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Argument Essay Thesis

November 12, 2022 by Beth Hall

Writing a thesis statement is an essential part of the AP® Lang exam. However, it can be challenging to come up with a strong argument essay thesis. Thankfully, the tips below and How to Write an Argument Essay Thesis video provide incredible suggestions and insight into crafting the perfect thesis.

Writing a Defensible Thesis

When writing the argument essay thesis, it needs to be defensible. This means the thesis statement asserts a clear position. In other words, you develop your stance with your evidence and commentary in the body paragraphs. Now, an argument essay thesis can technically be open or closed. A closed thesis identifies the specific examples or evidence that a person will discuss in the essay. While this is not as sophisticated as an open thesis, it can still be defensible.

An important point to remember is that you cannot equivocate within your argument essay. Simply put, you cannot argue for both sides because you’re not actually asserting a clear position. You must take a stance and support it with evidence in the body paragraphs. If you mention the counterargument, make sure your position is still clear.

Matching the Thesis to the Prompt

Now, this point may seem obvious. However, when students are under pressure, they sometimes misremember the prompt. Or, they don’t go back and check it before going off on a different tangent. It is absolutely crucial that if someone was to reread your essay, they could almost imagine what the prompt was.

To be sure you do this, you might use some of the language from the prompt. This will help your stance be very clear in your thesis while staying on topic.

Tips for Writing a Strong Argument Essay Thesis Statement

If you want to have a stronger essay, you need to have a stronger thesis. To do this, you must have a complex claim. Luckily, there are a few helpful tips for writing a complex claim.

Setting Parameters : You want to ask yourself: When is this acceptable or unacceptable? You want to try to find some nuance to your claim. Additionally, you want to avoid absolutes, such as the terms “always” and “never.” Furthermore, you want to avoid the term “everyone.” This is important because if somebody can prove you wrong with these terms, they debunked your argument.
Focus on Syntax: Instead of writing a simple sentence, try a more complex one. However, try to exclude the actual evidence that will be in your essay. Instead, speak a bit more broadly or generally. Then, you can give specific examples in the body paragraphs. This is important because the reader will go straight from the thesis statement to the body paragraphs, so little time will pass. If you give specifics, your essay will be a bit too redundant. Essentially, your thesis should catch readers’ attention but not spoil the whole paper.

When working on syntax, work on moving away from a thesis that lists in an a,b, and c format. While this is correct, there are ways to make your sentence structure more complex for the AP® Lang exam. So, practice with more advanced sentence structures. This may be using an interrupting clause to provide more context. Or, it may be leading with a dependent clause before progressing to the independent clause. Honestly, rearranging your sentence can take a simple sentence to a more complex one.

Types of Thesis Statements

Now that you have some insight into writing an argument essay thesis, let’s look at different types. At this point, you want it to be defensible. Additionally, you do not want to give too much of your evidence away. To help perfect your thesis statement, there are a few different types to practice.

Reason-Based Thesis: This thesis is a bit more open-ended. Instead of focusing on the examples you will discuss, you focus on the deeper reasons behind the examples. In other words, you explain the reason behind your argument without giving specific examples. To gain practice on this, brainstorm evidence that matches the prompt. You may think about current events, history, outside knowledge, and experiences. You are not attaching anything to the evidence, but you are focusing on the bigger picture. Then, you will progress to selecting evidence that supports your thesis statement.
Counter-argument Thesis: This type of thesis typically starts with the terms “either,” “although,” “maybe,” “while,” and “despite.” These are helpful because you want to address the counterargument, which means you are addressing the opposing side. Ideally, this sentence structure leads to a more sophisticated thesis in terms of syntax. After leading in with one of these terms, you must refute it. This means you are asserting your own position. To do this, the word “therefore” is incredibly helpful! Whether using two sentences for your thesis or joining with a semicolon, the word “therefore” is a great way to solidify your argument.

Argument Essay Thesis Statement Example

Want to see an argument essay thesis statement example? Check out the examples below. Notice that the thesis statements contain broad reasons, not the specific evidence that will be in the essay.

Disobedience is valuable when it leads to social progress.
Although competition can increase one’s stress, ultimately, competition is valuable, especially when it leads to innovation and personal growth.

For more information about writing a argument essay thesis, check out this video.

While the argument essay thesis is an important part of your essay and an easy point to earn on the AP ® Lang exam, the thesis is just the beginning. For more tips about outlining an argument essay, check out this blog post.