In essence, your thesis statement is a brief statement of the opinion you'll be developing in your essay. The thesis statement becomes the main point about which you compose your essay introduction and therefore sets the tone for the entire essay. You'll keep this thesis statement in mind as you do your research — gathering specific information, refining your focus, and intentionally looking for the critical points to help substantiate your assertions. In other words, as you research, you become an investigator. Research is the time you spend finding evidence to support your opinions and conclusions.

A thesis statement is expressed in a single sentence that both provides a summary of the position you will be arguing and sets up the pattern of organization you will use in your essay to present the proof necessary to support your argument.

Your thesis statement will do the following three things:

• Proclaim the position you will take in your essay.

• Establish the way you will organize your discussion.

• Point to the conclusion you will derive based on the evidence you present.