A thesis statement...
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Is an assertion of what the writer believes is right or wrong and why, and it is a statement that can be either true or false.
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Clearly and concisely conveys the writer’s main argument in an essay, and allows readers to grasp the focus of the essay, which will be developed in the body of the essay.
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Needs to be unified—expressing one main idea—although it can, and often does, include secondary concepts as they relate to the main idea.
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Should be broad enough and arguable enough to be worth defending in an essay.
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A thesis statement usually evolves only after considerable reading, writing, and thinking has been done on your topic. Your thesis statement will most likely evolve as you go through the process of writing. The thesis statement should be one sentence that should appear in your paper toward the end of your introductory paragraph. You should also restate your thesis in a different way in your conclusion.
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It may help to think of your thesis as the answer to the question you are asking. If you were researching the following question…
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Is it biblically wrong for a divorced person to remarry?
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…after researching scripture and other sources, you may find that you believe the answer to this question to be…
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Scripture only allows for a divorced person to remarry if their spouse passes away.
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…which becomes your thesis statement, the claim you will argue in your paper.
