Lukas Liebermann

I am an ESL teacher and educational psychologist.

Stating the topic of an essay

Thesis statement

If you attend a Fachoberschule or a Berufsoberschule in Bavaria, please skip to the end of this post.

An introduction should make your reader interested in the topic of the text and lead up to a thesis statement. The most important sentence of your introduction is the thesis statement at the end of your introduction.

Before you read this post, please read the post Writing a Body Paragraph. If you know how to write a body paragraph, you will know that every body paragraph starts with a topic sentence. The thesis statement is for your entire text what your topic sentence is for one body paragraph. A thesis statement presents the main idea of your essay.

A strong thesis statement states one main idea of your text. This idea can have subtopics which you then develop in different body paragraphs, but you should not present two unrelated ideas in one thesis statement.

Here are some examples:

  1. Example: The German government should take measures to prevent the adverse effects of sugary drinks on public health by introducing a sugar tax and warning labels.

    • Subtopic 1 (topic sentence of the first body paragraph): The government should proactively address the health concerns related to the consumption of sugary drinks by introducing a sugar tax.

    • Subtopic 2 (topic sentence of the second body paragraph): The incidence of diseases related to a diet high in sugar could be reduced if the government introduced warning labels on sugary drinks.

  2. Example: The platform and financial resources which sports superstars have amplify their impact as role models, both positively and negatively.

    • Subtopic 1 (topic sentence of the first body paragraph): If athletes choose to use their position of power to demonstrate integrity and give back to their community, they can serve as positive role models.

    • Subtopic 2 (topic sentence of the second body paragraph): If sports superstars abuse their privileged position, they set a very visible bad example for their fans.

  3. Example: While some argue that the juvenile justice system should prioritize punishment as a deterrent, others contend that sentences focussed on rehabilitation are more effective at reducing juvenile delinquency.

    • Subtopic 1 (topic sentence of the first body paragraph): Punishment can deter young people from committing crimes by showing them that criminal behaviour has negative consequences for them.

    • Subtopic 2 (topic sentence of the second body paragraph): While punishment may make crime less attractive, rehabilitation is more effective because it teaches young offenders alternative behaviour.

A strong thesis statement should not be too general. If a thesis statement is too broad, you can not sufficiently support it in the main body and your reader cannot tell from your thesis statement what your essay will be about.

Further reading (with useful examples):

Fachoberschule / Berufsoberschule

If you attend a Fachoberschule or a Berufsoberschule, you should not end your introduction with a thesis statement, but rather with a paraphrase of the topic of your essay as a direct or indirect question.

Here are some phrases you can use to introduce the question:

  • …, which raises the question as to whether …

  • That is why the question arises whether …

  • The contrast between … and … prompts the question … / This prompts the question …

  • Faced with …, we are have to ask …

Punctuation: Remember that indirect questions embedded in declarative sentences take a full stop, not a question mark.

Examples:

  • Task: Write a comment on whether sugary drinks should have warning labels and higher taxes.

    End of the introduction: The adverse health effects of a diet high in sugar prompt the question of whether Germany should put a tax on sugary drinks and require warning labels on such beverages.

  • Task: Discuss whether sports superstars are suitable role models for young people.

    End of the introduction: Prominent examples of athletes falling short of the high standards we set for role models raise the question to what extent children and adolescents should look to athletes for guidance and inspiration.

  • Task: Discuss whether the juvenile justice system should focus on rehabilitation over punishment.

    End of the introduction: There is a high rate of young offenders in the U.S. who are rearrested within three years of their release from incarceration. That is why the question arises of whether it may be more important to rehabilitate juvenile delinquents than to punish them.