This page will help you draft a clear thesis statement for your persuasive essay. To use the thesis builder, you'll need:

• a topic
• The author's opinion or point she or he is making about the topic
• some evidence for what you think the author's point is and why other people might disagree

Instructions Answer the following questions in short phrases (not full sentences). Do not use periods (.) at the end or capital letters at the beginning of the phrases you write unless, naturally, you're using a name that would usually get capitalized. Click the "Build a Thesis" button when you're finished. A window will pop open with your newly-constructed thesis. Go back and adjust your answers to smooth out the thesis until it makes sense and expresses your beliefs. Finally, click the "Make an Online Outline" button to generate an outline you can use to write a draft of a persuasive essay based on your thesis statement..

What's the topic you want to write about? Make sure you include the author's name and the title of the work. Short stuff (poems, short stories) are put in quotation marks; longer works are italicized or underlined.

What's the main point the author's making about this topic? What is she or he saying about gender, identity, power, money, class, death, or any other "big picture" issue here? Alternatively, what information is the author or speaker revealing about him- or herself that we can't see on the surface?
Note: Use the topic somewhere in this statement.

Why do you think that's really the author's point? What's your strongest piece of evidence supporting your opinion here? Why does this piece of evidence prove your point? By "evidence," think "quotes."

What's a second good piece of evidence that supports your opinion, and why does this piece of evidence prove your point?

What's the main argument against your opinion? In other words, why might you be totally wrong?

What's a possible title for your essay?

Once you're happy with your thesis statement, hit the "Make an Online Outline" button below to crank out a quick -- yet serviceable! -- outline for your essay.