Otherwise, you're just stating your intent, not your thesis or claim. Example: My essay will discuss handgun legislation. Better: Banning handguns is the first step toward controlling crime in America ...

Thesis statements are essentially the ... of your own which will need to develop throughout the essay. They should be intelligent, well thought-out responses to a question or problem your essay will ...

This is an academic essay, however, so your paper must have an argument. A sentence like “Belle is fond of reading, yet Ariel is not” would not function as a thesis statement ... be created from this ...

For the essays you write for college classes, you might support your thesis with textual evidence. In a personal statement, your evidence should come from your own life. For example, you might ...