Too many times students make thesis statements much harder than they should. Students seem to think that complexity equals clarity which is about as far from truth as they can venture. What students need is a clear, concise thesis statement that leads the reader where the student writer wants that reader to go.

I see thesis statements as a multi-stage process. First, we have to remember the reason a thesis statement is being written: a student or writer has something to say to someone else. Usually, students encounter these in school contexts although if we really think about it, thesis statements are everywhere.

If we consider that the first stage is the writer having something to say, then we have to consider what the base of information is. If a student has been reading various texts in class or doing research, these sources form a basis upon which a thesis…