what is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement is a sentence (or sentences) that expresses the main ideas of your paper and answers the question or questions posed by your paper. It offers your readers a quick and easy to follow summary of what the paper will be discussing and what you as a writer are setting out to tell them.

"A thesis statement, also called a thesis, is the main point that is to be discussed by one or two sentences. Usually backed up by examples, the thesis statement is the theme of the whole piece. The thesis statement also provides the reader with a general idea of what the essay is going to be about. Thesis statements are very specific and to the point. This way the essay stays focused and narrow on the subject matter.

Generally, the thesis statement is introduced at the beginning of the piece describing the topic and how the writer is going to analyze the information on that topic. The topic is also summarized at the end, giving the reader, and essay, closure.

In university or high school writing, a thesis will typically contain multiple paragraphs. So will an essay, although it's possible for an essay to consist of one lengthy paragraph (see topic sentence). For example, "In the early 1970s, a rock group named The Ramones captured the fancy of a generation of young people who mimicked the tattered fashion and punk attitude of these genuinely talented musicians, boosting them to fame."

There is also a concluding statement that has to flow with the thesis statement. If one were to write a conclusion to an essay, it would be necessary to use the thesis as a supporting sentence in a conclusion." -Wikipedia

You have to be more specific, put your main paragraph topics in your thesis statement. For example Mass production, increase of population, progression of technology, child labor, increase of tuberculoses, and pollution are the positive and negative effects of the Industrial Revolution. No, you don’t pick a side. Try not to be bias just write about the negative and positive effects. In your paragraphs, you topic sentence should be something like this, of course it depends what you picked as your effects. Mass production is a positive effect of the Industrial Revolution because (say why it was a positive effect). After your topic sentence, prove your topic sentence with evidence from sources such as your book or an article on the internet. What ever you use, cite your sources.

A thesis statement in an essay is a sentence that explicitly identifies the purpose of the paper or previews its main ideas

well a thesis statment is the intro to your argument.. I guess. So for example is your talking about Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, silly I know, but anyways. And you wanted to agrue that the Characters in Harry Potter are very similar to the ones in LOTR your thesis statement might sound like this.

In the books, Harry Potter, by J.K Rowling some of the characters created by her are some what similair in apperences and personality to those in J.R.R Tolkien's LOTR.

Then you would prove it by giving detailed examples to prove your agrument.

A thesis statement is pretty much what you're trying to prove in a essay.It's usually one paragraph.Like for example it could be "Does religion play a role in politics?".It's usually written in the opening paragraph.

A thesis statement is a sentence or a paragraph that summarizes your paper in whole and in the beginning.

i.e. I will use 3 theories to prove that smoking can cause cancer or even death.

One sentence placed at the end of the Introduction paragraph that summaries your paper. According to the type of paper you are writing you should include different things.

Compare: The two things and how similar

Contrast: two things and which is better

Example: Focus, and examples in the following paragraphs

Argumentative: Where you stand (be clear)

BE sure not to open.

ex: Florida is a nice state

GOOD

Simple Ex: Florida is a state I want to live in because of the beaches with boardwalks, lifeguards, and restaurants.

http://mciu.org/~spjvweb/thesis.html

This is a fantastic site for showing how to write a good thesis through examples and explanation.

Good luck , it takes practice to master.

its what your article/paper is about summed up in one sentence.