Key Sentences

Thesis Statement

An essay’s thesis statement (thesis, for short) is the central idea, the focal point the paper. It is typically the last sentence of the opening paragraph, though it can also be effectively placed elsewhere. The rest of the essay expands and supports the thesis.

For example, if you are writing about life on other planets, your thesis might be:

Recent research into the topography of Mars increases the odds that Earth is not the only planet in our solar system that harbors life.
While the search for extraterrestrial intelligence is an important function of the SETI Institute, the Institute also provides resources for students in all aspects of astronomy.
Among hundreds of movies about extraterrestrial intelligence, Close Encounters of the Third Kind is the most thought-provoking.
The Drake Equation provides no proof of intelligent life, but it strongly suggests it.
No official government investigation or serious scientific study has confirmed the existence of UFOs.

A good essay develops the thesis in a series of paragraphs so that readers feel satisfied that the writer has established the validity of the thesis. Your thesis might evolve as you compose your essay. At least once during the revision process, see how well the body paragraphs support the thesis. If necessary, change your thesis or add more to the body.

In an academic paper, your thesis should be clear and specific. If it's unclear, the audience will be annoyed that they have to work hard to decipher the message when it was your job to do so, and if it's too general, the audience will immediately think of counterexamples and dismiss your conclusion.

Topic Sentences

The topic sentence is typically the first or second sentence of each paragraph. Similar to the thesis statement, the topic sentence should give the reader a preview of what's going to happen in the paragraph. Topic sentences are necessary for most paragraphs. Sometimes there are stylistic reasons to omit or move topic sentences, but take care when doing so, because it can mislead the reader.

Here are some common problems with topic sentences.

Lacks substance. Suppose you open with, Studying foreign languages is useful. That might be accurate, but the reader is left wondering why and for whom it is important. Add either of those pieces to the sentence and the reader will be happy.
Misuses pronouns. If you write "it" or "they" in a topic sentence, and that's referring to something in the previous paragraph, the reader might not follow the reference.
Introduces evidence. If you cite a source in the topic sentence, you're sending a message that the entire paragraph is about that one source. If that's what you intend to do, then go for it. But if you want to start with one source and then transition to another, start with a broad topic.

References

Meyers, A. (2013). Longman Academic Writing: Essays to Research Papers. Pearson.
Sexton J. and Soles D. (2019). Find Your Thesis. B.C. Open Textbook Collection. CC BY 4.0. Some of the above content was copy/pasted from here.
Thesis or Focus. (2023). Excelsior Online Writing Lab, Excelsior University. Retrieved 2024.

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