatory in public school. Now, your statement can be for it or against it, and it should be such that there must be space for a counterargument. For instance, ► Making uniforms mandatory in public schools will ensure that financial differences among the students will not be known. Such a thesis statement presents an opinion that may be challenged by another person who has different point of view about this matter. Some More Examples Writing good thesis statements should not be a problem for you, if you keep the above mentioned factors in mind. Just make sure that your research is top-notch, and that you have facts to support your side of the statement. ► A healthy breakfast is said to be an important meal of the day, because it gives the person all the essential nutrients that the body requires, and also help the body in facing the challenges of the day. ► As children love to indulge in fast foods and spend their time in front of the television or by playing video games, obesity has become a common health problem for them. ► Introducing sex education in middle school is very important as many cases of teenage pregnancy have been reported in the past few years. ► Though people argue that examinations cause stress and tension in students, they are important in evaluating the student's knowledge. Tips

• Don't let the thesis statement be ambiguous and vague.
• Be assertive and take a strong stand for the topic.
• Don't be afraid of controversial topics.
• Justify the discussion with proof.
• Explore the central idea of the essay in the thesis statement.
• It should inform the reader about the significance of your viewpoint.
• Know your topic thoroughly and restrict your thesis statement to the main points.

Before you start to write the thesis statement, make an outline of your essay and then take the main idea that you are going to present in the essay to create your thesis statement. This will ensure that you write a thesis statement that is relevant to the content of the essay. Once you are done with it, ask your teacher or your friend to evaluate the thesis statement, and make the necessary changes according to the feedback you get.