ShmoopTube

Where Monty Python meets your 10th grade teacher.

Search Thousands of Shmoop Videos

How to Write A Killer Thesis Statement 62181 Views


Share It!


Description:

Without a thesis statement, you don't have a paper. Watch this video, and get the inside scoop on how to write a killer thesis statement.

Language:
English Language

Transcript

00:00

Edited at https://subtitletools.com

00:07

How to Write a Killer Thesis Statement, a la Shmoop.

00:12

First of all, what do we mean by a… killer thesis statement? [Thesis statement sprouts limbs and holds knife]

00:14

Should this thing be armed and dangerous? Well… kinda.

00:18

No, we don’t want to see your thesis statement to show up on the evening news.

00:22

But your thesis statement should aim to… kill… with eloquence, suspense, intrigue,

00:28

originality, and clarity.

00:30

Here’s an example:

00:32

Humans are not genetically required to be meat-eaters, so vegetarianism is the only

00:37

moral choice to avoid the senseless killing of animals. [cow, turkey and girl holding vegetables]

00:41

It states a valid point, expresses a strong opinion, and can be supported with facts.

00:45

Doesn’t mean it’s necessarily true, but it can definitely be debated. [student caveman vs student hippie]

00:51

A thesis statement is that thing at the very beginning of your paper that tells your reader

00:58

what this whole thing is going to be about.

01:01

Right out of the gate, it tells your reader roughly what elements you will develop in

01:04

the coming paragraphs…

01:05

…and exactly how you feel about it.

01:08

The thesis is the most important part of your essay. It is the heart, soul and brain of

01:13

your paper. [flaming heart and brain in between thesis statement sign]

01:15

Once you’ve got that puppy figured out, you’re at least halfway home. [puppy with bone on the road home]

01:21

How do you get to this promised land? Well, first you must establish an issue or problem.

01:27

Think… humankind’s negative effects on rainforests…

01:30

The factors that enable politicians to become corrupt…

01:34

The slow death of the film industry.

01:38

Anything ripe for the picking… and preferably something that is not without a little controversy.

01:42

The thesis shouldn’t be something like… the sun makes it hot outside…

01:47

…because you’re not going to hear much argument from anyone on that point.

01:51

Instead… it should be something interesting… something that perhaps your reader hasn’t

01:55

previously considered [lion with a flower for a mane]

01:56

Don’t hold back… go right for the gut.

02:00

To make sure you’ve got an interesting topic, ask yourself questions someone else might

02:05

ask you.

02:06

Play devil’s advocate with yourself, until you’re certain you’ve covered all the

02:09

bases. [angel and devil on student's shoulder]

02:11

Is it something only you would find interesting, like… how affectionate your dog is right

02:15

after you finish walking him?

02:17

or would it appeal to a wide range of readers, like… oh, anything having to do with the

02:24

Kardashians? [large crowd gathers]

02:26

Is it something that can be argued empirically… like the rise and fall of the stock market…

02:31

or is it pretty much just going to be pure opinion… like what the… best color is? [color wheel spins]

02:36

Keep in mind that you’re not just laying down the facts… you also want to get your

02:41

message across… …so be sure to express your own thoughts

02:44

on the issue.

02:45

Take a strong position. [girl flexes muscles]

02:47

It’s not enough to state that… for the last twenty years, America has actually become

02:52

more racist than it was in the 1990s…

02:54

…if your position is that… hm, yeah, maybe, I don’t know, could be.

02:59

It’s an intriguing proposition… but it’s not going to go anywhere if you plan on being

03:03

wishy-washy. [girl spinning in washing machine]

03:06

Either argue strongly for or against the idea. It’s the only way you’re going to bring

03:10

your reader to their knees. So… what’s a good thesis, and what’s

03:16

a bad one?

03:17

Good thesis: World travel is an essential element of any young person’s well-rounded

03:21

education.

03:23

Bad thesis: There are some great places to visit in Europe.

03:27

Good thesis: More than anything else in our society, video games are responsible for the

03:33

dumbing down of America

03:34

Bad thesis: People are dumb.

03:38

Good thesis: When an elderly person is deciding on a pet, adopting a cat is a far better option

03:45

than adopting a dog.

03:46

Bad thesis: Cats rule, dogs drool.

03:50

Get the idea?

03:53

It should be broad enough that a large portion of your audience will be able to relate…[light bulbs go off]

03:56

…but specific enough that you can zero in on a particular topic and really dissect it. [topic gets sliced in two]

04:01

Finally, you can’t just state your thesis, drop the mic and walk off stage.

04:06

You’ll need to bring some supporting points to the table…

04:09

…so be prepared to back your thesis up with some actual, factual pieces of evidence.

04:15

And while quality is certainly more valuable than quantity…[a few nice strawberries next to a mound of small ones]

04:18

…have at least three supporting points.

04:20

Any less, and your thesis is going to be a bit… flimsy. [thesis falls down]

04:24

Put all this together, and you should have a killer thesis statement.

04:30

If you’re absolutely stumped and can’t come up with one on our own…

04:34

…you can borrow ours.

04:35

It gets out on parole

04:48

in about three months. [killer thesis statement inside cage]

Up Next

What Not to do in an Introduction
32940 Views

This video offers some rules of thumb for writing a good introduction. It covers everything from tone (confidence is key!) to phrases and clichés...

Related Videos

What Not to do in a Conclusion
6994 Views

Even the best essays can go wrong in the conclusion—this video covers what not to do in a conclusion to help avoid any essay-ending problems. The...

Using Citations Effectively
3733 Views

You want to be as picky with your citations as Goldilocks was with her porridge—not too many, not too few... juuust right. You want to prove that...

Wordiness
15156 Views

Want even more deets on wordiness? Click here to review. Or take a look at our entire grammar section for all the goods.

Run-on Sentences
6486 Views

Want even more deets on Run-on Sentences? Click here to review. Or take a look at our entire grammar section for all the goods.