Term Papers and College Research Paper Writing

My English 101 Prof explained thesis statements for research papers like this: You can create a fabulous paper but without a strong thesis statement, it leaves the reader empty. For those of you who don’t get the analogy in the title “sex without the girl”, let me explain…

Anyone can have sex by themselves but for a complete sexual experience, most of us guys prefer the female action that goes along with great sex. LIkewise, you can write a paper without providing direction to the topic with a thesis statement, but no paper will be great unless it has a thesis statement.Without a thesis statement, writing becomes a useless exercise in stringing words together. In order to better understand the importance of the thesis statement, writing short paragraphs about the subject is a good way to develop an appreciation for the cornerstone of an argument. The thesis statement is the most important part of an essay, providing a reason for the rest of the writing.

In the best writing, the thesis statement comes at the end of the introductory paragraph. One can make it the first sentence, but that often defeats the purpose of the introduction. One must draw the reader in and then present the thesis. However, such placement could cause the inexperienced writer to under-develop the thesis. Ineffective or vague phrasing in a thesis statement can make the entire essay unclear and unfocused.

One of the best ways to strengthen the writing of thesis statements is to both practice writing and explore their importance. In the same way that baseball players will spend entire practice sessions at batting (an essential part of the game, but only one facet), writing short paragraphs about the importance of thesis statements serves to reinforce the fundamental basics of writing. Writing is exercise for the brain; if we do not exercise the writing muscle, it will atrophy.