Writing a Thesis Statement A thesis statement is a complete sentence that expresses the speaker’s most important idea, or key point, about a topic.

Purpose Statement VS Thesis Statement The Goal of Your SpeechThe Key Idea/s You Will Present I want to explain the characteristics of the six major classifications of show dogs. Show dogs are classified according to their characteristics as hounds, terriers, working dogs, toys, sporting dogs, and nonsporting dogs. I want to convince the class that they should read To Kill A Mockingbird. To Kill a Mockingbird is an excellent book to read because it features interesting characters, thought- provoking issues, and an exciting plot I want to convince the class of the value of vocational education. Vocational education is a more cost effective, hands-on, employment based post-secondary option for graduates. I want to explain the major parts of a computer. The four main parts of a computer are the central processing unit (CPU), the disk drive, the keyboard, and the monitor.

 The key to a strong, well-written thesis statement is being able to focus specifically on researching the topic you have chosen and not wasting time looking for information you don’t need. For Example: Suppose you want to give a speech about better street-repair methods. You know that many members of the audience have driven through potholes in their neighborhoods or on local highways. You may have heard that textile mats are being used to increase the wearability of paved roads. Your thesis deals with the use of this textile. To research anything about the broader topic of asphalt paving techniques would be time-consuming and unnecessary. By focusing on the thesis, you constrain your research.

The first requirement is that the thesis must be a complete declarative sentence.  One mistake students often make is using a question as a thesis statement. Instead the question should be answered by phrasing the thesis properly.  A declarative sentence clearly states the limitations placed on a topic.

For Example  Suppose you want to speak about alternative energy sources. To begin analyzing the topic, you ask the question: How can our present energy sources be expanded?  The question limits the topic somewhat, but after researching the topic, you find many possible answers including the expansion of natural gas, expansion of oil, development of nuclear fission, more fusion generation, the development of methane gas, and expanded solar development. As you can see the topic is very broad – too broad to develop each idea in a classroom speech.  If you develop just one of these ideas, however, and phrase it as a declarative sentence, the thesis could ready: The production of methane gas from garbage and sewage can extend our present fuel supply.  This thesis clearly limits what will be presented in the speech. The broad topic of energy has been narrowed to a manageable classroom speech topic.

The second requirement is that the thesis must contain the central idea of the speech.  This sounds simple, but if the thesis is not worded properly, the audience will not realize the central idea of the speech.  The declarative sentence should state the main idea clearly.

The third requirement is that the thesis sentence must demonstrate the purpose of the speech.  The audience should be able to tell whether your speech is informative or persuasive just by listening to your thesis sentence.  The thesis sentence should also indicate the direction of the speech or the response the speaker seeks.

The fourth requirement is that the thesis should be worded in a way that gives direction to the body of the speech.  The body of your speech should be organized exactly as your thesis statement reads.  By giving direction in your thesis statement the audience will know where you are “leading” them and how you will get them through what you have to tell them.