{"id":391,"date":"2025-04-17T16:37:26","date_gmt":"2025-04-17T16:37:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/chapter\/what-is-a-thesis\/"},"modified":"2025-08-02T02:47:53","modified_gmt":"2025-08-02T02:47:53","slug":"what-is-a-thesis","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/chapter\/what-is-a-thesis\/","title":{"raw":"Writing Essentials: Background You'll Need","rendered":"Writing Essentials: Background You&#8217;ll Need"},"content":{"raw":"<section class=\"textbox learningGoals\" aria-label=\"Learning Goals\">\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">Identify what a thesis is and its purpose<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<h2 class=\"\" data-start=\"429\" data-end=\"449\">What Is a Thesis?<\/h2>\r\n<section class=\"textbox keyTakeaway\" aria-label=\"Key Takeaway\">\r\n<h3>thesis<\/h3>\r\nA thesis is more than just a topic or opinion. It\u2019s the <strong data-start=\"509\" data-end=\"568\">central statement that pulls your entire essay together<\/strong>. Think of it as the anchor for your ideas\u2014the guiding message that helps organize your evidence, examples, and explanations.\r\n\r\n<\/section>\r\n<h3 class=\"\" data-start=\"695\" data-end=\"734\">A Simple Way to Understand a Thesis<\/h3>\r\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"736\" data-end=\"784\">Think of it this way: in a conversation, we sometimes say:<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li data-start=\"787\" data-end=\"927\">\"All I'm saying is...\"<\/li>\r\n \t<li>\"The bottom line is...\"<\/li>\r\n \t<li>\"At the end of the day...\"<\/li>\r\n \t<li>\"All in all...\"<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"787\" data-end=\"927\">Whatever comes after that phrase is your <strong data-start=\"857\" data-end=\"867\">thesis<\/strong>. It's the main idea of what you're trying to communicate.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\">\r\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"929\" data-end=\"953\">Here are a few examples:<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>\"All I'm saying is: <em>The Last of Us<\/em> was the best TV show of the year, hands down.\"<\/li>\r\n \t<li>\"The bottom line is: if you don't leave for class at least 10 minutes early, you're not getting a parking spot.\"<\/li>\r\n \t<li>\"All in all, aside from the flooding and the cake disaster, it was a pretty good wedding.\"<\/li>\r\n \t<li>\"All I'm saying is: Ines is a very nice person, but she's a terrible manager.\"<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nNotice how these types of phrases work: they pull together a set of statements about something. When the speaker says, \"All I'm saying is: Ines is a very nice person, but she's a terrible manager,\" she has probably already talked about the ways Ines is a nice person, but she has probably also shown that Ines is a bad manager. \"Ines is so thoughtful and caring. She never forgets anyone's birthday. But somehow she forgets to schedule our performance reviews! All I'm saying is: Ines is a very nice person, but she's a terrible manager.\"\r\n\r\n<\/section>\r\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1220\" data-end=\"1343\">In each of the examples above, the statement pulls together and sums up several points made earlier. It's a clear, focused takeaway message.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_875\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\"]<img class=\"size-medium wp-image-875\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5208\/2020\/04\/24233121\/arm-1284248_1920-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"An open notebook with the words &quot;my plan&quot; written at the top of the page.\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/> <strong>Figure 1<\/strong>. Your plan for organizing and constructing your paper will be dependent on your thesis. The thesis should guide and connect all the different parts of your argument.[\/caption]\r\n<h3 data-start=\"1350\" data-end=\"1391\">Why It Matters for Reading and Writing<\/h3>\r\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1393\" data-end=\"1444\">Understanding how a thesis functions will help you:<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li data-start=\"1447\" data-end=\"1520\">Write more clearly and purposefully. You'll know where you're headed.<\/li>\r\n \t<li data-start=\"1523\" data-end=\"1655\">Read more effectively. You'll spot the author's thesis early and better understand how the rest of their argument fits together.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1657\" data-end=\"1831\">Good academic writing usually places the thesis early in the essay, providing a roadmap for what follows. This strategy is sometimes called <strong>BLUF\u2014Bottom Line Up Front.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1833\" data-end=\"1862\">Just like when a friend says:<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li data-start=\"1865\" data-end=\"1937\">\"Something really funny happened to me today\u2026\" (You get ready to laugh.)<\/li>\r\n \t<li data-start=\"1940\" data-end=\"2018\">\"I'm really upset about something that happened\u2026\" (You prepare to sympathize.)<\/li>\r\n \t<li data-start=\"2021\" data-end=\"2097\">\"I need your advice\u2014here\u2019s what happened\u2026\" (You get ready to problem-solve.)<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"2099\" data-end=\"2231\">The way they open shapes how you listen to the whole story. Similarly, the thesis shapes how readers interpret the rest of an essay.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<section class=\"textbox tryIt\" aria-label=\"Try It\">\r\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"2259\" data-end=\"2307\">[ohm2_question hide_question_numbers=1]40739[\/ohm2_question]<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/section>","rendered":"<section class=\"textbox learningGoals\" aria-label=\"Learning Goals\">\n<ul>\n<li><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">Identify what a thesis is and its purpose<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<h2 class=\"\" data-start=\"429\" data-end=\"449\">What Is a Thesis?<\/h2>\n<section class=\"textbox keyTakeaway\" aria-label=\"Key Takeaway\">\n<h3>thesis<\/h3>\n<p>A thesis is more than just a topic or opinion. It\u2019s the <strong data-start=\"509\" data-end=\"568\">central statement that pulls your entire essay together<\/strong>. Think of it as the anchor for your ideas\u2014the guiding message that helps organize your evidence, examples, and explanations.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<h3 class=\"\" data-start=\"695\" data-end=\"734\">A Simple Way to Understand a Thesis<\/h3>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"736\" data-end=\"784\">Think of it this way: in a conversation, we sometimes say:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-start=\"787\" data-end=\"927\">&#8220;All I&#8217;m saying is&#8230;&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;The bottom line is&#8230;&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;At the end of the day&#8230;&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;All in all&#8230;&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"787\" data-end=\"927\">Whatever comes after that phrase is your <strong data-start=\"857\" data-end=\"867\">thesis<\/strong>. It&#8217;s the main idea of what you&#8217;re trying to communicate.<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\">\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"929\" data-end=\"953\">Here are a few examples:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;All I&#8217;m saying is: <em>The Last of Us<\/em> was the best TV show of the year, hands down.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;The bottom line is: if you don&#8217;t leave for class at least 10 minutes early, you&#8217;re not getting a parking spot.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;All in all, aside from the flooding and the cake disaster, it was a pretty good wedding.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;All I&#8217;m saying is: Ines is a very nice person, but she&#8217;s a terrible manager.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Notice how these types of phrases work: they pull together a set of statements about something. When the speaker says, &#8220;All I&#8217;m saying is: Ines is a very nice person, but she&#8217;s a terrible manager,&#8221; she has probably already talked about the ways Ines is a nice person, but she has probably also shown that Ines is a bad manager. &#8220;Ines is so thoughtful and caring. She never forgets anyone&#8217;s birthday. But somehow she forgets to schedule our performance reviews! All I&#8217;m saying is: Ines is a very nice person, but she&#8217;s a terrible manager.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1220\" data-end=\"1343\">In each of the examples above, the statement pulls together and sums up several points made earlier. It&#8217;s a clear, focused takeaway message.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_875\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-875\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-875\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5208\/2020\/04\/24233121\/arm-1284248_1920-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"An open notebook with the words &quot;my plan&quot; written at the top of the page.\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-875\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Figure 1<\/strong>. Your plan for organizing and constructing your paper will be dependent on your thesis. The thesis should guide and connect all the different parts of your argument.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 data-start=\"1350\" data-end=\"1391\">Why It Matters for Reading and Writing<\/h3>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1393\" data-end=\"1444\">Understanding how a thesis functions will help you:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-start=\"1447\" data-end=\"1520\">Write more clearly and purposefully. You&#8217;ll know where you&#8217;re headed.<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1523\" data-end=\"1655\">Read more effectively. You&#8217;ll spot the author&#8217;s thesis early and better understand how the rest of their argument fits together.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1657\" data-end=\"1831\">Good academic writing usually places the thesis early in the essay, providing a roadmap for what follows. This strategy is sometimes called <strong>BLUF\u2014Bottom Line Up Front.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1833\" data-end=\"1862\">Just like when a friend says:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-start=\"1865\" data-end=\"1937\">&#8220;Something really funny happened to me today\u2026&#8221; (You get ready to laugh.)<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1940\" data-end=\"2018\">&#8220;I&#8217;m really upset about something that happened\u2026&#8221; (You prepare to sympathize.)<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2021\" data-end=\"2097\">&#8220;I need your advice\u2014here\u2019s what happened\u2026&#8221; (You get ready to problem-solve.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"2099\" data-end=\"2231\">The way they open shapes how you listen to the whole story. Similarly, the thesis shapes how readers interpret the rest of an essay.<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox tryIt\" aria-label=\"Try It\">\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"2259\" data-end=\"2307\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"ohm40739\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/ohm.one.lumenlearning.com\/multiembedq.php?id=40739&theme=lumen&iframe_resize_id=ohm40739&source=tnh\" width=\"100%\" height=\"150\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"menu_order":2,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Image of notebook\",\"author\":\"Pexels\",\"organization\":\"Pixabay\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/photos\/arm-hand-desk-notebook-pen-1284248\/\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"other\",\"license_terms\":\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/service\/license\/\"}]","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"part":138,"module-header":"background_you_need","content_attributions":[{"type":"cc","description":"Image of notebook","author":"Pexels","organization":"Pixabay","url":"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/photos\/arm-hand-desk-notebook-pen-1284248\/","project":"","license":"other","license_terms":"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/service\/license\/"}],"internal_book_links":[],"video_content":null,"cc_video_embed_content":{"cc_scripts":"","media_targets":[]},"try_it_collection":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/391"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/391\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3538,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/391\/revisions\/3538"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/138"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/391\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=391"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=391"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=391"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=391"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}