The Thesis Statement follows the Background Information and serves as a collection of your main claim or opinion (your answer to a question), reasons that support your claim (arguments) and why your claim matters or why this subject is important to the reader (called the “so what”).

Your thesis must make a claim that can be opposed and the rest of your essay (the Body Paragraphs) assembles and establishes evidence that will persuade the reader of your claim or opinion.

Steps to make a Thesis Statement:

1. Start with a question

(Should parents control screen time for children?)

2. Write your answer to this question (your claim or opinion)

(Parents should control screen time for children.)

3. Write the reasons or arguments that support your answer 

(Screen time reduces children’s imaginations.)

(Screen time decreases children’s social skills.)

(Screen time takes away from homework time.)

4. Write why your claim or opinion matters for this subject or why this subject is important to the reader (often called the “so what”)

(The majority of children spend a great amount of time on screens.)

5. Use one of the following thesis formulas to put the thesis parts together (steps 2, 3, and 4)