To write an effective thesis paragraph, you should first have all of the research and information you will need for writing the rest of your paper. This makes the structure of the thesis paragraph simpler, since you already know what information you are going to be providing, and you can worry less about surprising yourself with new data as you write your paper. Depending on the structure your instructor may prefer, you should then create an opening sentence that captures your reader's attention. Transition that opening toward the specific subject you will be addressing in your paper, and then create a final sentence for your thesis paragraph that presents an overview of the rest of your paper.
A thesis paragraph is typically part of a standard five-paragraph essay, or a paper written in a similar format, that includes an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. While the thesis paragraph does not always have to be the introduction, it is often easy to make them the same paragraph. This is especially true for a paper you are writing under time constraints, such as answering an essay problem on a timed test.
While your thesis statement does not have to be a single concise sentence, that is often the best option for an essay written in a limited time or following the five-paragraph structure. One of the easiest ways to approach writing a thesis paragraph is to view the paragraph as consisting of three parts. Each part can be a single sentence. The first part is your true introduction, it is the first sentence a reader will encounter and should serve to grab his or her attention and make him or her interested in what you have to say.
This is typically followed by the second part of the thesis paragraph, which allows you to transition to your thesis statement. You want this part to move from your introduction toward what you are going to actually be saying in your paper. Doing this effectively can take some effort, but it is an important transition. Finally, you present your thesis statement, which itself consists of three basic components.
Your thesis statement should state the subject about which you are writing. It should also include the stance you are taking on the subject, such as “this book is a good depiction of the Civil War” or “this older novel should be forgiven for potentially racist themes since it portrays the popular attitudes of the time.” You will then indicate the evidence you will be using in your paper to support your stance on the subject. While you may not have every detail of your paper worked out, a strong thesis statement will usually only come together if you have a general framework for your paper in mind.
