What is a thesis?

A thesis statement is the essence or main idea of the essay. Its purpose is to inform the reader
what the essay is about and lead the paper into the body.

Prompt: Is talent or hard work better?

Example 1: Despite the fact that some people believe certain skills are innate such as natural
talents, hard work is more valuable because it applies to everyone, it…., and it….
Example 2: Talents are natural-given strengths, giving advantages to those born with them
despite the hard work of others to develop the same talents…

How to make a stronger thesis

 Know your subject. When writing, place the main topic of focus in the subject position
within the sentence. In example 1, ‘hard work’ is the subject of the independent clause.
 Address the other side/counterargument. You will make persuasion stronger when you
acknowledge that you are informed enough to know that not everyone agrees with your
side of the argument.
 Be specific. When you begin writing a paper from a general thesis, it is hard to focus on
one aspect of the subject. By being specific in the thesis, you can ensure better topic
focus throughout the paper.
 Do research if necessary. It is very hard to write about a topic you don’t know about.
Taking the time to learn more about the subject can actually make the writing process
shorter and simpler.