1. The most important sentence in an essay.
Thesis Statements
The most important sentence in an essay.

2. What is a thesis statement?
A thesis statement shows your reader exactly what he/she will encounter if he/she reads your essay.
If you develop an effective thesis, your reader should possess a full understanding of your essay’s points without even having to read the rest of the paper.
A thesis keeps your claim focused, allowing the reader to also keep focused and organized.

3. Thesis Statements Every thesis must address two concepts.
Claim + Reason
What you believe about the topic + Why you believe it

4. Structure Thesis statements are ONE SENTENCE.
Your thesis statement must be a COMPLEX SENTENCE.
A complex sentence consists of an independent and a dependent clause.
Independent clauses can be alone; they don’t need another clause to make them happy.
Dependent clauses cannot be alone; they rely on other clauses for their happiness.
Therefore, if you create a thesis that does not contain one of each of the above clauses, you’ve done it incorrectly.

5. Structure
We are moving beyond the cookie-cutter “…because blah, blah, and blah” thesis statements.
Those are for freshmen and sophomores.

6. Example
By empathizing with the struggle some individuals face to feel free, Scout surpasses her initial misjudgments of others and recognizes that each person deserves respect.
What’s the claim and what’s the reason?

7. Example
Although Mr. Hundert has strong morals, he does not consistently act on his beliefs and thus fails to instill a sense of morality in his students.
What’s the claim and what’s the reason?

8. Example
Since Achebe explores the complexity and dignity of the Igbo tribe's religion and culture, he combats the image of Africans as a crude and savage people.  
What’s the claim and what’s the reason?

9. Example
Although Myrtle initially embodies the glimpse of possibility and vitality in the Valley of Ashes, her desperate attempts to appear wealthy through Tom coupled with her exaggerated death highlight Fitzgerald's resentment toward the dismal reality of the American Dream.
What’s the claim and what’s the reason?

10. Possible Thesis Formats
Since _______________________________________, _______________________________________.
Through ____________________________________, _______________________________________.
As _________________________________________, _______________________________________.
Once ______________________________________, ________________________________________.
While ________________________, _____________________________.
Despite ______________________, ______________________________.
Although _____________________, ______________________________.
Even though __________________, _______________________________.

11. Remember:
Stay true to the language in the prompt. Use that as a guide to formulate your claim.
Your initial reason/s might change once you start writing. That is OK! You might find evidence to support reasons different from your original thoughts.
Do not stray from your thesis. Do not include irrelevant information in your essays that does not comply with your thesis statement.