what a thesis is

A thesis is a specific declaration that summarizes the point your paper supports.

 The thesis is limited and sets the scope of your paper.
 The thesis is specific; it does not use vague words.
 The thesis is a way to unify the ideas of your paper; it serves as an umbrella to the arguments (premises) that follow.
 The thesis is arguable or at least presents a novel supposition and can be demonstrated to be valid with proof.

What a Thesis Statement Is NOT 

 The thesis is not a promise; do not start your paper by saying “This paper will show....”
 The thesis is not a mere topic; it must be a complete sentence.
 The thesis is not a question; it must take a stance on the topic.
 The thesis is not an obvious idea; it must be arguable, controversial, or novel.
 The thesis is not a mute point or personal opinion; it must be demonstrably provable.