implied thesis statement for the prompt

Developing an Implied Thesis Statement and Topic Sentences 

LESSON Different types of writing require different types of thesis statements A brief statement that identifies a writer's thoughts, opinions, or conclusions about a topic. Thesis statements bring unity to a piece of writing, giving it a focus and a purpose. You can use three questions to help form a thesis statement: What is my topic? What am I trying to say about that topic? Why is this important to me or my reader? . Most academic essays A formal writing that the author composes using research, a strong thesis, and supporting details in order to advance an idea or demonstrate understanding of a topic. require the writer to include a stated thesis statement A thesis statement that has been explicitly written in an article, essay, or other reading. while other pieces, such as personal narratives A story or account of events that is written or told. , allow the writer to use an implied thesis statement An indirect overall argument, idea, or belief that a writer uses as the basis of an essay or dissertation but is never stated directly in the writing. , one that is not directly stated but one that the reader can infer To reach a conclusion based on context and your own knowledge. from reading. Both types of thesis statements tell the reader the author A person who wrote a text. 's topic The subject of a reading. and purpose The reason the writer is writing about a topic. It is what the writer wants the reader to know, feel, or do after reading the work. for writing about it.

Both an implied and stated thesis in an academic essay may sound like this: Preparing a weekly schedule helps students to be successful because it allows them to structure their class and work schedules, plan ahead for busy periods, and build in some free time for themselves . Both types of thesis statements provide direction for the remainder of the essay. The difference is that as a stated thesis, the statement actually appears in the introduction The first paragraph of an essay. It must engage the reader, set the tone, provide background information, and present the thesis. of the essay. An implied thesis statement, on the other hand, does not appear in the essay at all.

The introductory paragraph The first paragraph of an essay. It must engage the reader, set the tone, provide background information, and present the thesis. written for a narrative using the above thesis as an implied thesis statement may sound like this:

My first week in college taught me many things about my new, busy schedule. I got caught up in socializing and missed a few important assignments. I also thought I could work more at my part-time job like I had during high school. I soon learned, however, that I needed to schedule my activities better in order to be successful.

An opening paragraph A selection of a writing that is made up of sentences formed around one main point. Paragraphs are set apart by a new line and sometimes indentation. like this one in a narrative does not come out and state the author's exact thesis. It does, however, provide similar direction for the reader, resulting in an implied thesis.

A narrative is a story that has a purpose for being told. In other words, when a writer chooses a topic for a narrative, he or she must have a reason for writing about it. For example, if you wanted to write about a significant event in your life by telling a story about how you got your first job, you would need to think about your audience reading the narrative and ask yourself, "What do I want my readers to take away from this story?"

Using a variety of starting strategies such as brainstorming A prewriting technique where the author lists multiple ideas as he or she thinks of them, not considering one more than another until all ideas are captured. The objective is to create one great idea, or many ideas, on which to base a writing. , listing ideas, freewriting A prewriting technique where the author begins writing without regard to spelling or grammar about ideas, topics, or even characters, descriptions of events, and settings. Often the writer will freewrite for a set period of time. The objective is to develop a storyline through the writing process itself. , clustering A prewriting technique where the author creates an informal visual layout of possible ideas, grouping them together. The objective is to create visual clusters of information on which to base a writing. , or webbing A prewriting technique where the author creates an informal visual layout of possible ideas and then draws lines to connect them into a type of "web." The objective is to see connections between events and characters. can help you to begin thinking about a topic. Then, you can ask yourself questions about your topic using the five "Ws and the H – who, what, where, when, why, and how" to gather more ideas to write about. From there, you can begin the writing process by writing one paragraph about your topic, including a clear topic sentence A group of words, phrases, or clauses that expresses a complete thought. A complete sentence has these characteristics: a capitalized first word, a subject and a predicate, and end punctuation, such as a period (.), question mark (?), or exclamation mark (!). . That paragraph should reveal the main points The most important idea in a paragraph. Main points support the main idea of a reading. you would like to expand on in multiple paragraphs. The topic sentence in the paragraph can be used as your implied thesis statement for a narrative essay.

To write an implied thesis statement in response to a narrative prompt Instructions for a writing assignment given by an instructor. , follow these steps:

Step 1: Brainstorm.

Brainstorm possible ideas from your life experience that could potentially answer or respond to the prompt.

Step 2: Choose a topic and write a paragraph.

Choose one of the topics and write a brief paragraph explaining how that particular topic applies to the prompt.

Step 3: Write an implied thesis statement.

Using the topic sentence of the paragraph as a guide, write an implied thesis statement that explains why the details of the paragraph are important.

Step 4: Develop the topic sentences.

Begin outlining A preliminary plan for a piece of a writing, often in the form of a list. It should include a topic, audience, purpose, thesis statement, and main and supporting points. the essay by developing topic sentences A sentence that contains the controlling idea for an entire paragraph and is typically the first sentence of the paragraph. from the supporting details in the paragraph. This ensures that the implied thesis works as the guiding idea for the narrative.

There are many approaches to writing a narrative essay, but using the steps above can help you respond effectively to a typical narrative prompt in a college class.

Sometimes it works better for writers to write an implied thesis statement instead of a stated one because of the nature of the content The text in a writing that includes facts, thoughts, and ideas. The information that forms the body of the work. . For example, a report including large amounts of data that seeks to persuade the reader to draw a certain conclusion would be more likely to include a stated thesis. However, a narrative essay that explains certain events in a person's life is more likely to include an implied thesis statement because the writer wants to engage the reader in a different way. College students are often asked to write narrative essays to make connections between their personal experiences and the content they are studying, and an implied thesis statement helps to organize narratives in the same way a stated thesis statement organizes other essays.

Let's examine the process of developing a narrative essay that includes an implied thesis statement.

Prompt from instructor:  Write about an important life lesson you have learned.

First, create a list of possible narrative essay topics from the prompt given by the instructor.

• A little kindness goes a long way.
• Being patient can bring rewards.
• I am a role model in everything I do.

Next, choose one of the ideas related to a life lesson to be your topic.

Topic: How I learned to be a role model in everything I do.

Now, begin to create the implied thesis using this topic. To do this, write a short paragraph describing how you will tell this narrative and what you learned or are trying to explain to the reader.

Narrative: I will tell the story of when I worked at the daycare center last summer. When I worked as a childcare assistant, I learned the children were watching me and would mimic my actions. This taught me to be careful of what I said and did because I learned that children act like those around them.

Now, write the implied thesis statement: "My experience at the daycare center taught me to always be a good role model because children are always watching."

From here, develop topic sentences that support the implied thesis statement for the paragraphs of the essay.

• Paragraph 1, Introduction, Topic Sentence:

"I learned many lessons when I worked at the community daycare center."

• Paragraph 2, Topic Sentence:

"My first day on the job was the most important of them all."

• Paragraph 3, Topic Sentence:

"Little Johnny taught me what it meant to be a bad role model for children."

• Paragraph 4, Topic Sentence:

"I changed my actions and saw immediate results with the children."

• Paragraph 5, Conclusion, Topic Sentence:

"I’ve worked at the daycare center for three summers now and continue to learn lessons from the children each year."

From here, a draft of the narrative essay can be created using the topic sentences.

Now, follow the process to choose a topic, write an implied thesis statement, and develop topic sentences that support the implied thesis statement for a potential narrative essay.

List three potential narrative topics from the following prompt:

Write about an important life lesson that you have learned.

Potential narrative topics

• Learning how to benefit from your failures creates success.

Patience leads to perfection.

• Real happiness comes not from things, but from giving and receiving love.

Step 2: Choose a topic and write a paragraph . 

From the list created in Step 1, choose one as your topic.

Write a three- to four-sentence paragraph about the topic.

I learned how to play the piano, but it took many years to develop this skill. I had to be patient to sit down and practice daily. I also had to be patient with myself to realize I would learn how to play the piano in time. Only through repeated practice can a person really perfect a talent. Therefore, patience is essential to perfection.

From the short paragraph above, write an implied thesis statement.

Implied Thesis Statement

I have learned that when developing a skill, patience leads to practice, and practice leads to perfection.

Develop topic sentences that would be used in a narrative essay to support the implied thesis statement.

Paragraph 1, Introduction, Topic Sentence

It took many years for me to learn how to play the piano when I was young. 

Paragraph 2, Topic Sentence

I had to be patient and practice every day, even when there seemed to be better things to do.

Paragraph 3, Topic Sentence

I also had to be patient with myself because I wanted to learn faster and become a modern-day Beethoven.

Paragraph 4, Conclusion, Topic Sentence

Repeated practice is how all perfection is achieved, even the perfection of genius.

How can an implied thesis statement be just as effective as a stated thesis? 

Sample Answer

Like a stated thesis, an implied thesis will include the topic and purpose of the piece of writing and will help the writer structure his or her supporting details.

Why do implied thesis statements work well in a narrative essay?

Narratives are about something personal that is happening to the writer. Sometimes it is more effective for a writer to draw the reader into the narrative. Doing so can create a stronger connection between the writer and the passage and can help the reader find the meaning by becoming personally connected with the piece.

Copyright ©2022 The NROC Project

Implied Thesis: How to Write It to Ace Your Writing Process

An implied thesis is a creative outlet for the writer’s ideas through supporting points. Learn in detail about it and how to write one.

If you’re a researcher or a graduate student, you must’ve come across this simple yet crucial term, thesis. It is very important for your career as it summarizes your research work and presents it in a way that the readers can understand and evaluate your findings.

But, writing a thesis can be a tedious task and many may find difficulty in it. To resolve that, we help you understand the thesis and its types while throwing light on the implied thesis and the steps to write it.

What is a Thesis?

A thesis is a composed report or a research paper that presents the researcher’s unique exploration, investigation, or discoveries on a particular subject or question. Typically, a thesis is written by a graduate student as part of their degree program, such as a master’s or doctoral degree.

A thesis typically has several chapters, including an introduction outlining the research question, a literature review summarizing previous work on the subject, a methodology section describing the research methods employed, a results section describing the research’s findings, and a conclusion explaining the thesis’ key points and emphasizing any implications.

A thesis is written in order to advance the field of study, showcase the researcher’s expertise, and show their capacity for independent study. A committee of professors or subject-matter experts will frequently review the thesis to give feedback and determine whether they meet the requirements of the degree program or not.

Explicit vs Implicit Thesis

Diving deeper into the topic, a thesis usually has two ways of writing: Explicit and Implicit. Both of them have a huge role in deciding how the content is going to be as you cannot use them at random. It depends on the topic that you choose.

An explicit thesis is a short, to-the-point statement that expresses a writer’s main argument or point in an essay or other piece of writing. This kind of thesis statement, which is usually found at the end of the introduction, leaves no room for interpretation.

An implied thesis, on the other hand, is one that is not explicitly stated in the writing but is rather hinted at or suggested by the language, the supporting details, and other elements. The main point or argument of the work must be inferred by the reader from the context, the writer’s language, and the writer’s use of examples.

An implied thesis statement can sometimes be more powerful than an explicit one, especially when the writer wants to draw the reader in and get them to consider the text critically. An explicit thesis statement may be more clear-cut and simpler for readers to understand. A writer may have more freedom to develop their argument throughout the essay if there is an implied thesis rather than an explicit one. However, the writer’s objectives, the audience, and the context of the writing will ultimately determine whether to use an explicit or implied thesis.

Why is an Implied Thesis Important?

An implied thesis is important because it helps in the reader’s understanding of the writer’s intended meaning or goal in their writing.

 It also helps in tying together the concepts discussed in a piece of writing, improving its clarity and reader-friendliness. Additionally, it helps the reader in understanding the viewpoint and goals of the writer, which is beneficial when evaluating the accuracy and weight of the arguments presented.

Additionally, an implied thesis can encourage the reader to engage with the text more critically because in order to fully understand the writer’s intended meaning, the reader must actively interpret and draw conclusions from the writing. This can lead to a deeper level of analysis and understanding of the text, which can be beneficial in academic and professional contexts. 

6 Steps to Develop an Implied Thesis

• Identify the main point : Clearly define the main argument or point you wish to make in your writing. This statement, which summarizes the main idea you wish to convey, should be direct and brief.
• Consider the objective : Consider the objective of your writing. Are you attempting to inform, entertain, or convince your reader? You can create an implied thesis statement that effectively conveys your message if you know your purpose.
• Examine your structure : Take into account the structure of your writing. How do you present your ideas? Are there any recurring patterns or themes? This can assist you in determining the main argument or point you are trying to make.
• Look for keywords and phrases : Look for keywords and phrases that you use repeatedly. This can provide clues as to what you are trying to communicate.
•   Consider your tone : Analyze the tone of your writing. Are you being serious or humorous? Sarcastic or sincere? Understanding your tone can help you interpret your intended meaning.
• Draw conclusions : Based on your analysis of your main point, purpose, structure, keywords, phrases, and tone, draw a conclusion about your implied thesis statement. This should be a clear and concise statement that summarizes the main argument or point you are making in your writing.

Keep in mind that an implied thesis statement might not be as clear as one that is stated explicitly. The reader might need to apply some critical analysis and interpretation to it. As a result, it’s essential to structure your writing so that it clearly communicates your main idea and strengthens your underlying thesis statement.

To conclude, a well-crafted thesis statement is important because it helps to guide the writer’s focus and provides a clear direction for the essay, making it easier for the reader to follow and understand the writer’s argument.

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About Sowjanya Pedada

Sowjanya is a passionate writer and an avid reader. She holds MBA in Agribusiness Management and now is working as a content writer. She loves to play with words and hopes to make a difference in the world through her writings. Apart from writing, she is interested in reading fiction novels and doing craftwork. She also loves to travel and explore different cuisines and spend time with her family and friends.

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How to Develop Thesis Statements from the Writing Prompt

How to Dissect an Essay Writing Prompt

Students often struggle with writing effective thesis statements. Often, their difficulties result from failing to know how to dissect the essay writing prompt and formulate their purpose (for informational/explanatory) or point of view (for argumentative) thesis statements from the writing task itself. Following are a few teaching tips and a FREE Download to help your students practice.

First, Dissect the Writing Prompt

1. WHO:  Underline any words which identify the audience or the role of the writer.

2. WHAT:  Circle any words which identify the topic, context, or purpose of the writing task.

3. HOW:  Bracket any words which identify the writing format or the resources to use.

4. DO:  Box any words which identify key writing direction words.

Need more details on the WHO, WHAT, HOW, DO strategy. Check out this article .

Next, Write a One-Sentence Thesis Statement

1.  It will leave room for the WHO and HOW  introduction strategies to flow into the thesis statement as the last sentence of the introductory paragraph. An essay introduction doesn’t use a hook or lead , as does a narrative introduction. An essay introduction builds reader interest and understanding of the thesis statement, but keeps a formal essay tone. So, avoid “It was a dark and stormy night.” Need help on teaching essay introduction strategies?

2. Include the key word from the  WHAT of the writing prompt in a declarative statement about that  WHAT . In essay that requires the writer to inform the reader, the thesis statement should state your specific purpose for writing. The thesis statement serves as the controlling idea throughout the essay. In an essay that requires the writer to convince the reader, the thesis statement should state your point of view . The thesis statement serves as the argument or claim to be proved throughout the essay.

3.  It will directly respond to all components of the specific writing task and nothing beyond that task .

Following are the typical response comments I use to respond to student thesis statements. No sense in re-inventing the wheel. I use the alphanumeric codes to simplify comment insertions.

• e7 Thesis Statement does not respond to writing prompt. Re-read the writing prompt and dissect according to the WHO (the audience and role of the writer), the WHAT (the context of the writing topic), the HOW (the resource text title and author), and the DO (the key writing direction word).
• e8 Thesis Statement does not state the purpose of the essay. Dissect the writing prompt, focusing on the WHAT (the context of the writing topic), the HOW (the   resource text title and author), and the DO (the key writing direction word) to specifically state the purpose of your essay.
• e9 Thesis Statement does not state the point of view of the essay. Dissect the writing prompt, focusing on to the WHO (the audience and role of the writer), the HOW (the resource text title and author), and the DO (the key writing direction word) to clearly state your specific point of view.
• e10 Thesis Statement is too general. Get more specific in your thesis statement. Example: There were lots of causes to the Civil War. Revision: Although many issues contributed to problems between the North and the South, the main cause of the Civil War was slavery.
• e11 Thesis Statement is too specific. Your thesis statement needs to be a bit broader to be able to respond to the demands of the writing prompt. A good thesis statement is like an umbrella-it must cover the whole subject to be effective. Save the specificity for the body paragraphs.
• e12 Thesis Statement is inconsequential. The thesis statement must state a purpose or point of view that can be meaningfully developed in the essay.
• Example: People in France really enjoy their cheese. Revision: The French especially enjoy four types of cheeses.
• e13 Thesis Statement cannot be argued. An essay designed to convince a reader of the author’s specific point of view must provide a thesis statement that is arguable.      Example: Blue is the best color. Revision: Blue is the best color to complement a bright white background.
• e14 Split Thesis Statement Don’t write a split (divided) thesis. A split thesis includes two purposes or two points of view. Focus on only one purpose of point of view       throughout the essay. It may be necessary to reference or refute another purpose or point of view in the body paragraphs or conclusion.
• e15 Thesis Statement responds to only part of the writing prompt. Dissect the writing prompt according to the WHO (the audience and role of the writer), the WHAT (the context of the writing topic), the HOW (the resource text title and author), and the DO (the key writing direction word) and include each part.

Interested in more of these Essay e-Comments? Check out this video to get all 438 comments.

TEACHING ESSAYS BUNDLE

For more thesis statement and essay practice, check out the author’s TEACHING ESSAYS BUNDLE .  This curriculum includes 42 essay strategy worksheets corresponding to teach the Common Core State Writing Standards,  an e-comment bank of 438 prescriptive writing responses with an link to insert into Microsoft Word® for easy e-grading (works great with Google Docs) , 8 on-demand   writing fluencies, 8 writing process essays (4 argumentative and 4 informative/explanatory), 64  sentence revision   and 64 rhetorical stance   “openers,”   remedial writing lessons , writing posters, and   editing resources   to differentiate essay writing instruction in   this comprehensive writing curriculum.

Check out the FREE Download teaching summary of the WHO, WHAT, HOW, and DO strategy for dissecting writing prompts for display and practice.

Literacy Centers , Study Skills , Writing analyze a writing task , dissect a writing prompt , Mark Pennington , teach essay , Teaching Essay Strategies , thesis statement , thesis statement practice , writing a claim , writing prompt

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Writing a Paper: Thesis Statements

Basics of thesis statements.

The thesis statement is the brief articulation of your paper's central argument and purpose. You might hear it referred to as simply a "thesis." Every scholarly paper should have a thesis statement, and strong thesis statements are concise, specific, and arguable. Concise means the thesis is short: perhaps one or two sentences for a shorter paper. Specific means the thesis deals with a narrow and focused topic, appropriate to the paper's length. Arguable means that a scholar in your field could disagree (or perhaps already has!).

Strong thesis statements address specific intellectual questions, have clear positions, and use a structure that reflects the overall structure of the paper. Read on to learn more about constructing a strong thesis statement.

Being Specific

This thesis statement has no specific argument:

Needs Improvement: In this essay, I will examine two scholarly articles to find similarities and differences.

This statement is concise, but it is neither specific nor arguable—a reader might wonder, "Which scholarly articles? What is the topic of this paper? What field is the author writing in?" Additionally, the purpose of the paper—to "examine…to find similarities and differences" is not of a scholarly level. Identifying similarities and differences is a good first step, but strong academic argument goes further, analyzing what those similarities and differences might mean or imply.

Better: In this essay, I will argue that Bowler's (2003) autocratic management style, when coupled with Smith's (2007) theory of social cognition, can reduce the expenses associated with employee turnover.

The new revision here is still concise, as well as specific and arguable.  We can see that it is specific because the writer is mentioning (a) concrete ideas and (b) exact authors.  We can also gather the field (business) and the topic (management and employee turnover). The statement is arguable because the student goes beyond merely comparing; he or she draws conclusions from that comparison ("can reduce the expenses associated with employee turnover").

Making a Unique Argument

This thesis draft repeats the language of the writing prompt without making a unique argument:

Needs Improvement: The purpose of this essay is to monitor, assess, and evaluate an educational program for its strengths and weaknesses. Then, I will provide suggestions for improvement.

You can see here that the student has simply stated the paper's assignment, without articulating specifically how he or she will address it. The student can correct this error simply by phrasing the thesis statement as a specific answer to the assignment prompt.

Better: Through a series of student interviews, I found that Kennedy High School's antibullying program was ineffective. In order to address issues of conflict between students, I argue that Kennedy High School should embrace policies outlined by the California Department of Education (2010).

Words like "ineffective" and "argue" show here that the student has clearly thought through the assignment and analyzed the material; he or she is putting forth a specific and debatable position. The concrete information ("student interviews," "antibullying") further prepares the reader for the body of the paper and demonstrates how the student has addressed the assignment prompt without just restating that language.

Creating a Debate

This thesis statement includes only obvious fact or plot summary instead of argument:

Needs Improvement: Leadership is an important quality in nurse educators.

A good strategy to determine if your thesis statement is too broad (and therefore, not arguable) is to ask yourself, "Would a scholar in my field disagree with this point?" Here, we can see easily that no scholar is likely to argue that leadership is an unimportant quality in nurse educators.  The student needs to come up with a more arguable claim, and probably a narrower one; remember that a short paper needs a more focused topic than a dissertation.

Better: Roderick's (2009) theory of participatory leadership  is particularly appropriate to nurse educators working within the emergency medicine field, where students benefit most from collegial and kinesthetic learning.

Here, the student has identified a particular type of leadership ("participatory leadership"), narrowing the topic, and has made an arguable claim (this type of leadership is "appropriate" to a specific type of nurse educator). Conceivably, a scholar in the nursing field might disagree with this approach. The student's paper can now proceed, providing specific pieces of evidence to support the arguable central claim.

Choosing the Right Words

This thesis statement uses large or scholarly-sounding words that have no real substance:

Needs Improvement: Scholars should work to seize metacognitive outcomes by harnessing discipline-based networks to empower collaborative infrastructures.

There are many words in this sentence that may be buzzwords in the student's field or key terms taken from other texts, but together they do not communicate a clear, specific meaning. Sometimes students think scholarly writing means constructing complex sentences using special language, but actually it's usually a stronger choice to write clear, simple sentences. When in doubt, remember that your ideas should be complex, not your sentence structure.

Better: Ecologists should work to educate the U.S. public on conservation methods by making use of local and national green organizations to create a widespread communication plan.

Notice in the revision that the field is now clear (ecology), and the language has been made much more field-specific ("conservation methods," "green organizations"), so the reader is able to see concretely the ideas the student is communicating.

Leaving Room for Discussion

This thesis statement is not capable of development or advancement in the paper:

Needs Improvement: There are always alternatives to illegal drug use.

This sample thesis statement makes a claim, but it is not a claim that will sustain extended discussion. This claim is the type of claim that might be appropriate for the conclusion of a paper, but in the beginning of the paper, the student is left with nowhere to go. What further points can be made? If there are "always alternatives" to the problem the student is identifying, then why bother developing a paper around that claim? Ideally, a thesis statement should be complex enough to explore over the length of the entire paper.

Better: The most effective treatment plan for methamphetamine addiction may be a combination of pharmacological and cognitive therapy, as argued by Baker (2008), Smith (2009), and Xavier (2011).

In the revised thesis, you can see the student make a specific, debatable claim that has the potential to generate several pages' worth of discussion. When drafting a thesis statement, think about the questions your thesis statement will generate: What follow-up inquiries might a reader have? In the first example, there are almost no additional questions implied, but the revised example allows for a good deal more exploration.

Thesis Mad Libs

If you are having trouble getting started, try using the models below to generate a rough model of a thesis statement! These models are intended for drafting purposes only and should not appear in your final work.

• In this essay, I argue ____, using ______ to assert _____.
• While scholars have often argued ______, I argue______, because_______.
• Through an analysis of ______, I argue ______, which is important because_______.

Words to Avoid and to Embrace

When drafting your thesis statement, avoid words like explore, investigate, learn, compile, summarize , and explain to describe the main purpose of your paper. These words imply a paper that summarizes or "reports," rather than synthesizing and analyzing.

Instead of the terms above, try words like argue, critique, question , and interrogate . These more analytical words may help you begin strongly, by articulating a specific, critical, scholarly position.

Read Kayla's blog post for tips on taking a stand in a well-crafted thesis statement.

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