Does the thesis statement have to be the last sentence of the introduction

Dec 02

    Placement of Thesis Statements

    You now know what a thesis statement is and how important it will be in relation to college writing. The next question is where to place it in relation to your paper.

    The thesis statement should usually appear at the beginning of a college paper. Potentially, it could be the first sentence of your paper but that does not excite your audience or catch the reader’s attention of what your paper will be about. It is advised to place your thesis statement near the end of the first paragraph.

    The first paragraph acts as a funnel opening to the content of the paper which draws the audience into the discussion. Your argument of the paper is then focused by the thesis statement before the main content of the essay begins.

    Everything that then follows in your paper should have something that fits under the umbrella of your thesis statement.

    However, if you are writing a relatively short paper, you could put the thesis statement as the first sentence. If this is the case, then the rest of the first paragraph will discuss what you’re going to argue for the rest of the paper. Once you reach the second paragraph, you’re already into the first part of the paper and your introduction is complete.

    Before putting the thesis statement at the very start of your paper, it is important to recognise that this will not work as well when you begin to write papers that are longer and more complex.

    To sum up where you should place your thesis statement; remember that the optimal home for your thesis statement is at the end of the introduction paragraph. This makes a natural bridge from the introduction through to the body of your paper. It also provides an opportunity for your introduction to develop into a distinct, thorough thesis statement that will effectively portray the argument of your paper.

    Relationship of Structure to Thesis Statements

    A good writer incorporates structure into their paper. As you have most likely learned in High School, there are three components to a paper. The introduction, body and conclusion. The thesis statement and where you put it is a vital component of the structure of your paper. It is like a blurb at the back of a book. It gives you the main summary of the book, without all the details that the book will reveal over time.

    It is important that you give careful thought to the arrangement of your ideas and the paragraphs that contain them.

    College students that take the time to structure their papers correctly will find that their papers are capable of creatively introducing the topic of the paper, present the content in a clear and logical manner and conclude by reinforcing the main argument and providing a sense of closure.

    Why thesis statements are important and relevant to the structure of a paper:

    • The author can refer back to it to narrow down points.
    • Reader will not get confused by multiple points in correspondence to the paper’s objective.
    • Focuses the paper on the author’s main points of the paper.

    Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements

    Does the thesis statement have to be the last sentence of the introduction

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    Summary:

    This resource provides tips for creating a thesis statement and examples of different types of thesis statements.

    Tips for Writing Your Thesis Statement

    1. Determine what kind of paper you are writing:

    • An analytical paper breaks down an issue or an idea into its component parts, evaluates the issue or idea, and presents this breakdown and evaluation to the audience.
    • An expository (explanatory) paper explains something to the audience.
    • An argumentative paper makes a claim about a topic and justifies this claim with specific evidence. The claim could be an opinion, a policy proposal, an evaluation, a cause-and-effect statement, or an interpretation. The goal of the argumentative paper is to convince the audience that the claim is true based on the evidence provided.

    If you are writing a text that does not fall under these three categories (e.g., a narrative), a thesis statement somewhere in the first paragraph could still be helpful to your reader.

    2. Your thesis statement should be specific—it should cover only what you will discuss in your paper and should be supported with specific evidence.

    3. The thesis statement usually appears at the end of the first paragraph of a paper.

    4. Your topic may change as you write, so you may need to revise your thesis statement to reflect exactly what you have discussed in the paper.

    Thesis Statement Examples

    Example of an analytical thesis statement:

    An analysis of the college admission process reveals one challenge facing counselors: accepting students with high test scores or students with strong extracurricular backgrounds.

    The paper that follows should:

    • Explain the analysis of the college admission process
    • Explain the challenge facing admissions counselors

    Example of an expository (explanatory) thesis statement:

    The life of the typical college student is characterized by time spent studying, attending class, and socializing with peers.

    The paper that follows should:

    • Explain how students spend their time studying, attending class, and socializing with peers

    Example of an argumentative thesis statement:

    High school graduates should be required to take a year off to pursue community service projects before entering college in order to increase their maturity and global awareness.

    The paper that follows should:

    • Present an argument and give evidence to support the claim that students should pursue community projects before entering college

    What should the last sentence of an introduction be?

    Thesis Statement – The thesis tells your readers the three reasons why you are defending or discussing your topic. It is always the last sentence in the introduction paragraph.

    Can a thesis statement be at the beginning of the introduction?

    The thesis statement should be placed at the end of your essay introduction.

    Can the thesis be the last sentence?

    It consists of the topic of the essay and the writer's claim about the topic that will be proven throughout the essay. The thesis usually appears at the end of the introduction, often as the last sentence, and lets the reader know what to expect.

    Is the thesis statement the first or last sentence in the conclusion?

    The first sentence of your conclusion paragraph should restate your thesis. A restated thesis expresses the same idea, but the words are different. Remember that the meaning of your thesis should not change.