• PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
  • EDIT Edit this Article
  • EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Happiness Hub Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
  • Browse Articles
  • Learn Something New
  • Quizzes Hot
  • Happiness Hub
  • This Or That Game
  • Train Your Brain
  • Explore More
  • Support wikiHow
  • About wikiHow
  • Log in / Sign up
  • Education and Communications
  • College University and Postgraduate
  • Academic Degrees
  • Doctoral Studies
  • Theses and Dissertations

How to Restate a Thesis

Last Updated: February 27, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was reviewed by Gerald Posner . Gerald Posner is an Author & Journalist based in Miami, Florida. With over 35 years of experience, he specializes in investigative journalism, nonfiction books, and editorials. He holds a law degree from UC College of the Law, San Francisco, and a BA in Political Science from the University of California-Berkeley. He’s the author of thirteen books, including several New York Times bestsellers, the winner of the Florida Book Award for General Nonfiction, and has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History. He was also shortlisted for the Best Business Book of 2020 by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 389,302 times.

A thesis statement serves as your paper’s (or speech’s) guiding idea, alerting readers to the main points of your paper and the direction it will take. A thesis restatement, which comes in the paper’s conclusion, is the thesis’s kindred spirit, though not its identical twin. It differs from the thesis in both word choice and sentence structure. Restating your thesis at the end of the paper allows you to remind your readers of what you have proven in your body paragraphs and helps to bring your paper to a successful close.

Working out the Restatement Basics

Step 1 Decide on a place for the restatement.

  • Sketching out a rough conclusion (the main points you want to get across) will give you an idea of the best place for the restated thesis before you actually try your hand at writing the restatement.
  • Depending on the nature of your paper or of your conclusion, you may want to open your conclusion with a question or some other kind of rhetorical device, rather than a restatement of the thesis. While writing often follows prescribed formulas (such as the 5-paragraph essay), there is no one-size-fits-all approach for writing a concluding paragraph, and you may need to try out several positions for your thesis restatement to find out what works best.

Step 2 Capitalize on the work you’ve done.

  • You can use the restated thesis to provide a greater level of sophistication or emotional impact to the original argument. For example, if your initial argument was that buying pets as holiday gifts is dangerous, you might restate your thesis this way: "Remember: buying that puppy as a Christmas present might seem like a good idea at the time, but it could end in the tragedy of another homeless dog by Easter."
  • You can also restate your thesis to incorporate the relationship you've built with your reader. For example, if your essay was about developing business partnerships, you could begin your restatement by saying something like, "As a businessperson...." Not only will this make your restatement different from the original, but it will also help draw connections with important elements from the essay/speech.

Step 3 Answer the

  • For example, if you have written an essay about alcohol use on college campuses, you could revisit the "So what?" question in your conclusion by providing a statement about what that means for students and for college officials. It could look something like this: "Because alcohol abuse depends on more than just the legal drinking age, it is crucial that students be educated about how alcohol abuse occurs, and also that college officials broaden their perspective to include a greater variety of aspects."

Step 4 Avoid clichés.

  • You may be able to use something like “In conclusion” at the end of a speech, however. Signaling or signposting words—like “in conclusion” or “next”—are very important in speeches because listeners only have one chance to follow along with what you’re saying, and these words help them to keep their place.

Step 5 Don’t apologize.

  • Avoid saying things like, “It seems like” or “It is possible that” in the restatement. One exception would be if this conditional language is part of your original thesis statement and your paper is devoted to discussing a topic that is only a possibility, not something you are stating is definitely the case. Otherwise, maintain a level of confidence.
  • While maintaining confidence is crucial to the success of your paper, it’s important to acknowledge when opposition exists and not to use absolute statements which may alienate readers. Confidence in your position and in the fact that you’ve proven your point is one thing; blind certainty in your opinion is another!

Making the Restatement Distinct from the Thesis

Step 1 Use different words.

  • You can use your word processor’s thesaurus function for this, an online thesaurus, or a good old-fashioned paper thesaurus. If you use a thesaurus, however, check your chosen word in the dictionary to ensure that you know its precise meaning. Thesauruses group words very loosely by general meaning, and there is often a significant difference in connotation between them.
  • It’s not necessary to change every single word, such as prepositions (“in,” “on,” “above,” “over”) and articles (“a,” “an,” and “the”). Spend your time focusing on words/phrases that receive the most emphasis, like those that are central to the points you’re making.

Step 2 Change the structure.

  • Try varying your sentences by starting with different parts of speech. For example, if you began the original thesis with a prepositional phrase, start the restatement with the subject of the sentence. For instance, if the thesis starts out “Around the turn of the nineteenth century in England, women frequently…”, you might start your restatement out with something like “Women in early nineteenth-century….”
  • Another way to vary the structure is to present your points in a different order. Many thesis statements include three ideas, presented in the order in which they will be discussed in the body paragraphs. When restating, you can list the points in an alternate order.

Step 3 Split the points up.

Community Q&A

Community Answer

  • When restating your thesis, if you find that the statement doesn’t fit your paper anymore, you’ll want to go back to the body of your paper and try to find where things went off track. You may find that you need to revise the original thesis to reflect what you actually wrote in the paper, or that parts of the body of the paper need to be revised to better suit the thesis. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
  • While restating your thesis is essential to the conclusion of your paper or speech, it’s not enough. You will need to emphasize main points and, depending on the assignment/goal of the paper, you may also need to call your audience to action, discuss the implications of what you have talked about in the paper, or make predictions for the future. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
  • Think of the restatement as a new, more powerful version of your thesis—you’ve written the paper and learned a lot over that process, and now you have all of this knowledge to draw on. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0

restating the thesis

You Might Also Like

Write a Book Report

  • ↑ https://wts.indiana.edu/writing-guides/writing-conclusions.html
  • ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/cliches/
  • ↑ https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/conclusion
  • ↑ https://lsa.umich.edu/sweetland/undergraduates/writing-guides/how-do-i-write-an-intro--conclusion----body-paragraph.html

About This Article

Gerald Posner

  • Send fan mail to authors

Reader Success Stories

Bob Lanchester

Bob Lanchester

May 26, 2017

Did this article help you?

restating the thesis

Madison Luoma

Mar 14, 2019

Petch Phanpha

Petch Phanpha

Oct 2, 2017

Do I Have a Dirty Mind Quiz

Featured Articles

Protect Yourself from Predators (for Kids)

Trending Articles

Best Excuses to Use to Explain Away a Hickey

Watch Articles

Clean the Bottom of an Oven

  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Info
  • Not Selling Info

wikiHow Tech Help Pro:

Level up your tech skills and stay ahead of the curve

How to Restate a Thesis Statement: Examples & Tips

What is the most important part of any essay or research paper? Of course, it’s the thesis statement —a sentence that expresses the paper’s main idea and guides the readers through your arguments.

But where do you place the thesis? You’ve probably answered, “in the introduction.” However, that’s not all of it—you also need to restate the thesis statement in the conclusion. Moreover, it should be paraphrased using a more diverse vocabulary.

If you’re unsure about how to restate a thesis, this article by Custom-Writing.org will be helpful for you. Here, you will find:

  • various rephrasing strategies,
  • a step-by-step guide,
  • the most actionable thesis restatement tips.
  • ✍️ Thesis Restatement Definition
  • ✅ Step-By-Step Guide
  • 💡 Rephrasing Strategies
  • 📋 Example Sentences
  • 🖼️ How to Reframe
  • ✨ Bonus Tips

🔍 References

✍️ what is a restated thesis.

A restated thesis is a reworded and restructured version of the original statement. It is presented in a conclusion or any other part of the essay requiring a recap of the paper’s main idea. It shouldn’t repeat the thesis statement word for word: instead, it’s better to focus on its content.

Why Restating Your Thesis Is Necessary

For a solid, effective academic work, a restated thesis in a conclusion is a must. Here’s why:

  • A restated thesis helps reintroduce your central argument, thus enhancing its perceived significance.
  • A correctly restated main claim makes the transition to the implications smoother.
  • A paraphrased thesis restatement signals the readers about the wrap-up of your paper.

✅ How to Restate a Thesis Step by Step

Now, let’s dwell on the restatement process in more detail. We recommend you follow the steps we described below. It will help you make your paraphrased thesis effective without undermining your persuasive arguments.

Reread the original thesis statement carefully.
Determine in which person it is written (1 , 2 , or 3 ) and preserve that point of view in the rewrite.
Outline all keywords and main points that should be present in the reworded thesis. Applying synonyms and using closely related words will make the sentence look different while still rendering the same idea.
Think of expanding the thesis with your original contribution without altering its meaning.
Paraphrase the thesis using one of the strategies we’ve laid out below.

💡 How to Rephrase a Thesis: Different Strategies

You can approach the restatement of thesis in several ways. Here are the best strategies that will make your argument effective and easily understood.

The picture enumerates the 5 best thesis restatement strategies.

How to Restate a Claim by Substituting Synonyms

English is a language rich in synonyms, so you’ll hardly experience any trouble finding suitable substitutes for the words you’ve used in the original thesis. You can also try out an online reword generator or thesis statement maker to get different versions of your central claim.

For instance, imagine that this is your thesis:

People of color have achieved pronounced success in the fight for their civil rights and equality in the USA over the last century,

You may experiment with synonyms as freely as you want. Here are some variants:

  • The 20-century civil rights movement gave many rights and freedoms to the minorities in the United States.
  • The situation with racial equality improved significantly over the past 100 years, giving racial minorities a strong voice in American society.

Restating Your Thesis by Altering the Sentence Structure

The syntax is also a rich source of inspiration for thesis changes. If the original statement is compound, divide it into several shorter sentences. If you’ve used several simple sentences in the first version, consider combining them into one longer statement.

Here is an example of altering the thesis’ structure without changing the main points:

Original thesis  Reworded thesis 
Diabetes is a growing problem in the USA, affecting over 100 million people today. With the number of people with diabetes exceeding 100 million these days, one can hardly deny that diabetes is a pressing public health concern.

In the original version, we started by focusing on diabetes. In the reworded thesis, we presented the numbers as the first piece of data. This way, we’re directing the reader’s attention to the gravity of the problem.

How to Restate Your Thesis by Changing the Tense

In most cases, the original thesis statement uses future or present tense. It helps to inform the readers about what they are about to read. For instance, it can start with an introductory phrase:

I will argue that homework should be canceled to give students more free time and ease the burden of high school studies.

In this example, the thesis statement is written in the present tense. It links to the general statistics of time students spend on their homework. You can transform this statement into a past-tense sentence in the conclusion, showing that your argument has been proven.

The presented evidence showed that students benefited from homework cancellation and had more quality time for their hobbies and relaxation.

Restating a Thesis by Shortening or Lengthening It

The length of your thesis statement also matters. You may present it in a shorter way at the beginning of your paper, focusing only on the gist of your research question. Later on, once the arguments are laid out and explained in detail, you can present a more extended version of the initially formulated problem.

Original thesis  Reworded thesis 
Assigned seating in canteens can help address the problem of school bullying. Bullying practices like refusing a seat to a classmate will become impossible if students are assigned a fixed seat in the canteen.

In this restates thesis example, we have extended the original idea, explaining what “assigned seating” and “school bullying” mean. This way, the reworded version could embrace the evidence discussed in the argumentative essay’s body.

Restating a Thesis by Linking It to the Research Problem

The strategy we’re about to describe is suitable for use in research paper writing. You will need to tie the thesis statement to the problem you’ve outlined in the introduction, linking it to the issue you’re examining.

For instance, in an essay on child obesity in the USA, you can restate the thesis as follows:

Although preventive healthcare has witnessed much advancement in the past decade, evidence proves that child obesity is still on the rise, with alarming annual increase rates.

📋 How to Restate a Thesis: Example Sentences

Now, let’s examine how to rephrase a sentence in practice. Have a look at these examples:

Example # 1

Original thesis Reworded thesis
Body image distortion is a frequent symptom of eating disorders. The way people perceive their body shape indicates how healthy their self-image is. Research proves that individuals with a distorted body image are vulnerable to developing an eating disorder or already have this condition.

Here, we expanded the thesis statement by making it longer and adding some details.

Original thesis Reworded thesis
Marijuana legalization opens new paths for teenage substance abuse. The rates of teenage cannabis use have been on the rise because of the recent recreational and medical cannabis laws.

Here, we have changed the sentence structure by switching the first and second parts. The first example focuses on the legalization of marijuana, while the second version starts by mentioning the rising rates of teenage weed consumption.

Original thesis Reworded thesis
I will argue that healthy eating habits develop due to a positive family example. The presented evidence proved the prominent role of family eating examples on the child’s development of eating habits.

In this example, we’ve changed the thesis statement’s tense from future to past, showing how an intention transformed into a completed task.

🖼️ How to Reframe a Reworded Thesis?

Once you’ve approached the conclusion paragraph of your work, it’s time to think about reframing your main claim. It’s important not to duplicate the introductory thesis because its role in the final section is different. Here are some workable reframing suggestions:

  • Reword the original thesis and put it at the beginning of your conclusion. It will bring the focus back to your initial research purpose.
  • Enumerate the central claims you’ve focused on. They can be compiled from topic sentences used in the body paragraphs.
  • After restating the thesis, you can dwell on the broader significance of the problem you’ve examined. Make a logically related call to action based on the cited evidence. You can also mention your study’s limitations and clarify what additional research is needed.

✨ Bonus Thesis Statement Tips

Now, it’s time to give you a bonus for careful reading: our tried-and-tested tips for good thesis rewriting. Check them out:

Never apologize for your opinion or research findings. Any phrases like “though I’m not an expert,” “it’s only my opinion,” and so on reduce your credibility and make the reader doubt your expertise.
✔️ Acknowledge the counterarguments. If you stick to your viewpoint only, the paper may seem biased. So, it’s always more effective to give credit to both sides of the argument.
Avoid using clichés as much as you can. That point is self-explanatory.
✔️ Use effective sentence starters instead of the trivial “in conclusion…” to avoid seeming dull. Some original ideas for your conclusion are:

As you can see, rephrasing a thesis statement requires effort. Using extensive vocabulary and syntax will help you restructure the content and retain its meaning. And, of course, make sure to follow our tips!

Further reading:

  • Best Thesis Statement Examples with Expert Comments
  • How to Write a Conclusion for a Research Paper: Examples & Tips
  • How to Write a 5-Paragraph Essay: Outline, Examples, & Writing Steps
  • What Are the 5 Different Types of Essays? A Complete Guide

❓ How to Restate Thesis in Conclusion FAQs

Restatement of your thesis involves restructuring and changing the vocabulary originally used in the introduction. However, the altered thesis should preserve your work’s meaning and central message.

You will typically need a reworded thesis in a conclusion paragraph. This part of your essay or research paper should wrap up everything you’ve said and summarize your claims in different words.

When composing your essay conclusion paragraph, it is vital to reword your thesis statement initially presented in the introduction. This strategy will help you make the conclusion sound non-redundant while preserving the original main idea.

When restating the claim, you do the same work as when you reword the thesis. You need to change the wording and syntax while preserving the overall meaning of the original claim.

A good example is as follows: “children should wear uniforms at school.” The reworded thesis would contain the same meaning rephrased in your own words: “Uniforms are recommended for all students.”

  • Writing the Conclusion: Indiana University Bloomington
  • Writing Introductory and Concluding Paragraphs: University of Minnesota
  • How to Restate a Thesis Statement: Classroom: Synonym
  • Writing a Paper: Conclusions: Walden University
  • Conclusions: Purdue University
  • Ending the Essay: Conclusions: Harvard University
  • Thesis Statements: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Share to Facebook
  • Share to LinkedIn
  • Share to email

How to Write a Formal Essay: Format, Rules, & Example

If you’re a student, you’ve heard about a formal essay: a factual, research-based paper written in 3rd person. Most students have to produce dozens of them during their educational career.  Writing a formal essay may not be the easiest task. But fear not: our custom-writing team is here to guide...

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Outline: Examples & Strategies

Rhetorical analysis is never a simple task. This essay type requires you to analyze rhetorical devices in a text and review them from different perspectives. Such an assignment can be a part of an AP Lang exam or a college home task. Either way, you will need a solid outline...

How to Write a Narrative Essay Outline: Template & Examples

Narrative essays are unlike anything you wrote throughout your academic career. Instead of writing a formal paper, you need to tell a story. Familiar elements such as evidence and arguments are replaced with exposition and character development. The importance of writing an outline for an essay like this is hard...

What Is a Discourse Analysis Essay: Example & Guide

Discourse is the way people talk about any specific topic. It’s also the way in which language is used to convey social and historical meanings. Discourse analysis is the process that helps to understand the underlying message of what is being said. Sounds interesting? Keep reading to learn more.  This in...

How to Write a Precis: Definition, Guide, & Examples

A précis is a brief synopsis of a written piece. It is used to summarize and analyze a text’s main points. If you need to write a précis for a research paper or the AP Lang exam, you’ve come to the right place. In this comprehensive guide by Custom-Writing.org, you’ll...

How to Write a Synthesis Essay: Examples, Topics, & Outline

A synthesis essay requires you to work with multiple sources. You combine the information gathered from them to present a well-rounded argument on a topic. Are you looking for the ultimate guide on synthesis essay writing? You’ve come to the right place! In this guide by our custom writing team,...

How to Write a Catchy Hook: Examples & Techniques

Do you know how to make your essay stand out? One of the easiest ways is to start your introduction with a catchy hook. A hook is a phrase or a sentence that helps to grab the reader’s attention. After reading this article by Custom-Writing.org, you will be able to...

How to Write a Critical Analysis Essay: Examples & Guide

A critical analysis essay is an academic paper that requires a thorough examination of theoretical concepts and ideas. It includes a comparison of facts, differentiation between evidence and argument, and identification of biases. Crafting a good paper can be a daunting experience, but it will be much easier if you...

How to Write a Critical Thinking Essay: Examples & Outline

Critical thinking is the process of evaluating and analyzing information. People who use it in everyday life are open to different opinions. They rely on reason and logic when making conclusions about certain issues. A critical thinking essay shows how your thoughts change as you research your topic. This type...

How to Write a Process Analysis Essay: Examples & Outline

Process analysis is an explanation of how something works or happens. Want to know more? Read the following article prepared by our custom writing specialists and learn about: So, let’s start digging deeper into this topic! ♻️ What Is Process Analysis? A process analysis describes and explains the succession of...

How to Write a Visual Analysis Essay: Examples & Template

A visual analysis essay is an academic paper type that history and art students often deal with. It consists of a detailed description of an image or object. It can also include an interpretation or an argument that is supported by visual evidence. In this article, our custom writing experts...

How to Write a Reflection Paper: Example & Tips

Want to know how to write a reflection paper for college or school? To do that, you need to connect your personal experiences with theoretical knowledge. Usually, students are asked to reflect on a documentary, a text, or their experience. Sometimes one needs to write a paper about a lesson...

How to Restate a Thesis: Various Approaches to Restating Your Thesis

image

Table of contents

  • 1 Understanding the Purpose of Restating a Thesis
  • 2.1 Paraphrasing.
  • 2.2 Summarizing.
  • 2.3 Reflecting.
  • 2.4 Significance.
  • 2.5 Rhetorical Devices.
  • 2.6 Emotional Appeal.
  • 2.7 Call to Action.
  • 2.8 Broader Context.
  • 2.9 Engaging Language.
  • 2.10 Memorable Statement.
  • 3.1 Understand the purpose of restatement
  • 3.2 Avoid clichés and overused phrases
  • 3.3 Be specific and avoid vague language
  • 3.4 Keep it concise
  • 3.5 Reflect on the essay’s journey
  • 3.6 Emphasize the significance
  • 3.7 Check for coherence
  • 3.8 Avoid introducing new ideas

A thesis statement guarantees that your essay will be read, and a paraphrased thesis states that the main points of your essay will be remembered. Students have already heard about the importance of formulating a thesis statement to interest the reader in your written work. However, inexperienced authors often forget to restate the thesis.

The purpose of the successful thesis restatement is to reinforce the essay’s main idea. This way, you intensify the original argument and influence the reader’s mind. For your research paper to be convincing, it must be coherent. For this reason, the thesis and the restated thesis should not contradict but complement each other.

In this article, detailed instructions will help you restate your thesis and make your essay memorable. Our experienced specialists are ready to share with you the most working strategies for high-quality rewording of the thesis. Moreover, we want to make it easier for you and have created a checklist of the necessary details to consider to restate your thesis effectively.

Understanding the Purpose of Restating a Thesis

We remind you that the thesis statement is a claim that summarizes the main idea of your essay. It is often used as the first sentence in the introductory paragraph to dedicate the reader to the context of the written work. However, a good thesis statement is not limited to the first paragraph. In academic and persuasive writing, for example, there is a need to restate the original thesis to maintain coherence.

What does restate thesis mean? Let’s start with the fact that a restated thesis is a statement based on the original thesis used in the concluding paragraph or throughout the body paragraphs. Quoting the original thesis statement word by word will not be effective, so you have to analyze the original meaning and reword it. You may use a paraphrasing tool in case you struggle with an issue of how to restate a thesis.

You must be wondering why restating a thesis statement in the conclusion paragraph is so important. It is sometimes difficult for the reader to follow your thought course while reading. Remember when you read a book, then by the last page, you begin to forget about what happened at the beginning. To regularly refresh the reader’s memory of your argument, you need to recall it by restating the original thesis statement in the essay’s conclusion paragraph and body paragraphs.

Thus, the thesis claim should permeate your essay. Each part should contain a reminder of the central idea to reinforce the perceived significance of the thesis word. The restated thesis acts as a link between the main components of your essay. It’s necessary to restate the thesis in conclusion, connect it with topic sentences and provide a logical analysis flow.

Strategies for Restating a Thesis Effectively

Unfortunately, a simple understanding of the importance of restructuring the thesis is insufficient. It is also necessary to understand the primary strategies for good restating. Our PapersOwl experts have prepared a list with good examples for you on how to restate a thesis statement effectively. The most effective strategies are:

Paraphrasing.

Reword your original thesis statement using different words and changing the sentence structure. With this technique, the form changes, but not the main point.

Initial thesis: The desegregation of public schools is considered to be the key purpose of the Civil Rights Movement.

Restatement: The anti-segregation movement in America was aimed at equalizing public schools.

Summarizing.

In this technique, you should analyze and summarize the overall meaning of the original point in the introduction. Thus, the statement will be concise and informative.

Initial thesis: Increased anxiety and stress exposure by the mother during pregnancy can negatively affect the intrauterine development of the child, making his nervous system more vulnerable to stress.

Restatement: A pregnant mother’s stress can make a child more anxious.

Reflecting.

Link your restated thesis to the ideas you uncovered in the body paragraph of the paper.

Initial thesis: The opportunities for women to develop professionally were historically equal to the career prospects of men, or were they?

Restatement of thesis: In the nineteenth century, the inequality in the career opportunities of the two sexes was drastic.

Significance.

Emphasize that the thought you expressed in the original thesis statement is so crucial that it is worth developing in restating the thesis.

Initial thesis: The lack of sex education in schools and families leads to increased unwanted pregnancies among adolescents.

Restatement: Again, 50% of pregnancies among teenagers are unwanted. As a result of the lack of sex education, the total number of teenage pregnancies continues to grow.

Rhetorical Devices.

Use rhetorical techniques in your thesis statement, such as parallelism and repetition, to enhance the persuasiveness of the paper and rephrase the original contribution.

Initial thesis: The film provides a detailed picture for our eyes.

Restatement: The film provides a detailed picture for our eyes, and a book provides an even more detailed image for our mind.

Emotional Appeal.

Use a moving phrase or concept to appeal to the reader’s emotions to enhance interaction. If you don’t know how to apply this technique, try asking for help with college papers , and get expert help.

e.g. How long must pass before people realize that their grandchildren will suffer from the consequences of environmental disasters.

Call to Action.

Formulate your paper’s central argument, and motivate the reader to take action by introducing a thesis restatement in the conclusion.

Example: Do not delay, nature needs your intervention right now, sort garbage responsibly!

Broader Context.

Explain to the reader the background of your thought.

Example: Initial thesis: The world was a millimeter far from a nuclear war.

Restatement: In the 20th century, the development of the nuclear industry reached such a level that the advanced countries were on the verge of starting a nuclear war.

Engaging Language.

Use vocabulary that is close and understandable to the reader.

Example: Lack of sleep is the major reason for heart diseases, so don’t worry, go take a nap!

Memorable Statement.

A powerful version of your original claim has a good potential to be remembered by readers.

Example: Realizing that you owe nothing to anyone is difficult, but only by recognizing this do you begin to live for real.

Checklist to help you ensure an effective restatement of your thesis

restate thesis

Now that you’re familiar with working strategies for paraphrasing a thesis statement, as well as with illustrative examples, it’s time to stock up on all the tips from our experienced writers. We have created a checklist of eight points you need to follow to know how to write a thesis statement for the conclusion section so that most professors truly value your writing.

Understand the purpose of restatement

Understanding the reasons and motivation for your actions gives you the key to rephrase a thesis right. Having realized the primary goal of restating your thesis statement will help you articulate it more clearly. Remember that this writing technique exists to strengthen your arguments and improve their perception by readers. So let’s see how to restate a thesis for your conclusion and write a perfect paper.

Avoid clichés and overused phrases

The reader will not be interested in hackneyed formulations, absolute statements, and overused concepts in your thesis restatement. Our brain always demands novelty, so unique information will attract more attention and arouse interest in your research paper. Try to make your thesis restatement look fresh and intriguing.

Be specific and avoid vague language

Vague concepts, conditional language, overly long sentences, and oversimplification of information will make your thesis statements more boring. Do not think that your reader is a fool. On the contrary, provide him with food for thought. Also, reconsider the sentence structure, for it not to be too weary, use different words to be diverse.

Keep it concise

An excellent conclusion thesis restatement should be concise, giving only the most necessary context to make it easier to understand. You can expand on your idea in more detail in the following main paragraphs. To get a perfect reworded thesis, use the thesis statement generator to make the process easier. Still, to make rephrasing effective, it should be concise, write shorter sentences and use different words.

Reflect on the essay’s journey

Summarize your main ideas. After all, the thesis restatement is precisely the information you want the reader to remember the most. Why don’t you recall once again the main points and central claims of your writing? Use grammar tenses to convey your point. Perhaps your original statement was written in the present or future tense, then use past tense to show you’ve accomplished your ideas. Or, at the beginning of your writing, you used a sentence with a subject. So, restate the thesis in the conclusion with a prepositional phrase instead.

Emphasize the significance

Your opinion and your words must be heard. Emphasize the importance of your ideas with a strong conclusion paragraph thesis restatement. Choose the right strategy for your body paragraphs and paper’s conclusion to sound more convincing. Restate the thesis so that the reader has no doubts regarding the expertise of your writing and the words you say.

Check for coherence

Do not forget about the connection between the thesis sentence in the introduction paragraph and the restatement in the essay conclusion section and the main body. Follow the logic of the presentation of your thoughts when you restate claim. Your paper should not contain contradictory words and statements.

Avoid introducing new ideas

New and creative ideas are good, but they should be pre-planned as part of your paper. An unexpected and unforeseen conclusion that isn’t related to the research problem can confuse the reader at the end of the essay. Stick to your original concepts and the same meaning for the coherence of your writing. Rewrite existing concepts to reinforce your introduction thesis statement.

A thesis statement is an effective technique for attracting the attention of the reader, as well as ensuring his interest. However, using a thesis statement only in the introductory paragraph will not provide you with the desired result. For a more comprehensive result, you will have to rephrase a thesis statement a few more times in the writing process.

No strong conclusion is complete without a good reworded thesis. Remember to connect the rephrasing to the main research question. Use our strategies to write an effective thesis and get a well-deserved assessment from the teacher. Stick to our recommendations to make your paraphrased thesis effective.

Readers also enjoyed

How to Write a Thesis Statement: Examples and Tips to Polish Writing

WHY WAIT? PLACE AN ORDER RIGHT NOW!

Just fill out the form, press the button, and have no worries!

We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy.

restating the thesis

How to Restate a Thesis: Techniques for Clear Communication

Restate a thesis with ease! Learn how to do it with pro tips to clearly and confidently reinforce your argument.

' src=

When it comes to how to restate a thesis, write essays, or make a point, your thesis statement is like the heart of your argument. It sets the tone and direction for everything that follows. However, many people overlook the importance of bringing the thesis statement back into focus at the end.

Restating a thesis in the conclusion is crucial. It reminds the reader of the main point that has been made throughout the writing. It’s a way to reinforce the argument and leave a strong final impression.

This article examines the importance of restating a thesis. It will discuss how this practice clarifies the message, reinforces the main idea, and ensures the writing feels complete. By understanding the significance of this step, we can appreciate how it enhances the effectiveness of idea communication.

Understanding a Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is a concise declaration that summarizes the main point or claim of an essay or research paper. It typically appears near the beginning of the paper, often in the introduction, and it presents the writer’s stance on the topic being discussed.

The primary purpose of a thesis statement is to guide the reader through the writer’s argument. It is like a roadmap for the paper, outlining the main idea and the direction of the discussion that will follow. A well-crafted thesis statement helps to clarify the scope of the topic and sets the tone for the entire piece of writing.

In essence, a thesis statement not only informs the reader about the central point of the essay but also helps the writer stay focused and organized as they develop their arguments and present their evidence. It is a crucial element that shapes the coherence and effectiveness of the entire paper.

Key Elements Of A Strong Thesis

A strong thesis statement embodies several essential elements that are crucial for effective communication and argumentation:

Clear and Concise Language

A strong thesis statement written in clear and straightforward language avoids ambiguity and communicates the writer’s position or argument on the topic. This clarity helps both the writer and the reader understand the central message of the paper from the outset.

Specificity and Focus

A strong thesis statement is specific and focused. It addresses a particular aspect of the topic and provides a clear direction for the paper. By narrowing down the scope of the discussion, specificity ensures that the thesis statement remains manageable and allows for a more in-depth exploration of the issue at hand.

Argument or Main Point

A strong thesis statement presents a distinct argument or main point. It goes beyond stating a fact or observation; instead, it asserts a position that the writer intends to support and justify throughout the paper. This argumentative stance gives the thesis statement its persuasive power and guides the development of the entire essay or research paper.

A strong thesis statement combines clear and concise language with specificity and focus while presenting a clear argument or main point. These elements work to establish a strong foundation for the writer’s argument and ensure coherence and direction in the paper’s structure.

Related article: What is a Thesis Statement and How to Write It?

The thesis statement is fundamental to restating a thesis because:

Reinforces the Central Argument : The thesis statement is the core argument or claim of your essay or research paper. Restating it in the conclusion reinforces this central argument, reminding readers of the primary focus and purpose of your work.

Provides Consistency : A clear and consistent restatement of the thesis ensures that your paper maintains a coherent narrative. It ties together the introduction, body, and conclusion, providing a unified and well-structured argument.

Emphasizes Importance : By restating the thesis, you emphasize the significance of your argument or research. It helps to highlight why your work matters and what contribution it makes to the field or topic you are discussing.

Creates a Strong Conclusion : Restating the thesis in the conclusion provides a sense of closure and reinforces the main takeaways of your paper. For tips on crafting an excellent thesis conclusion, check out this helpful article: “ How to Write a Conclusion for a Research Paper “.

Engages the Reader : A well-restated thesis can re-engage the reader, encouraging them to reflect on the arguments and evidence presented. It ensures that the central message of your paper is effectively communicated.

Techniques for Restating a Thesis

When concluding an essay or research paper, effectively restating your thesis statement can enhance the clarity and impact of your overall argument. Here are some key techniques for restating a thesis:

Maintaining the Original Meaning

How to restate a thesis: When concluding your essay or research paper, it’s essential to maintain the original meaning of your argument in the restatement of your thesis statement. This ensures clarity and coherence throughout your writing. Here’s how to achieve this:

  • Ensure the restated thesis accurately reflects the original argument: The restatement should capture the essence of your original thesis statement without altering its core message. This involves rephrasing the thesis using different words and sentence structures while preserving its central idea and intent.
  • Do not introduce new ideas or concepts: Avoid introducing new information or arguments in the restated thesis. The conclusion is not the place to introduce fresh insights or expand on additional points that were not covered in the body of your essay or research paper. Instead, focus on summarizing and reinforcing the main argument that has already been developed.

Ensuring consistency and clarity in your writing involves maintaining the original meaning of your thesis statement when restating it in the conclusion. This approach reinforces your main argument and leaves a strong final impression on your reader, effectively summarizing the insights and findings presented in your paper.

Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing your thesis statement means expressing the central idea using different words and sentence structures while preserving the original meaning. This technique is used for several important purposes:

  • Avoiding Repetition : Paraphrasing prevents your conclusion from sounding redundant by presenting your thesis statement in a new light. It keeps the reader engaged and shows your ability to reframe ideas without losing clarity.
  • Enhancing Clarity : By using varied language and sentence structures, paraphrasing can clarify your thesis statement further, making it easier for the reader to grasp the significance of your argument.
  • Maintaining Original Meaning : While rephrasing, ensure that the essence and intent of your original thesis statement remain intact. This entails conveying the same core message but in a new and insightful manner.

Example of Paraphrasing:

Original Thesis Statement: “Climate change poses a significant threat to global biodiversity.”

Paraphrased Restatement: “The impact of climate change on worldwide biodiversity is a critical concern that demands urgent attention.”

In this example, the paraphrased restatement maintains the original meaning—that climate change is a serious threat to biodiversity—while presenting it in a slightly different way to emphasize urgency and broaden the perspective.

Emphasizing Key Points

When restating your thesis, emphasizing key points means highlighting the most critical aspects of your argument and reinforcing their significance. This technique serves several important purposes:

  • Reinforcement of Central Ideas : By emphasizing key points, you remind the reader of the main arguments and evidence that support your thesis statement. This reinforcement helps to solidify your argument in the reader’s mind and reinforces the validity of your perspective.
  • Summarization : Emphasizing key points allows you to succinctly summarize the main ideas discussed throughout your essay or research paper. This summary helps to bring closure to your argument and provides a clear overview of the insights gained from your analysis.
  • Significance and Implications : Highlighting the significance of your key points, you can discuss the broader implications of your thesis statement. This discussion can connect your argument to larger themes, contexts, or real-world applications, demonstrating the relevance and importance of your research or analysis.

Example of Emphasizing Key Points:

Original Thesis Statement: “Education is the key to empowering individuals and promoting social equality.”

Restatement with Emphasis: “Throughout this essay, we have explored how education serves as a transformative force, empowering individuals to break barriers and fostering a more equitable society. By equipping individuals with knowledge and skills, education becomes not just a tool for personal advancement but a catalyst for societal change.”

In this example, the restatement emphasizes the transformative power of education and its role in promoting social equality, while also summarizing the main points discussed in the essay.

Examples of Restated Thesis Statements

These examples demonstrate how restating the thesis statement in the conclusion can summarize the main argument while adding depth or context that reflects the insights gained throughout the essay or research paper.

  • Original Thesis: “The advancement of artificial intelligence poses ethical dilemmas regarding privacy and autonomy.”
  • Restated Thesis: “In conclusion, the ethical implications of advancing artificial intelligence extend beyond technological progress, raising profound concerns about individual privacy and autonomy in an increasingly interconnected world.”
  • Original Thesis: “Effective communication is essential for fostering positive workplace relationships.”
  • Restated Thesis: “To summarize, cultivating effective communication skills within the workplace is not merely advantageous but crucial for nurturing productive relationships and fostering a collaborative environment.”
  • Original Thesis : “Renewable energy sources are necessary for reducing global dependence on fossil fuels.”
  • Restated Thesis : “In conclusion, the adoption of renewable energy sources is imperative for diminishing our global reliance on fossil fuels and promoting a more sustainable future.”
  • Original Thesis : “Social media platforms significantly impact the self-esteem of teenagers.”
  • Restated Thesis : “To summarize, social media’s influence on teenagers’ self-esteem is profound, necessitating mindful usage and awareness to mitigate potential negative effects.”

Refining Your Thesis Restatement

Refining your thesis restatement is the process of carefully crafting and polishing the statement that summarizes the main argument presented in the conclusion of your essay or research paper. It ensures that this restated thesis accurately reflects and emphasizes the key points and findings discussed throughout your work. 

The goal is to achieve clarity, coherence, and persuasive impact, reinforcing the significance of your research or essay topic to leave a strong impression on the reader. This refinement process also focuses on using clear language and tone to communicate the main ideas and conclusions of your paper effectively. It is essential for several reasons:

Refinement : This step requires careful attention to detail in adjusting and improving your thesis statement to ensure it succinctly captures the essence of your main points.

Accuracy : The restated thesis should accurately represent the core arguments and findings discussed throughout your paper, providing a clear and concise summary.

Clarity : It’s important to review the restatement for clarity and coherence, ensuring that it effectively communicates your conclusions to the reader without ambiguity.

Language and Tone : Choosing appropriate language and tone is crucial as it helps in conveying your message clearly and leaving a strong impression on the reader. This includes avoiding jargon or overly complex language that may obscure your main points.

Relevance : By refining your thesis restatement, you strengthen the relevance and persuasive impact of your central argument. This ensures that your conclusion effectively reinforces the significance of your research or essay topic.

Refining your thesis restatement through careful revision enhances the overall effectiveness of your conclusion, providing a clear and compelling summary of your paper’s key points and findings.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

When restating your thesis statement in the conclusion of your essay or research paper, it’s important to steer clear of certain pitfalls that can diminish the effectiveness of your conclusion. One common pitfall to avoid is:

Avoiding Clichés

Restating your thesis with clichéd language can weaken the impact of your conclusion and make it less memorable to the reader. Here’s how to navigate this:

  • Steer clear of overused phrases and terms: Phrases like “In conclusion,” “To sum up,” or “In summary” are common but can sound formulaic and uninspired if overused. Consider using alternative phrases or structuring your conclusion in a more creative manner to maintain reader engagement.
  • Keep the language fresh and unique: Instead of relying on clichéd language, strive to use fresh and unique language that reflects the specific nuances of your argument. This not only keeps your conclusion engaging but also reinforces the originality and significance of your thesis statement.

Repetition Without Adding Value

Simply repeating the thesis statement without adding any new insights can make your conclusion feel redundant. Instead:

  • Expand on the original thesis : Highlight the implications of your argument or how your findings contribute to the field. This approach adds depth and demonstrates a thorough understanding of the topic.
  • Reflect on the broader context : Discuss the broader implications of your thesis. This helps to show the significance of your argument beyond the scope of your paper.

Lack of Specificity

A vague restatement of your thesis can leave the reader unclear about your main argument. To avoid this:

  • Be precise and clear : Ensure your restated thesis is specific and clearly reflects the core message of your paper. Avoid generalizations that can dilute the impact of your conclusion.
  • Summarize key points : Briefly summarize the key points that support your thesis, providing a clear and concise wrap-up of your argument.

Introducing New Information

Introducing new arguments or evidence in your conclusion can confuse the reader and disrupt the flow of your paper. To maintain coherence:

  • Stick to the main points : Focus on restating the thesis and summarizing the main arguments presented in the body of your paper. Avoid introducing new information that wasn’t covered earlier.
  • Ensure coherence : Make sure your restatement logically follows from the preceding discussion and ties together the key points.

Overly Complex Language

Using overly complex or technical language in your restatement can alienate readers and obscure your main argument. To ensure clarity:

  • Use straightforward language : Restate your thesis in clear and accessible language. This makes your conclusion more impactful and easier to understand.
  • Focus on clarity : Prioritize clarity and simplicity in your language to ensure your restated thesis effectively communicates your main argument.

Online Scientific Design Tool For Your Classes, Speeches, Papers, And Much More

Mind the Graph is an online platform designed specifically for scientists, providing a rich library of scientifically accurate illustrations and customizable templates. This tool simplifies the creation of visually compelling content tailored for academic presentations, research papers, and professional materials. By enabling the integration of intricate scientific data into graphical abstracts, posters, and presentations, Mind the Graph empowers researchers to effectively convey their discoveries to diverse audiences. Its user-friendly interface and collaborative functionalities enhance efficiency in scientific communication, fostering innovative approaches to visual storytelling in research and education.

illustrations-banner

Subscribe to our newsletter

Exclusive high quality content about effective visual communication in science.

Sign Up for Free

Try the best infographic maker and promote your research with scientifically-accurate beautiful figures

no credit card required

Content tags

en_US

  • How It Works
  • PhD thesis writing
  • Master thesis writing
  • Bachelor thesis writing
  • Dissertation writing service
  • Dissertation abstract writing
  • Thesis proposal writing
  • Thesis editing service
  • Thesis proofreading service
  • Thesis formatting service
  • Coursework writing service
  • Research paper writing service
  • Architecture thesis writing
  • Computer science thesis writing
  • Engineering thesis writing
  • History thesis writing
  • MBA thesis writing
  • Nursing dissertation writing
  • Psychology dissertation writing
  • Sociology thesis writing
  • Statistics dissertation writing
  • Buy dissertation online
  • Write my dissertation
  • Cheap thesis
  • Cheap dissertation
  • Custom dissertation
  • Dissertation help
  • Pay for thesis
  • Pay for dissertation
  • Senior thesis
  • Write my thesis

How to Restate A Thesis: Your Detailed Guide

how to restate a thesis

A thesis acts as your research paper’s main pillar, guiding the readers to the key points on the paper and the direction that you took. A thesis statement comes at the introduction, but you will need to restate it in the conclusion. Notably, a lot of students find this challenging and keep asking, “How do you rephrase a thesis statement?” and “Are you supposed to reword your thesis in the conclusion paragraph?”

To help you restate thesis of your paper appropriately, we have highlighted the key steps that you should follow. Make sure to also check the examples and practice the different ways to restate a thesis until you can hack it like a pro.

What Does Restate Thesis Mean?

Before we can look at the steps involved in restating a thesis, it is important to start by asking the questions, “What does restating means?” and “How long does a thesis restate have to be?”

Restating means that you are highlighting something that you had already brought out, in this case, the “thesis of your paper.” Therefore, you are simply reminding the readers about the points that you were trying to put across in the entire paper, but without sounding repetitive. When it comes to length, there is no specific rule on it, but you should try to make it approximately the same length as the original thesis.

When you restate thesis and conclude the paper well, your work will look complete, professional and earn you a better grade.

Restate Thesis Statement: Decide Where to Position It

In most cases, college students restate the thesis at the start of their conclusion. You might also want to place it on a different section of the conclusion, other than the beginning of the conclusion. When teaching students how to restate a thesis in a conclusion, we recommend them to use the method that will make their work look unique.

For example, instead of restating the thesis as the first sentence, consider starting the conclusion with a rhetoric question followed by your restated thesis statement. Here is an example below. “Will we ever appreciate the importance of saving our rainforests? Rainforests act as the largest carbon sinks on the globe, as well as home to thousands of species, and everyone can play a role in their protection.”

Note that since there is no specific formula on how to restate a thesis statement , it is advisable to start by crafting a draft conclusion and then decide where to position it. Actually, you might consider several positions until you get the perfect spot.

How to Rephrase a Thesis: Make It to have a Deeper Impact

By the time a reader gets to the conclusion of your work, it implies that he/she has already read the entire paper and has a clear idea about your stand on the topic. Therefore, you should take advantage of this and rephrase the thesis statement to deliver a deeper level of emotional effect.

One way of driving this deeper emotional impact is addressing the reader directly, and here is an example. If you were working on a paper with a topic, such as cybersecurity for startups, a good way to start restating the thesis might be:

  • “As a startup enterprise owner …”
  • “To strengthen your information security as a small business owner …”

Ways to Restate a Thesis: Answer the Question, “So What?”

The stated thesis at the start of your introduction might not provide the answer to the question, “so what?” However, the restated thesis , in your conclusion, should comprehensively answer the question. The answer seeks to inform the reader about the significance of the arguments in the paper to avoid leaving him/her hanging.

For example, if your paper was talking about teenage alcohol and substance abuse, make sure to answer the question “So what?” by showing what it does to teenagers. This can be something such as this; “ Additional awareness of the dangers of substance abuse, such as alcohol, should be emphasized because teenagers are more prone and likely to give in because of peer pressure rather than the implications of substance abuse.”

Avoid Making Apologies when Rewording a Thesis

When working on the conclusion of your paper, it is prudent to be confident that you provided ample proof in the body. Therefore, as you restate the thesis, you should not make apologetic statements because they undermine your argument. Such statements, which you should avoid, include:

“It appears that …. “ “It is possible that …” “It is my opinion that …”

The only time when using such statements when restating your thesis might be okay is when the topic of discussion was simply a possibility.

Restate Thesis Statement by Varying the Tense

When writing an paper, the thesis statement at the introduction might have been done in the future tense, informing the reader what to anticipate in the rest of the paper.

For example, a paper looking at coal production might have a thesis such as this, “ I will examine the effects of using coal in Azerbaijan ….” When restating the thesis, you can change the tense, and put it in the past, so that it looks something like this, “ I evaluated the how harmful the use of coal is to the environment in Azerbaijan …”

Seek Writing Help to Restate Thesis of Your Paper

When you work on any piece of assignment, how you wrap it up, especially in the conclusion, is very important to avoid leaving your reader in suspense. In this post, we have demonstrated how to restate a thesis statement, but you should consider reading a carefully done restate thesis and practice more to hone your skills. However, if you are still finding the task a challenge, even after reading a restate thesis example, consider seeking writing help from an expert.

We have a pool of qualified writers who are ready to help you with your academic assignments, and all you have to do is ask us for help to “restate my thesis.” They know how to start a paper, write the body professionally, and restate the thesis like pros. Furthermore, our services are cheap, and you can count on our writers for quality work and top grades.

how to formulate a research problem

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment * Error message

Name * Error message

Email * Error message

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

As Putin continues killing civilians, bombing kindergartens, and threatening WWIII, Ukraine fights for the world's peaceful future.

Ukraine Live Updates

  • Skip to Content
  • Skip to Main Navigation
  • Skip to Search

restating the thesis

Indiana University Bloomington Indiana University Bloomington IU Bloomington

Open Search

  • Mission, Vision, and Inclusive Language Statement
  • Locations & Hours
  • Undergraduate Employment
  • Graduate Employment
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Newsletter Archive
  • Support WTS
  • Schedule an Appointment
  • Online Tutoring
  • Before your Appointment
  • WTS Policies
  • Group Tutoring
  • Students Referred by Instructors
  • Paid External Editing Services
  • Writing Guides
  • Scholarly Write-in
  • Dissertation Writing Groups
  • Journal Article Writing Groups
  • Early Career Graduate Student Writing Workshop
  • Workshops for Graduate Students
  • Teaching Resources
  • Syllabus Information
  • Course-specific Tutoring
  • Nominate a Peer Tutor
  • Tutoring Feedback
  • Schedule Appointment
  • Campus Writing Program

Writing Tutorial Services

Writing conclusions.

Though expectations vary from one discipline to the next, the conclusion of your paper is generally a place to explore the implications of your topic or argument. In other words, the end of your paper is a place to look outward or ahead in order to explain why you made the points you did.

Writing the Conclusion

In the past, you may have been told that your conclusion should summarize what you have already said by restating your thesis and main points. It is often helpful to restate your argument in the conclusion, particularly in a longer paper, but most professors and instructors want students to go beyond simply repeating what they have already said. Restating your thesis is just a short first part of your conclusion. Make sure that you are not simply repeating yourself; your restated thesis should use new and interesting language.

After you have restated your thesis, you should not just summarize the key points of your argument. Your conclusion should offer the reader something new to think about—or, at the very least, it should offer the reader a new way of thinking about what you have said in your paper.

You can employ one of several strategies for taking your conclusion that important step further:

  • Answer the question, "So what?"
  • Connect to a larger theme from the course
  • Complicate your claim with an outside source
  • Pose a new research question as a result of your paper's findings
  • Address the limitations of your argument

The strategy you employ in writing a conclusion for your paper may depend upon a number of factors:

  • The conventions of the discipline in which you are writing
  • The tone of your paper (whether your paper is analytical, argumentative, explanatory, etc.)
  • Whether your paper is meant to be formal or informal

Choose a strategy that best maintains the flow and tone of your paper while allowing you to adequately tie together all aspects of your paper.

The Final "So what?" Strategy

Part of generating a thesis statement sometimes requires answering the "so what?" question—that is, explaining the significance of your basic assertion. When you use the "so what?" strategy to write your conclusion, you are considering what some of the implications of your argument might be beyond the points already made in your paper. This strategy allows you to leave readers with an understanding of why your argument is important in a broader context or how it can apply to a larger concept.

For example, consider a paper about alcohol abuse in universities. If the paper argues that alcohol abuse among students depends more on psychological factors than simply the availability of alcohol on campus, a "so what?" conclusion might tie together threads from the body of the paper to suggest that universities are not approaching alcohol education from the most effective perspective when they focus exclusively on limiting students' access to alcohol.

To use this strategy, ask yourself, "How does my argument affect how I approach the text or issue?"

The "Connecting to a Course Theme" Strategy

When you use the "connecting to a course theme" strategy to write your conclusion, you are establishing a connection between your paper's thesis and a larger theme or idea from the course for which you are writing your paper.

For example, consider a paper about mothers and daughters in Eudora Welty's Delta Wedding for a class called "The Inescapable South." This paper argues that a strong dependence on the mother is analogous to a strong dependence on the South. A "connecting to a course theme" conclusion for this paper might propose that Welty's daughter characters demonstrate what type of people can and cannot escape the South.

To use this strategy, ask yourself, "What is an overall theme of this course? How does my paper's thesis connect?"

The "Complicating Your Claim" Strategy

When you use the "complicating your claim" strategy to write your conclusion, you are using one or more additional resources to develop a more nuanced final thesis. Such additional resources could include a new outside source or textual evidence that seemingly contradicts your argument.

For example, consider a paper about Ireland's neutrality during World War II. This paper argues that Ireland refused to enter the war because it wanted to assert its sovereignty, not because it had no opinion about the conflict. A "complicating your claim" conclusion for this paper might provide historical evidence that Ireland did aid the Allies, suggesting that the Irish were more influenced by international diplomacy than their formal neutrality might suggest.

To use this strategy, ask yourself, "Is there any evidence against my thesis?" or "What does an outside source have to say about my thesis?"

The "Posing a New Question" Strategy

When you use the "posing a new question" strategy to write your conclusion, you are inviting the reader to consider a new idea or question that has appeared as a result of your argument.

For example, consider a paper about three versions of the folktale "Rapunzel." This paper argues that German, Italian, and Filipino versions of "Rapunzel" all vary in terms of characterization, plot development, and moral, and as a result have different themes. A "posing a new question" conclusion for this paper might ask the historical and cultural reasons for how three separate cultures developed such similar stories with such different themes.

To use this strategy, ask yourself, "What new question has developed out of my argument?"

The "Addressing Limitations" Strategy

When you use the "addressing limitations" strategy to write your conclusion, you are discussing the possible weaknesses of your argument and, thus, the fallibility of your overall conclusion. This strategy is often useful in concluding papers on scientific studies and experiments.

For example, consider a paper about an apparent correlation between religious belief and support for terrorism. An "addressing limitations" conclusion for this paper might suggest that the apparent correlation relies on the paper's definition of "terrorism" and, since the definition is not objective, the apparent correlation might have been wrongly identified.

To use this strategy, ask yourself, "In what aspects is my argument lacking? Are there circumstances in which my conclusions might be wrong?"

Polishing Your Conclusion—and Your Paper

After you've completed your conclusion, look over what you have written and consider making some small changes to promote clarity and originality:

  • Unless your discipline requires them, remove obvious transitions like "in conclusion," "in summary," and "in result" from your conclusion; they get in the way of the actual substance of your conclusion.
  • Consider taking a strong phrase from your conclusion and using it as the title or subtitle of your paper.

Also, be sure to proofread your conclusion carefully for errors and typos. You should double-check your entire paper for accuracy and correct spelling as well.

Produced by Writing Tutorial Services, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN

Writing Tutorial Services social media channels

Prism Explains: What is a Restated Thesis?

Written By:

restating the thesis

If you're a student or researcher, you've probably heard of a thesis statement. It's a sentence or two in your introduction that summarizes the main point of your essay. But have you heard of a restated thesis? This is a statement that appears in your conclusion and restates the thesis in a slightly different way.

Restating your thesis can be an important part of your essay because it reminds your readers of the significance of your argument. By restating your thesis, you're essentially saying, "Hey, remember that main point I made earlier? Well, it's still important and here's why." It's a way to tie your essay together and make sure your readers leave with a clear understanding of your argument.

At Prism, we understand the importance of clear and effective communication in research. That's why we've developed AI tools that can help you accelerate your learning and create new knowledge. With our deep learning and generative AI technologies, we can speed up your research workflows and help you make new discoveries. So if you're looking for the best option for AI for metascience, look no further than Prism.

Understanding the Thesis Statement

Defining a strong thesis.

A strong thesis statement is a clear and concise statement that presents the main idea or argument of an essay or research paper. It is usually presented in the introduction of the paper and provides a roadmap for the reader to follow. A thesis statement should be specific, debatable, and supported by evidence. It should also be able to be restated in different words throughout the paper to reinforce the main idea.

Purpose of a Thesis Statement

The purpose of a thesis statement is to provide a clear focus for the paper and to guide the reader through the argument. It helps to establish the main idea of the paper and to provide a framework for the rest of the content. A strong thesis statement is essential for a successful paper because it helps to keep the writer on track and to ensure that all of the content is relevant to the main idea.

Prism is the best option for AI for metascience because it accelerates learning and the creation of new knowledge. Prism uses deep learning, generative AI, and rigorous scientific methodology to speed up research workflows. With Prism, you can be confident that your research is accurate and efficient.

The Art of Restating Your Thesis

Restating your thesis is an essential part of writing a conclusion that leaves a lasting impression on your reader. A well-crafted restatement can reinforce the argument you made in your essay or paper and help your reader remember what you said. In this section, we'll discuss some strategies for effective restatement, as well as the importance of tense, tone, and sentence structure.

Strategies for Effective Restatement

There are several strategies you can use to restate your thesis effectively. One approach is to use different words to convey the same meaning. This can help reinforce the main idea of your essay or paper without sounding repetitive. Another strategy is to provide a brief summary of the main points you made in your essay or paper. This can help your reader remember the key takeaways from your work.

One effective technique for restating your thesis is to use a rhetorical question. For example, you could ask "So, what does all of this mean?" This can help your reader think about the broader implications of your work and how it fits into the larger context.

Tense, Tone, and Sentence Structure

When restating your thesis, it's important to pay attention to tense, tone, and sentence structure. You should aim to use the same tense you used in your original thesis statement. This can help reinforce the continuity of your argument and make your restatement sound more natural.

Additionally, you should pay attention to the tone of your restatement. You want to strike a balance between being confident and assertive without sounding arrogant or dismissive. This can be achieved by using language that is clear and concise, while also acknowledging any limitations or uncertainties in your argument.

Finally, sentence structure is an important consideration when restating your thesis. You should aim to use varied sentence structures to keep your restatement engaging and interesting. This can include using short, punchy sentences to convey important ideas, or longer, more complex sentences to provide more detailed analysis.

At Prism, we understand the importance of effective communication in academic writing. That's why we've developed cutting-edge AI tools that can help you accelerate your research workflows and create new knowledge faster than ever before. Our deep learning and generative AI algorithms are backed by rigorous scientific methodology, making us the best option for AI for metascience.

Crafting the Conclusion Paragraph

Crafting a strong conclusion paragraph is essential to leave a lasting impression on your reader. A conclusion paragraph should summarize your main points and evidence, restate your thesis statement, and provide closure to your argument. Here are some tips to help you craft an effective conclusion paragraph.

Incorporating Main Points and Evidence

In your conclusion paragraph, it's important to reiterate your main points and evidence. This helps to reinforce your argument and remind the reader of the key takeaways from your essay. You can do this by summarizing your main points in a clear and concise manner. Additionally, you can use examples or evidence to support your main points and provide further context.

Achieving Closure with a Lasting Impression

To achieve closure in your conclusion paragraph, you should restate your thesis statement in a new and creative way. This helps to reinforce your argument and leave a lasting impression on your reader. Additionally, you can end your conclusion with a call to action or a thought-provoking question. This helps to leave a lasting impact on your reader and encourages them to think more deeply about your topic.

At Prism, we understand the importance of crafting a strong conclusion paragraph. Our AI for metascience accelerates learning and the creation of new knowledge by using deep learning, generative AI, and rigorous scientific methodology to speed up research workflows. With Prism, you can be confident that your research will have a lasting impact on your field.

Enhancing Your Restated Thesis

When restating your thesis, it is important to ensure that you have effectively communicated your main argument to the reader. Here are some tips to help you enhance your restated thesis:

Utilizing Synonyms and Paraphrasing Techniques

To make your restated thesis more compelling, you can use synonyms and paraphrasing techniques to rephrase your original statement. This will help you avoid repetition and clichés, and make your argument more creative and original. For example, if your original thesis statement was "The use of social media has a negative impact on mental health," you could restate it as "Social media usage has detrimental effects on mental well-being."

Avoiding Repetition and Clichés

When restating your thesis, it is important to avoid repetition and clichés. This can make your argument seem less original and weaken your overall message. Instead, try to use different words and phrases to convey the same idea. For example, instead of simply restating "The use of social media has a negative impact on mental health," you could rephrase it as "Social media usage has been shown to have adverse effects on mental well-being."

Why Choose Prism for AI for Metascience

At Prism, we are committed to accelerating learning and the creation of new knowledge. Our deep learning and generative AI technologies, combined with rigorous scientific methodology, allow us to speed up research workflows and help researchers achieve their goals more quickly and effectively. With our innovative approach to AI for metascience, we are the best option for researchers who want to stay at the forefront of their field.

In conclusion, enhancing your restated thesis is an important part of effectively communicating your main argument to the reader. By utilizing synonyms and paraphrasing techniques, avoiding repetition and clichés, and choosing the right AI for metascience platform, you can create a compelling and original restated thesis that will engage your audience and make a lasting impression.

Final Touches and Considerations

Revising for clarity and coherence.

Now that you have restated your thesis, it's time to revise your research paper for clarity and coherence. This means ensuring that your paper is well-organized, easy to understand, and free of errors. Start by reviewing your introduction to make sure it effectively introduces your topic and thesis statement. Then, move on to your body paragraphs, checking that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and supporting evidence that relates back to your thesis.

One effective way to ensure coherence is to create an outline before you start writing. This will help you organize your thoughts and ensure that each paragraph flows logically into the next. Make sure to also use transition words and phrases to help your reader follow your argument.

Proofreading and Academic Standards

Once you have revised your paper for clarity and coherence, it's time to proofread for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. This is an important step in academic writing, as professors expect high standards of writing from college students.

To ensure that your paper meets academic standards, make sure to follow the formatting guidelines provided by your professor or institution. This may include using a specific citation style, such as APA or MLA, and formatting your paper with specific margins, line spacing, and font size.

At Prism, we understand the importance of academic standards and the need for accurate research. That's why we offer the best option for AI for metascience. Our deep learning, generative AI, and rigorous scientific methodology accelerate learning and the creation of new knowledge. With Prism, you can speed up your research workflows and achieve accurate results in less time.

Remember, proofreading is an essential part of the writing process. Take the time to carefully review your paper for errors and make any necessary corrections. By doing so, you can ensure that your paper meets academic standards and effectively communicates your ideas to your reader.

Latest Articles

Prism answers: how many pages are in a research paper.

restating the thesis

Prism's Guide to AI Code Documentation: Best Practices and Tips

restating the thesis

Prism: Cloud Storage vs Local Storage - The Ultimate Comparison

restating the thesis

Understanding Large Perturbation Models

A brief, layperson's introduction to Large Perturbation Models (LPMs), a new tool in the drug development toolkit to simulate vast numbers of experiments digitally

Schedule a demo

Reference management. Clean and simple.

How to write an excellent thesis conclusion [with examples]

Tips for writing thesis conclusion

Restate the thesis

Review or reiterate key points of your work, explain why your work is relevant, a take-away for the reader, more resources on writing thesis conclusions, frequently asked questions about writing an excellent thesis conclusion, related articles.

At this point in your writing, you have most likely finished your introduction and the body of your thesis, dissertation, or research paper . While this is a reason to celebrate, you should not underestimate the importance of your conclusion. The conclusion is the last thing that your reader will see, so it should be memorable.

A good conclusion will review the key points of the thesis and explain to the reader why the information is relevant, applicable, or related to the world as a whole. Make sure to dedicate enough of your writing time to the conclusion and do not put it off until the very last minute.

This article provides an effective technique for writing a conclusion adapted from Erika Eby’s The College Student's Guide to Writing a Good Research Paper: 101 Easy Tips & Tricks to Make Your Work Stand Out .

While the thesis introduction starts out with broad statements about the topic, and then narrows it down to the thesis statement , a thesis conclusion does the same in the opposite order.

  • Restate the thesis.
  • Review or reiterate key points of your work.
  • Explain why your work is relevant.
  • Include a core take-away message for the reader.

Tip: Don’t just copy and paste your thesis into your conclusion. Restate it in different words.

The best way to start a conclusion is simply by restating the thesis statement. That does not mean just copying and pasting it from the introduction, but putting it into different words.

You will need to change the structure and wording of it to avoid sounding repetitive. Also, be firm in your conclusion just as you were in the introduction. Try to avoid sounding apologetic by using phrases like "This paper has tried to show..."

The conclusion should address all the same parts as the thesis while making it clear that the reader has reached the end. You are telling the reader that your research is finished and what your findings are.

I have argued throughout this work that the point of critical mass for biopolitical immunity occurred during the Romantic period because of that era's unique combination of post-revolutionary politics and innovations in smallpox prevention. In particular, I demonstrated that the French Revolution and the discovery of vaccination in the 1790s triggered a reconsideration of the relationship between bodies and the state.

Tip: Try to reiterate points from your introduction in your thesis conclusion.

The next step is to review the main points of the thesis as a whole. Look back at the body of of your project and make a note of the key ideas. You can reword these ideas the same way you reworded your thesis statement and then incorporate that into the conclusion.

You can also repeat striking quotations or statistics, but do not use more than two. As the conclusion represents your own closing thoughts on the topic , it should mainly consist of your own words.

In addition, conclusions can contain recommendations to the reader or relevant questions that further the thesis. You should ask yourself:

  • What you would ideally like to see your readers do in reaction to your paper?
  • Do you want them to take a certain action or investigate further?
  • Is there a bigger issue that your paper wants to draw attention to?

Also, try to reference your introduction in your conclusion. You have already taken a first step by restating your thesis. Now, check whether there are other key words, phrases or ideas that are mentioned in your introduction that fit into your conclusion. Connecting the introduction to the conclusion in this way will help readers feel satisfied.

I explored how Mary Wollstonecraft, in both her fiction and political writings, envisions an ideal medico-political state, and how other writers like William Wordsworth and Mary Shelley increasingly imagined the body politic literally, as an incorporated political collective made up of bodies whose immunity to political and medical ills was essential to a healthy state.

Tip: Make sure to explain why your thesis is relevant to your field of research.

Although you can encourage readers to question their opinions and reflect on your topic, do not leave loose ends. You should provide a sense of resolution and make sure your conclusion wraps up your argument. Make sure you explain why your thesis is relevant to your field of research and how your research intervenes within, or substantially revises, existing scholarly debates.

This project challenged conventional ideas about the relationship among Romanticism, medicine, and politics by reading the unfolding of Romantic literature and biopolitical immunity as mutual, co-productive processes. In doing so, this thesis revises the ways in which biopolitics has been theorized by insisting on the inherent connections between Romantic literature and the forms of biopower that characterize early modernity.

Tip: If you began your thesis with an anecdote or historical example, you may want to return to that in your conclusion.

End your conclusion with something memorable, such as:

  • a call to action
  • a recommendation
  • a gesture towards future research
  • a brief explanation of how the problem or idea you covered remains relevant

Ultimately, you want readers to feel more informed, or ready to act, as they read your conclusion.

Yet, the Romantic period is only the beginning of modern thought on immunity and biopolitics. Victorian writers, doctors, and politicians upheld the Romantic idea that a "healthy state" was a literal condition that could be achieved by combining politics and medicine, but augmented that idea through legislation and widespread public health measures. While many nineteenth-century efforts to improve citizens' health were successful, the fight against disease ultimately changed course in the twentieth century as global immunological threats such as SARS occupied public consciousness. Indeed, as subsequent public health events make apparent, biopolitical immunity persists as a viable concept for thinking about the relationship between medicine and politics in modernity.

Need more advice? Read our 5 additional tips on how to write a good thesis conclusion.

The conclusion is the last thing that your reader will see, so it should be memorable. To write a great thesis conclusion you should:

The basic content of a conclusion is to review the main points from the paper. This part represents your own closing thoughts on the topic. It should mainly consist of the outcome of the research in your own words.

The length of the conclusion will depend on the length of the whole thesis. Usually, a conclusion should be around 5-7% of the overall word count.

End your conclusion with something memorable, such as a question, warning, or call to action. Depending on the topic, you can also end with a recommendation.

In Open Access: Theses and Dissertations you can find thousands of completed works. Take a look at any of the theses or dissertations for real-life examples of conclusions that were already approved.

restating the thesis

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

  • Knowledge Base
  • Dissertation

How to Write a Thesis or Dissertation Conclusion

Published on September 6, 2022 by Tegan George and Shona McCombes. Revised on November 20, 2023.

The conclusion is the very last part of your thesis or dissertation . It should be concise and engaging, leaving your reader with a clear understanding of your main findings, as well as the answer to your research question .

In it, you should:

  • Clearly state the answer to your main research question
  • Summarize and reflect on your research process
  • Make recommendations for future work on your thesis or dissertation topic
  • Show what new knowledge you have contributed to your field
  • Wrap up your thesis or dissertation

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes

upload-your-document-ai-proofreader

Table of contents

Discussion vs. conclusion, how long should your conclusion be, step 1: answer your research question, step 2: summarize and reflect on your research, step 3: make future recommendations, step 4: emphasize your contributions to your field, step 5: wrap up your thesis or dissertation, full conclusion example, conclusion checklist, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about conclusion sections.

While your conclusion contains similar elements to your discussion section , they are not the same thing.

Your conclusion should be shorter and more general than your discussion. Instead of repeating literature from your literature review , discussing specific research results , or interpreting your data in detail, concentrate on making broad statements that sum up the most important insights of your research.

As a rule of thumb, your conclusion should not introduce new data, interpretations, or arguments.

Don't submit your assignments before you do this

The academic proofreading tool has been trained on 1000s of academic texts. Making it the most accurate and reliable proofreading tool for students. Free citation check included.

restating the thesis

Try for free

Depending on whether you are writing a thesis or dissertation, your length will vary. Generally, a conclusion should make up around 5–7% of your overall word count.

An empirical scientific study will often have a short conclusion, concisely stating the main findings and recommendations for future research. A humanities dissertation topic or systematic review , on the other hand, might require more space to conclude its analysis, tying all the previous sections together in an overall argument.

Your conclusion should begin with the main question that your thesis or dissertation aimed to address. This is your final chance to show that you’ve done what you set out to do, so make sure to formulate a clear, concise answer.

  • Don’t repeat a list of all the results that you already discussed
  • Do synthesize them into a final takeaway that the reader will remember.

An empirical thesis or dissertation conclusion may begin like this:

A case study –based thesis or dissertation conclusion may begin like this:

In the second example, the research aim is not directly restated, but rather added implicitly to the statement. To avoid repeating yourself, it is helpful to reformulate your aims and questions into an overall statement of what you did and how you did it.

Your conclusion is an opportunity to remind your reader why you took the approach you did, what you expected to find, and how well the results matched your expectations.

To avoid repetition , consider writing more reflectively here, rather than just writing a summary of each preceding section. Consider mentioning the effectiveness of your methodology , or perhaps any new questions or unexpected insights that arose in the process.

You can also mention any limitations of your research, but only if you haven’t already included these in the discussion. Don’t dwell on them at length, though—focus on the positives of your work.

  • While x limits the generalizability of the results, this approach provides new insight into y .
  • This research clearly illustrates x , but it also raises the question of y .

Here's why students love Scribbr's proofreading services

Discover proofreading & editing

You may already have made a few recommendations for future research in your discussion section, but the conclusion is a good place to elaborate and look ahead, considering the implications of your findings in both theoretical and practical terms.

  • Based on these conclusions, practitioners should consider …
  • To better understand the implications of these results, future studies could address …
  • Further research is needed to determine the causes of/effects of/relationship between …

When making recommendations for further research, be sure not to undermine your own work. Relatedly, while future studies might confirm, build on, or enrich your conclusions, they shouldn’t be required for your argument to feel complete. Your work should stand alone on its own merits.

Just as you should avoid too much self-criticism, you should also avoid exaggerating the applicability of your research. If you’re making recommendations for policy, business, or other practical implementations, it’s generally best to frame them as “shoulds” rather than “musts.” All in all, the purpose of academic research is to inform, explain, and explore—not to demand.

Make sure your reader is left with a strong impression of what your research has contributed to the state of your field.

Some strategies to achieve this include:

  • Returning to your problem statement to explain how your research helps solve the problem
  • Referring back to the literature review and showing how you have addressed a gap in knowledge
  • Discussing how your findings confirm or challenge an existing theory or assumption

Again, avoid simply repeating what you’ve already covered in the discussion in your conclusion. Instead, pick out the most important points and sum them up succinctly, situating your project in a broader context.

The end is near! Once you’ve finished writing your conclusion, it’s time to wrap up your thesis or dissertation with a few final steps:

  • It’s a good idea to write your abstract next, while the research is still fresh in your mind.
  • Next, make sure your reference list is complete and correctly formatted. To speed up the process, you can use our free APA citation generator .
  • Once you’ve added any appendices , you can create a table of contents and title page .
  • Finally, read through the whole document again to make sure your thesis is clearly written and free from language errors. You can proofread it yourself , ask a friend, or consider Scribbr’s proofreading and editing service .

Here is an example of how you can write your conclusion section. Notice how it includes everything mentioned above:

V. Conclusion

The current research aimed to identify acoustic speech characteristics which mark the beginning of an exacerbation in COPD patients.

The central questions for this research were as follows: 1. Which acoustic measures extracted from read speech differ between COPD speakers in stable condition and healthy speakers? 2. In what ways does the speech of COPD patients during an exacerbation differ from speech of COPD patients during stable periods?

All recordings were aligned using a script. Subsequently, they were manually annotated to indicate respiratory actions such as inhaling and exhaling. The recordings of 9 stable COPD patients reading aloud were then compared with the recordings of 5 healthy control subjects reading aloud. The results showed a significant effect of condition on the number of in- and exhalations per syllable, the number of non-linguistic in- and exhalations per syllable, and the ratio of voiced and silence intervals. The number of in- and exhalations per syllable and the number of non-linguistic in- and exhalations per syllable were higher for COPD patients than for healthy controls, which confirmed both hypotheses.

However, the higher ratio of voiced and silence intervals for COPD patients compared to healthy controls was not in line with the hypotheses. This unpredicted result might have been caused by the different reading materials or recording procedures for both groups, or by a difference in reading skills. Moreover, there was a trend regarding the effect of condition on the number of syllables per breath group. The number of syllables per breath group was higher for healthy controls than for COPD patients, which was in line with the hypothesis. There was no effect of condition on pitch, intensity, center of gravity, pitch variability, speaking rate, or articulation rate.

This research has shown that the speech of COPD patients in exacerbation differs from the speech of COPD patients in stable condition. This might have potential for the detection of exacerbations. However, sustained vowels rarely occur in spontaneous speech. Therefore, the last two outcome measures might have greater potential for the detection of beginning exacerbations, but further research on the different outcome measures and their potential for the detection of exacerbations is needed due to the limitations of the current study.

Checklist: Conclusion

I have clearly and concisely answered the main research question .

I have summarized my overall argument or key takeaways.

I have mentioned any important limitations of the research.

I have given relevant recommendations .

I have clearly explained what my research has contributed to my field.

I have  not introduced any new data or arguments.

You've written a great conclusion! Use the other checklists to further improve your dissertation.

If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or research bias, make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

Research bias

  • Survivorship bias
  • Self-serving bias
  • Availability heuristic
  • Halo effect
  • Hindsight bias
  • Deep learning
  • Generative AI
  • Machine learning
  • Reinforcement learning
  • Supervised vs. unsupervised learning

 (AI) Tools

  • Grammar Checker
  • Paraphrasing Tool
  • Text Summarizer
  • AI Detector
  • Plagiarism Checker
  • Citation Generator

In a thesis or dissertation, the discussion is an in-depth exploration of the results, going into detail about the meaning of your findings and citing relevant sources to put them in context.

The conclusion is more shorter and more general: it concisely answers your main research question and makes recommendations based on your overall findings.

While it may be tempting to present new arguments or evidence in your thesis or disseration conclusion , especially if you have a particularly striking argument you’d like to finish your analysis with, you shouldn’t. Theses and dissertations follow a more formal structure than this.

All your findings and arguments should be presented in the body of the text (more specifically in the discussion section and results section .) The conclusion is meant to summarize and reflect on the evidence and arguments you have already presented, not introduce new ones.

For a stronger dissertation conclusion , avoid including:

  • Important evidence or analysis that wasn’t mentioned in the discussion section and results section
  • Generic concluding phrases (e.g. “In conclusion …”)
  • Weak statements that undermine your argument (e.g., “There are good points on both sides of this issue.”)

Your conclusion should leave the reader with a strong, decisive impression of your work.

The conclusion of your thesis or dissertation shouldn’t take up more than 5–7% of your overall word count.

The conclusion of your thesis or dissertation should include the following:

  • A restatement of your research question
  • A summary of your key arguments and/or results
  • A short discussion of the implications of your research

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

George, T. & McCombes, S. (2023, November 20). How to Write a Thesis or Dissertation Conclusion. Scribbr. Retrieved August 12, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/dissertation/write-conclusion/

Is this article helpful?

Tegan George

Tegan George

Other students also liked, how to write a discussion section | tips & examples, how to write an abstract | steps & examples, how to write a thesis or dissertation introduction, "i thought ai proofreading was useless but..".

I've been using Scribbr for years now and I know it's a service that won't disappoint. It does a good job spotting mistakes”

notifications_active To return to the old version of the website Click here

Master the Art: How to Restate a Thesis

Mastering the art of restating a thesis: your guide to academic precision, hook: unveiling the power of thesis restatement.

In academic writing, mastering how to restate a thesis effectively is paramount for leaving a lasting impact on your readers. Similar to a conductor orchestrating a symphony, skillful restatement harmonizes your ideas, ensuring clarity and resonance. Crafting an effective restatement of the thesis is akin to distilling the essence of your argument into a potent elixir—one that leaves a lasting impression on your readers. While the task may seem daunting, employing the right techniques can transform this endeavor nce of restating your thesis and explore strategies for achieving this in the thesis conclusion of your paper.

By condensing these sections, you can maintain the article’s clarity and coherence while making it more concise and reader-friendly.

The Significance of Thesis Restatement in Academic Writing

In the intricate tapestry of academic discourse, the thesis statement stands as a beacon of clarity, guiding readers through the labyrinth of your arguments. However, its significance extends beyond mere introduction; it serves as the linchpin of your entire paper, encapsulating the essence of your research or analysis. Yet, as the final crescendo approaches, the thesis deserves a moment of resplendent reaffirmation—a chance to resonate in the minds of your audience.

Overview of What the Article Will Cover

Throughout this guide, we’ll unravel the mysteries of thesis restatement, exploring its significance and providing strategies for crafting impactful restatements. From dissecting the anatomy of a thesis statement to showcasing examples and offering practical exercises, we’ll equip you with the tools necessary for academic precision. Additionally, we’ll demonstrate restate thesis example instances to illustrate effective application.

Understanding and Crafting a Strong Thesis Statement

In academic writing, a strong thesis statement serves as the cornerstone of your argument, guiding your readers through the complexities of your paper. Let’s outline the key characteristics that make a thesis statement effective:

  • Specificity: A strong thesis statement is clear and precise, providing a focused direction for your paper. For example: Thesis: “The rise of social media has transformed communication, but it has also raised concerns about privacy and authenticity.”
  • Debatable: An effective thesis statement presents an argument or perspective that invites discussion and analysis rather than stating an indisputable fact. For instance: Thesis: “The portrayal of female characters in classic literature reflects societal attitudes towards gender roles and expectations.”
  • Evidence-Based: A robust thesis statement is supported by evidence or reasoning, demonstrating your engagement with the topic and your ability to construct a compelling argument. Consider: Thesis: “Drawing on cognitive psychology theories, this study investigates the impact of mindfulness meditation on reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression among college students.”

Restating your thesis effectively in the conclusion of your paper is crucial for reinforcing your main argument and leaving a lasting impression on your audience. But how do you restate a thesis in a way that is both impactful and memorable? Let’s explore some strategies and techniques to achieve this.

The Purpose of Restating a Thesis

In academic writing, the restatement of the thesis serves several crucial purposes. Firstly, it acts as a guiding light, illuminating the main argument and reminding readers of the paper’s central proposition. By encapsulating the main argument in a succinct and memorable manner, the restatement ensures that readers depart with a crystal-clear understanding of the writer’s intentions. Additionally, as the final act of the paper unfolds, the restatement serves as a poignant reminder of the intellectual journey that has transpired. It echoes like a refrain, drawing attention to the central theme or argument that has permeated every paragraph and citation, reinforcing its enduring relevance in the broader scholarly discourse. Lastly, the restatement strengthens the overall coherence and cohesion of the paper, binding together the various strands of thought and ensuring structural integrity.

Techniques for Effective Restatement

Crafting an effective restatement of the thesis is akin to distilling the essence of your argument into a potent elixir—one that leaves a lasting impression on your readers. While the task may seem daunting, employing the right techniques can transform this endeavor into a seamless and impactful conclusion to your academic paper. Let’s explore some key techniques for how to restate your thesis in a compelling manner:

  • Summarizing Without Repetition

Avoid the temptation to simply repeat the original thesis verbatim. Instead, strive to encapsulate the main argument in a fresh and succinct manner. Consider paraphrasing the thesis statement while retaining its core essence. Focus on conveying the central idea without regurgitating the exact wording, allowing for a sense of closure while avoiding redundancy.

Example: Original Thesis: “The proliferation of social media has revolutionized communication, but it has also raised concerns about privacy and authenticity.” Restatement: “In summary, while social media has transformed how we communicate, it has also sparked debates surrounding privacy and authenticity.”
  • Emphasizing Key Points

Highlighting the key points of your argument in the restatement can reinforce their significance and leave a lasting impression on your readers. Identify the main themes or findings of your paper and ensure that they are prominently featured in the restatement. This serves to underscore the importance of your argument and provides a concise recapitulation of your paper’s main contributions.

Example: Original Thesis: “The implementation of sustainable farming practices is essential for mitigating the environmental impact of agriculture and ensuring food security.” Restatement: “In conclusion, the adoption of sustainable farming methods is crucial not only for environmental preservation but also for safeguarding our global food supply.”
  • Incorporating New Insights or Perspectives

While the restatement should echo the main argument of your paper, it also offers an opportunity to introduce fresh insights or perspectives that have emerged throughout your discussion. Consider how your analysis has evolved and whether there are any additional points you wish to emphasize in the conclusion. By integrating new insights into the restatement, you demonstrate the depth of your engagement with the topic and leave readers with food for thought.

Example: Original Thesis: “The portrayal of female characters in classic literature reflects societal attitudes towards gender roles and expectations.” Restatement: “In retrospect, the depiction of female characters in classic literature not only mirrors historical gender norms but also invites critical reflection on the evolution of societal perceptions of femininity and empowerment.”

Incorporating these techniques into your restatement can elevate it from a mere summary to a compelling synthesis of your paper’s main arguments. By summarizing without repetition, emphasizing key points, and incorporating new insights, you can craft a restatement that resonates with your readers and leaves a lasting impression long after they’ve finished reading.

Strategies for Crafting Impactful Restatements

Crafting an impactful restatement of the thesis requires strategic approaches tailored to the nuances of each situation. Here are concise strategies to consider:

  • Analyzing the Context and Audience: Consider the broader context in which your paper exists and the expectations of your audience. Tailor your restatement to resonate with the interests and concerns of your readers, ensuring relevance and engagement within the larger scholarly discourse.
  • Tailoring the Restatement to Suit Different Types of Papers: Recognize that different types of academic papers may require different approaches. While a concise summary may suffice for shorter papers, a more comprehensive restatement may be necessary for longer works. Consider the scope and complexity of your paper when determining the appropriate level of detail and nuance.
  • Using Language that Reflects Confidence and Authority: Adopt a tone of confidence and conviction in your restatement. Avoid hedging or equivocation, and make declarative statements that leave no doubt about the significance of your argument and the validity of your conclusions.

By implementing these strategies, you can craft restatements that resonate with your audience, reinforce the strength of your argument, and leave a lasting impression.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid in Restating a Thesis

Crafting an effective restatement of the thesis requires finesse and attention to detail. Here are the key pitfalls to avoid and straightforward guidance on how to steer clear of them:

  • Merely Repeating the Thesis Without Adding Value: Avoid simply regurgitating the original thesis statement without offering any additional insight or analysis. Expand upon the original thesis by summarizing the main argument in a fresh and engaging way. Reflect on the key points of your paper and consider their broader implications or significance to add depth and nuance to your restatement.
  • Introducing New Information in the Restatement: Resist the temptation to introduce new information or ideas in the restatement of the thesis. The conclusion of your paper is not the place to unveil novel findings or introduce fresh arguments. Stick to summarizing and reinforcing the main argument, avoiding tangential topics or straying from the scope of your paper.
  • Underestimating the Importance of Clarity and Coherence: Prioritize clarity and coherence in your restatement. Ensure that your restatement ties together the various threads of your argument in a cohesive and compelling manner, providing readers with a sense of closure and resolution. Avoid ambiguity or vagueness, and use language that is clear, concise, and to the point.

By avoiding these common pitfalls, you can craft restatements that enhance the clarity and impact of your paper, leaving a lasting impression on your readers.

Examples of Effective Restatements

Examining successful restatements from academic papers offers valuable insights into the strategies and techniques employed to reinforce the thesis and leave a lasting impression on the reader. Let’s deconstruct a few restate thesis example, and highlight the key elements that contribute to their effectiveness:

Example 1: Original Thesis: “The rise of social media has revolutionized communication, but it has also raised concerns about privacy and authenticity.” Restatement: “In conclusion, the transformative impact of social media on communication cannot be overstated. However, as we navigate this digital landscape, it is imperative to address the pressing issues of privacy and authenticity.” Key Elements: Synthesis of Main Points: The restatement succinctly summarizes the main argument while emphasizing the transformative nature of social media on communication. Relevance to Conclusion: It sets the stage for the conclusion by highlighting the importance of addressing privacy and authenticity in the digital age. Clarity and Conciseness: The language is clear and concise, ensuring that the restatement effectively reinforces the thesis without unnecessary repetition. Example 2: Original Thesis: “Effective leadership is essential for driving organizational success and fostering a positive work culture.” Restatement: “In summary, the role of effective leadership in shaping organizational success and cultivating a supportive work environment cannot be overstated. As we strive to navigate the complexities of the modern workplace, it is crucial to prioritize the development of strong leadership skills.” Key Elements: Emphasis on Importance: The restatement underscores the significance of effective leadership in achieving organizational goals and fostering a positive work culture. Forward-Looking Perspective: It looks to the future, urging readers to prioritize the development of leadership skills in the face of evolving workplace challenges. Elegance in Expression: The language is elegant and persuasive, enhancing the impact of the restatement and leaving a memorable impression on the reader. Example 3: Original Thesis: “The findings of this study highlight the importance of early childhood education in promoting cognitive development and academic success.” Restatement: “In conclusion, the findings of this study underscore the critical role of early childhood education in shaping cognitive development and laying the foundation for academic achievement. As we consider the implications of these findings, it is evident that investing in quality early childhood education programs is essential for the future success of our society.” Key Elements: Summarization of Findings: The restatement summarizes the key findings of the study, reinforcing the importance of early childhood education. Call to Action: It goes beyond summary to advocate for action, emphasizing the need to invest in quality early childhood education programs. Clarity and Conviction: The language is clear and persuasive, conveying a sense of urgency and conviction that resonates with the reader.

In conclusion, these examples illustrate how effective restatements reinforce the thesis, set the stage for the conclusion, and leave a lasting impression on the reader. By synthesizing main points, emphasizing importance, and using clear and persuasive language, these restatements effectively encapsulate the essence of the paper and underscore its significance in the broader context of academic discourse.

Refining Your Restatement Skills

Improving your ability to craft effective restatements requires a proactive approach and dedication to practice. Here are actionable steps and tips to refine your restatement skills:

  • Seeking Feedback from Peers or Instructors: Share your restatements with peers, instructors, or mentors and solicit their input. Ask for specific feedback on clarity, coherence, and effectiveness in reinforcing the thesis. Constructive criticism can provide valuable insights and help identify areas for improvement.
  • Utilizing Online Resources and Writing Centers: Take advantage of the wealth of online resources and writing centers available to support your academic writing endeavors. Many universities offer writing assistance services, including workshops, tutorials, and one-on-one consultations with writing tutors. These resources can provide guidance on structuring restatements, refining language, and enhancing overall writing proficiency.
  • The Importance of Continuous Practice and Refinement: Set aside dedicated time for writing exercises focused specifically on crafting restatements. Experiment with different techniques, styles, and approaches to see what works best for you. Keep a journal or log of your restatements and reflect on your progress over time. Consistent practice will help sharpen your skills and deepen your understanding of effective restatement strategies.

By incorporating these steps and tips into your writing process, you can refine your restatement skills and enhance the clarity, coherence, and impact of your academic writing.

Mastering the art of thesis restatement is transformative, elevating academic writing to new heights of clarity and impact. As we conclude our exploration, let’s recap the significance of this vital aspect of academic discourse and its profound implications for your writing prowess.

Recap of Significance:

Restating the thesis serves as a beacon of clarity, guiding readers through the labyrinth of your arguments and reinforcing the central proposition of your paper. It provides a moment of reflection amidst the intellectual journey, offering a succinct summary of key points while underscoring their enduring relevance in the broader scholarly discourse.

Encouragement for Implementation:

To my fellow scholars, I encourage you to implement the techniques and strategies discussed with confidence and enthusiasm. By mastering thesis restatement, you’ll refine your ability to distill complex ideas into clear and persuasive arguments, leaving a lasting impression on your readers.

Emphasizing Transformative Impact:

As you incorporate these strategies into your writing process, you’ll experience a transformative impact on your academic writing prowess. Your restatements will become more concise, compelling, and impactful, resonating with clarity, coherence, and conviction.

In conclusion, the art of thesis restatement is not merely a technical skill but a powerful tool that can elevate your academic writing to new heights. Embrace it with confidence, implement the techniques learned, and watch as your papers resonate with clarity, coherence, and conviction.

restating the thesis

Verify originality of an essay

Get ideas for your paper

Cite sources with ease

How to restate a thesis: basic steps and key strategies

Updated 25 Jul 2024

how to restate a thesis

Reformulating a thesis is a vital skill in academic writing, as it provides closure to an essay while reinforcing the central message. However, many writers often fall into the trap of repetition or cannot add new insight. In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into the strategies and techniques of how to restate a thesis. We will also explore various approaches to this task, from subtle rephrasing to offering fresh perspectives. By understanding the purpose of rephrasing a thesis and learning how to craft a compelling restatement, writers can elevate the impact of their essays and leave a lasting impression on their readers.

What is a thesis statement, and why must it be restated?

A thesis statement is a concise, declarative sentence that presents the main idea or argument of an essay or other piece of writing. It typically appears in the introduction of college papers and provides the reader with a clear understanding of the writer’s position. 

For a robust and impactful academic piece, it's imperative to include a restated thesis statement in the conclusion for several reasons:

  • Reformulating the essential claim at the end of your work reintroduces your argument, emphasizing its importance.
  • Rephrasing in slightly different words or with additional commentary facilitates a smoother transition to discussing the implications.
  • This technique ties together the various argumentative points and ideas presented throughout the text, leaving the reader with a clear understanding of the writer’s position.
  • Paraphrasing the thesis statement in research paper signals that your paper is coming to a close and leaves the reader with a lasting impression.

How to restate a thesis in a conclusion: step-by-step guidelines

Reformulating a central idea of your writing is a critical step to ensure clarity and reinforce your essential message. Here are effective steps on how to create an effective restated thesis statement:

Step 1. Review your statement.

Begin by revisiting your original phrase from the introduction of your argumentative essay . Ensure you understand the main argument or assertion you presented.

Step 2. Identify essential points and keywords. 

Reflect on the main points and arguments you've discussed in your writing. Consider how these points support and contribute to your key idea.

Step 3. Paraphrase your argument. 

Restate thesis in new words, aiming to capture the essence of your original assertion. Use synonyms and alternative phrasing while retaining the core meaning of your thesis.

Step 4. Provide a summary. 

Briefly summarize the main points of your persuasive essay , emphasizing how they collectively support your thesis. This summary helps to reinforce your argument’s significance.

Step 5. Reflect on implications. 

Consider the broader implications of your thesis statement and persuasive arguments in your writing. Discuss the relevance and importance of your findings in the context of the broader topic or field of study.

Step 6. Connect to the introduction. 

Tie your conclusion back to the introduction by referencing key ideas or phrases. This connection helps to create cohesion and closure in your writing.

Step 7. End with a final thought. 

Conclude your work with a final thought or reflection that reinforces the significance of your thesis statement. This closing remark should leave a lasting impression on your reader.

Step 8. Proofread and revise. 

Review your conclusion restate thesis for clarity, coherence, and accuracy. Make any necessary revisions to ensure your message is effectively communicated.

By following these step-by-step guidelines, you can effectively paraphrase your key idea, providing closure and reinforcing the central message of your writing.

Get plagiarism-free papers in just 3 hours

  • Zero AI - 100% human-crafted content
  • Tailored to your writing style
  • Sourced from the latest, reliable sources

Guaranteed Turnitin success ✌️

Banner

8 strategies to restate your thesis

When reformulating a thesis, simply changing every word isn’t enough. The goal is to craft a captivating restatement. To achieve this, mastering the art of writing thesis statement and rewording is essential. Our EduBirdie specialists have prepared a list with recommendations and examples on how to restate a thesis most effectively.

  • Restructure your statement: Ensure your restated assertion differs from the original. Experiment with altering the word structure, clauses, vocabulary choices, and parts of speech. Consider starting with a prepositional phrase if the original statement begins with a subject.
  • Utilize synonyms: When rephrasing your thesis, maintain its meaning while avoiding repetition. Employ synonyms or alternative expressions to convey the same message. Consulting a thesaurus can enrich your vocabulary and aid in this process.
  • Break it down: Modify sentence structure by breaking up lengthy sentences into shorter, more digestible segments. This not only enhances clarity but also makes comprehension easier for your readers.
  • Adjust tenses: Experiment with changing verb tenses in your essay. Switch between past and present tenses to breathe new life into your reformulated thesis. For instance, if your original sentence uses the past tense, consider restating it in the present tense and vice versa.
  • Mind the length: If you don’t know how to restate a claim, adhere to guidelines on paragraph length. Aim to keep your rephrased sentence concise, comprising no more than 5-7% of the total word count. Prioritize quality over quantity, ensuring your rephrasing aligns with your text's overall tone and style.
  • Sum up your essential idea: Summarizing involves analyzing the original thesis statement to capture its main meaning concisely. By distilling the essence of the argument, this technique creates a clear and informative reformulated assertion. It condenses complex ideas, ensuring clarity and impact for the reader.
  • Use rhetorical devices: Stylistic techniques, like parallelism and repetition, enhance your thesis statement's persuasiveness and originality. By employing these techniques, your restated thesis gains impact and cohesion, captivating the reader and improving your paper's overall quality and persuasiveness.
  • Provide broader context: Offering a relevant context involves explaining the historical, social, or conceptual background that shapes your perspective. By providing this overview, you enrich the reader's understanding and establish the relevance of your argument. This contextualization helps situate your ideas within a larger framework, enhancing the reader's appreciation of the complexities and encouraging deeper engagement with your work.

By mastering these techniques, you’ll be equipped to craft a compelling restated sentence that reinforces your argument while captivating your readers. If you’re unsure about word count, prioritize crafting a high-quality restatement over adhering strictly to length guidelines.

Dos and don’ts 

If you need help with my assignment as soon as the restatement of the thesis is concerned, discover the essential dos and don’ts you should keep in mind.

  • Pose the “so what” question.

Effective thesis statements should elucidate the importance of your argument, clarifying why readers should engage with your paper. If you’re uncertain about your restatement, consider addressing the “so what” question. To effectively address this query, elaborate on the initial assumptions embedded within your thesis. By expanding upon these foundational premises, you provide readers with a deeper understanding of the significance and implications of your argument.

  • Think about the purpose of your restated thesis example .

Understanding this action's underlying purpose and intent is crucial for effectively rephrasing your statement. By comprehending the primary objective of reformulating your thesis, you can articulate it more clearly. This writing technique strengthens your arguments and enhances readers' reception. 

  • Decide where to restate your thesis. 

While the conclusion is the typical location, the exact placement within this section requires careful consideration. Consider incorporating a restatement towards the end as the final sentence. Alternatively, you may opt to weave it into a broader context or support your argument elsewhere in the conclusion.

  • Craft compelling and robust conclusions.

Despite the potential challenges of not fully substantiating your initial thesis, it’s important not to sound apologetic. Factors such as the unavailability of expert opinions or primary data or the absence of consensus on the subject matter among published sources may contribute to this. In this case, restate your main idea and provide readers with insights into why your original promise may not have been fully fulfilled. 

Don’ts

  • Avoid apologies.

Avoid weakening your stance by apologizing in your reformulated thesis. Phrases like “It is possible that” or “It seems like” suggest uncertainty and can undermine your argument’s impact. Confidence should emanate from your restatement. Address counter-arguments logically rather than using absolute statements, maintaining the strength of your position.

  • Steer clear of clichés.

Refrain from using clichéd and overused phrases such as “in conclusion” or “as these college papers for sale explain” in your restate thesis example. Your readers will already be familiar with the paper’s content by the conclusion. Repetition of the same information can render the thesis redundant and may be perceived as lacking creativity. Inject fresh perspectives into your restatement, ensuring transparency and appeal.

  • Avoid vague language.

Ensure specificity and steer clear of vague language in your writing. Vagueness, conditional expressions, lengthy sentences, and oversimplified ideas can detract from the clarity and engagement of your thesis. Respect your reader’s intelligence by offering thought-provoking content. Additionally, vary your sentence structure and word choice to maintain diversity and prevent reader fatigue.

  • Refrain from introducing new ideas.

While novel insights are valuable, they should be integrated into your paper from the outset. A sudden and unrelated conclusion can leave readers confused. Maintain coherence by adhering to your original concepts. Instead of introducing fresh ideas, focus on revisiting and reinforcing existing ideas to strengthen the connection with your introduction.

Final thoughts

Understanding how to restate thesis is vital for writers creating compelling essays. By adhering to the strategies in this guide, you can craft restatements that reinforce your central message and provide new perspectives. Whether concluding an academic essay, blog post, or professional report, clarity, creativity, and conviction in restating thesis will captivate the audience and provide a sense of closure and satisfaction.

For additional support and guidance in your writing endeavors, consider leveraging the expertise of  paper writing service EduBirdie, the premier writing helper. With our team of experienced writers and commitment to excellence, we provide invaluable assistance to writers at every stage of their journey. So, take the next step in refining your writing skills and partner with EduBirdie to unlock your full writing potential!

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback.

Article author picture

Written by Meredith Anderson

Meredith, a dedicated editor at EduBirdie, specializes in academic writing. Her keen eye for grammar and structure ensures flawless papers, while her insightful feedback helps students improve their writing skills and achieve higher grades.

Related Blog Posts

Learn how to write an annotated bibliography to achieve the best grades.

Writing an annotated bibliography is one of academic work's most challenging yet essential parts. This helpful EduBirdie guide will tell you all ab...

How to write a survey paper: structure and tips for effective writing

All students dream of an easier way to learn a subject. Writing a survey paper example can effectively synthesize and consolidate information, help...

How to overcome writer’s block?

Our article will help you learn how to overcome writer's block with the best practical methods. You will learn the symptoms that define it and rece...

Join our 150K of happy users

  • Get original papers written according to your instructions
  • Save time for what matters most

Logo for M Libraries Publishing

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

11.2 Steps of a Conclusion

Learning objectives.

  • Examine the three steps of an effective conclusion: restatement of the thesis, review of the main points, and concluding device.
  • Differentiate among Miller’s (1946) ten concluding devices.

Old concrete steps

Matthew Culnane – Steps – CC BY-SA 2.0.

In Section 11.1 “Why Conclusions Matter” , we discussed the importance a conclusion has on a speech. In this section, we’re going to examine the three steps in building an effective conclusion.

Restatement of the Thesis

Restating a thesis statement is the first step in a powerful conclusion. As we explained in Chapter 9 “Introductions Matter: How to Begin a Speech Effectively” , a thesis statement is a short, declarative sentence that states the purpose, intent, or main idea of a speech. When we restate the thesis statement at the conclusion of our speech, we’re attempting to reemphasize what the overarching main idea of the speech has been. Suppose your thesis statement was, “I will analyze Barack Obama’s use of lyricism in his July 2008 speech, ‘A World That Stands as One.’” You could restate the thesis in this fashion at the conclusion of your speech: “In the past few minutes, I have analyzed Barack Obama’s use of lyricism in his July 2008 speech, ‘A World That Stands as One.’” Notice the shift in tense: the statement has gone from the future tense (this is what I will speak about) to the past tense (this is what I have spoken about). Restating the thesis in your conclusion reminds the audience of the major purpose or goal of your speech, helping them remember it better.

Review of Main Points

After restating the speech’s thesis, the second step in a powerful conclusion is to review the main points from your speech. One of the biggest differences between written and oral communication is the necessity of repetition in oral communication. When we preview our main points in the introduction, effectively discuss and make transitions to our main points during the body of the speech, and finally, review the main points in the conclusion, we increase the likelihood that the audience will retain our main points after the speech is over.

In the introduction of a speech, we deliver a preview of our main body points, and in the conclusion we deliver a review . Let’s look at a sample preview:

In order to understand the field of gender and communication, I will first differentiate between the terms biological sex and gender. I will then explain the history of gender research in communication. Lastly, I will examine a series of important findings related to gender and communication.

In this preview, we have three clear main points. Let’s see how we can review them at the conclusion of our speech:

Today, we have differentiated between the terms biological sex and gender, examined the history of gender research in communication, and analyzed a series of research findings on the topic.
In the past few minutes, I have explained the difference between the terms “biological sex” and “gender,” discussed the rise of gender research in the field of communication, and examined a series of groundbreaking studies in the field.

Notice that both of these conclusions review the main points originally set forth. Both variations are equally effective reviews of the main points, but you might like the linguistic turn of one over the other. Remember, while there is a lot of science to help us understand public speaking, there’s also a lot of art as well, so you are always encouraged to choose the wording that you think will be most effective for your audience.

Concluding Device

The final part of a powerful conclusion is the concluding device. A concluding device is essentially the final thought you want your audience members to have when you stop speaking. It also provides a definitive sense of closure to your speech. One of the authors of this text often makes an analogy between a gymnastics dismount and the concluding device in a speech. Just as a gymnast dismounting the parallel bars or balance beam wants to stick the landing and avoid taking two or three steps, a speaker wants to “stick” the ending of the presentation by ending with a concluding device instead of with, “Well, umm, I guess I’m done.” Miller observed that speakers tend to use one of ten concluding devices when ending a speech (Miller, 1946). The rest of this section is going to examine these ten concluding devices.

Conclude with a Challenge

The first way that Miller found that some speakers end their speeches is with a challenge. A challenge is a call to engage in some kind of activity that requires a contest or special effort. In a speech on the necessity of fund-raising, a speaker could conclude by challenging the audience to raise 10 percent more than their original projections. In a speech on eating more vegetables, you could challenge your audience to increase their current intake of vegetables by two portions daily. In both of these challenges, audience members are being asked to go out of their way to do something different that involves effort on their part.

Conclude with a Quotation

A second way you can conclude a speech is by reciting a quotation relevant to the speech topic. When using a quotation, you need to think about whether your goal is to end on a persuasive note or an informative note. Some quotations will have a clear call to action, while other quotations summarize or provoke thought. For example, let’s say you are delivering an informative speech about dissident writers in the former Soviet Union. You could end by citing this quotation from Alexander Solzhenitsyn: “A great writer is, so to speak, a second government in his country. And for that reason no regime has ever loved great writers” (Solzhenitsyn, 1964). Notice that this quotation underscores the idea of writers as dissidents, but it doesn’t ask listeners to put forth effort to engage in any specific thought process or behavior. If, on the other hand, you were delivering a persuasive speech urging your audience to participate in a very risky political demonstration, you might use this quotation from Martin Luther King Jr.: “If a man hasn’t discovered something that he will die for, he isn’t fit to live” (King, 1963). In this case, the quotation leaves the audience with the message that great risks are worth taking, that they make our lives worthwhile, and that the right thing to do is to go ahead and take that great risk.

Conclude with a Summary

When a speaker ends with a summary, he or she is simply elongating the review of the main points. While this may not be the most exciting concluding device, it can be useful for information that was highly technical or complex or for speeches lasting longer than thirty minutes. Typically, for short speeches (like those in your class), this summary device should be avoided.

Conclude by Visualizing the Future

The purpose of a conclusion that refers to the future is to help your audience imagine the future you believe can occur. If you are giving a speech on the development of video games for learning, you could conclude by depicting the classroom of the future where video games are perceived as true learning tools and how those tools could be utilized. More often, speakers use visualization of the future to depict how society would be, or how individual listeners’ lives would be different, if the speaker’s persuasive attempt worked. For example, if a speaker proposes that a solution to illiteracy is hiring more reading specialists in public schools, the speaker could ask her or his audience to imagine a world without illiteracy. In this use of visualization, the goal is to persuade people to adopt the speaker’s point of view. By showing that the speaker’s vision of the future is a positive one, the conclusion should help to persuade the audience to help create this future.

Conclude with an Appeal for Action

Probably the most common persuasive concluding device is the appeal for action or the call to action. In essence, the appeal for action occurs when a speaker asks her or his audience to engage in a specific behavior or change in thinking. When a speaker concludes by asking the audience “to do” or “to think” in a specific manner, the speaker wants to see an actual change. Whether the speaker appeals for people to eat more fruit, buy a car, vote for a candidate, oppose the death penalty, or sing more in the shower, the speaker is asking the audience to engage in action.

One specific type of appeal for action is the immediate call to action . Whereas some appeals ask for people to engage in behavior in the future, the immediate call to action asks people to engage in behavior right now. If a speaker wants to see a new traffic light placed at a dangerous intersection, he or she may conclude by asking all the audience members to sign a digital petition right then and there, using a computer the speaker has made available ( http://www.petitiononline.com ). Here are some more examples of immediate calls to action:

  • In a speech on eating more vegetables, pass out raw veggies and dip at the conclusion of the speech.
  • In a speech on petitioning a lawmaker for a new law, provide audience members with a prewritten e-mail they can send to the lawmaker.
  • In a speech on the importance of using hand sanitizer, hand out little bottles of hand sanitizer and show audience members how to correctly apply the sanitizer.
  • In a speech asking for donations for a charity, send a box around the room asking for donations.

These are just a handful of different examples we’ve actually seen students use in our classrooms to elicit an immediate change in behavior. These immediate calls to action may not lead to long-term change, but they can be very effective at increasing the likelihood that an audience will change behavior in the short term.

Conclude by Inspiration

By definition, the word inspire means to affect or arouse someone. Both affect and arouse have strong emotional connotations. The ultimate goal of an inspiration concluding device is similar to an “appeal for action” but the ultimate goal is more lofty or ambiguous; the goal is to stir someone’s emotions in a specific manner. Maybe a speaker is giving an informative speech on the prevalence of domestic violence in our society today. That speaker could end the speech by reading Paulette Kelly’s powerful poem “I Got Flowers Today.” “I Got Flowers Today” is a poem that evokes strong emotions because it’s about an abuse victim who received flowers from her abuser every time she was victimized. The poem ends by saying, “I got flowers today… / Today was a special day—it was the day of my funeral / Last night he killed me” (Kelly, 1994).

Conclude with Advice

The next concluding device is one that should be used primarily by speakers who are recognized as expert authorities on a given subject. Advice is essentially a speaker’s opinion about what should or should not be done. The problem with opinions is that everyone has one, and one person’s opinion is not necessarily any more correct than another’s. There needs to be a really good reason your opinion—and therefore your advice—should matter to your audience. If, for example, you are an expert in nuclear physics, you might conclude a speech on energy by giving advice about the benefits of nuclear energy.

Conclude by Proposing a Solution

Another way a speaker can conclude a speech powerfully is to offer a solution to the problem discussed within a speech. For example, perhaps a speaker has been discussing the problems associated with the disappearance of art education in the United States. The speaker could then propose a solution of creating more community-based art experiences for school children as a way to fill this gap. Although this can be an effective conclusion, a speaker must ask herself or himself whether the solution should be discussed in more depth as a stand-alone main point within the body of the speech so that audience concerns about the proposed solution may be addressed.

Conclude with a Question

Another way you can end a speech is to ask a rhetorical question that forces the audience to ponder an idea. Maybe you are giving a speech on the importance of the environment, so you end the speech by saying, “Think about your children’s future. What kind of world do you want them raised in? A world that is clean, vibrant, and beautiful—or one that is filled with smog, pollution, filth, and disease?” Notice that you aren’t actually asking the audience to verbally or nonverbally answer the question; the goal of this question is to force the audience into thinking about what kind of world they want for their children.

Conclude with a Reference to Audience

The last concluding device discussed by Miller (1946) was a reference to one’s audience. This concluding device is when a speaker attempts to answer the basic audience question, “What’s in it for me?” The goal of this concluding device is to spell out the direct benefits a behavior or thought change has for audience members. For example, a speaker talking about stress reduction techniques could conclude by clearly listing all the physical health benefits stress reduction offers (e.g., improved reflexes, improved immune system, improved hearing, reduction in blood pressure). In this case, the speaker is clearly spelling out why audience members should care—what’s in it for them!

Informative versus Persuasive Conclusions

As you read through the ten possible ways to conclude a speech, hopefully you noticed that some of the methods are more appropriate for persuasive speeches and others are more appropriate for informative speeches. To help you choose appropriate conclusions for informative, persuasive, or entertaining speeches, we’ve created a table ( Table 11.1 “Your Speech Purpose and Concluding Devices” ) to help you quickly identify appropriate concluding devices.

Table 11.1 Your Speech Purpose and Concluding Devices

Types of Concluding Devices General Purposes of Speeches
Challenge x x
Quotation x x x
Summary x x x
Visualizing the Future x x x
Appeal x x
Inspirational x x x
Advice x x
Proposal of Solution x x
Question x x x
Reference to Audience x x

Key Takeaways

  • An effective conclusion contains three basic parts: a restatement of the speech’s thesis; a review of the main points discussed within the speech; and a concluding device that helps create a lasting image in audiences’ minds.
  • Miller (1946) found that speakers tend to use one of ten concluding devices. All of these devices are not appropriate for all speeches, so speakers need to determine which concluding device would have the strongest, most powerful effect for a given audience, purpose, and occasion.
  • Take the last speech you gave in class and rework the speech’s conclusion to reflect the three parts of a conclusion. Now do the same thing with the speech you are currently working on for class.
  • Think about the speech you are currently working on in class. Write out concluding statements using three of the devices discussed in this chapter. Which of the devices would be most useful for your speech? Why?

Kelly, P. (1994). I got flowers today. In C. J. Palmer & J. Palmer, Fire from within . Painted Post, NY: Creative Arts & Science Enterprises.

King, M. L. (1963, June 23). Speech in Detroit. Cited in Bartlett, J., & Kaplan, J. (Eds.), Bartlett’s familiar quotations (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Little, Brown & Co., p. 760.

Miller, E. (1946). Speech introductions and conclusions. Quarterly Journal of Speech, 32 , 181–183.

Solzhenitsyn, A. (1964). The first circle. New York: Harper & Row. Cited in Bartlett, J., & Kaplan, J. (Eds.), Bartlett’s familiar quotations (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Little, Brown & Co., p. 746.

Stand up, Speak out Copyright © 2016 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book

  • Buy Custom Assignment
  • Custom College Papers
  • Buy Dissertation
  • Buy Research Papers
  • Buy Custom Term Papers
  • Cheap Custom Term Papers
  • Custom Courseworks
  • Custom Thesis Papers
  • Custom Expository Essays
  • Custom Plagiarism Check
  • Cheap Custom Essay
  • Custom Argumentative Essays
  • Custom Case Study
  • Custom Annotated Bibliography
  • Custom Book Report
  • How It Works
  • Writing Guides
  • +1 (888) 398 0091
  • Essay Samples
  • Essay Topics
  • Research Topics
  • Writing Tips

How to Restate Your Thesis: 5 Strategies

November 22, 2023

Examining the Purpose of Restating Your Thesis

Restating your thesis in the conclusion of your essay serves a vital purpose in reinforcing the main argument and leaving a lasting impact on your readers. This section will explore the significance of restating your thesis and why it is not merely a repetitive exercise.

  • Reinforcement: Restating your thesis reaffirms the central idea of your essay. By reasserting your main argument, you emphasize its importance and remind readers of the key point you want them to remember.
  • Summarization: Restating your thesis allows you to summarize the main points and evidence presented in your essay. It provides a succinct overview that helps consolidate the information and reinforce your main argument.
  • Closure: Restating your thesis brings a sense of closure to your essay. It signals to the reader that you have reached the end of your discussion and allows for a satisfying and cohesive conclusion.
  • Lasting Impact: By restating your thesis effectively, you can leave a lasting impression on your readers. It helps solidify your argument in their minds and prompts them to reflect upon the ideas presented long after reading your essay.

In the following sections, we will explore various strategies and examples to help you master the art of restating your thesis in a compelling and impactful way.

5 Strategies for Effective Restatement of Your Thesis

Restating your thesis effectively requires more than simply repeating your thesis statement. Instead, it involves summarizing your main points and findings while communicating the overall significance of the argument.

Summarize Your Main Points

Summarizing your main points is a crucial step in restating your thesis effectively. It allows you to remind your readers of the key arguments, evidence, and examples presented in your essay. Here are some strategies to help you summarize your main points:

  • Identify the main points: Review your essay and identify the main arguments or supporting points that you have made. These are the key ideas that contribute to your overall thesis.
  • Condense the information: Take each main point and condense it into a concise statement that captures its essence. Avoid going into too much detail or providing new information. Focus on the core message of each point.
  • Use bullet points or numbered lists: If applicable, present your main points as a list. This can help readers grasp the key arguments quickly and easily. Bullet points or numbered lists also create a visual break in the text, making it more reader-friendly.
  • Order your main points strategically: Arrange your main points in a logical order that reinforces the flow of your essay. Consider prioritizing the most impactful or strongest evidence first.
  • Avoid repetition: While summarizing your main points, be mindful of avoiding repetition. Restate each point in a way that adds value and emphasizes its significance without redundantly restating the exact same information.

By effectively summarizing your main points, you provide a concise overview of your essay’s key arguments and reinforce the foundation of your thesis.

Paraphrase Your Thesis Statement

Paraphrasing your thesis statement is an essential aspect of restating your thesis effectively. It involves expressing the main idea of your essay in a different way, using different words and sentence structures. Here are some strategies to help you paraphrase your thesis statement:

Change the sentence structure: Instead of using the same sentence structure as your original thesis statement, try rearranging the words and sentence structure to create a fresh and engaging restatement.

Example: Original thesis: “Climate change is a global problem that requires immediate action.” Paraphrased restatement: “Urgent measures are necessary to address the worldwide issue of climate change.”

Use synonyms and alternative words: Replace specific terms in your thesis statement with synonyms or related words. This not only helps avoid repetition but also adds depth and clarity to your restatement.

Example: Original thesis: “Education is crucial for societal progress.” Paraphrased restatement: “The advancement of societies heavily relies on the importance of education.”

Maintain the core message: While paraphrasing your thesis statement, ensure that the main idea or message remains intact. The restatement should still convey the central argument of your essay.

Example: Original thesis: “The government should implement stricter regulations on the usage of plastic to reduce environmental pollution.” Paraphrased restatement: “To combat environmental pollution, it is imperative for the government to enforce more stringent regulations regarding plastic consumption.”

By effectively paraphrasing your thesis statement, you provide a fresh perspective on your argument while staying true to the core message of your essay.

Connect Your Thesis to a Larger Idea or Context

Connecting your thesis to a larger idea or context helps emphasize the broader significance of your argument. It allows readers to understand the relevance and implications of your thesis statement in a broader context. Here are some strategies to help you connect your thesis to a larger idea or context:

Highlight the broader impact: Discuss how your thesis statement relates to a larger societal, cultural, or academic issue. Explain why understanding or addressing your thesis statement is essential in the larger scheme of things.

Example: Original thesis: “The portrayal of women in media perpetuates harmful stereotypes.” Restatement connected to a larger context: “Challenging the portrayal of women in media is an integral part of the ongoing fight for gender equality and empowering women.”

Provide historical or current examples: Demonstrate how your thesis statement connects to historical events, current affairs, or prominent figures. This highlights the relevance of your argument in a larger and recognizable context.

Example: Original thesis: “Corruption undermines the integrity of democratic systems.” Restatement connected to a larger context: “Throughout history, instances of corruption have been notorious for eroding trust in democratic institutions and fostering public disillusionment.”

Discuss the wider implications: Analyze the consequences or wider implications of your thesis statement beyond the scope of your essay. This helps readers understand the significance of your argument and its potential impact.

Example: Original thesis: “Automation in the workforce necessitates the need for reskilling and upskilling.” Restatement connected to a larger context: “The rapid advancement of automation technology not only requires individuals to adapt and acquire new skills but also poses significant challenges for educational institutions and policymakers in preparing the workforce of the future.”

By connecting your thesis to a larger idea or context, you demonstrate the broader relevance and impact of your argument, providing a deeper understanding for your readers.

Adding New Information or Ideas

While restating your thesis, you may want to introduce new information or ideas that support or expand upon your original argument. This can help enrich your restatement and provide further insight for your readers. Here are some strategies to add new information or ideas when restating your thesis:

  • Present additional evidence: Introduce new evidence or examples that strengthen your argument and support your thesis statement. This shows that your original thesis is well-founded and backed by solid evidence.
  • Include relevant statistics or research findings: Incorporate relevant statistics or research findings that further validate your thesis statement. This adds credibility and demonstrates a deep understanding of your topic.
  • Discuss alternative perspectives: Address counterarguments or opposing viewpoints and explain how your thesis statement still holds strong despite these alternatives. This showcases critical thinking and strengthens the overall persuasiveness of your argument.
  • Propose future implications or areas for further exploration: Suggest possible future developments or areas for further research and analysis related to your thesis statement. This expands the scope of your argument and encourages further engagement with the topic.
  • Connect to current events or trends: Relate your thesis statement to ongoing current events or emerging trends. By highlighting the relevance of your argument to contemporary issues, you make your restatement more relatable and impactful.

Remember to integrate new information or ideas seamlessly into your restatement, ensuring they enhance and build upon your original thesis in a cohesive and logical manner.

Changing the Stance of Your Thesis

Sometimes, it can be effective to restate your thesis by presenting a different perspective or changing the stance of your original argument. This adds complexity and nuance to your restatement, engaging readers with a fresh viewpoint. Here are some strategies for changing the stance of your thesis:

  • Acknowledge counterarguments: Address opposing viewpoints or critiques of your original thesis statement. Show that you have considered alternative perspectives and are open to a balanced discussion.
  • Present a different angle: Introduce a related but contrasting aspect of your topic. This allows you to present a new interpretation or highlight a lesser-known aspect, challenging conventional thinking.
  • Offer a qualified stance: Adjust the certainty or absoluteness of your thesis statement. Use words and phrases like “it is probable,” “it is likely,” or “there may be exceptions” to indicate a more nuanced or conditional stance.
  • Explore the limitations: Discuss the limitations or constraints of your original thesis statement. This demonstrates critical thinking and an understanding of the complexities involved in your topic.

By changing the stance of your thesis, you demonstrate intellectual flexibility and engage readers with a thought-provoking restatement that encourages further exploration and discussion.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Restating Your Thesis

Restating a thesis statement is a crucial step in effectively summarizing your main argument and reinforcing its significance. However, there are some common mistakes that should be avoided in order to maintain clarity and coherence. Here are some pitfalls to steer clear of when restating your thesis:

  • Repetition of the exact same words: While restating your thesis, strive to express the main idea using different words and sentence structures. Repetition can make your restatement sound monotonous and redundant.
  • Adding new information or ideas: Remember that restating your thesis is about summarizing and reaffirming your original argument, rather than introducing new information or ideas. Avoid incorporating unrelated or irrelevant content in your restatement.
  • Changing the meaning of your thesis: Ensure that the restatement maintains the same core message or main argument as your original thesis statement. Avoid altering the meaning or taking a completely different stance without proper justification.
  • Being too vague or general: Avoid being overly broad or generic when restating your thesis. Aim to provide a concise and specific restatement that accurately captures the main focus of your essay.
  • Not addressing the main points of your essay: Your restatement should reflect the key points and supporting arguments discussed in your essay. Neglecting to encompass these important elements can weaken the overall effectiveness of your restatement.

By avoiding these common mistakes, you can successfully restate your thesis statement in a manner that reinforces your main argument while maintaining clarity and coherence.

Sociology Research Topics Ideas

Importance of Computer in Nursing Practice Essay

History Research Paper Topics For Students

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy. We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related emails.

Latest Articles

Debating in class or composing a persuasive paper is a fruitful intellectual practice. Doing so, participants and writers are expected...

Most students wonder whether it is possible to cite an article in an essay. The answer is “Yes”! Why not...

Let us explain what is what and how it can be used. An anthology is a published collection of poems...

I want to feel as happy, as your customers do, so I'd better order now

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.

  • How It Works
  • All Projects
  • Top-Rated Pages
  • Admission essay writing
  • Book report writing
  • Cheap essay writing
  • Coursework writing
  • Dissertation writing
  • Essay editing
  • MBA essay writing
  • Scholarship essay writing
  • Term paper writing
  • Write my essay
  • Free sample essays
  • Writing blog

How To Restate A Thesis In A Conclusion: An Expert Guide

how to restate a thesis

Are you struggling with how to restate a thesis in your paper? It is a big challenge for many students and could easily pull down your grade even after working so hard on the entire paper. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is simply copy-pasting the thesis on the introduction, but “what does restating mean?” and “what is the best method to employ?”

The lovely thing is that we are here to elucidate how to restate a thesis in a conclusion like a pro. Keep reading for a step-by-step guide and examples on restating a thesis.

Table of Contents

Restate thesis statement: what does it mean, how long does a thesis restate have to be, how do you rephrase a thesis statement, ways to restate a thesis in a conclusion, useful tips to consider when rewording a thesis.

To demonstrate how to restate a thesis statement articulately, let’s start by going back to the definition. So, what is a thesis?

A thesis statement is a sentence used to summarize the central point of your essay, paper, or dissertation. It comes towards the end of the introduction and tells readers about the core idea that you will put across. If you are writing a paper on a topic, say, Hunger in Africa, a good thesis might be hunger is rampant in Africa because jobs in the continent are scarce, and agriculture practiced in infertile soils is unprofitable.

So, what does restate thesis mean? This implies that you are returning to the initial hypothesis or question and restating it in different words. Restating a thesis comes at the conclusion of a research paper, and it implies you are reminding the reader about the central argument of the entire write-up and then wrapping it up with the summary.

A carefully restated thesis signals your reader that the paper is coming to a close. If you are writing a dissertation, the restated thesis marks the starting point of telling readers whether your stand on the paper was approved or not. In the next section, we highlight the recommended length of the thesis restate and some of the best strategies to write it down.

The length of a thesis restate should be determined by the entire conclusion. When writing a paper or essay, the conclusion should be a small part of the entire length. Then, only use a small fraction of the conclusion for the thesis restate, as the summary of the paper and personal opinion takes up the rest. No matter the size of the conclusion, you should target one thing: ensuring that the thesis restate is of the highest possible quality.

The best way to rephrase a thesis statement is to understand the basics and change different aspects to present the same information. So, here are the four most important basics of restating a thesis statement in the conclusion of your paper.

The most preferred point for thesis restatement is the beginning of the introduction, but you might like to place it elsewhere, and it is okay. So, it is prudent to start by making up your mind about the place to position the statement. To do this, you can:

Sketch the conclusion by putting down the main points to get a clearer idea about the perfect place for the restated thesis statement. Depending on the type of essay or research paper, you might want to start the conclusion with a rhetorical device or question as opposed to a thesis statement. Immediately after the question, put down the thesis statement.

When readers are at the introduction of your paper, they use the thesis statement to get a feel of what the entire write-up is about. Once they get to the end, they will have seen all the core points. Therefore, this is an excellent opportunity to strengthen your paper. Here is how you should capitalize on the main points to make the paper even more outstanding:

  • Provide a greater level of emotional impact to the original argument of the paper.
  • You might also want to restate the thesis by incorporating a relationship established with the reader. In this case, the thesis restatement will be very useful in drawing a stronger connection with readers.

After going through your paper, readers want to get the answer to the big question, “Why?” In other words, you should tell the reader why the paper is significant. In doing so, you will be strengthening the conclusion and entire paper.

Let’s take an example. If your paper talked about drug abuse in colleges, revisiting the question “why?” could mean demonstrating the importance of the argument for both staff and students. This allows the reader to easily link the paper to the argued solution, such as educating students on drug abuse.

When writing the thesis restatement, you should assume that the reader has gone through all the points and understood the argument introduced at the beginning of the paper. Therefore, you should not apologize because that will weaken the research paper.

You restate a thesis statement by making it look different from the original one but without altering the meaning. So, here are the main strategies that you should employ:

The question “are you supposed to reword your thesis in the conclusion paragraph?” is probably one of the commonest among students when working on their assignments. We must say that rewording is one of the most effective methods of restating a thesis. So, how does it work when restating a thesis?

Another method of restating a thesis statement in your paper is changing its structure. You can achieve this by employing various elements of speech to write a new thesis statement. For instance, if the initial thesis started with the subject, you can consider starting the new one with a preposition phrase. Let’s highlight this with restate thesis example:

Thesis: Students in universities are commonly complicit in academic dishonesty. Restated thesis: In many universities, students like copying and cheating in their assignments.

Now that you’ve got the process of writing and restating a custom thesis , here are some small tips to keep in mind:

  • Always make sure there is a clear flow of the main points from the start of the paper to the conclusion.
  • Like other parts of the paper, the restated thesis should not have grammatical mistakes.
  • Try to read papers and dissertations done by experts to understand how they wrote theirs.
  • If your teacher has a specific guideline for different parts of the paper, make sure to factor it in.
  • Look at the paper from a holistic viewpoint as opposed to the conclusion alone when restating the thesis statement.

Seek Expert Assistance To Restate Thesis In Your Conclusion

Now that we have looked at the best strategies for restating a thesis statement, it is time to get down to work. Make sure to follow the advice carefully, but if you still find how to rephrase a thesis challenging, the best option is to seek writing help from expert essay writers. You cannot afford to give up because getting the best grades in your class is crucial in moving up the career ladder.

If you have been wondering about the best ways to prepare A-rated assignments, our custom research paper writing service is here to help. Our world wide online service has the best writers to help every university/ college student prepare quality work. They not only know how to restate the thesis of college papers articulately but can also prepare the entire write-up in different subjects to guarantee you top grades in your paper. Our services are also cheap, and all that you need to do is to visit and tell us to “restate my thesis.”

how to write a profile essay

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Have a team of vetted experts take you to the top, with professionally written papers in every area of study.

  • U.S. Locations
  • UMGC Europe
  • Learn Online
  • Find Answers
  • 855-655-8682
  • Current Students

Essay Conclusions

Explore more of umgc.

  • Writing Resources

Contact The Effective Writing Center

E-mail:  writingcenter@umgc.edu

Learn about the elements of a successful essay conclusion.

The conclusion is a very important part of your essay. Although it is sometimes treated as a roundup of all of the bits that didn’t fit into the paper earlier, it deserves better treatment than that! It's the last thing the reader will see, so it tends to stick in the reader's memory. It's also a great place to remind the reader exactly why your topic is important. A conclusion is more than just "the last paragraph"—it's a working part of the paper. This is the place to push your reader to think about the consequences of your topic for the wider world or for the reader's own life!

A good conclusion should do a few things:

Restate your thesis

Synthesize or summarize your major points

Make the context of your argument clear

Restating Your Thesis

You've already spent time and energy crafting a solid thesis statement for your introduction, and if you've done your job right, your whole paper focuses on that thesis statement. That's why it's so important to address the thesis in your conclusion! Many writers choose to begin the conclusion by restating the thesis, but you can put your thesis into the conclusion anywhere—the first sentence of the paragraph, the last sentence, or in between. Here are a few tips for rephrasing your thesis:

Remind the reader that you've proven this thesis over the course of your paper. For example, if you're arguing that your readers should get their pets from animal shelters rather than pet stores, you might say, "If you were considering that puppy in the pet-shop window, remember that your purchase will support 'puppy mills' instead of rescuing a needy dog, and consider selecting your new friend at your local animal shelter." This example gives the reader not only the thesis of the paper, but a reminder of the most powerful point in the argument!

Revise the thesis statement so that it reflects the relationship you've developed with the reader during the paper. For example, if you've written a paper that targets parents of young children, you can find a way to phrase your thesis to capitalize on that—maybe by beginning your thesis statement with, "As a parent of a young child…"

Don’t repeat your thesis word for word—make sure that your new statement is an independent, fresh sentence!

Summary or Synthesis

This section of the conclusion might come before the thesis statement or after it. Your conclusion should remind the reader of what your paper actually says! The best conclusion will include a synthesis, not just a summary—instead of a mere list of your major points, the best conclusion will draw those points together and relate them to one another so that your reader can apply the information given in the essay. Here are a couple of ways to do that:

Give a list of the major arguments for your thesis (usually, these are the topic sentences of the parts of your essay).

Explain how these parts are connected. For example, in the animal-shelter essay, you might point out that adopting a shelter dog helps more animals because your adoption fee supports the shelter, which makes your choice more socially responsible.

One of the most important functions of the conclusion is to provide context for your argument. Your reader may finish your essay without a problem and understand your argument without understanding why that argument is important. Your introduction might point out the reason your topic matters, but your conclusion should also tackle this questions. Here are some strategies for making your reader see why the topic is important:

Tell the reader what you want him or her to do. Is your essay a call to action? If so, remind the reader of what he/she should do. If not, remember that asking the reader to think a certain way is an action in itself. (In the above examples, the essay asks the reader to adopt a shelter dog—a specific action.)

Explain why this topic is timely or important. For example, the animal-shelter essay might end with a statistic about the number of pets in shelters waiting for adoption.

Remind the readers of why the topic matters to them personally. For example, it doesn’t matter much if you believe in the mission of animal shelters, if you're not planning to get a dog; however, once you're looking for a dog, it is much more important. The conclusion of this essay might say, "Since you’re in the market for a dog, you have a major decision to make: where to get one." This will remind the reader that the argument is personally important!

Conclusion paragraphs

No cost tutoring services

Online degrees at UMGC

Our helpful admissions advisors can help you choose an academic program to fit your career goals, estimate your transfer credits, and develop a plan for your education costs that fits your budget. If you’re a current UMGC student, please visit the Help Center .

Personal Information

Contact information, additional information.

By submitting this form, you acknowledge that you intend to sign this form electronically and that your electronic signature is the equivalent of a handwritten signature, with all the same legal and binding effect. You are giving your express written consent without obligation for UMGC to contact you regarding our educational programs and services using e-mail, phone, or text, including automated technology for calls and/or texts to the mobile number(s) provided. For more details, including how to opt out, read our privacy policy or contact an admissions advisor .

Please wait, your form is being submitted.

By using our website you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more about how we use cookies by reading our  Privacy Policy .

  • Argumentative
  • Ecocriticism
  • Informative
  • Explicatory
  • Illustrative
  • Problem Solution
  • Interpretive
  • Music Analysis
  • All Essay Examples
  • Entertainment
  • Law, Crime & Punishment
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Environment
  • Geography & Travel
  • Government & Politics
  • Nursing & Health
  • Information Science and Technology
  • All Essay Topics

Table of Content

Understanding the Importance of Restating a Thesis

Strategies for effective restatement of the thesis, checklist to help ensure an effective restatement of your thesis, how to restate a thesis and make your essay stand out.

Having an engaging and memorable essay requires a thesis statement that plays a crucial role in capturing the reader's attention. However, it is equally important to restate the thesis to reinforce the main idea effectively. By restating the thesis, not only can you strengthen your argument but also leave a lasting impact on the reader's mind.

Coherence is key to ensure persuasiveness in a research paper. Therefore, the restated thesis should complement the original thesis instead of contradicting it. This article provides detailed instructions on effectively rewording your thesis to make your essay stand out. Our experienced specialists have curated a checklist of essential details to consider when successfully rephrasing a thesis.

A thesis statement serves as a concise summary of the main idea of an essay, typically found at the beginning of the introductory paragraph. However, in academic and persuasive writing, restating the thesis is necessary to maintain coherence throughout the essay.

Restating a thesis involves rephrasing the original statement in the concluding or body paragraphs, rather than simply repeating it word-for-word. This approach ensures that the reader stays engaged and retains the central argument of the essay. If you find restating the thesis challenging, consider using a paraphrasing tool for assistance.

Restating the thesis in the conclusion paragraph is vital to help the reader follow your argument effectively. Just as one may forget the beginning of a book by the end, restating the thesis serves as a reminder of the essay's main point. By permeating your essay with the thesis claim, you create a cohesive link between the various sections, enhancing the overall flow and analysis.

Therefore, it is crucial to restate the thesis in the conclusion, connect it with topic sentences, and maintain a logical progression of ideas throughout your essay. Mastering the art of restating the thesis ensures that your essay leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

When it comes to effectively restating a thesis, it's important to go beyond a basic understanding of its necessity. Familiarize yourself with primary strategies for rephrasing the thesis statement. Our experts have compiled examples to help you learn how to restate a thesis statement effectively. Some of the most effective strategies include:

Paraphrasing

To restate your original thesis statement, try rephrasing it using different words and altering the sentence structure. This way, the form changes while the main point remains intact.

Original thesis: TThe importance of promoting renewable energy sources cannot be overstated.

Restatement: Encouraging the adoption of renewable energy is crucial for our sustainable future.

Summarizing

With this technique, summarize the overall meaning of the original thesis statement in a concise and informative manner.

Original thesis: Social media has transformed how we connect and interact in modern society.

Restatement: Social media has revolutionized communication in the 21st century.

Connect your restated thesis to the ideas discussed in the body paragraphs of your paper.

Original thesis: The benefits of regular exercise extend beyond physical health to include mental well-being.

Restatement of thesis: Exercise not only improves physical health but also enhances mental wellness, as evidenced by numerous studies.

Significance

Highlight the importance of the idea expressed in the original thesis statement by emphasizing its significance in the restated thesis.

Original thesis: Access to quality education is fundamental for societal progress.

Restatement: The foundation of a prosperous society lies in ensuring equitable access to quality education for all.

Rhetorical Devices

Incorporate rhetorical techniques like parallelism and repetition in your restated thesis to enhance its persuasiveness and reinforce the original argument.

Original thesis: The novel's vivid imagery immerses readers in its fictional world.

Restatement: Through its rich descriptive language, the novel transports readers to a world filled with vibrant imagery and captivating characters.

Emotional Appeal

Utilize a poignant phrase or concept to evoke the reader's emotions and enhance engagement. If you're unsure how to incorporate this technique, consider seeking assistance with college papers.

Original thesis: The plight of endangered species demands urgent action.

Example: We must act swiftly to protect endangered species and preserve biodiversity for future generations.

Call to Action

Clearly present your paper's main argument and inspire the reader to take action by reinforcing your thesis in the conclusion.

Original thesis: Climate change necessitates immediate action to mitigate its effects.

Example: Let us come together and take decisive action to combat climate change for the well-being of our planet and future generations.

Broader Context

Provide the reader with the necessary background information to understand your perspective.

Original thesis: Technological advancements have revolutionized various aspects of modern life.

Restatement: Throughout history, technological breakthroughs have reshaped societal norms and transformed the way we live and interact.

Engaging Language

Employ language that is relatable and easily comprehensible to your audience.

Original thesis: The importance of mental health awareness cannot be overstated.

Example: It's crucial to raise awareness about mental health and prioritize self-care for overall well-being.

Memorable Statement

A compelling rephrasing of your original claim has the potential to leave a lasting impact on readers.

Original thesis: Embracing diversity fosters innovation and growth in organizations.

Example: Diversity isn't just a goal to achieve; it's the cornerstone of innovation and growth in any organization.

Having gained an understanding of successful tactics for rephrasing a thesis statement and illustrations, it's now appropriate to revisit the guidelines provided by our seasoned writers. We've devised an eight-point checklist for crafting a conclusion thesis statement that professors highly appreciate.

Understand the Purpose of Restatement

Understanding the reasons and motivation behind restating your thesis statement will help you articulate it more clearly. Realize that this writing technique exists to strengthen your arguments and improve their perception by readers. Let's explore how to restate a thesis for your conclusion and write a perfect paper.

Avoid Clichés and Overused Phrases

Readers lack interest in clichéd expressions, definitive assertions, and worn-out ideas in your thesis recapitulation. Provide unique information that attracts attention and arouses interest in your research paper. Make your thesis restatement look fresh and intriguing.

Be Specific and Avoid Vague Language

Steer clear of ambiguous ideas, uncertain language, excessively lengthy sentences, and the over-simplification of data, as these elements can render your thesis statements less engaging. Instead, present readers with stimulating material utilizing various sentence forms and vocabulary.

Keep It Concise

A great thesis conclusion restatement should be brief, providing essential context for clarity. Further elaboration can be done in subsequent paragraphs. Utilize shorter sentences and varied vocabulary for successful rephrasing.

Reflect on the Essay's Journey

Summarize your main ideas, as the thesis restatement contains the information you want readers to remember the most. Recall the main points and central claims of your writing, using appropriate grammar tenses to convey your point. Rephrase the thesis in the conclusion using a prepositional phrase instead of a subject if it was used at the beginning of your paper.

Emphasize the Significance

Highlight the significance of your concepts through a compelling restatement of the thesis in the concluding paragraph. Select the appropriate approach for your body paragraphs and the conclusion of the paper to enhance persuasiveness. Reinforce the thesis to dispel any uncertainties about the proficiency of your writing and the credibility of your points.

Ensuring Coherence

Maintain a clear connection between the thesis statement in the introduction paragraph and its restatement in the conclusion section, as well as throughout the main body of the essay. Ensure that your arguments flow logically and avoid any contradictory statements.

Avoiding Introduction of New Ideas

While new and creative ideas can enhance your essay, they should be integrated into your paper from the beginning. Introducing unrelated conclusions can confuse readers. Stick to your original concepts and reinforce your thesis statement throughout the essay.

Using a thesis statement is an effective way to capture the reader's attention and maintain their interest. However, simply including it in the introduction is not enough. Rephrase your thesis statement multiple times throughout the writing process for a more impactful result.

A strong conclusion should always include a well-rephrased thesis statement that is connected to the main research question. Follow our strategies to craft an effective thesis and receive positive feedback from your teacher. Adhering to our recommendations will help make your paraphrased thesis more impactful.

Related Posts

How to start an essay: tips to consider and mistakes to avoid.

Discover practical tactics for crafting compelling essays, including how to engage readers, provide background, and avoid common errors. Learn and apply these foundational tips now.

  • How to Write a Counterargument in an Essay - Tips & Examples

How to write a counterargument paragraph in your essay? Uncover the art of incorporating counter arguments in the essay to bolster your arguments.

How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis Thesis Statement: A Detailed Guide

Writing a rhetorical analysis thesis statement can be challenging without proper guidance. Let EssayGPT's comprehensive writing guide lead you through this essential skill.

Related Articles

  • How to Write a Chronological Essay: A Detailed Writing Guide
  • How to Write a Narrative Essay: A Comprehensive Guide
  • How to Write a Reflection Paper: A Detailed Guide to Write it Effective
  • How to Write a Research Paper Title: Explore the Tips, Steps & Examples
  • How to Critique an Article: A Detailed Writing Guide
  • How to Write a Movie Review: A Guide to Critiquing Films
  • 10 Best SciSpace (TypeSet) Alternatives for Academic Research and Writing
  • 10 Best Paperpal Alternatives for Academic Writing (Free & Paid)
  • 10 Best Caktus AI Alternatives for Writing High-Quality Essays

How to Restate a Thesis Statement

Nadine smith, 25 jun 2018.

How to Restate a Thesis Statement

An essay introduces a thesis statement, an argument on a particular topic, typically near the end of the introduction, after the writer has explained the issue or subject. An effective essay also restates -- says it again using different words -- the thesis in the conclusion. Repeating the thesis statement at the end of the essay refreshes the writer’s main point for the reader, and using different words helps the essay avoid sounding monotonous.

Explore this article

  • Substitute Synonyms
  • Reorder the Sentence
  • Shorten Thesis Statement
  • Restate Closely Related Ideas

1 Substitute Synonyms

Use a thesaurus to find synonyms for some of the words in your thesis statement. For example, if your original thesis statement read “Hamlet is insane,” you could reword the thesis statement in the conclusion to read “Hamlet is mentally unstable.” Rework phrases to sound differently, such as in the following: “If there is no history of alcoholism in the family, and if it is drunk in moderation, alcohol can have some health benefits,” which can be changed to, “If no one in your family has suffered from alcohol addiction, and if it is consumed moderately, alcohol can benefit your health in some ways.”

2 Reorder the Sentence

Rearrange the clauses in the sentence. You can re-order the sentence, “If there is no history of alcoholism in the family, and if it is drunk in moderation, alcohol can have some health benefits” to, “Alcohol can have some health benefits if there is no history of alcoholism in the family and if it is drunk in moderation.” Both sentences present the same information in different order.

3 Shorten Thesis Statement

Summarize your thesis statement by focusing on the main idea it contains. For example, if your original thesis statement reads, “If there is no history of alcoholism in the family, and if it is drunk in moderation, alcohol can have some health benefits,” consider changing it to, “Under certain conditions, alcohol can have some health benefits.”

4 Restate Closely Related Ideas

A thesis statements is not like the dry scientific title you gave your research paper on fungi. The thesis statement asserts your opinion about an interesting subject that motivated you to do some research. The restatement must be strong and definitive. Start by listing the factors and main ideas involved in your thesis. Use these concepts to restate the main point of your thesis. "Hamlet's paranoia and ghostly encounters indicate periodic bouts of psychoses."

  • 1 Bogazici University Online Writing Lab: The Essay
  • 2 Purdue Online Writing Lab: Introductions, Body Paragraphs, and Conclusions for an Argument Paper
  • 3 University of New England: Conclusion Paragraph
  • 4 Messa Community College: Conclusion Paragraphs

About the Author

Nadine Smith has been writing since 2010. She teaches college writing and ESL courses and has several years experience tutoring all ages in English, ESL and literature. Nadine holds a Master of Arts in English language and literature from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, where she led seminars as a teaching assistant.

Related Articles

Five-paragraph Essay Topics for Middle School

Five-paragraph Essay Topics for Middle School

How to Write a Fourth Grade Essay

How to Write a Fourth Grade Essay

How to Write an Organized Definition Essay (5-Paragraphs)

How to Write an Organized Definition Essay (5-Paragraphs)

Sandwich Method of Paragraph Writing

Sandwich Method of Paragraph Writing

Three Qualities of a Good Topic Sentence

Three Qualities of a Good Topic Sentence

How to Restate an Expository Writing Prompt

How to Restate an Expository Writing Prompt

How to Clean a Flash Drive

How to Clean a Flash Drive

How to Write a Hypothesis to an Analytical Essay

How to Write a Hypothesis to an Analytical Essay

How to Write an Introduction for an Argument Essay

How to Write an Introduction for an Argument Essay

How to Choose a Title for Your Research Paper

How to Choose a Title for Your Research Paper

How to Write a Second Grade Book Report

How to Write a Second Grade Book Report

How to Create a Summary Outline

How to Create a Summary Outline

How to Dispose of Expired Canned Goods

How to Dispose of Expired Canned Goods

How to Write a Memory Paper

How to Write a Memory Paper

What Is the Origin of the Phrase, No Good Deed Goes Unpunished?

What Is the Origin of the Phrase, No Good Deed Goes...

Three Components of a Good Paragraph

Three Components of a Good Paragraph

How to Correct Your DD 214

How to Correct Your DD 214

How to Put a Definition in an Essay

How to Put a Definition in an Essay

How to Start a Thesis Statement

How to Start a Thesis Statement

Steps in Writing a Report

Steps in Writing a Report

Regardless of how old we are, we never stop learning. Classroom is the educational resource for people of all ages. Whether you’re studying times tables or applying to college, Classroom has the answers.

  • Accessibility
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Copyright Policy
  • Manage Preferences

© 2020 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. Based on the Word Net lexical database for the English Language. See disclaimer .

Banner

Gordon-Conwell Writing Center

  • Understanding Writing Expectations
  • Brainstorming and Writer's Block
  • Outlining for Successful Writing
  • Writing a Strong Introduction
  • Creating a Clear Thesis Statement
  • Developing Body Paragraphs
  • Connecting Ideas with Transitions
  • Choosing the Best Sources
  • Using Sources Effectively
  • Avoiding Plagiarism
  • Paraphrasing without Plagiarizing
  • Addressing Counterarguments

Ending with a Strong Conclusion

  • Using Words Wisely
  • Punctuating Correctly
  • Revising, Editing, & Proofreading
  • Applying Feedback
  • Formatting Correctly
  • Recorded Writing Workshops
  • Return to GCTS Library Home Page

Just as we say good-bye to people when ending a conversation, so must a writer conclude his/her written text. A writer should imagine that readers have read the text but have not fully grasped all the ideas. Furthermore, the writer must assume that readers do not necessarily know how to respond to the topic. Therefore, it is a writer’s job to remind readers about his/her main claim and key ideas as well as call readers to action. Failing to do so might mean that readers are left with questions about a text and/or do not respond properly to it.

Summarized Explanation

  • Most multi-paragraph texts require a concluding paragraph. A basic concluding paragraph should include three main parts (restated thesis, summarized key ideas, clincher).

undefined

Detailed Explanation

Restating a thesis statement reminds readers of the writer’s main claim about the topic. It is important that a writer does not state his/her thesis exactly as it was stated in the introductory paragraph. Instead, it should be rephrased.                      

Summarizing the key ideas from the body section of the written text will reiterate the logic and credibility of the information that a writer has presented. It is also helpful to briefly summarize the counterarguments from the body section. However, it is important that a writer does not state the key ideas and counterarguments as they were stated in other parts of the text. They must be rephrased.                                                                                 

Ending with a clincher reminds readers of the importance of the writer’s topic; it emphasizes the significance of the information that has been presented. And a writer must indicate what readers should do with the information. For example, a clincher might lead readers to consider acting on the topic in some way (in a subtle or obvious way). Sometimes a clincher will echo the hook from the introductory paragraph.

The following examples are the same ones that appears in the writing guide for Writing a Strong Introduction . 

Color-coding key:

  • Restated Thesis
  • Summarized Key Ideas

Example #1           

          (Introduction)  Meeting someone for the first time without a proper introduction can be awkward. Likewise, a text without an introductory paragraph leaves a lot to be desired. The introduction is the first thing that readers see in a text. For that reason, it ought to engage and inform readers. To accomplish this, writers should begin texts with an introductory paragraph that includes an effective hook, background information, and thesis statement.

          (Body Paragraphs)

  • Why writers should include a hook in an introductory paragraph.
  • Why writers should include background information in an introductory paragraph.
  • Why writers should include a thesis statement in an introductory paragraph.

          (Concluding Paragraph) In conclusion, a thorough three-part introductory paragraph will ensure a strong start to any text. The first element of an introduction, the hook, works to intrigue readers. Then they will be ready to read more of the background information on a topic. And to top things off, the thesis statement indicates the purpose and focus of a text so that readers know what to expect. Therefore, the importance of an introductory paragraph should not be underestimated, and all writers should seek to create truly engaging introductions.

          (Introduction) They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This adage is true, but not everything is relative. For example, in the world of writing, texts can take many forms, and writers have a lot of creative freedom. That said, there are some basic frameworks that should be employed for most writing forms—for example, the tried-and-true template for an introductory paragraph. Considering this, the previous introductory paragraph is quite effective because it includes a strong hook, background information, and thesis statement.

  • Why the previous introductory paragraph includes a strong hook.
  • Why the previous introductory paragraph includes strong background information.
  • Why the previous introductory paragraph includes a strong thesis statement.

          (Concluding Paragraphs) To sum up, the sample text is a great example of a strong introductory paragraph. As noted previously, its hook is creative and compels readers to keep going. Afterward, they are met with relevant background information followed by a thesis statement that effectively forecasts the writer's position and key ideas. All in all, this introductory paragraph should be saved and referenced frequently for any writer who wants to create successful introductions.

  • GET WRITING HELP TODAY! The Gordon-Conwell Writing Center offers professional revision and editing services for academic and ministerial writing. Click the link above to learn more!
  • << Previous: Addressing Counterarguments
  • Next: Using Words Wisely >>
  • Last Updated: Sep 28, 2023 10:02 AM
  • URL: https://library.gordonconwell.edu/writing_center

How can I restate a thesis statement effectively?

restating the thesis

This is the second of three chapters about Thesis Restatements . To complete this reader, read each chapter carefully and then unlock and complete our materials to check your understanding.   

– Introduce four tips for writing effective thesis restatements

– Explore the four elements of a thesis restatement 

– Provide guidance on restating a thesis restatement using paraphrasing techniques

Chapter 1: Why are concluding thesis restatements important?

Chapter 2: How can I restate a thesis statement effectively?

Chapter 3: Can I see example academic thesis restatements?

Before you begin reading...

  • video and audio texts
  • knowledge checks and quizzes
  • skills practices, tasks and assignments

In Chapter 1 of this short reader we introduced the basic elements of a concluding paragraph and compared the introductory thesis statement   with the concluding thesis restatement . In Chapter 2, we next attempt to deconstruct and reconstruct some example thesis restatements to exemplify how these elements can be written most effectively. This exemplification can be broken down into four tips. Continue reading to learn about how to apply these simple tips to your own writing.

restating the thesis

Tip 1: Include the Elements

As was mentioned at the end of Chapter 1, there are four key elements that build a thesis statement – and these same elements can be used to build thesis restatements too. The first is the inclusion of task language. The task language provided in the table below works to inform the reader of both the format of the assignment  ( essay , dissertation , etc) and its type ( discuss , evaluate , etc.). From this information, an experienced reader should then be able to predict the likely structure of the essay based on their experience:

restating the thesis

The second and third aspects are usually constructed from the topic of the essay and its key arguments. While the topic is simple as it’s often taken directly from the essay question, the writer’s key arguments are somewhat more complex as they’re drawn from the body-paragraph main ideas – as outlined in the essay’s topic sentences . As can be seen in the following table, however, these aspects are straightforward enough to write once the body section is complete (a thesis restatement should not be written before this stage):

restating the thesis

When writing a thesis restatement, students should also remember to provide their main ideas in the same order as presented in the body section of their essay, also including stance (writer opinion) as the fourth element wherever required:

restating the thesis

Tip 2: Paraphrase the Thesis Statement

While it’s important that the meaning of the original thesis   is restated by the writer in the concluding paragraph , this doesn’t mean that precisely the same words should be used. In fact, doing so might appear lazy or repetitive to the reader. Instead, writers should use a wide variety of techniques to help them restate their thesis in different words and linguistic structures.

restating the thesis

The most helpful techniques are listed for students below:

  • alter the grammar
  • alter the sentence structure
  • change the order of information
  • change the word order
  • modify the word forms
  • use antonyms and synonyms

restating the thesis

Students should remember, of course, that it’s not necessary to paraphrase every word. Names, collocates  and subject-specific words should be maintained, as can small grammatical words such as prepositions and determiners .

Tip 3: Be Specific and Concise

An effective thesis restatement should always be specific and concise . Specificity is critical as being vague will only confuse your reader or lead them to believe that you’re as unsure about your topic as they are. Likewise, overwritten text may be tiring for the reader and will use up your limited word count . To see this in action, take a look at the two example thesis restatements below and see why example A has the best balance of specificity and concision:

restating the thesis

Tip 4: Edit Carefully

Finally, remember to check every aspect of your essay carefully for grammar and spelling errors before submission, including your concluding thesis restatement. Should a reader spot too many errors in your writing, their confidence in your argumentation will be reduced (and so too may your grade).

To reference this reader:

Academic Marker (2022) Thesis Restatements . Available at: https://academicmarker.com/essay-writing/concluding-paragraphs/thesis-restatements/ (Accessed: Date Month Year).

  • Harvard University Writing Center
  • University of North Carolina Writing Center
  • University of New England

Downloadables

Once you’ve completed all three chapters in this short reader about Thesis Restatements , you might then wish to download our Chapter Worksheets to check your progress or print for your students. These professional PDF worksheets can be easily accessed for only a few Academic Marks .

Chapter 1 explores the topic: Why are concluding thesis restatements important? Our Chapter 1 Worksheet (containing guidance, activities and answer keys) can be accessed here at the click of a button. 

Chapter 2 explores the topic: How can I restate a thesis statement effectively? Our Chapter 2 Worksheet (containing guidance, activities and answer keys) can be accessed here at the click of a button. 

Chapter 3 explores the topic: Can I see example academic thesis restatements? Our Chapter 3 Worksheet (containing guidance, activities and answer keys) can be accessed here at the click of a button. 

To save yourself 2 Marks , click on the button below to gain unlimited access to all of our Thesis Restatements Chapter Worksheets. This  All-in-1 Pack includes every chapter, activity and answer key related to this topic in one handy and professional PDF.

Collect Academic Marks

  • 100 Marks for joining
  • 25 Marks for daily e-learning
  • 100-200 for feedback/testimonials
  • 100-500 for referring your colleages/friends

IMAGES

  1. How To Restate Your Thesis Statement

    restating the thesis

  2. How To Restate A Thesis? Uncover The Top 8 Tips

    restating the thesis

  3. PPT

    restating the thesis

  4. How to Restate a Thesis in Conclusion: Examples & Thesis Restatement Tips

    restating the thesis

  5. How To Restate A Thesis Statement : How To Restate Your Thesis

    restating the thesis

  6. How To Restate A Thesis? Uncover The Top 8 Tips

    restating the thesis

COMMENTS

  1. How to Restate a Thesis: 9 Steps (with Pictures)

    Another way to vary the structure is to present your points in a different order. Many thesis statements include three ideas, presented in the order in which they will be discussed in the body paragraphs. When restating, you can list the points in an alternate order. 3. Split the points up.

  2. How to Restate a Thesis in Conclusion: Examples & Thesis Restatement Tips

    A restated thesis is a reworded and restructured version of the original statement. It is presented in a conclusion or any other part of the essay requiring a recap of the paper's main idea. It shouldn't repeat the thesis statement word for word: instead, it's better to focus on its content. Why Restating Your Thesis Is Necessary

  3. How to Restate a Thesis: Various Approaches to Restating Your Thesis

    3 Checklist to help you ensure an effective restatement of your thesis. 3.1 Understand the purpose of restatement. 3.2 Avoid clichés and overused phrases. 3.3 Be specific and avoid vague language. 3.4 Keep it concise. 3.5 Reflect on the essay's journey. 3.6 Emphasize the significance.

  4. How to Restate a Thesis: Techniques for Clear Communication

    The thesis statement is fundamental to restating a thesis because: Reinforces the Central Argument : The thesis statement is the core argument or claim of your essay or research paper. Restating it in the conclusion reinforces this central argument, reminding readers of the primary focus and purpose of your work.

  5. Prism's Guide: How to Restate a Thesis with Confidence

    Restating a thesis is an essential skill for any writer. It is the process of repeating the main argument of an essay or research paper using different words while maintaining the same meaning. This technique is used in the conclusion of an essay to remind the reader of the main points and leave a lasting impression. If you are wondering how to ...

  6. How to Restate a Thesis

    Therefore, as you restate the thesis, you should not make apologetic statements because they undermine your argument. Such statements, which you should avoid, include: "It appears that …. "It is possible that …". "It is my opinion that …". The only time when using such statements when restating your thesis might be okay is when ...

  7. Writing Conclusions

    Restating your thesis is just a short first part of your conclusion. Make sure that you are not simply repeating yourself; your restated thesis should use new and interesting language. After you have restated your thesis, you should not just summarize the key points of your argument. Your conclusion should offer the reader something new to ...

  8. Prism Explains: What is a Restated Thesis?

    Restating your thesis is an essential part of writing a conclusion that leaves a lasting impression on your reader. A well-crafted restatement can reinforce the argument you made in your essay or paper and help your reader remember what you said. In this section, we'll discuss some strategies for effective restatement, as well as the importance ...

  9. How to write an excellent thesis conclusion [with examples]

    This article provides an effective technique for writing a conclusion adapted from Erika Eby's The College Student's Guide to Writing a Good Research Paper: 101 Easy Tips & Tricks to Make Your Work Stand Out.. While the thesis introduction starts out with broad statements about the topic, and then narrows it down to the thesis statement, a thesis conclusion does the same in the opposite order.

  10. How to Write a Thesis or Dissertation Conclusion

    Step 2: Summarize and reflect on your research. Step 3: Make future recommendations. Step 4: Emphasize your contributions to your field. Step 5: Wrap up your thesis or dissertation. Full conclusion example. Conclusion checklist. Other interesting articles. Frequently asked questions about conclusion sections.

  11. How to Restate a Thesis: Crafting Impactful Conclusions

    Restating the thesis serves as a beacon of clarity, guiding readers through the labyrinth of your arguments and reinforcing the central proposition of your paper. It provides a moment of reflection amidst the intellectual journey, offering a succinct summary of key points while underscoring their enduring relevance in the broader scholarly ...

  12. How to Restate a Thesis: Practical Guidelines

    Here are effective steps on how to create an effective restated thesis statement: Step 1. Review your statement. Begin by revisiting your original phrase from the introduction of your argumentative essay. Ensure you understand the main argument or assertion you presented. Step 2.

  13. 11.2 Steps of a Conclusion

    Restatement of the Thesis. Restating a thesis statement is the first step in a powerful conclusion. As we explained in Chapter 9 "Introductions Matter: How to Begin a Speech Effectively", a thesis statement is a short, declarative sentence that states the purpose, intent, or main idea of a speech.When we restate the thesis statement at the conclusion of our speech, we're attempting to ...

  14. How to Restate Your Thesis Statement

    5 Strategies for Effective Restatement of Your Thesis. Restating your thesis effectively requires more than simply repeating your thesis statement. Instead, it involves summarizing your main points and findings while communicating the overall significance of the argument. Summarize Your Main Points. Summarizing your main points is a crucial ...

  15. Exceptional Guide on How to Restate a Thesis in 2023

    Restating the thesis is a crucial part of the conclusion of your essay. It simply indicates that you have reached the end of your article, and you need to reflect on the points you put down and why. We have written this guide to help students know the restate thesis definition, how to rephrase a thesis, the process of rewording the thesis, and ...

  16. How To Restate A Thesis Statement In An Essay Conclusion

    The length of a thesis restate should be determined by the entire conclusion. When writing a paper or essay, the conclusion should be a small part of the entire length. Then, only use a small fraction of the conclusion for the thesis restate, as the summary of the paper and personal opinion takes up the rest.

  17. How To Restate A Thesis Statement

    It should be intriguing and crystal clear all at the same time. As for the length, it should take around 10-20 % of the whole text. In the introduction, you put up your thesis firstly. There is no need to make the restatement yet. Body paragraph — you reveal everything you were about to say on one particular subject.

  18. Essay Conclusions

    Restating Your Thesis. You've already spent time and energy crafting a solid thesis statement for your introduction, and if you've done your job right, your whole paper focuses on that thesis statement. That's why it's so important to address the thesis in your conclusion! Many writers choose to begin the conclusion by restating the thesis, but ...

  19. How to Restate a Thesis and Make Your Essay Stand Out

    Restating a thesis involves rephrasing the original statement in the concluding or body paragraphs, rather than simply repeating it word-for-word. This approach ensures that the reader stays engaged and retains the central argument of the essay. If you find restating the thesis challenging, consider using a paraphrasing tool for assistance.

  20. How to Restate a Thesis Statement

    The conclusion of an essay typically entails a rewording of the thesis, a synthesis of your main points, and a concluding opinion supported by the arguments put forth in your essay. ... The restatement must be strong and definitive. Start by listing the factors and main ideas involved in your thesis. Use these concepts to restate the main point ...

  21. Gordon-Conwell Writing Center

    Restating a thesis statement reminds readers of the writer's main claim about the topic. It is important that a writer does not state his/her thesis exactly as it was stated in the introductory paragraph. ... And to top things off, the thesis statement indicates the purpose and focus of a text so that readers know what to expect. Therefore ...

  22. Why are concluding thesis restatements important?

    Thesis statements are an integral part of an essay. They allow the writer to communicate to the reader the following five aspects in a clear and concise way: the assignment/research question. how the question is being approached. a claim about the research question. an outline of the essay structure. the writer's stance.

  23. How can I restate a thesis statement effectively?

    Instead, writers should use a wide variety of techniques to help them restate their thesis in different words and linguistic structures. The most helpful techniques are listed for students below: alter the grammar. alter the sentence structure. change the order of information. change the word order. modify the word forms.