A thesis statement is the major idea that your essay's material will support. It is a debatable claim, generally presented in one or two phrases, that makes a clear point regarding the topic of your research. Form a full phrase that effectively describes the overarching direction of the essay to the reader. Include the word "because" at the beginning of your sentence (or phrase) to indicate the reason behind what follows. Examples: "His body was found on the beach because he had taken a leap off the cliff." "Her parents divorced when she was young because her father was a workaholic." "Their friendship ended because she was dating my brother." A thesis statement should be clear, concise, and accurate. It should also be relevant to the topic at hand. If you write essays for school, your teacher may ask you to include a thesis statement at the start of your paper. The purpose of including a thesis statement is so that the reader knows what argument you are making throughout the essay. This will help them follow your thoughts and ideas more easily. As you write your essay, keep in mind that it should be organized into different sections using appropriate headings such as introduction, body, and conclusion. Within each section, you should give yourself clear goals such as identifying key facts or issues surrounding the topic. Your essay's tone or style should match its content.