the thesis statement
From the Harbrace College Handbook:
“Thesis--the central point or main idea of an
essay. It is one of the main ways an essay
The thesis is the purpose of the essay.
If there is no thesis--stated or unstated--there is no essay.
Having a clearly stated thesis unifies the argument.
Having a clearly stated thesis simplifies the writing task.
“Nothing so facilitates good writing as
actually having something to say.” T. S. Eliot