Expository Thesis Statements

Expository thesis statements generally lay out the specifics of the topic to be explained.  In many cases, expository thesis statements announce their general subject alongside some more narrow aspects of it to be discussed.  

In an essay on the characteristics of successful first year college students, for example, the thesis should a.) establish that the essay will be discussing success in college, and b.) provide some more narrow specifics on that subject.  

An example: 

Many of the most successful students I have encountered in the first-year writing classroom have had several characteristics in common:  they attend class regularly, they come to office hours, they ask questions, and they have developed strong time management skills.  

Here the general subject, “characteristics of successful first-year students,” is followed by a more specific listing of four characteristics (attending class, coming to office hours, asking questions, and time management skills).    

Other examples:

Twentieth-century fascism in Europe was defined by several key features, including racist nationalism, elevation of corporate and capitalist interests, central state control over numerous aspects of life, and aggressive militarism.  

Three of the most influential comic books written in the last thirty years are Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, Alan Moore’s Watchmen, Art Speigelman’s Maus, and Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home. 

The main characters of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird are small-town lawyer Atticus Finch and his daughter, Scout.

Sexual harassment can come in many forms:  unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature.

Many professional dancers are trained in ballet, jazz, tap, and lyrical forms.