What is a thesis statement?

a generalization about the evidence you are going to present

the audience and purpose of a composition

an implied idea that will be developed throughout a paragraph

a sentence that sums up the main idea of your composition

A thesis statment is tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion. is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper. directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II. a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel. makes a claim that others might dispute. is usually a single sentence near the beginning of your paper (most often, at the end of the first paragraph) that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.