When you develop the thesis, you think about the two main components – a claim and details to support the claim.

Claim

A claim is a single sentence that

• Makes an assertion or takes a stance
• Is not a fact
• Is debatable
• Is based on generalizations
• Must be presented in the introduction of the essay

When making a claim, you probably want to ask yourself these questions:

• What point am I trying to make?
• What am I trying to say?
• What am I getting at?

Supporting Details

In supporting the details, you are reinforcing the claim that you are making. This can be organized as follows:

1. Categories or topics
2. Cause or effect
3. Chronological periods

The thesis statement

To create the thesis statement, make your claim and give the supporting details in a single sentence.

1. Supporting details organized into categories

Depression is a complicated illness that requires one to understand the causes, symptoms, and possible treatments.

•  Supporting details organized in chronological order

Depression is a complicated illness that has seen dramatic changes to treatment since the 19^th century and the early 21^st century.

• Supporting details organized into cause or effect

Depression is a complicated illness that may stem from biological, genetic, or environmental factors or it can be a combination of one or more of these roots.

Writing the introduction

The introduction to your essay is valuable. It is perhaps the most important part of the essay as it gives a general overview of the content of your essay. It also provides the framework for further discussion or analysis.

Step 1

Identify, define and/or describe your topic, concept, or literary theme. In other words, your introduction speaks to what you will be writing about.

Step 2

The relevance or value of your thesis. This gives an overview of the relevance of your thesis to society.