where do i find thesis statement

Developing a Thesis Statement

Many papers you write require developing a thesis statement. In this section you’ll learn what a thesis statement is and how to write one.

Keep in mind that not all papers require thesis statements . If in doubt, please consult your instructor for assistance.

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement . . .

• Makes an argumentative assertion about a topic; it states the conclusions that you have reached about your topic.
• Makes a promise to the reader about the scope, purpose, and direction of your paper.
• Is focused and specific enough to be “proven” within the boundaries of your paper.
• Is generally located near the end of the introduction ; sometimes, in a long paper, the thesis will be expressed in several sentences or in an entire paragraph.
• Identifies the relationships between the pieces of evidence that you are using to support your argument.

Not all papers require thesis statements! Ask your instructor if you’re in doubt whether you need one.

Identify a topic

Your topic is the subject about which you will write. Your assignment may suggest several ways of looking at a topic; or it may name a fairly general concept that you will explore or analyze in your paper.

Consider what your assignment asks you to do

Inform yourself about your topic, focus on one aspect of your topic, ask yourself whether your topic is worthy of your efforts, generate a topic from an assignment.

Below are some possible topics based on sample assignments.

Sample assignment 1

Analyze Spain’s neutrality in World War II.

Identified topic

Franco’s role in the diplomatic relationships between the Allies and the Axis

This topic avoids generalities such as “Spain” and “World War II,” addressing instead on Franco’s role (a specific aspect of “Spain”) and the diplomatic relations between the Allies and Axis (a specific aspect of World War II).

Sample assignment 2

Analyze one of Homer’s epic similes in the Iliad.

The relationship between the portrayal of warfare and the epic simile about Simoisius at 4.547-64.

This topic focuses on a single simile and relates it to a single aspect of the Iliad ( warfare being a major theme in that work).

Developing a Thesis Statement–Additional information

Your assignment may suggest several ways of looking at a topic, or it may name a fairly general concept that you will explore or analyze in your paper. You’ll want to read your assignment carefully, looking for key terms that you can use to focus your topic.

Sample assignment: Analyze Spain’s neutrality in World War II Key terms: analyze, Spain’s neutrality, World War II

After you’ve identified the key words in your topic, the next step is to read about them in several sources, or generate as much information as possible through an analysis of your topic. Obviously, the more material or knowledge you have, the more possibilities will be available for a strong argument. For the sample assignment above, you’ll want to look at books and articles on World War II in general, and Spain’s neutrality in particular.

As you consider your options, you must decide to focus on one aspect of your topic. This means that you cannot include everything you’ve learned about your topic, nor should you go off in several directions. If you end up covering too many different aspects of a topic, your paper will sprawl and be unconvincing in its argument, and it most likely will not fulfull the assignment requirements.

For the sample assignment above, both Spain’s neutrality and World War II are topics far too broad to explore in a paper. You may instead decide to focus on Franco’s role in the diplomatic relationships between the Allies and the Axis , which narrows down what aspects of Spain’s neutrality and World War II you want to discuss, as well as establishes a specific link between those two aspects.

Before you go too far, however, ask yourself whether your topic is worthy of your efforts. Try to avoid topics that already have too much written about them (i.e., “eating disorders and body image among adolescent women”) or that simply are not important (i.e. “why I like ice cream”). These topics may lead to a thesis that is either dry fact or a weird claim that cannot be supported. A good thesis falls somewhere between the two extremes. To arrive at this point, ask yourself what is new, interesting, contestable, or controversial about your topic.

As you work on your thesis, remember to keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times . Sometimes your thesis needs to evolve as you develop new insights, find new evidence, or take a different approach to your topic.

Derive a main point from topic

Once you have a topic, you will have to decide what the main point of your paper will be. This point, the “controlling idea,” becomes the core of your argument (thesis statement) and it is the unifying idea to which you will relate all your sub-theses. You can then turn this “controlling idea” into a purpose statement about what you intend to do in your paper.

Look for patterns in your evidence

Compose a purpose statement.

Consult the examples below for suggestions on how to look for patterns in your evidence and construct a purpose statement.

• Franco first tried to negotiate with the Axis
• Franco turned to the Allies when he couldn’t get some concessions that he wanted from the Axis

Possible conclusion:

Spain’s neutrality in WWII occurred for an entirely personal reason: Franco’s desire to preserve his own (and Spain’s) power.

Purpose statement

This paper will analyze Franco’s diplomacy during World War II to see how it contributed to Spain’s neutrality.

• The simile compares Simoisius to a tree, which is a peaceful, natural image.
• The tree in the simile is chopped down to make wheels for a chariot, which is an object used in warfare.

At first, the simile seems to take the reader away from the world of warfare, but we end up back in that world by the end.

This paper will analyze the way the simile about Simoisius at 4.547-64 moves in and out of the world of warfare.

Derive purpose statement from topic

To find out what your “controlling idea” is, you have to examine and evaluate your evidence . As you consider your evidence, you may notice patterns emerging, data repeated in more than one source, or facts that favor one view more than another. These patterns or data may then lead you to some conclusions about your topic and suggest that you can successfully argue for one idea better than another.

For instance, you might find out that Franco first tried to negotiate with the Axis, but when he couldn’t get some concessions that he wanted from them, he turned to the Allies. As you read more about Franco’s decisions, you may conclude that Spain’s neutrality in WWII occurred for an entirely personal reason: his desire to preserve his own (and Spain’s) power. Based on this conclusion, you can then write a trial thesis statement to help you decide what material belongs in your paper.

Sometimes you won’t be able to find a focus or identify your “spin” or specific argument immediately. Like some writers, you might begin with a purpose statement just to get yourself going. A purpose statement is one or more sentences that announce your topic and indicate the structure of the paper but do not state the conclusions you have drawn . Thus, you might begin with something like this:

• This paper will look at modern language to see if it reflects male dominance or female oppression.
• I plan to analyze anger and derision in offensive language to see if they represent a challenge of society’s authority.

At some point, you can turn a purpose statement into a thesis statement. As you think and write about your topic, you can restrict, clarify, and refine your argument, crafting your thesis statement to reflect your thinking.

As you work on your thesis, remember to keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times. Sometimes your thesis needs to evolve as you develop new insights, find new evidence, or take a different approach to your topic.

Compose a draft thesis statement

If you are writing a paper that will have an argumentative thesis and are having trouble getting started, the techniques in the table below may help you develop a temporary or “working” thesis statement.

Begin with a purpose statement that you will later turn into a thesis statement.

Assignment: Discuss the history of the Reform Party and explain its influence on the 1990 presidential and Congressional election.

Purpose Statement: This paper briefly sketches the history of the grassroots, conservative, Perot-led Reform Party and analyzes how it influenced the economic and social ideologies of the two mainstream parties.

Question-to-Assertion

If your assignment asks a specific question(s), turn the question(s) into an assertion and give reasons why it is true or reasons for your opinion.

Assignment : What do Aylmer and Rappaccini have to be proud of? Why aren’t they satisfied with these things? How does pride, as demonstrated in “The Birthmark” and “Rappaccini’s Daughter,” lead to unexpected problems?

Beginning thesis statement: Alymer and Rappaccinni are proud of their great knowledge; however, they are also very greedy and are driven to use their knowledge to alter some aspect of nature as a test of their ability. Evil results when they try to “play God.”

Write a sentence that summarizes the main idea of the essay you plan to write.

Main idea: The reason some toys succeed in the market is that they appeal to the consumers’ sense of the ridiculous and their basic desire to laugh at themselves.

Make a list of the ideas that you want to include; consider the ideas and try to group them.

• nature = peaceful
• war matériel = violent (competes with 1?)
• need for time and space to mourn the dead
• war is inescapable (competes with 3?)

Use a formula to arrive at a working thesis statement (you will revise this later).

• although most readers of _______ have argued that _______, closer examination shows that _______.
• _______ uses _______ and _____ to prove that ________.
• phenomenon x is a result of the combination of __________, __________, and _________.

What to keep in mind as you draft an initial thesis statement

Beginning statements obtained through the methods illustrated above can serve as a framework for planning or drafting your paper, but remember they’re not yet the specific, argumentative thesis you want for the final version of your paper. In fact, in its first stages, a thesis statement usually is ill-formed or rough and serves only as a planning tool.

As you write, you may discover evidence that does not fit your temporary or “working” thesis. Or you may reach deeper insights about your topic as you do more research, and you will find that your thesis statement has to be more complicated to match the evidence that you want to use.

You must be willing to reject or omit some evidence in order to keep your paper cohesive and your reader focused. Or you may have to revise your thesis to match the evidence and insights that you want to discuss. Read your draft carefully, noting the conclusions you have drawn and the major ideas which support or prove those conclusions. These will be the elements of your final thesis statement.

Sometimes you will not be able to identify these elements in your early drafts, but as you consider how your argument is developing and how your evidence supports your main idea, ask yourself, “ What is the main point that I want to prove/discuss? ” and “ How will I convince the reader that this is true? ” When you can answer these questions, then you can begin to refine the thesis statement.

Refine and polish the thesis statement

To get to your final thesis, you’ll need to refine your draft thesis so that it’s specific and arguable.

• Ask if your draft thesis addresses the assignment
• Question each part of your draft thesis
• Clarify vague phrases and assertions
• Investigate alternatives to your draft thesis

Consult the example below for suggestions on how to refine your draft thesis statement.

Sample Assignment

Choose an activity and define it as a symbol of American culture. Your essay should cause the reader to think critically about the society which produces and enjoys that activity.

• Ask The phenomenon of drive-in facilities is an interesting symbol of american culture, and these facilities demonstrate significant characteristics of our society.This statement does not fulfill the assignment because it does not require the reader to think critically about society.

Drive-ins are an interesting symbol of American culture because they represent Americans’ significant creativity and business ingenuity.

Among the types of drive-in facilities familiar during the twentieth century, drive-in movie theaters best represent American creativity, not merely because they were the forerunner of later drive-ins and drive-throughs, but because of their impact on our culture: they changed our relationship to the automobile, changed the way people experienced movies, and changed movie-going into a family activity.

While drive-in facilities such as those at fast-food establishments, banks, pharmacies, and dry cleaners symbolize America’s economic ingenuity, they also have affected our personal standards.

While drive-in facilities such as those at fast- food restaurants, banks, pharmacies, and dry cleaners symbolize (1) Americans’ business ingenuity, they also have contributed (2) to an increasing homogenization of our culture, (3) a willingness to depersonalize relationships with others, and (4) a tendency to sacrifice quality for convenience.

This statement is now specific and fulfills all parts of the assignment. This version, like any good thesis, is not self-evident; its points, 1-4, will have to be proven with evidence in the body of the paper. The numbers in this statement indicate the order in which the points will be presented. Depending on the length of the paper, there could be one paragraph for each numbered item or there could be blocks of paragraph for even pages for each one.

Complete the final thesis statement

The bottom line.

As you move through the process of crafting a thesis, you’ll need to remember four things:

• Context matters! Think about your course materials and lectures. Try to relate your thesis to the ideas your instructor is discussing.
• As you go through the process described in this section, always keep your assignment in mind . You will be more successful when your thesis (and paper) responds to the assignment than if it argues a semi-related idea.
• Your thesis statement should be precise, focused, and contestable ; it should predict the sub-theses or blocks of information that you will use to prove your argument.
• Make sure that you keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times. Change your thesis as your paper evolves, because you do not want your thesis to promise more than your paper actually delivers.

In the beginning, the thesis statement was a tool to help you sharpen your focus, limit material and establish the paper’s purpose. When your paper is finished, however, the thesis statement becomes a tool for your reader. It tells the reader what you have learned about your topic and what evidence led you to your conclusion. It keeps the reader on track–well able to understand and appreciate your argument.

Writing Process and Structure

This is an accordion element with a series of buttons that open and close related content panels.

Getting Started with Your Paper

Interpreting Writing Assignments from Your Courses

Generating Ideas for

Creating an Argument

Thesis vs. Purpose Statements

Architecture of Arguments

Working with Sources

Quoting and Paraphrasing Sources

Using Literary Quotations

Citing Sources in Your Paper

Drafting Your Paper

Generating Ideas for Your Paper

Introductions

Paragraphing

Developing Strategic Transitions

Conclusions

Revising Your Paper

Peer Reviews

Reverse Outlines

Revising an Argumentative Paper

Revision Strategies for Longer Projects

Finishing Your Paper

Twelve Common Errors: An Editing Checklist

How to Proofread your Paper

Writing Collaboratively

Collaborative and Group Writing

Reference management. Clean and simple.

How to write a thesis statement + examples

What is a thesis statement?

Is a thesis statement a question, how do you write a good thesis statement, how do i know if my thesis statement is good, examples of thesis statements, helpful resources on how to write a thesis statement, frequently asked questions about writing a thesis statement, related articles.

A thesis statement is the main argument of your paper or thesis.

The thesis statement is one of the most important elements of any piece of academic writing . It is a brief statement of your paper’s main argument. Essentially, you are stating what you will be writing about.

You can see your thesis statement as an answer to a question. While it also contains the question, it should really give an answer to the question with new information and not just restate or reiterate it.

Your thesis statement is part of your introduction. Learn more about how to write a good thesis introduction in our introduction guide .

A thesis statement is not a question. A statement must be arguable and provable through evidence and analysis. While your thesis might stem from a research question, it should be in the form of a statement.

Tip: A thesis statement is typically 1-2 sentences. For a longer project like a thesis, the statement may be several sentences or a paragraph.

A good thesis statement needs to do the following:

• Condense the main idea of your thesis into one or two sentences.
• Answer your project’s main research question.
• Clearly state your position in relation to the topic .
• Make an argument that requires support or evidence.

Once you have written down a thesis statement, check if it fulfills the following criteria:

• Your statement needs to be provable by evidence. As an argument, a thesis statement needs to be debatable.
• Your statement needs to be precise. Do not give away too much information in the thesis statement and do not load it with unnecessary information.
• Your statement cannot say that one solution is simply right or simply wrong as a matter of fact. You should draw upon verified facts to persuade the reader of your solution, but you cannot just declare something as right or wrong.

As previously mentioned, your thesis statement should answer a question.

If the question is:

What do you think the City of New York should do to reduce traffic congestion?

A good thesis statement restates the question and answers it:

In this paper, I will argue that the City of New York should focus on providing exclusive lanes for public transport and adaptive traffic signals to reduce traffic congestion by the year 2035.

Here is another example. If the question is:

How can we end poverty?

A good thesis statement should give more than one solution to the problem in question:

In this paper, I will argue that introducing universal basic income can help reduce poverty and positively impact the way we work.

• The Writing Center of the University of North Carolina has a list of questions to ask to see if your thesis is strong .

A thesis statement is part of the introduction of your paper. It is usually found in the first or second paragraph to let the reader know your research purpose from the beginning.

In general, a thesis statement should have one or two sentences. But the length really depends on the overall length of your project. Take a look at our guide about the length of thesis statements for more insight on this topic.

Here is a list of Thesis Statement Examples that will help you understand better how to write them.

Every good essay should include a thesis statement as part of its introduction, no matter the academic level. Of course, if you are a high school student you are not expected to have the same type of thesis as a PhD student.

Here is a great YouTube tutorial showing How To Write An Essay: Thesis Statements .

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Writing a Paper: Thesis Statements

Basics of thesis statements.

The thesis statement is the brief articulation of your paper's central argument and purpose. You might hear it referred to as simply a "thesis." Every scholarly paper should have a thesis statement, and strong thesis statements are concise, specific, and arguable. Concise means the thesis is short: perhaps one or two sentences for a shorter paper. Specific means the thesis deals with a narrow and focused topic, appropriate to the paper's length. Arguable means that a scholar in your field could disagree (or perhaps already has!).

Strong thesis statements address specific intellectual questions, have clear positions, and use a structure that reflects the overall structure of the paper. Read on to learn more about constructing a strong thesis statement.

Being Specific

This thesis statement has no specific argument:

Needs Improvement: In this essay, I will examine two scholarly articles to find similarities and differences.

This statement is concise, but it is neither specific nor arguable—a reader might wonder, "Which scholarly articles? What is the topic of this paper? What field is the author writing in?" Additionally, the purpose of the paper—to "examine…to find similarities and differences" is not of a scholarly level. Identifying similarities and differences is a good first step, but strong academic argument goes further, analyzing what those similarities and differences might mean or imply.

Better: In this essay, I will argue that Bowler's (2003) autocratic management style, when coupled with Smith's (2007) theory of social cognition, can reduce the expenses associated with employee turnover.

The new revision here is still concise, as well as specific and arguable.  We can see that it is specific because the writer is mentioning (a) concrete ideas and (b) exact authors.  We can also gather the field (business) and the topic (management and employee turnover). The statement is arguable because the student goes beyond merely comparing; he or she draws conclusions from that comparison ("can reduce the expenses associated with employee turnover").

Making a Unique Argument

This thesis draft repeats the language of the writing prompt without making a unique argument:

Needs Improvement: The purpose of this essay is to monitor, assess, and evaluate an educational program for its strengths and weaknesses. Then, I will provide suggestions for improvement.

You can see here that the student has simply stated the paper's assignment, without articulating specifically how he or she will address it. The student can correct this error simply by phrasing the thesis statement as a specific answer to the assignment prompt.

Better: Through a series of student interviews, I found that Kennedy High School's antibullying program was ineffective. In order to address issues of conflict between students, I argue that Kennedy High School should embrace policies outlined by the California Department of Education (2010).

Words like "ineffective" and "argue" show here that the student has clearly thought through the assignment and analyzed the material; he or she is putting forth a specific and debatable position. The concrete information ("student interviews," "antibullying") further prepares the reader for the body of the paper and demonstrates how the student has addressed the assignment prompt without just restating that language.

Creating a Debate

This thesis statement includes only obvious fact or plot summary instead of argument:

Needs Improvement: Leadership is an important quality in nurse educators.

A good strategy to determine if your thesis statement is too broad (and therefore, not arguable) is to ask yourself, "Would a scholar in my field disagree with this point?" Here, we can see easily that no scholar is likely to argue that leadership is an unimportant quality in nurse educators.  The student needs to come up with a more arguable claim, and probably a narrower one; remember that a short paper needs a more focused topic than a dissertation.

Better: Roderick's (2009) theory of participatory leadership  is particularly appropriate to nurse educators working within the emergency medicine field, where students benefit most from collegial and kinesthetic learning.

Here, the student has identified a particular type of leadership ("participatory leadership"), narrowing the topic, and has made an arguable claim (this type of leadership is "appropriate" to a specific type of nurse educator). Conceivably, a scholar in the nursing field might disagree with this approach. The student's paper can now proceed, providing specific pieces of evidence to support the arguable central claim.

Choosing the Right Words

This thesis statement uses large or scholarly-sounding words that have no real substance:

Needs Improvement: Scholars should work to seize metacognitive outcomes by harnessing discipline-based networks to empower collaborative infrastructures.

There are many words in this sentence that may be buzzwords in the student's field or key terms taken from other texts, but together they do not communicate a clear, specific meaning. Sometimes students think scholarly writing means constructing complex sentences using special language, but actually it's usually a stronger choice to write clear, simple sentences. When in doubt, remember that your ideas should be complex, not your sentence structure.

Better: Ecologists should work to educate the U.S. public on conservation methods by making use of local and national green organizations to create a widespread communication plan.

Notice in the revision that the field is now clear (ecology), and the language has been made much more field-specific ("conservation methods," "green organizations"), so the reader is able to see concretely the ideas the student is communicating.

Leaving Room for Discussion

This thesis statement is not capable of development or advancement in the paper:

Needs Improvement: There are always alternatives to illegal drug use.

This sample thesis statement makes a claim, but it is not a claim that will sustain extended discussion. This claim is the type of claim that might be appropriate for the conclusion of a paper, but in the beginning of the paper, the student is left with nowhere to go. What further points can be made? If there are "always alternatives" to the problem the student is identifying, then why bother developing a paper around that claim? Ideally, a thesis statement should be complex enough to explore over the length of the entire paper.

Better: The most effective treatment plan for methamphetamine addiction may be a combination of pharmacological and cognitive therapy, as argued by Baker (2008), Smith (2009), and Xavier (2011).

In the revised thesis, you can see the student make a specific, debatable claim that has the potential to generate several pages' worth of discussion. When drafting a thesis statement, think about the questions your thesis statement will generate: What follow-up inquiries might a reader have? In the first example, there are almost no additional questions implied, but the revised example allows for a good deal more exploration.

Thesis Mad Libs

If you are having trouble getting started, try using the models below to generate a rough model of a thesis statement! These models are intended for drafting purposes only and should not appear in your final work.

• In this essay, I argue ____, using ______ to assert _____.
• While scholars have often argued ______, I argue______, because_______.
• Through an analysis of ______, I argue ______, which is important because_______.

Words to Avoid and to Embrace

When drafting your thesis statement, avoid words like explore, investigate, learn, compile, summarize , and explain to describe the main purpose of your paper. These words imply a paper that summarizes or "reports," rather than synthesizing and analyzing.

Instead of the terms above, try words like argue, critique, question , and interrogate . These more analytical words may help you begin strongly, by articulating a specific, critical, scholarly position.

Read Kayla's blog post for tips on taking a stand in a well-crafted thesis statement.

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Didn't find what you need? Email us at [email protected] .

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Writing Tutorial Services

How to write a thesis statement, what is a thesis statement.

Almost all of us—even if we don’t do it consciously—look early in an essay for a one- or two-sentence condensation of the argument or analysis that is to follow. We refer to that condensation as a thesis statement.

Why Should Your Essay Contain a Thesis Statement?

• to test your ideas by distilling them into a sentence or two
• to better organize and develop your argument
• to provide your reader with a “guide” to your argument

In general, your thesis statement will accomplish these goals if you think of the thesis as the answer to the question your paper explores.

How Can You Write a Good Thesis Statement?

Here are some helpful hints to get you started. You can either scroll down or select a link to a specific topic.

How to Generate a Thesis Statement if the Topic is Assigned How to Generate a Thesis Statement if the Topic is not Assigned How to Tell a Strong Thesis Statement from a Weak One

How to Generate a Thesis Statement if the Topic is Assigned

Almost all assignments, no matter how complicated, can be reduced to a single question. Your first step, then, is to distill the assignment into a specific question. For example, if your assignment is, “Write a report to the local school board explaining the potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class,” turn the request into a question like, “What are the potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class?” After you’ve chosen the question your essay will answer, compose one or two complete sentences answering that question.

Q: “What are the potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class?” A: “The potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class are . . .”

A: “Using computers in a fourth-grade class promises to improve . . .”

The answer to the question is the thesis statement for the essay.

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How to Generate a Thesis Statement if the Topic is not Assigned

Even if your assignment doesn’t ask a specific question, your thesis statement still needs to answer a question about the issue you’d like to explore. In this situation, your job is to figure out what question you’d like to write about.

A good thesis statement will usually include the following four attributes:

• take on a subject upon which reasonable people could disagree
• deal with a subject that can be adequately treated given the nature of the assignment
• express one main idea
• assert your conclusions about a subject

Let’s see how to generate a thesis statement for a social policy paper.

Brainstorm the topic . Let’s say that your class focuses upon the problems posed by changes in the dietary habits of Americans. You find that you are interested in the amount of sugar Americans consume.

You start out with a thesis statement like this:

Sugar consumption.

This fragment isn’t a thesis statement. Instead, it simply indicates a general subject. Furthermore, your reader doesn’t know what you want to say about sugar consumption.

Narrow the topic . Your readings about the topic, however, have led you to the conclusion that elementary school children are consuming far more sugar than is healthy.

You change your thesis to look like this:

Reducing sugar consumption by elementary school children.

This fragment not only announces your subject, but it focuses on one segment of the population: elementary school children. Furthermore, it raises a subject upon which reasonable people could disagree, because while most people might agree that children consume more sugar than they used to, not everyone would agree on what should be done or who should do it. You should note that this fragment is not a thesis statement because your reader doesn’t know your conclusions on the topic.

Take a position on the topic. After reflecting on the topic a little while longer, you decide that what you really want to say about this topic is that something should be done to reduce the amount of sugar these children consume.

You revise your thesis statement to look like this:

More attention should be paid to the food and beverage choices available to elementary school children.

This statement asserts your position, but the terms more attention and food and beverage choices are vague.

Use specific language . You decide to explain what you mean about food and beverage choices , so you write:

Experts estimate that half of elementary school children consume nine times the recommended daily allowance of sugar.

This statement is specific, but it isn’t a thesis. It merely reports a statistic instead of making an assertion.

Make an assertion based on clearly stated support. You finally revise your thesis statement one more time to look like this:

Because half of all American elementary school children consume nine times the recommended daily allowance of sugar, schools should be required to replace the beverages in soda machines with healthy alternatives.

Notice how the thesis answers the question, “What should be done to reduce sugar consumption by children, and who should do it?” When you started thinking about the paper, you may not have had a specific question in mind, but as you became more involved in the topic, your ideas became more specific. Your thesis changed to reflect your new insights.

How to Tell a Strong Thesis Statement from a Weak One

1. a strong thesis statement takes some sort of stand..

Remember that your thesis needs to show your conclusions about a subject. For example, if you are writing a paper for a class on fitness, you might be asked to choose a popular weight-loss product to evaluate. Here are two thesis statements:

There are some negative and positive aspects to the Banana Herb Tea Supplement.

This is a weak thesis statement. First, it fails to take a stand. Second, the phrase negative and positive aspects is vague.

Because Banana Herb Tea Supplement promotes rapid weight loss that results in the loss of muscle and lean body mass, it poses a potential danger to customers.

This is a strong thesis because it takes a stand, and because it's specific.

2. A strong thesis statement justifies discussion.

Your thesis should indicate the point of the discussion. If your assignment is to write a paper on kinship systems, using your own family as an example, you might come up with either of these two thesis statements:

My family is an extended family.

This is a weak thesis because it merely states an observation. Your reader won’t be able to tell the point of the statement, and will probably stop reading.

While most American families would view consanguineal marriage as a threat to the nuclear family structure, many Iranian families, like my own, believe that these marriages help reinforce kinship ties in an extended family.

This is a strong thesis because it shows how your experience contradicts a widely-accepted view. A good strategy for creating a strong thesis is to show that the topic is controversial. Readers will be interested in reading the rest of the essay to see how you support your point.

3. A strong thesis statement expresses one main idea.

Readers need to be able to see that your paper has one main point. If your thesis statement expresses more than one idea, then you might confuse your readers about the subject of your paper. For example:

Companies need to exploit the marketing potential of the Internet, and Web pages can provide both advertising and customer support.

This is a weak thesis statement because the reader can’t decide whether the paper is about marketing on the Internet or Web pages. To revise the thesis, the relationship between the two ideas needs to become more clear. One way to revise the thesis would be to write:

Because the Internet is filled with tremendous marketing potential, companies should exploit this potential by using Web pages that offer both advertising and customer support.

This is a strong thesis because it shows that the two ideas are related. Hint: a great many clear and engaging thesis statements contain words like because , since , so , although , unless , and however .

4. A strong thesis statement is specific.

A thesis statement should show exactly what your paper will be about, and will help you keep your paper to a manageable topic. For example, if you're writing a seven-to-ten page paper on hunger, you might say:

World hunger has many causes and effects.

This is a weak thesis statement for two major reasons. First, world hunger can’t be discussed thoroughly in seven to ten pages. Second, many causes and effects is vague. You should be able to identify specific causes and effects. A revised thesis might look like this:

Hunger persists in Glandelinia because jobs are scarce and farming in the infertile soil is rarely profitable.

This is a strong thesis statement because it narrows the subject to a more specific and manageable topic, and it also identifies the specific causes for the existence of hunger.

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How to Write a Strong Thesis Statement: 4 Steps + Examples

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What is the purpose of a thesis statement, writing a good thesis statement: 4 steps, common pitfalls to avoid, where to get your essay edited for free.

When you set out to write an essay, there has to be some kind of point to it, right? Otherwise, your essay would just be a big jumble of word salad that makes absolutely no sense. An essay needs a central point that ties into everything else. That main point is called a thesis statement, and it’s the core of any essay or research paper.

You may hear about Master degree candidates writing a thesis, and that is an entire paper–not to be confused with the thesis statement, which is typically one sentence that contains your paper’s focus. 

Read on to learn more about thesis statements and how to write them. We’ve also included some solid examples for you to reference.

Typically the last sentence of your introductory paragraph, the thesis statement serves as the roadmap for your essay. When your reader gets to the thesis statement, they should have a clear outline of your main point, as well as the information you’ll be presenting in order to either prove or support your point. 

The thesis statement should not be confused for a topic sentence , which is the first sentence of every paragraph in your essay. If you need help writing topic sentences, numerous resources are available. Topic sentences should go along with your thesis statement, though.

Since the thesis statement is the most important sentence of your entire essay or paper, it’s imperative that you get this part right. Otherwise, your paper will not have a good flow and will seem disjointed. That’s why it’s vital not to rush through developing one. It’s a methodical process with steps that you need to follow in order to create the best thesis statement possible.

Step 1: Decide what kind of paper you’re writing

When you’re assigned an essay, there are several different types you may get. Argumentative essays are designed to get the reader to agree with you on a topic. Informative or expository essays present information to the reader. Analytical essays offer up a point and then expand on it by analyzing relevant information. Thesis statements can look and sound different based on the type of paper you’re writing. For example:

• Argumentative: The United States needs a viable third political party to decrease bipartisanship, increase options, and help reduce corruption in government.
• Informative: The Libertarian party has thrown off elections before by gaining enough support in states to get on the ballot and by taking away crucial votes from candidates.
• Analytical: An analysis of past presidential elections shows that while third party votes may have been the minority, they did affect the outcome of the elections in 2020, 2016, and beyond.

Step 2: Figure out what point you want to make

Once you know what type of paper you’re writing, you then need to figure out the point you want to make with your thesis statement, and subsequently, your paper. In other words, you need to decide to answer a question about something, such as:

• What impact did reality TV have on American society?
• How has the musical Hamilton affected perception of American history?
• Why do I want to major in [chosen major here]?

If you have an argumentative essay, then you will be writing about an opinion. To make it easier, you may want to choose an opinion that you feel passionate about so that you’re writing about something that interests you. For example, if you have an interest in preserving the environment, you may want to choose a topic that relates to that. 

If you’re writing your college essay and they ask why you want to attend that school, you may want to have a main point and back it up with information, something along the lines of:

“Attending Harvard University would benefit me both academically and professionally, as it would give me a strong knowledge base upon which to build my career, develop my network, and hopefully give me an advantage in my chosen field.”

Step 3: Determine what information you’ll use to back up your point

Once you have the point you want to make, you need to figure out how you plan to back it up throughout the rest of your essay. Without this information, it will be hard to either prove or argue the main point of your thesis statement. If you decide to write about the Hamilton example, you may decide to address any falsehoods that the writer put into the musical, such as:

“The musical Hamilton, while accurate in many ways, leaves out key parts of American history, presents a nationalist view of founding fathers, and downplays the racism of the times.”

Once you’ve written your initial working thesis statement, you’ll then need to get information to back that up. For example, the musical completely leaves out Benjamin Franklin, portrays the founding fathers in a nationalist way that is too complimentary, and shows Hamilton as a staunch abolitionist despite the fact that his family likely did own slaves. 

Step 4: Revise and refine your thesis statement before you start writing

Read through your thesis statement several times before you begin to compose your full essay. You need to make sure the statement is ironclad, since it is the foundation of the entire paper. Edit it or have a peer review it for you to make sure everything makes sense and that you feel like you can truly write a paper on the topic. Once you’ve done that, you can then begin writing your paper.

When writing a thesis statement, there are some common pitfalls you should avoid so that your paper can be as solid as possible. Make sure you always edit the thesis statement before you do anything else. You also want to ensure that the thesis statement is clear and concise. Don’t make your reader hunt for your point. Finally, put your thesis statement at the end of the first paragraph and have your introduction flow toward that statement. Your reader will expect to find your statement in its traditional spot.

If you’re having trouble getting started, or need some guidance on your essay, there are tools available that can help you. CollegeVine offers a free peer essay review tool where one of your peers can read through your essay and provide you with valuable feedback. Getting essay feedback from a peer can help you wow your instructor or college admissions officer with an impactful essay that effectively illustrates your point.

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Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements

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Tips for Writing Your Thesis Statement

1. Determine what kind of paper you are writing:

• An analytical paper breaks down an issue or an idea into its component parts, evaluates the issue or idea, and presents this breakdown and evaluation to the audience.
• An expository (explanatory) paper explains something to the audience.
• An argumentative paper makes a claim about a topic and justifies this claim with specific evidence. The claim could be an opinion, a policy proposal, an evaluation, a cause-and-effect statement, or an interpretation. The goal of the argumentative paper is to convince the audience that the claim is true based on the evidence provided.

If you are writing a text that does not fall under these three categories (e.g., a narrative), a thesis statement somewhere in the first paragraph could still be helpful to your reader.

2. Your thesis statement should be specific—it should cover only what you will discuss in your paper and should be supported with specific evidence.

3. The thesis statement usually appears at the end of the first paragraph of a paper.

4. Your topic may change as you write, so you may need to revise your thesis statement to reflect exactly what you have discussed in the paper.

Thesis Statement Examples

Example of an analytical thesis statement:

The paper that follows should:

• Explain the analysis of the college admission process
• Explain the challenge facing admissions counselors

Example of an expository (explanatory) thesis statement:

• Explain how students spend their time studying, attending class, and socializing with peers

Example of an argumentative thesis statement:

• Present an argument and give evidence to support the claim that students should pursue community projects before entering college

Think of yourself as a member of a jury, listening to a lawyer who is presenting an opening argument. You'll want to know very soon whether the lawyer believes the accused to be guilty or not guilty, and how the lawyer plans to convince you. Readers of academic essays are like jury members: before they have read too far, they want to know what the essay argues as well as how the writer plans to make the argument. After reading your thesis statement, the reader should think, "This essay is going to try to convince me of something. I'm not convinced yet, but I'm interested to see how I might be."

An effective thesis cannot be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." A thesis is not a topic; nor is it a fact; nor is it an opinion. "Reasons for the fall of communism" is a topic. "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe" is a fact known by educated people. "The fall of communism is the best thing that ever happened in Europe" is an opinion. (Superlatives like "the best" almost always lead to trouble. It's impossible to weigh every "thing" that ever happened in Europe. And what about the fall of Hitler? Couldn't that be "the best thing"?)

A good thesis has two parts. It should tell what you plan to argue, and it should "telegraph" how you plan to argue—that is, what particular support for your claim is going where in your essay.

Steps in Constructing a Thesis

First, analyze your primary sources.  Look for tension, interest, ambiguity, controversy, and/or complication. Does the author contradict himself or herself? Is a point made and later reversed? What are the deeper implications of the author's argument? Figuring out the why to one or more of these questions, or to related questions, will put you on the path to developing a working thesis. (Without the why, you probably have only come up with an observation—that there are, for instance, many different metaphors in such-and-such a poem—which is not a thesis.)

Once you have a working thesis, write it down.  There is nothing as frustrating as hitting on a great idea for a thesis, then forgetting it when you lose concentration. And by writing down your thesis you will be forced to think of it clearly, logically, and concisely. You probably will not be able to write out a final-draft version of your thesis the first time you try, but you'll get yourself on the right track by writing down what you have.

Keep your thesis prominent in your introduction.  A good, standard place for your thesis statement is at the end of an introductory paragraph, especially in shorter (5-15 page) essays. Readers are used to finding theses there, so they automatically pay more attention when they read the last sentence of your introduction. Although this is not required in all academic essays, it is a good rule of thumb.

Anticipate the counterarguments.  Once you have a working thesis, you should think about what might be said against it. This will help you to refine your thesis, and it will also make you think of the arguments that you'll need to refute later on in your essay. (Every argument has a counterargument. If yours doesn't, then it's not an argument—it may be a fact, or an opinion, but it is not an argument.)

This statement is on its way to being a thesis. However, it is too easy to imagine possible counterarguments. For example, a political observer might believe that Dukakis lost because he suffered from a "soft-on-crime" image. If you complicate your thesis by anticipating the counterargument, you'll strengthen your argument, as shown in the sentence below.

Some Caveats and Some Examples

A thesis is never a question.  Readers of academic essays expect to have questions discussed, explored, or even answered. A question ("Why did communism collapse in Eastern Europe?") is not an argument, and without an argument, a thesis is dead in the water.

A thesis is never a list.  "For political, economic, social and cultural reasons, communism collapsed in Eastern Europe" does a good job of "telegraphing" the reader what to expect in the essay—a section about political reasons, a section about economic reasons, a section about social reasons, and a section about cultural reasons. However, political, economic, social and cultural reasons are pretty much the only possible reasons why communism could collapse. This sentence lacks tension and doesn't advance an argument. Everyone knows that politics, economics, and culture are important.

A thesis should never be vague, combative or confrontational.  An ineffective thesis would be, "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe because communism is evil." This is hard to argue (evil from whose perspective? what does evil mean?) and it is likely to mark you as moralistic and judgmental rather than rational and thorough. It also may spark a defensive reaction from readers sympathetic to communism. If readers strongly disagree with you right off the bat, they may stop reading.

An effective thesis has a definable, arguable claim.  "While cultural forces contributed to the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, the disintegration of economies played the key role in driving its decline" is an effective thesis sentence that "telegraphs," so that the reader expects the essay to have a section about cultural forces and another about the disintegration of economies. This thesis makes a definite, arguable claim: that the disintegration of economies played a more important role than cultural forces in defeating communism in Eastern Europe. The reader would react to this statement by thinking, "Perhaps what the author says is true, but I am not convinced. I want to read further to see how the author argues this claim."

A thesis should be as clear and specific as possible.  Avoid overused, general terms and abstractions. For example, "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe because of the ruling elite's inability to address the economic concerns of the people" is more powerful than "Communism collapsed due to societal discontent."

Copyright 1999, Maxine Rodburg and The Tutors of the Writing Center at Harvard University

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• Books--what are they and where are they?
• How do I choose a topic?
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The thesis statement

• How do I cite?
• Glossary: Library terms

What is a thesis statement ?

• A thesis statement comes at the beginning of your paper. 
• It is a statement that answers your research question.
• The statement is supported throughout your paper with examples and evidence.

What makes a good thesis statement?

• It takes a position, or advances an opinion.
• It is specific, not too broad, but not too narrow.
• It is an arguable statement; there is room for discussion or disagreement.
• It provides focus and generates interest in the reader.
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Thesis Statements

Thesis statements establish for your readers both the relationship between the ideas and the order in which the material will be presented. As the writer, you can use the thesis statement as a guide in developing a coherent argument. In the thesis statement you are not simply describing or recapitulating the material;  you are taking a specific position that you need to defend . A well-written thesis is a tool for both the writer and reader, reminding the writer of the direction of the text and acting as a "road sign" that lets the reader know what to expect. 

A thesis statement has two purposes: (1) to educate a group of people (the audience) on a subject within the chosen topic, and (2) to inspire further reactions and spur conversation. Thesis statements are not written in stone. As you research and explore your subject matter, you are bound to find new or differing points of views, and your response may change. You identify the audience, and your thesis speaks to that particular audience.

Preparing to Write Your Thesis: Narrowing Your Topic

Before writing your thesis statement, you should work to narrow your topic.   Focus statements  will help you stay on track as you delve into research and explore your topic.

• I am researching ________to better understand ________.
• My paper hopes to uncover ________about ________.
• How does ________relate to ________?
• How does ________work?
• Why is ________ happening?
• What is missing from the ________ debate?
• What is missing from the current understanding of ________? 

Other questions to consider:

• How do I state the assigned topic clearly and succinctly?
• What are the most interesting and relevant aspects of the topic?
• In what order do I want to present the various aspects, and how do my ideas relate to each other?
• What is my point of view regarding the topic?

Writing a Thesis Statement

Thesis statements typically consist of a single sentence and stress the main argument or claim of your paper.  More often than not, the thesis statement comes at the end of your introduction paragraph; however, this can vary based on discipline and topic, so check with your instructor if you are unsure where to place it.

Thesis statement should include three main components:​

• TOPIC  – the topic you are discussing (school uniforms in public secondary schools)
• CONTROLLING IDEA  – the point you are making about the topic or significance of your idea in terms of understanding your position as a whole (should be required) 
• REASONING  – the supporting reasons, events, ideas, sources, etc. that you choose to prove your claim​​ in the order you will discuss them. This section varies by type of essay and level of writing. In some cases, it may be left out (because they are more inclusive and foster unity) 

A Strategy to Form Your Own Thesis Statement

Using the topic information, develop this formulaic sentence:

I am writing about_______________, and I am going to argue, show, or prove___________.

What you wrote in the first blank is the topic of your paper; what you wrote in the second blank is what focuses your paper (suggested by Patrick Hartwell in  Open to Language ). For example, a sentence might be:

I am going to write about senior citizens who volunteer at literacy projects, and I am going to show that they are physically and mentally invigorated by the responsibility of volunteering.

Next, refine the sentence so that it is consistent with your style. For example:

Senior citizens who volunteer at literacy projects are invigorated physically and mentally by the responsibility of volunteering.

Here is a second example  illustrating the formulation of another thesis statement. First, read this sentence that includes both topic and focusing comment:

I am going to write about how Plato and Sophocles understand the proper role of women in Greek society, and I am going to argue that though they remain close to traditional ideas about women, the authors also introduce some revolutionary views which increase women's place in society.

Now read the refined sentence, consistent with your style:

When examining the role of women in society, Plato and Sophocles remain close to traditional ideas about women's duties and capabilities in society; however, the authors also introduce some revolutionary views which increase women's place in society.

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

9.1 Developing a Strong, Clear Thesis Statement

Learning objectives.

• Develop a strong, clear thesis statement with the proper elements.
• Revise your thesis statement.

Have you ever known a person who was not very good at telling stories? You probably had trouble following his train of thought as he jumped around from point to point, either being too brief in places that needed further explanation or providing too many details on a meaningless element. Maybe he told the end of the story first, then moved to the beginning and later added details to the middle. His ideas were probably scattered, and the story did not flow very well. When the story was over, you probably had many questions.

Just as a personal anecdote can be a disorganized mess, an essay can fall into the same trap of being out of order and confusing. That is why writers need a thesis statement to provide a specific focus for their essay and to organize what they are about to discuss in the body.

Just like a topic sentence summarizes a single paragraph, the thesis statement summarizes an entire essay. It tells the reader the point you want to make in your essay, while the essay itself supports that point. It is like a signpost that signals the essay’s destination. You should form your thesis before you begin to organize an essay, but you may find that it needs revision as the essay develops.

Elements of a Thesis Statement

For every essay you write, you must focus on a central idea. This idea stems from a topic you have chosen or been assigned or from a question your teacher has asked. It is not enough merely to discuss a general topic or simply answer a question with a yes or no. You have to form a specific opinion, and then articulate that into a controlling idea —the main idea upon which you build your thesis.

Remember that a thesis is not the topic itself, but rather your interpretation of the question or subject. For whatever topic your professor gives you, you must ask yourself, “What do I want to say about it?” Asking and then answering this question is vital to forming a thesis that is precise, forceful and confident.

A thesis is one sentence long and appears toward the end of your introduction. It is specific and focuses on one to three points of a single idea—points that are able to be demonstrated in the body. It forecasts the content of the essay and suggests how you will organize your information. Remember that a thesis statement does not summarize an issue but rather dissects it.

A Strong Thesis Statement

A strong thesis statement contains the following qualities.

Specificity. A thesis statement must concentrate on a specific area of a general topic. As you may recall, the creation of a thesis statement begins when you choose a broad subject and then narrow down its parts until you pinpoint a specific aspect of that topic. For example, health care is a broad topic, but a proper thesis statement would focus on a specific area of that topic, such as options for individuals without health care coverage.

Precision. A strong thesis statement must be precise enough to allow for a coherent argument and to remain focused on the topic. If the specific topic is options for individuals without health care coverage, then your precise thesis statement must make an exact claim about it, such as that limited options exist for those who are uninsured by their employers. You must further pinpoint what you are going to discuss regarding these limited effects, such as whom they affect and what the cause is.

Ability to be argued. A thesis statement must present a relevant and specific argument. A factual statement often is not considered arguable. Be sure your thesis statement contains a point of view that can be supported with evidence.

Ability to be demonstrated. For any claim you make in your thesis, you must be able to provide reasons and examples for your opinion. You can rely on personal observations in order to do this, or you can consult outside sources to demonstrate that what you assert is valid. A worthy argument is backed by examples and details.

Forcefulness. A thesis statement that is forceful shows readers that you are, in fact, making an argument. The tone is assertive and takes a stance that others might oppose.

Confidence. In addition to using force in your thesis statement, you must also use confidence in your claim. Phrases such as I feel or I believe actually weaken the readers’ sense of your confidence because these phrases imply that you are the only person who feels the way you do. In other words, your stance has insufficient backing. Taking an authoritative stance on the matter persuades your readers to have faith in your argument and open their minds to what you have to say.

Even in a personal essay that allows the use of first person, your thesis should not contain phrases such as in my opinion or I believe . These statements reduce your credibility and weaken your argument. Your opinion is more convincing when you use a firm attitude.

On a separate sheet of paper, write a thesis statement for each of the following topics. Remember to make each statement specific, precise, demonstrable, forceful and confident.

• Texting while driving
• The legal drinking age in the United States
• Steroid use among professional athletes

Examples of Appropriate Thesis Statements

Each of the following thesis statements meets several of the following requirements:

• Specificity
• Ability to be argued
• Ability to be demonstrated
• Forcefulness
• The societal and personal struggles of Troy Maxon in the play Fences symbolize the challenge of black males who lived through segregation and integration in the United States.
• Closing all American borders for a period of five years is one solution that will tackle illegal immigration.
• Shakespeare’s use of dramatic irony in Romeo and Juliet spoils the outcome for the audience and weakens the plot.
• J. D. Salinger’s character in Catcher in the Rye , Holden Caulfield, is a confused rebel who voices his disgust with phonies, yet in an effort to protect himself, he acts like a phony on many occasions.
• Compared to an absolute divorce, no-fault divorce is less expensive, promotes fairer settlements, and reflects a more realistic view of the causes for marital breakdown.
• Exposing children from an early age to the dangers of drug abuse is a sure method of preventing future drug addicts.
• In today’s crumbling job market, a high school diploma is not significant enough education to land a stable, lucrative job.

You can find thesis statements in many places, such as in the news; in the opinions of friends, coworkers or teachers; and even in songs you hear on the radio. Become aware of thesis statements in everyday life by paying attention to people’s opinions and their reasons for those opinions. Pay attention to your own everyday thesis statements as well, as these can become material for future essays.

Now that you have read about the contents of a good thesis statement and have seen examples, take a look at the pitfalls to avoid when composing your own thesis:

A thesis is weak when it is simply a declaration of your subject or a description of what you will discuss in your essay.

Weak thesis statement: My paper will explain why imagination is more important than knowledge.

A thesis is weak when it makes an unreasonable or outrageous claim or insults the opposing side.

Weak thesis statement: Religious radicals across America are trying to legislate their Puritanical beliefs by banning required high school books.

A thesis is weak when it contains an obvious fact or something that no one can disagree with or provides a dead end.

Weak thesis statement: Advertising companies use sex to sell their products.

A thesis is weak when the statement is too broad.

Weak thesis statement: The life of Abraham Lincoln was long and challenging.

Read the following thesis statements. On a separate piece of paper, identify each as weak or strong. For those that are weak, list the reasons why. Then revise the weak statements so that they conform to the requirements of a strong thesis.

• The subject of this paper is my experience with ferrets as pets.
• The government must expand its funding for research on renewable energy resources in order to prepare for the impending end of oil.
• Edgar Allan Poe was a poet who lived in Baltimore during the nineteenth century.
• In this essay, I will give you lots of reasons why slot machines should not be legalized in Baltimore.
• Despite his promises during his campaign, President Kennedy took few executive measures to support civil rights legislation.
• Because many children’s toys have potential safety hazards that could lead to injury, it is clear that not all children’s toys are safe.
• My experience with young children has taught me that I want to be a disciplinary parent because I believe that a child without discipline can be a parent’s worst nightmare.

Writing at Work

Often in your career, you will need to ask your boss for something through an e-mail. Just as a thesis statement organizes an essay, it can also organize your e-mail request. While your e-mail will be shorter than an essay, using a thesis statement in your first paragraph quickly lets your boss know what you are asking for, why it is necessary, and what the benefits are. In short body paragraphs, you can provide the essential information needed to expand upon your request.

Thesis Statement Revision

Your thesis will probably change as you write, so you will need to modify it to reflect exactly what you have discussed in your essay. Remember from Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” that your thesis statement begins as a working thesis statement , an indefinite statement that you make about your topic early in the writing process for the purpose of planning and guiding your writing.

Working thesis statements often become stronger as you gather information and form new opinions and reasons for those opinions. Revision helps you strengthen your thesis so that it matches what you have expressed in the body of the paper.

The best way to revise your thesis statement is to ask questions about it and then examine the answers to those questions. By challenging your own ideas and forming definite reasons for those ideas, you grow closer to a more precise point of view, which you can then incorporate into your thesis statement.

Ways to Revise Your Thesis

You can cut down on irrelevant aspects and revise your thesis by taking the following steps:

1. Pinpoint and replace all nonspecific words, such as people , everything , society , or life , with more precise words in order to reduce any vagueness.

Working thesis: Young people have to work hard to succeed in life.

Revised thesis: Recent college graduates must have discipline and persistence in order to find and maintain a stable job in which they can use and be appreciated for their talents.

The revised thesis makes a more specific statement about success and what it means to work hard. The original includes too broad a range of people and does not define exactly what success entails. By replacing those general words like people and work hard , the writer can better focus his or her research and gain more direction in his or her writing.

2. Clarify ideas that need explanation by asking yourself questions that narrow your thesis.

Working thesis: The welfare system is a joke.

Revised thesis: The welfare system keeps a socioeconomic class from gaining employment by alluring members of that class with unearned income, instead of programs to improve their education and skill sets.

A joke means many things to many people. Readers bring all sorts of backgrounds and perspectives to the reading process and would need clarification for a word so vague. This expression may also be too informal for the selected audience. By asking questions, the writer can devise a more precise and appropriate explanation for joke . The writer should ask himself or herself questions similar to the 5WH questions. (See Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” for more information on the 5WH questions.) By incorporating the answers to these questions into a thesis statement, the writer more accurately defines his or her stance, which will better guide the writing of the essay.

3. Replace any linking verbs with action verbs. Linking verbs are forms of the verb to be , a verb that simply states that a situation exists.

Working thesis: Kansas City schoolteachers are not paid enough.

Revised thesis: The Kansas City legislature cannot afford to pay its educators, resulting in job cuts and resignations in a district that sorely needs highly qualified and dedicated teachers.

The linking verb in this working thesis statement is the word are . Linking verbs often make thesis statements weak because they do not express action. Rather, they connect words and phrases to the second half of the sentence. Readers might wonder, “Why are they not paid enough?” But this statement does not compel them to ask many more questions. The writer should ask himself or herself questions in order to replace the linking verb with an action verb, thus forming a stronger thesis statement, one that takes a more definitive stance on the issue:

• Who is not paying the teachers enough?
• What is considered “enough”?
• What is the problem?
• What are the results

4. Omit any general claims that are hard to support.

Working thesis: Today’s teenage girls are too sexualized.

Revised thesis: Teenage girls who are captivated by the sexual images on MTV are conditioned to believe that a woman’s worth depends on her sensuality, a feeling that harms their self-esteem and behavior.

It is true that some young women in today’s society are more sexualized than in the past, but that is not true for all girls. Many girls have strict parents, dress appropriately, and do not engage in sexual activity while in middle school and high school. The writer of this thesis should ask the following questions:

• Which teenage girls?
• What constitutes “too” sexualized?
• Why are they behaving that way?
• Where does this behavior show up?
• What are the repercussions?

In the first section of Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” , you determined your purpose for writing and your audience. You then completed a freewriting exercise about an event you recently experienced and chose a general topic to write about. Using that general topic, you then narrowed it down by answering the 5WH questions. After you answered these questions, you chose one of the three methods of prewriting and gathered possible supporting points for your working thesis statement.

Now, on a separate sheet of paper, write down your working thesis statement. Identify any weaknesses in this sentence and revise the statement to reflect the elements of a strong thesis statement. Make sure it is specific, precise, arguable, demonstrable, forceful, and confident.

Collaboration

Please share with a classmate and compare your answers.

In your career you may have to write a project proposal that focuses on a particular problem in your company, such as reinforcing the tardiness policy. The proposal would aim to fix the problem; using a thesis statement would clearly state the boundaries of the problem and tell the goals of the project. After writing the proposal, you may find that the thesis needs revision to reflect exactly what is expressed in the body. Using the techniques from this chapter would apply to revising that thesis.

Key Takeaways

• Proper essays require a thesis statement to provide a specific focus and suggest how the essay will be organized.
• A thesis statement is your interpretation of the subject, not the topic itself.
• A strong thesis is specific, precise, forceful, confident, and is able to be demonstrated.
• A strong thesis challenges readers with a point of view that can be debated and can be supported with evidence.
• A weak thesis is simply a declaration of your topic or contains an obvious fact that cannot be argued.
• Depending on your topic, it may or may not be appropriate to use first person point of view.
• Revise your thesis by ensuring all words are specific, all ideas are exact, and all verbs express action.

Writing for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

What is a thesis statement? I need some examples, too.

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement clearly identifies the topic being discussed, includes the points discussed in the paper, and is written for a specific audience. Your thesis statement belongs at the end of your first paragraph, also known as your introduction. Use it to generate interest in your topic and encourage your audience to continue reading.

You can read chapter four of Schaum's Quick Guide to Writing Great Research Papers an eBook in our online collection, click the title to open: "How Do I Write a Thesis Statement?" .

Another option is to think of a thesis statement as one complete sentence that expresses your position .

• Narrows the topic down to a specific focus of an investigation.
• Establishes a direction for the entire paper.
• Points forward to the conclusion.
• Always stated in your introduction. (Usually at the end of the first paragraph).
• Always take a stand and justify further discussion.

A thesis statement is not a statement of fact.

Your readers—especially your instructors—want to read writing that engages them. Consequently, you must write thesis statements that are arguable, not factual. Statements of fact seem easy to write about because, well, they are easy to prove. After all, they’re facts. The problem is that you cannot write engaging papers around statements of fact. Such theses prevent you from demonstrating critical thinking and analytical skills, which you want to show your instructor. If you were to write a paper around the next two statements, your writing would probably be quite dull because you would be restating facts that the general public already knows.

Thesis Statements always take a stand and justify further discussion.

In order to make your writing interesting, you should develop a thesis statement that is arguable. Sometimes you will be writing to persuade others to see things your way and other times you will simply be giving your strong opinion and laying out your case for it.

Take a look at the following examples:

Statement of fact:

Small cars get better fuel mileage than 4x4 pickup trucks.

Arguable thesis statement:

The government should ban 4x4 pickup trucks except for work-related use.

Foul language is common in movies.

The amount of foul language in movies is disproportionate to the amount of foul language in real life.

State ment of fact:

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease.

Arguable thesis statement/opening paragraph:

Researchers think the incidence of celiac disease is increasing in the USA not only because of an increase in the ability and awareness to diagnose it, but also because of changes in the agricultural system. In particular, they are looking at the increased use of pesticides, insecticides, and genetically modified wheat as culprits. Some of these theories are more likely to be valid than others.

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Comments (6)

• this is really helpful by rita on Nov 14, 2021
• Yes, thank you. This is really helpful. It's been YEARS since I have encountered the term "thesis statement", and I needed a refresher on what it was before beginning my final presentation for a college course. This page answered all of my questions! by Brigitte on Dec 06, 2021
• Thank You. This helped by Deborah Smith on Mar 23, 2022
• Great explanation. This will definitely help my writing, by Jack on Dec 15, 2022
• This a very helpful website for me. Thank you by Catie on Jan 09, 2023
• This is very helpful. Thank you by George Wilson on Jan 31, 2024

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Identifying Thesis Statements, Claims, and Evidence

Thesis statements, claims, and evidence, introduction.

The three important parts of an argumentative essay are:

• A thesis statement is a sentence, usually in the first paragraph of an article, that expresses the article’s main point. It is not a fact; it’s a statement that you could disagree with.  Therefore, the author has to convince you that the statement is correct.
• Claims are statements that support the thesis statement, but like the thesis statement,  are not facts.  Because a claim is not a fact, it requires supporting evidence.
• Evidence is factual information that shows a claim is true.  Usually, writers have to conduct their own research to find evidence that supports their ideas.  The evidence may include statistical (numerical) information, the opinions of experts, studies, personal experience, scholarly articles, or reports.

Each paragraph in the article is numbered at the beginning of the first sentence.

Paragraphs 1-7

Identifying the Thesis Statement. Paragraph 2 ends with this thesis statement:  “People’s prior convictions should not be held against them in their pursuit of higher learning.”  It is a thesis statement for three reasons:

• It is the article’s main argument.
• It is not a fact. Someone could think that peoples’ prior convictions should affect their access to higher education.
• It requires evidence to show that it is true.

Finding Claims.  A claim is statement that supports a thesis statement.  Like a thesis, it is not a fact so it needs to be supported by evidence.

You have already identified the article’s thesis statement: “People’s prior convictions should not be held against them in their pursuit of higher learning.”

Like the thesis, a claim be an idea that the author believes to be true, but others may not agree.  For this reason, a claim needs support.

• Question 1.  Can you find a claim in paragraph 3? Look for a statement that might be true, but needs to be supported by evidence.

Finding Evidence. 

Paragraphs 5-7 offer one type of evidence to support the claim you identified in the last question.  Reread paragraphs 5-7.

• Question 2.  Which word best describes the kind of evidence included in those paragraphs:  A report, a study, personal experience of the author, statistics, or the opinion of an expert?

Paragraphs 8-10

Finding Claims

Paragraph 8 makes two claims:

• “The United States needs to have more of this transformative power of education.”
• “The country [the United States] incarcerates more people and at a higher rate than any other nation in the world.”

Finding Evidence

Paragraphs 8 and 9 include these statistics as evidence:

• “The U.S. accounts for less than 5 percent of the world population but nearly 25 percent of the incarcerated population around the globe.”
• “Roughly 2.2 million people in the United States are essentially locked away in cages. About 1 in 5 of those people are locked up for drug offenses.”

Question 3. Does this evidence support claim 1 from paragraph 8 (about the transformative power of education) or claim 2 (about the U.S.’s high incarceration rate)?

Question 4. Which word best describes this kind of evidence:  A report, a study, personal experience of the author, statistics, or the opinion of an expert?

Paragraphs 11-13

Remember that in paragraph 2, Andrisse writes that:

• “People’s prior convictions should not be held against them in their pursuit of higher learning.” (Thesis statement)
• “More must be done to remove the various barriers that exist between formerly incarcerated individuals such as myself and higher education.” (Claim)

Now, review paragraphs 11-13 (Early life of crime). In these paragraphs, Andrisse shares more of his personal story.

Question 5. Do you think his personal story is evidence for statement 1 above, statement 2, both, or neither one?

Question 6. Is yes, which one(s)?

Question 7. Do you think his personal story is good evidence?  Does it persuade you to agree with him?

Paragraphs 14-16

Listed below are some claims that Andrisse makes in paragraph 14.  Below each claim, please write the supporting evidence from paragraphs 15 and 16.  If you can’t find any evidence,  write “none.”

Claim:  The more education a person has, the higher their income.

Claim: Similarly, the more education a person has, the less likely they are to return to prison.

Paragraphs 17-19

Evaluating Evidence

In these paragraphs, Andrisse returns to his personal story. He explains how his father’s illness inspired him to become a doctor and shares that he was accepted to only one of six biomedical graduate programs.

Do you think that this part of Andrisse’s story serves as evidence (support) for any claims that you’ve identified so far?   Or does it support his general thesis that “people’s prior convictions should not be held against them in pursuit of higher learning?” Please explain your answer.

Paragraphs 20-23

Andrisse uses his personal experience to repeat a claim he makes in paragraph 3, that “more must be done to remove the various barriers that exist between formerly incarcerated individuals such as myself and higher education.”

To support this statement, he has to show that barriers exist.  One barrier he identifies is the cost of college. He then explains the advantages of offering Pell grants to incarcerated people.

What evidence in paragraphs 21-23 support his claim about the success of Pell grants?

Paragraphs  24-28 (Remove questions about drug crimes from federal aid forms)

In this section, Andrisse argues that federal aid forms should not ask students about prior drug convictions.  To support that claim, he includes a statistic about students who had to answer a similar question on their college application.

What statistic does he include?

In paragraph 25, he assumes that if a question about drug convictions discourages students from applying to college, it will probably also discourage them from applying for federal aid.

What do you think about this assumption?   Do you think it’s reasonable or do you think Andrisse needs stronger evidence to show that federal aid forms should not ask students about prior drug convictions?

Supporting English Language Learners in First-Year College Composition Copyright © by Breana Bayraktar is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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An Overview of the Writing Process

Thesis statements, what this handout is about.

This handout describes what a thesis statement is, how thesis statements work in your writing, and how you can discover or refine one for your draft.

Introduction

Writing in college often takes the form of persuasion—convincing others that you have an interesting, logical point of view on the subject you are studying. Persuasion is a skill you practice regularly in your daily life. You persuade your roommate to clean up, your parents to let you borrow the car, your friend to vote for your favorite candidate or policy. In college, course assignments often ask you to make a persuasive case in writing. You are asked to convince your reader of your point of view. This form of persuasion, often called academic argument, follows a predictable pattern in writing. After a brief introduction of your topic, you state your point of view on the topic directly and often in one sentence. This sentence is the thesis statement, and it serves as a summary of the argument you’ll make in the rest of your paper .

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement:.

• tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.
• is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.
• directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel.
• makes a claim that others might dispute.
• is usually a single sentence somewhere in your first paragraph that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.

If your assignment asks you to take a position or develop a claim about a subject, you may need to convey that position or claim in a thesis statement near the beginning of your draft. The assignment may not explicitly state that you need a thesis statement because your  instructor may assume you will include one. When in doubt, ask your instructor if the assignment requires a thesis statement. When an assignment asks you to analyze, to interpret, to compare and contrast, to demonstrate cause and effect, or to take a stand on an issue, it is likely that you are being asked to develop a thesis and to support it persuasively. (Check out our handout on understanding assignments for more information.)

How do I get a thesis?

A thesis is the result of a lengthy thinking process. Formulating a thesis is not the first thing you do after reading an essay assignment. Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to collect and organize evidence, look for possible relationships between known facts (such as surprising contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance of these relationships. Once you do this thinking, you will probably have a “working thesis,” a basic or main idea, an argument that you think you can support with evidence but that may need adjustment along the way.

Writers use all kinds of techniques to stimulate their thinking and to help them clarify relationships or comprehend the broader significance of a topic and arrive at a thesis statement. For more ideas on how to get started, see our handout on brainstorming .

How do I know if my thesis is strong?

If there’s time, run it by your instructor or make an appointment at the Writing Center to get some feedback. Even if you do not have time to get advice elsewhere, you can do some thesis evaluation of your own. When reviewing your first draft and its working thesis, ask yourself the following:

• Do I answer the question? Re-reading the question prompt after constructing a working thesis can help you fix an argument that misses the focus of the question.
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? If your thesis simply states facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it’s possible that you are simply providing a summary, rather than making an argument.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough?

Thesis statements that are too vague often do not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like “good” or “successful,” see if you could be more specific: why is something “good”; what specifically makes something “successful”?

• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? If a reader’s first response is, “So what?” then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue.
• Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering? If your thesis and the body of your essay do not seem to go together, one of them has to change. It’s o.k. to change your working thesis to reflect things you have figured out in the course of writing your paper. Remember, always reassess and revise your writing as necessary.
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? If a reader’s first response is “how?” or “why?” your thesis may be too open-ended and lack guidance for the reader. See what you can add to give the reader a better take on your position right from the beginning.

Suppose you are taking a course on 19th-century America, and the instructor hands out the following essay assignment: Compare and contrast the reasons why the North and South fought the Civil War. You turn on the computer and type out the following:

The North and South fought the Civil War for many reasons, some of which were the same and some different.

This weak thesis restates the question without providing any additional information. You will expand on this new information in the body of the essay, but it is important that the reader know where you are heading. A reader of this weak thesis might think, “What reasons? How are they the same? How are they different?” Ask yourself these same questions and begin to compare Northern and Southern attitudes (perhaps you first think, “The South believed slavery was right, and the North thought slavery was wrong”). Now, push your comparison toward an interpretation—why did one side think slavery was right and the other side think it was wrong? You look again at the evidence, and you decide that you are going to argue that the North believed slavery was immoral while the South believed it upheld the Southern way of life. You write:

While both sides fought the Civil War over the issue of slavery, the North fought for moral reasons while the South fought to preserve its own institutions.

Now you have a working thesis! Included in this working thesis is a reason for the war and some idea of how the two sides disagreed over this reason. As you write the essay, you will probably begin to characterize these differences more precisely, and your working thesis may start to seem too vague. Maybe you decide that both sides fought for moral reasons, and that they just focused on different moral issues. You end up revising the working thesis into a final thesis that really captures the argument in your paper:

While both Northerners and Southerners believed they fought against tyranny and oppression, Northerners focused on the oppression of slaves while Southerners defended their own right to self-government.

Compare this to the original weak thesis. This final thesis presents a way of interpreting evidence that illuminates the significance of the question. Keep in mind that this is one of many possible interpretations of the Civil War—it is not the one and only right answer to the question . There isn’t one right answer; there are only strong and weak thesis statements and strong and weak uses of evidence.

Let’s look at another example. Suppose your literature professor hands out the following  assignment in a class on the American novel: Write an analysis of some aspect of Mark Twain’s novel Huckleberry Finn. “This will be easy,” you think. “I loved Huckleberry Finn!” You grab a pad of paper and write:

Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is a great American novel.

Why is this thesis weak? Think about what the reader would expect from the essay that follows: you will most likely provide a general, appreciative summary of Twain’s novel. The question did not ask you to summarize; it asked you to analyze. Your professor is probably not interested in your opinion of the novel; instead, she wants you to think about why it’s such a great novel— what do Huck’s adventures tell us about life, about America, about coming of age, about race relations, etc.? First, the question asks you to pick an aspect of the novel that you think is important to its structure or meaning—for example, the role of storytelling, the contrasting scenes between the shore and the river, or the relationships between adults and children. Now you write:

In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a contrast between life on the river and life on the shore.

Here’s a working thesis with potential: you have highlighted an important aspect of the novel for investigation; however, it’s still not clear what your analysis will reveal. Your reader is intrigued, but is still thinking, “So what? What’s the point of this contrast? What does it signify?” Perhaps you are not sure yet, either. That’s fine—begin to work on comparing scenes from the book and see what you discover. Free write, make lists, jot down Huck’s actions and reactions. Eventually you will be able to clarify for yourself, and then for the reader, why this contrast matters. After examining the evidence and considering your own insights, you write:

Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain’s Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of American democratic ideals, one must leave “civilized” society and go back to nature.

This final thesis statement presents an interpretation of a literary work based on an analysis of its content. Of course, for the essay itself to be successful, you must now present evidence from the novel that will convince the reader of your interpretation.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing the original version of this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find the latest publications on this topic. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial .

Anson, Chris M. and Robert A. Schwegler. The Longman Handbook for Writers. 2nd ed. New York: Longman, 2000.

Hairston, Maxine and John J. Ruszkiewicz. The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers. 4th ed. New York: HarperCollins, 1996.

Lunsford, Andrea and Robert Connors. The St. Martin’s Handbook. 3rd ed. New York: St. Martin’s, 1995.

Rosen, Leonard J. and Laurence Behrens. The Allyn & Bacon Handbook. 3rd ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 1997.

• Thesis Statements. Provided by : The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Located at : http://writingcenter.unc.edu/ . License : CC BY-NC-ND: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives

• Do Not Sell My Personal Info

•  ⋅ 

Why Do I Need A Privacy Statement?

Discover why having a privacy statement is essential for businesses that use personal data. Learn how GDPR regulations trigger the need for a privacy policy.

This edited extract is from How to Use Customer Data by Sachiko Scheuing ©2024 and reproduced with permission from Kogan Page Ltd.

Do you use personal data?

I bet you do because otherwise, you would not be reading this book. If your company uses personal data for marketing, accounting, HR, or whatever other purposes, you need a privacy policy.

The traditional approach to data protection and informational self-determination suggests that meaningful control of your own data is only possible if you were informed about how the data will be used.

One of the first rules GDPR lays down in its text, after clarifying the scope of the law and the different definitions, is Article 5 (legislation.gov.uk, 2016 ):

1. Personal data shall be: (a) processed lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner in relation to the data subject (‘lawfulness, fairness and transparency’)

This very requirement triggers the need for a privacy statement.

Companies, in particular, when they are data controllers, must be accountable for their data use and have a privacy statement. This requirement is also spelled out in Article 24(2) of the GDPR (legislation.gov.uk, 2016).

This article covers the topic of automated individual decision-making, including profiling – not profiling for marketing that automates the selection of ads to be shown and so on, but profiling that can have a serious impact on people.

Article 24(2) says such profiling can only be compliant if an appropriate data protection policy, which includes a privacy statement, is implemented (legislation.gov.uk, 2016).

In any event, a privacy statement is an important document. GDPR dedicates two articles to list out the precise information you need to post on your privacy policy; Article 13 sets out the requirements in case you collect data directly from consumers, and Article 14 those for situations where data is collected indirectly (legislation.gov.uk, 2016).

Who Will Read Your Privacy Statement?

In the case of food labelling, it was me as a customer checking for a particular ingredient that read this. Have you ever wondered who reads your privacy statement?

Customers and prospects are one obvious group of stakeholders who are concerned about what is happening with their data once it’s in your hands. Privacy activists and consumer protection organizations may also be going through your privacy statement.

Authors and academic researchers in the field of data protection find it a great source of information, learning how companies are using personal data. Regulators, judges, and lawyers who are working on a case that involves your company also take great interest in your privacy notice.

Your corporate image is shaped by how your privacy statement reads. Customers, both in business-to-business as well as business-to-consumer markets, pay great attention to your privacy practice.

Business partners and suppliers to your company often formalize the review of your company’s data protection compliance, asking questions about your privacy statement in their due diligence questionnaires.

Whoever the readers are, it is another “touch-point” for a variety of stakeholders, including revenue-generating parties like customers and partners.

You want them to have a good impression of your privacy practices, and the first chance you have to showcase this may be your privacy statement. Borrowing the words of the ICO, a good privacy statement “helps build trust, avoids confusion, and lets everyone know what to expect.” ( ICO, 2023 )

How Long Should My Privacy Statement Be?

GDPR expects you to draw up a privacy statement long enough so that you can properly explain which data is collected, used, and stored. This makes your privacy statement transparent.

At the same time, your privacy statement must be concise, according to Article 12(1) of GDPR (legislation.gov.uk, 2016). These two requirements seem to contradict each other at first glance. The EU regulators, therefore, give some explanations in their guidelines on transparency (Art 29 WP, 2018) .

While a privacy statement aims to give necessary information so that consumers can make decisions about their personal data, regulators are also aware of the phenomena known as “information fatigue” or “information overload.” The hypothesis is that human beings have a limited capacity to digest information.

When too much information is presented, people become overwhelmed and either ignore the information or make illogical decisions to cope with the psychological stress they experience (Simmel, 1950; Milgram, 1969).

There are two strategies to avoid this that can, at the same time, still provide all the details required.

Have A Clear Structure

Before starting to write a privacy notice, list out all the information you need to provide in it. Then, think about how you want to present it to your customers and other data subjects in a logical manner.

In doing so, you might want to read the privacy statements of big consumer brands and governmental organizations and find out how their privacy statements are structured.

There is a good chance that their privacy notices are prepared by experienced in-house lawyers or by law firms that specialize in data protection. The idea is to get the feeling of what great privacy statements look like.

You might also want to read up on the privacy statements of your competitors, as well as those of your partners in your business field.

Ask your privacy person which competitors have good reputations with regard to their data protection practices, or perhaps you already know who they are. Just take a look at how their privacy notices are structured. You can also simply adopt the structure of ICO’s privacy policy template.

Whatever you do, the key is to improve the readability of your privacy statement by giving it a logical structure.

Prepare Privacy Notices In Layers

Another approach, endorsed by the regulators, is the so-called layered approach (Art 29 WP, 2018).

Assuming that the privacy notice is going to be online, you can make your privacy policy interactive by using links, so that users can click on them when they want more information, or skip them and stay on the first-level summary information if they so wish, just as you would use an online encyclopedia.

This way, the key messages are simplified, and readers of your privacy statement will have a good overview of the first layer of the statement.

Regulators recommend the following information should be visible on the first layers of the privacy notice (Art 29 WP, 2018, p 19, para 36): Details of the purposes of processing The identity of the data controller Description of the data subjects’ rights Information on the processing which has the most impact on the data subject Information on the processing which could surprise them.

When Do I Have To Present The Privacy Statement?

Consumers must be informed what data is collected for, for instance marketing purposes, as early as possible.

When you are collecting data directly from your customers, you must present your privacy notice the moment you are collecting the data (see Article 13(1) GDPR; legislation.gov.uk, 2016).

In a scenario where you license the data from other organizations, such as from public sources or marketing data providers, Article 14(3)a and b require the privacy information to be provided in the following manner (legislation.gov.uk, 2016):

within a reasonable period after obtaining the personal data, but at the latest within one month, having regard to the specific circumstances in which the personal data are processed; if the personal data are to be used for communication with the data subject, at the latest at the time of the first communication to that data subject; or if a disclosure to another recipient is envisaged, at the latest when the personal data are first disclosed.

In short, for licensed data that is not contact detail data, the privacy notice must be communicated within a month.

If you are using contact data like names, telephone numbers, email addresses, and physical addresses, you need to communicate the privacy statement the first time you send a commercial message to them.

In practice, companies embed a link to the privacy statement in email messages or print that link on direct mail pieces to fulfill this requirement.

References:

• Art 29 WP (2018) Article 29 Data Protection Working Party, WP260 rev.01 Guidelines on transparency under Regulation 2016/679, adopted on 29 November 2017, last revised and adopted on 11 April 2018, https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/article29/items/622227 (archived at https://perma.cc/4HWYURKL)
• ICO (2023) UK Information Commissioner’s Office: Transparency direct marketing detailed guidelines, https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/advice-for-smallorganisations/frequently-asked-questions/transparency-cookies-and-privacynotices/ (archived at https://perma.cc/K3ZR-T7E5)
• legislation.gov.uk (2016)‘Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council, 27 April 2016, www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2016/679/contents (archived at https://perma.cc/NVG6-PXBQ)
• Milgram, S (1969) The experience of living in cities, Science 167, 1461–1468
• Simmel, G (1950) The metropolis and mental life, in K H Wolff (ed.), The Sociology of Georg Simmel , Free Press, New York, USA.

To read the full book, SEJ readers have an exclusive 25% discount code and free shipping to the US and UK. Use promo code SEJ25 at koganpage.com here .

More resources: 

• Google Analytics 4 Features To Prepare For Third-Party Cookie Depreciation
• What Is First-Party Data And How Do You Use It?
• Why First-Party Data Should Lead Your Organic Search Strategy

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Sachiko Scheuing is an award-winning privacy professional based in Frankfurt, Germany. She serves on the Europe Middle East and Africa senior ...

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DEVELOPING: Trump found guilty on all 34 felony counts in hush money trial. Follow live and watch on NBC News NOW. 

Live updates: Donald Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts in hush money trial

Where things stand after the hush money verdict.

• Former President Donald Trump was found guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment to adult film actor Stormy Daniels near the end of the 2016 presidential campaign.
• The verdict came in the 12-person jury's second day of deliberations.
• Sentencing has been scheduled for July 11. He could face a fine, probation or up to four years in prison.

Trump's website features mugshot from Georgia case

Doha Madani

Trump's website has been updated to reflect the guilty verdict, reiterating his claims that he is a "political prisoner" and featuring the mugshot taken when he turned himself in to Georgia authorities in a separate case .

"Never surrender" is written in bold under the photo.

The site also features the same fundraising message that was promoted on social media following the verdict.

"My end-of-month fundraising deadline is just DAYS AWAY!" the website also says.

Analysis: Verdict is a 'resounding victory' for prosecution

Laura Jarrett

The guilty verdict represents a resounding victory for prosecutors in a case that they pitched as something far greater than about hush money.

The way they tried to cast this case was about the subversion of democracy, and today, the jury agreed with them.

Trump's motorcade departs

Zoë Richards

Trump's motorcade is leaving the courthouse roughly an hour after the verdict was delivered.

Democratic lawmakers' reactions pour in

Megan Lebowitz

A slew of Democratic lawmakers are weighing in with reaction to the verdict.

Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., said on X that "the jury has spoken," adding, "Justice has prevailed." Clyburn is often credited with delivering Biden's 2020 campaign a vital boost during the primary season.

Progressive Reps. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., and Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., both said on X that "no one" is "above the law."

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., also touted the decision on X.

"Despite his efforts to distract, delay, and deny — justice arrived for Donald Trump all the same," he said. "And the rule of law prevailed."

Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., wrote on X, "Justice has prevailed!"

Biden campaign on Trump verdict: ‘No one is above the law’

Natasha Korecki

President  Joe Biden ’s campaign declared “no one is above the law” in a statement released just minutes after former President  Donald Trump  was convicted in a New York courtroom.

“Donald Trump has always mistakenly believed he would never face consequences for breaking the law for his own personal gain,” Biden campaign spokesman Michael Tyler said in a statement. “But today’s verdict does not change the fact that the American people face a simple reality.” 

At the same time as it reacted to the verdict in New York, the Biden   campaign underscored messaging  it teased last week :  that voters should wake up to the possibilities   of another Trump term. That means, the campaign says, getting supporters   involved in Democratic campaigns and fundraisers to stop Trump in November — and getting them to   stop expecting that Trump will   somehow go away because of the myriad trials he faces.

Read the full story here

‘Phony’ checks and hush money payments: Breaking down all 34 charges against Trump

Rebecca Shabad is in Washington, D.C.

JoElla Carman

Jurors are deliberating for the second day in former President Donald Trump's hush money trial.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged Trump in April 2023 with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. According to the indictment, 11 checks were issued from the Trump Revocable Trust and his personal bank account “for a phony purpose.”

Read the full story here.

Donald Trump Jr. reacts to guilty verdict of his father

Jillian Frankel

Donald Trump Jr., the former president's eldest son, issued a series of posts on X, calling the jury's verdict “such bulls---” and election interference.

“Guilty on all counts. The Democrats have succeeded in their years long attempt to turn America into a third-world s---hole. November 5 is our last chance to save it," he wrote.

“Sentencing is 4 days before the GOP Convention...They’re not even trying to hide the ELECTION INTERFERENCE!!!!”

Earlier: Trump supporters and protesters shout at each other outside court

Daniel Arkin

Inside the pro-Trump area of the park, Trump supporters loudly argued earlier this afternoon with at least two people holding anti-Trump signs (“Trump Is a Danger to Us All”). Police officers were in the crowd.

Looking back at Trump’s 6 weeks in court at the first criminal trial of a former president

Elise Wrabetz

Chelsea Stahl Chelsea Stahl is the art director for NBC News Digital

Katherine Doyle

For nearly every day of Donald Trump’s Manhattan hush money trial, photographers have captured a grimacing Trump seated at the defense table, a former U.S. president for the first time facing criminal charges in an American courtroom. 

The judge, jurors and witnesses are not allowed to be photographed, but for most of the proceedings, pool photographers have been brought into the courtroom to photograph Trump as the day in court gets underway. They have captured his handwritten notes, such as when Trump, as closing arguments got underway, scrawled in black marker on a yellow sticky note affixed to a list of quotes about the trial, “This case should be dismissed by the judge.”

From the trial’s start through Wednesday, Getty Images tagged nearly 13,000 images with “Donald Trump New York.” Here are 62 of the most representative photos.

Donald Trump was convicted on felony charges. Will he go to prison?

Dareh Gregorian

A New York jury’s historic conviction of  Donald Trump  on felony charges means his fate is now in the hands of the judge he’s repeatedly ripped as “corrupt” and “incompetent.”

Two experts told NBC News that it’s unlikely Trump will be imprisoned based on his age, lack of a criminal record and other factors — and  an analysis of thousands of cases  found that very few people charged with the same crime receive jail time. But a third expert told NBC News he believes it is “substantially” likely Trump could end up behind bars.

Trump was convicted on 34 counts of  falsifying business records , a class E felony that is punishable by a fine, probation or up to four years in prison. During the trial, Judge Juan Merchan threatened to put Trump  behind bars  for violating his gag order, but it’s unclear if the former president will face similar consequences now.

NY Attorney General Letitia James reacts to verdict

New York Attorney General Letitia James reacted to the verdict on X with a single sentence: "No one is above the law."

James led the prosecution in Trump's New York civil fraud case earlier this year which resulted in him being found liable for hundreds of millions of dollars.

Michael Cohen appearing on MSNBC tonight

Michael Cohen, Trump's ex-personal attorney and a key witness in the trial, will appear on MSNBC at 8 p.m. tonight.

District Attorney Alvin Bragg issues brief statement on verdict

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg issued a brief statement after the verdict was read.

"Today, a jury found Donald J. Trump GUILTY on ALL 34 felony counts," Bragg said.

Biden campaign spokesman says the 'ballot box' remains only way to keep Trump out of office

Monica Alba

In a statement, the Biden campaign's communications director, Michael Tyler, said the verdict illustrated that "no one is above the law" and urged opponents of the former president to vote in November's election.

"Donald Trump has always mistakenly believed he would never face consequences for breaking the law for his own personal gain. But today’s verdict does not change the fact that the American people face a simple reality," Tyler said. "There is still only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: at the ballot box. Convicted felon or not, Trump will be the Republican nominee for president."

"The threat Trump poses to our democracy has never been greater. He is running an increasingly unhinged campaign of revenge and retribution, pledging to be a dictator ‘on day one’ and calling for our Constitution to be ‘terminated’ so he can regain and keep power," Tyler added. "A second Trump term means chaos, ripping away Americans’ freedoms and fomenting political violence — and the American people will reject it this November."

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker slams Trump after verdict

Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker posted a fiery statement to X slamming Trump after the verdict was read.

"Donald Trump is a racist, a homophobe, a grifter, and a threat to this country," th e Illinois governor said . "He can now add one more title to his list — a felon."

Under New York state law, Trump will not be classified as a felon until his sentencing, which is scheduled for July 11.

Michael Cohen reacts to the guilty verdict

Michael Cohen, the prosecution's star witness who provided critical testimony during the trial, reacted to the news of the verdict in a post on X.

"Guilty On All Counts! #Team Cohen," he wrote, along with a zoomed-in screenshot that showed the news on TV.

Rep. Elise Stefanik, a potential Trump VP pick, calls verdict 'corrupt'

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who is considered a potential vice-presidential pick for Trump, blasted the jury's verdict in a statement this evening.

"Today’s verdict shows how corrupt, rigged, and unAmerican the weaponized justice system has become under Joe Biden and Democrats," Stefanik wrote. "I fully support President Trump appealing this decision and look forward to a higher New York Court to deliver justice and overturn this verdict."

Stefanik also took aim at the district attorney's office, saying the hush-money trial stemmed from a "zombie case illegally brought forward by a corrupt prosecutor doing Joe Biden’s political bidding," and criticized Judge Merchan whom she called "corrupt and highly unethical."

"From the start, the weaponized scales of justice were stacked against President Trump. Joe Biden, Far Left Democrats, and their stenographers in the mainstream media have made it clear they will stop at nothing to prevent President Trump from returning to the White House," Stefanik added.

Verdict comes as members of Congress are on recess

Lawmakers are currently on recess now, with many back home in their states or districts or on congressional delegation trips.

Members of Congress return to Washington on Monday.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene posts image of upside-down American flag

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a Trump ally, posted on X an image of an upside-down American flag, which is seen as a signal of distress. Inverted flags has been discussed in the news lately after one was seen flying at Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito's house in 2021 shortly after Jan. 6.

The business records behind Trump’s convictions

Donald Trump was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels. These are the documents related to each count.

'Political prisoner:' Trump already fundraising off of verdict

Trump's campaign has already started fundraising off of the guilty verdict, blasting a promoted post on social media claiming to be a "political prisoner."

"Now I'm asking for you to stand with me today," Trump's team wrote in a post on X. "Can you chip in any amount to help me take back the White House?"

Trump's conviction has 'no bearing' on his status as Secret Service protectee

Kelly O'Donnell

Alexandra Marquez is based in Washington, D.C.

Following Trump's conviction today, the United States Secret Service's chief of communications, Anthony Guglielmi, said in a statement: “Today’s outcome has no bearing on the manner in which the United States Secret Service carries out its protective mission. Our security measures will proceed unchanged.”

Vivek Ramaswamy, possible VP pick, says guilty verdict will 'backfire'

Vivek Ramaswamy, the entrepreneur and former GOP presidential contender who is widely seen as a possible vice presidential pick for Trump, blasted the verdict in a post on X, writing that it would "backfire."

He also repeated a misleading talking point about the jury instructions.

Can Trump vote in November now that he's been convicted of a felony in N.Y.?

Jane C. Timm

Former President  Donald Trump  could soon join the millions of Americans whose voting rights depend on their criminal records when he is sentenced on 34 felony charges in the hush money case .

But experts say Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, is unlikely to be disenfranchised by the felony conviction in the New York case, noting that it would come down to whether he goes to prison as part of his sentence.

Every juror had to walk in front of Trump after finding him guilty

Gary Grumbach

All members of the jury had to walk in front of Trump as they left the room after finding him guilty on all 34 counts.

Democrats' reactions to Trump verdict start rolling in

David K. Li

Reactions from Democrats are starting to roll in on social media. Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., said the jury's verdict "proves what we have known to be true all along — Donald Trump is unfit to serve in any elected office, let alone President of the United States."

"I was proud to lead both impeachments of Donald Trump, and now, I couldn’t be more proud to be a New Yorker now that Manhattan has led the way in convicting him as a felon," Nadler wrote on X.

Similarly, Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., said in a post to X that "our legal system worked as intended," and Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., noted on X that "the rule of law won today."

Trump says after leaving courtroom: 'I'm a very innocent man'

Trump briefly spoke to cameras outside the courtroom and repeated many of the same comments he's made in the same spot for the last several weeks.

"This was a disgrace," he said. "This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who was corrupt ... This was a rigged, disgraceful trial."

Trump said the "real verdict will be Nov. 5 by the people."

"I'm a very innocent man," he said. "It’s OK. I’m fighting for our country. I’m fighting for our Constitution."

Trump said the country has "gone to hell" and "we're a divided mess." He said millions of people are pouring into the U.S. from prisons and mental institutions and some are terrorists.

He repeated this was a "rigged decision right from Day One."

"This is far from over," he said, before walking away.

Trump campaign press aides seated in courtroom pews

Seated in the courtroom pews behind Trump as the verdict was read were Steven Cheung and Karoline Leavitt, campaign press aides who, if they enter the courtroom at all, are typically seated in the far back.

Trump has left courtroom

Trump has left the courtroom. There were no bail charges for him and he left red, sullen and arms moving at his side.

Trump blasts 'rigged trial'

The former president, speaking to reporters outside the courtroom, decried the trial as "rigged and disgraceful," adding the "real verdict" will come on Election Day in November.

Trump's sentencing will take place just before the GOP convention

Adam Wollner is a deputy politics editor

Trump's sentencing hearing on July 11 will be just four days before the start of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

Trump was convicted on 'ridiculous charges,' House speaker says

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said in a statement after the verdict was read that Trump was convicted on "ridiculous charges" and that the former president had been targeted politically.

"Today is a shameful day in American history," Johnson wrote. "Democrats cheered as they convicted the leader of the opposing party on ridiculous charges, predicated on the testimony of a disbarred, convicted felon. This was a purely political exercise."

Trump Media share price plunges, bounces back after verdict

Jason Abbruzzese

The price of Trump Media & Technology Group shares dropped sharply in the minutes after the announcement of the guilty verdicts, bouncing back to recover some losses but remaining down about 7% in after-hours trading.

The volatile stock has whipsawed up and down since going public in March as part of a merger . The company lost almost $328 million in the first three months of the year and has struggled to grow the user base for its app, Truth Social.

Trump has left the courtroom

The former president appeared red and sullen, arms moving at his side, as he left the courtroom where he has spent much of the last six weeks.

Trump will be sentenced on July 11

Merchan ordered the sentencing hearing to begin at 10 a.m. on July 11 after both the defense and prosecutors agreed they would prefer a mid-July date.

Rep. Jordan rails against verdict, calling it 'travesty of justice'

Rep. Jim Jordan who chairs the House Judiciary panel, railed against the verdict shortly after it was delivered in a post on X .

"The verdict is a travesty of justice," the Ohio Republican wrote. "The Manhattan kangaroo court shows what happens when our justice system is weaponized by partisan prosecutors in front of a biased judge with an unfair process, designed to keep President Trump off the campaign trail and avoid bringing attention to President Biden’s failing radical policies."

Trump will be "vindicated on appeal," Jordan added.

Members of public are gathering outside the courthouse

Members of the public are gathering outside the courthouse.

They seemed to be both opponents and supporters of the former president's. One poster said, "Trump I don't trust you."

Another man was wearing a red MAGA hat and was being interviewed by media.

Judge Merchan thanks the jury for their service

Merchan offered his gratitude to the jury following their verdict, noting the time taken away from their jobs and families to be present throughout the trial.

"I want you to know that I really admire your dedication, your hard work," he said. "You gave this matter the attention it deserved, and I want to thank you for that.”

Merchan denies Blanche's acquittal motion

Blanche argued for a motion of acquittal, but Merchan turned down that request.

Trump looks at each of the jurors

Donald Trump looked at each of the jurors as they were polled. Eric Trump, the former president's second-eldest son, looks angry. Alina Habba, the former president's legal advisor, appears to be texting.

Jury polled, still guilty on all counts

After delivering guilty verdicts on all counts, the jury was polled to confirm its finding.

The jurors confirmed this was their verdict.

Trump's lawyers appear extremely glum

The former president's defense team include lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove.

Biden campaign has not sent internal guidance on response to Trump verdict

Jonathan Allen

There has been no internal guidance on reaction to the Trump verdict —nothing on what to say or not to say on social media, for example, according to a Biden campaign official. “Everyone pretending this isn’t happening,” the official said.

Trump has been found guilty on all 34 counts

Trump has been found guilty on all 34 counts of business document fraud.

Trump has been found guilty on at least 20 counts

Trump has been found guilty on at least 20 counts. He has been found not guilty on zero counts. 

The verdict continues to be read. He was charged with 34 total counts.

Trump has been found guilty on at least 10 counts

Trump has been found guilty on at least 10 counts. He has been found not guilty on zero counts. 

Trump has been found guilty on at least one count of falsifying business records

Trump has been found guilty on at least one count. 

The verdict continues to be read. He was charged with 34 total counts. 

Jury returns to courtroom

The jury has returned to the courtroom.

The verdict will be read soon.

Merchan is on the bench, the jury is coming in

Court is back in session.

Eric Trump seems to be only family member there

Eric Trump seems to be the former president's only family member inside the courtroom.

Where is Biden as the jury reaches a verdict?

Elyse Perlmutter-Gumbiner

Biden is currently in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, about 200 miles from New York City.

Today is the ninth anniversary of his son Beau Biden's death from brain cancer, and the president spent the somber occasion in church this morning with his family in Wilmington.

A senior White House official said there are "no plans" for the president to respond to the Trump verdict at this time.

District Attorney Alvin Bragg and his team enter the courtroom

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and and his team have entered the courtroom.

They are occupying an entire row of seats.

Trump table has gone from smiling to sour

The Trump table has gone from smiling to looking sour. They are very serious now and Trump has his armed crossed in front of his chest.

Trump and Blanche occasionally whisper to each other. Trump looks resigned and any levity seems to have dissipated from the defense table. His attorneys are hardly speaking now.

False right-wing reports about Trump trial jury instructions fuel threats against judge

Ryan J. Reilly

False reports about the jury instructions in former President Donald Trump’s  hush money trial  have been spreading across right-wing media, leading to threats against the judge overseeing the case.

Several conservative news personalities, including some affiliated with Fox News, falsely claimed that Judge Juan Merchan, as one Fox News anchor put it in a viral post on X, “told the jury that they do not need unanimity to convict” Trump.

That’s not true. Merchan instructed the jury on Wednesday that they “must conclude unanimously that a defendant conspired to promote or prevent the election of any person to a public office by unlawful means,” adding that they “need not be unanimous as to what those unlawful means were.”

That means that jurors have to agree unanimously that Trump committed a crime by engaging in a criminal conspiracy to falsify records with the intent to commit one or more other crimes in order to convict him. But jurors can choose from three options about what those other crimes were.

Jury deliberated for 9.5 hours

The jury deliberated for a total of 9.5 hours over the course of two days before reaching a verdict.

Jury has reached a verdict, judge says

Judge Juan Merchan told the courtroom that the jury has reached a verdict.

In reading a note from the jury, Merchan said: “We the jury have a verdict. We would like an extra 30 minutes to fill out the forms if that’d be possible.”

Court still waiting for dismissal

A few minutes past the supposed dismissal time, the courtroom is so silent that all I can hear are my own keystrokes and those of the reporters to my immediate right and left.

Courtroom is thick with tension

Even though we have no reason to believe that a verdict will be delivered before jurors are dismissed for the day, the courtroom is thick with tension.

Every cough is audible and can be heard echoing off the wood-paneled walls of the courtroom. Reporters are shifting in their seats to get a glimpse of the lawyers. Knowing looks about the wait are also being exchanged across the aisle.

At perhaps the ripest moment of tension, the courtroom door swings open ... and in walks Andrew Giuliani, the son of the former New York City mayor

Trump complains about jury instructions and criticizes judge

Throughout the day, Trump has continued to complain about Judge Juan Merchan, his trial and the jury instructions on Truth Social as he sits and awaits his fate in his holding room.

In just over 30 minutes, the former president has posted twice on his social media platform, arguing that the jury instructions were "UNFAIR, MISLEADING, INACCURATE, AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL," and criticizing Judge Merchan as "HIGHLY CONFLICTED" and "BIASED." Trump also repeated claims contending the trial is a witch hunt and election interference.

He also said, in all caps, that his civil rights have been "totally violated."

Trump team seems to be in good spirits

Trump is talking with his attorneys, turning to Todd Blanche, who is leaning towards the former president and covering his mouth, then to Emil Bove, who is also chatting with Susan Necheles, and smiling. 

Blanche is laughing as he whispers to Trump, who is also cracking a small smile as he listens.

Necheles and Bove seem to be in very good spirits.

No verdict, judge says jury will be excused at 4:30 p.m.

Judge Merchan entered the courtroom and announced that the jury will be excused at 4:30 p.m. today. There is no verdict and no notes.

Trump and defense team back in courtroom

Trump, his defense lawyers and his son Eric are back in the courtroom. Upon entering, Trump said, "I wanna campaign."

Prosecutors are in the courtroom

Prosecutors from the DA's office are now in the courtroom, the jury did not ring the bell so it's unclear why they are there. So far, the judge and the defense aren't there either. DA Bragg is not here either.

Michael Cohen takes lawsuit against Trump to Supreme Court

Danny Cevallos

Lawrence Hurley Supreme Court reporter

While Trump awaits a verdict in the hush money trial, star witness Michael Cohen wants the Supreme Court to intervene in his lawsuit against the former president for sending him back to prison after his release.

Cohen last week requested more time to file his petition for a writ of certiorari, which the Supreme Court uses to hear many of its cases. The initial filing deadline was June 5, but Justice Sonia Sotomayor today extended the deadline to July 10. If Cohen's eventual petition is granted by the Supreme Court, then the justices will hear the case and there will be more filings.

The lawsuit filed by Cohen is a so-called Bivens claim and it alleges constitutional violations against federal officials including Trump, former Attorney General Bill Barr, the Justice Department and others for remanding Cohen to Otisville prison on July 9, 2020, after he had been released for Covid precautions. Cohen has said for years that he felt he was being punished for writing a book about Trump.

The Supreme Court has made it  increasingly difficult if not impossible to bring such claims  and is extremely unlikely to hear Cohen’s case.

A quiet stretch

There has been no sign of life from the jury.

The sole action in the courtroom this afternoon was when a member of the court staff used the copier to make copies of a document. It is unclear whether the copies had anything to do with this case.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum at the courthouse

North Dakota's GOP governor, Doug Burgum, is at the courthouse. He's rumored to be a potential vice presidential pick for Trump. He ran for the GOP nomination this cycle but dropped out in December.

No new notes during lunch

A court officer has confirmed there have been no notes from the jury during the lunch break.

Several ambulances at courthouse are believed to be unrelated to Trump trial, official says

Several ambulances pulled up to the courthouse within the last half hour.

“The issue is not believed to be connected to the Trump trial," according to a senior NYC official.

Black limo bearing a falsified presidential seal and Trump’s name drives by the courthouse

A Black limo with a fake presidential seal and the license plate TRUMP 01 drove past 100 Centre Street.

Trump protester who came to NYC from Maryland: 'Democracy is at stake'

Nadine Seiler, 59, a professional home organizer who lives in Maryland, traveled to NYC last Thursday. She plans to stay here until there is a verdict.

“Democracy is at stake,” she said. “I don’t think the people in this country are paying attention.”

“Project 2025 is going to be ushered in,” she said, referring to a conservative policy blueprint written in part by Trump allies. She said she is especially concerned about “mass deportations” and the rise of “white Christian nationalism.”

Trump posts a fake video mocking actor Robert De Niro

Summer Concepcion

While Trump awaits a verdict, he posted a video featuring fake audio over actor Robert De Niro speaking at a recent news conference held by the Biden campaign alongside two former police officers who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

The video features audio that altered De Niro’s remarks at the news conference. The audio includes a fake voice-over asking people to put on a mask and keep their distance, calling himself a “washed up actor” (an insult Trump waged at him in a recent post), accuses Biden of having “sick perversions,” saying he has "always been jealous" of Trump and other remarks containing homophobic rhetoric.

The post comes as part of a series of posts to Trump’s Truth Social platform this morning asserting prosecutors have no case against him in the hush money trial.

Anti-Trump protesters rally away from his supporters

At least two anti-Trump demonstrators are holding court on the opposite side of the park, holding signs/banners (“Convict Trump Already,” “Convict the Bum”) and talking to the media.

Court is on a lunch break

The jurors themselves are not technically on a break, though, as they can continue to deliberate over lunch.

Trump gets a TV to watch in his courthouse holding room

As the former president passes the time in his courthouse holding room waiting on the jury to finish its deliberations, NBC News has learned he has managed to get a television put in the room today (he didn’t have one yesterday). When asked what channel the TV is turned to, the source demurred. 

Trump supporter heckles media outside courthouse

I counted around a dozen Trump supporters in the park across the street from the courthouse — a smaller crowd than the one that showed up yesterday around this time. The news crews have been repeatedly and profanely heckled by the Trump supporter in the anti-Biden cape, but otherwise the demonstration seems relatively quiet.

Merchan instructs jury not to deliberate while audio is being set up

Allan Smith

Merchan said the court would provide jurors with headphones and speakers as the jury was excused from the room to continue deliberations. He said they should hold off on deliberating until the audio is set up.

Jurors began deliberations again around 11:20 a.m.

A slow-moving Trump exits the courtroom with his tired-looking lawyers

Eric Trump smiled to some of the reporters in the back on his way. Not knowingly, just a general smile.

A dour, slow-moving Trump just exited the courtroom, doing his usual scan of the gallery; he is followed by exhausted-looking lawyer Todd Blanche and an even more-tired-looking lawyer Emil Bove.

Court's readback concludes

The court’s readback has concluded. The attorneys and Trump were excused.

Jury deliberations are set to begin shortly as jurors prepare to head out of the courtroom.

Court moves onto the last jury request: Michael Cohen's testimony

We’ve moved on to the last request from the jury: Michael Cohen’s testimony about the August 2015 meeting under direct examination by the prosecutors.

This is about Cohen’s side of the conversation with Pecker about negative stories Pecker may come upon.

Court reads back Trump lawyer's cross-examination of David Pecker about his meeting with prosecutors in July 2018

The section they are reviewing now concerns Pecker’s meeting with prosecutors in July 2018 and, specifically, notes thereof, which do not reflect that Pecker told the government that Hope Hicks was at that August 2015 meeting. Pecker testified that he did not mention Hicks being there when he met with the government in July 2018.

Court reads portion of Pecker's testimony on Trump Tower meeting

The court read a portion of Pecker's testimony in which he was asked about who was at an August 2015 meeting at Trump Tower.Pecker at one point during the trial testified that Trump and Cohen were both there while Hope Hicks was "in and out" of the room and Trump's lawyer pressed him on that.

Court rereads testimony where David Pecker doesn't remember exactly when the Trump Tower meeting happened

They are now reading a portion of Emil Bove’s cross-examination of David Pecker, which focuses on Pecker’s inability to remember precisely when, in August 2015, the Trump Tower meeting took place.

BOVE: “These are things that happened a long time ago, right?

PECKER: “Yes."

Readback so far is solely focused on the alleged conspiracy to influence the election

Everything the jury is hearing read back from the Pecker testimony this morning is about the alleged conspiracy to influence the election — not a word of this is about the 34 counts of falsifying business records, which is notable.

If the documents aren’t false records — the jury doesn’t even need to reach the question of whether the state has proven the  other  crime that bumps the charges up to the felony. Pecker was also the first witness, who testified weeks ago at this point, so jurors have heard a lot since that time. But they’ve also heard an instruction telling them they can’t convict Trump on Michael Cohen’s word alone under the law.

Pecker had testified that the plan to notify Trump of negative stories was only beneficial for Trump

As part of Pecker’s account of the August 2015 meeting, he testified that notifying Trump, through Michael Cohen, of negative stories about women or other negative stories that came to their attention, did  not  help the National Enquirer, as contrasted with the other two components of the agreement, which were mutually beneficial.

The prosecutor had asked him, “The purpose of that part was to benefit the campaign; am I understanding it right?” “That’s right," Pecker said.

Court moves onto jury's third request: David Pecker's testimony about the 2015 Trump Tower meeting

This transcript reading is getting into the crux of the jury’s request: who was at the Trump Tower meeting, how the Trump Tower meeting came about, etc.

This transcript portion is about Pecker saying he would notify Michael Cohen if any negative stories about Donald Trump came up.

Prosecutor: "Did you believe that would help Mr. Trump’s campaign?"

David Pecker: "I believe it was a mutual benefit."

Courtroom is full and energized

The courtroom is packed and a little warm. But most people are rapt. The voices of the “questioner” and “witness” are clear as day, and the only noise in the courtroom is the clickety-clacking of dozens of laptops.

Court reads redirect examination of David Pecker by prosecutor

The readers have moved onto the redirect examination of David Pecker by prosecutor Joshua Steinglass.

This is about Pecker telling Cohen to rip up the agreement.

"I told him we were trying to help the campaign and to do that, we were going to keep this as quiet as possible," Pecker said.

Here's why the witness recaps seem to be flying by

This readback is faster than the testimony was on that day because Pecker would speak slower and you don’t have the natural pauses a witness would take after getting asked a question. It’s not a significant detail but explains why they're blowing through the requests.

Court reads Pecker's testimony on decision not to fund Karen McDougal's life rights

They're now rereading David Pecker’s testimony on the decision not to finalize and fund Karen McDougal’s life rights. McDougal, a former Playboy model, said she had an affair with Trump, which he denies.

During this testimony, Pecker recalled telling Cohen that he wanted to “tear up” the life rights assignment, and Cohen warned him Trump would be “very mad,” and Pecker confirmed that AMI was never reimbursed for the payment it made to acquire the exclusive life rights to McDougal’s story.

Court employee reads section where Pecker recounts telling Trump Karen McDougal's story should be purchased

She just reached the part where David Pecker recounted telling Trump, “I think that the story should be purchased, and I think you should buy it.”

That section ends with Trump telling Pecker he will think about it and will have Michael Cohen call him back in a few days.

During this reread, Trump's eyes are closed.

Court employee recites part of David Pecker's testimony on phone call with Trump

The woman who is playing the “witness” just recited the part of David Pecker’s testimony about his phone conversation with Trump at his investor’s office, during which he is asked why he told Trump to purchase the Karen McDougal story.

“I believed the story was true. I believed it would have been very embarrassing to himself and also to the campaign," she read.

Witness readback expected to take about a half-hour

For timing purposes, remember this started at 10:27 a.m., and Merchan said he expected it to take about 30 minutes or so last night. So they should be done around 11 a.m.

Court employee begins rereading testimony requested by jury

A court employee is now beginning to reread the testimony requested by the jury.

“I am going to read the questions as if I am a lawyer, and my colleague is going to read the answers as if she’s a witness," the staffer, a woman, said.

The blond, bespectacled woman playing the witness is sitting in the witness box; neither was identified by name but were merely introduced as “colleagues.”

Both women who are reading the witness testimony have a New York accent. 

Merchan reads aloud instructions on violation of tax laws

“Under New York State and New York City law, it is unlawful to knowingly supply or submit materially false or fraudulent information in connection with any tax return,” the instructions read.

“Likewise, under federal law, it is unlawful for a person to willfully make any tax return, statement, or other document that is fraudulent or false as to any material matter, or that the person does not believe to be true and correct as to every material matter.”

Judge rereads instruction on the Federal Election Campaign Act

Judge Merchan reread the prosecution's theories of "unlawful means" and he said he will define the Federal Election Campaign Act.

Under that act, he said, it's illegal for an individual to "willfully make a contribution to any candidate with respect to any election for federal office, including the office of President of the United States, which exceeds a certain limit." He said in 2015 and 2016, that limit was $2,700.

"It is also unlawful under the Federal Election Campaign Act for any corporation to willfully make a contribution of any amount to a candidate or candidate’s campaign in connection with any federal election, or for any person to cause such a corporate contribution. For purposes of these prohibitions, an expenditure made in cooperation, consultation, or concert with, or at the request or suggestion of, a candidate or his agents shall be considered to be a contribution to such candidate."

He added that the terms contribution and expenditure "include anything of value, including any purchase, payment, loan, or advance, made by any person for the purpose of influencing any election for federal office."

Merchan goes over intent to defraud and New York election law

“Section 17-152 of the New York Election Law provides that any two or more persons who conspire to promote or prevent the election of any person to a public office by unlawful means and which conspiracy is acted upon by one or more of the parties thereto, shall be guilty of conspiracy to promote or prevent an election,” the instructions read.

“Under our law, a person is guilty of such a conspiracy when, with intent that conduct be performed that would promote or prevent the election of a person to public office by unlawful means, he or she agrees with one or more persons to engage in or cause the performance of such conduct.”

As Merchan explains that the jury needs to unanimously find that the conspiracy was to promote Trump’s election by “unlawful means,” but that it does not have to agree on what those means are, Juror 10 appears to nod.

Judge rereads the charge of falsification of business records

Judge Merchan reread the charge of falsification of business records. He said a person is guilty of that in the first degree "when, with intent to defraud that includes an intent to commit another crime or to aid or conceal the commission thereof, that person: makes or causes a false entry in the business records of an enterprise."

He said enterprise "means any entity of one or more persons, corporate or otherwise, public or private, engaged in business, commercial, professional, industrial, social, political or governmental activity."

Merchan said business record "means any writing or article, including computer data or a computer program, kept or maintained by an enterprise for the purpose of evidencing or reflecting its condition or activity."

Note on the instructions on accomplice liability

Note the accomplice liability instruction, which still requires that Trump instruct/command/solicit, etc. the person actually committing the falsification, is separate from the word “cause,” which appears in the falsification of business records statute and charge.

The charge does note define the word “cause,” despite the prosecution’s request. But in his closing, proseuctor Joshua Steinglass subtly encouraged the jury to use an expansive understanding of "cause."

Naked Cowboy joins Trump supporters

Robert Burck, the Times Square performer knows as The Naked Cowboy, confirms with police that he’s in the right place before walking into the area for Trump supporters.

Trump appears to be nodding off at some points

Trump’s head is bobbing slowly forward until his chin rests on his chest before he jerks it back every so often. He is resting his hands on his lap.

At one point, his eyes closed.

Argument breaks out between Trump supporter and anti-Trump protester outside the court

Inside the pro-Trump area, a Trump supporter (a guy in a cape) is loudly arguing with an anti-Trump protester. Three police officers are walking over now to break them up.

Judge rereads instructions on charged crimes

Merchan reread his instructions on charged crimes from yesterday:

"I will now instruct you on the law applicable to the charged offenses. That offense is Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree — 34 Counts."

Judge rereads instructions on motive

The judge reread instructions on motive.

Merchan said yesterday:

"You may consider whether a witness had, or did not have, a motive to lie. If a witness had a motive to lie, you may consider whether and to what extent, if any, that motive affected the truthfulness of that witness’s testimony. If a witness did not have a motive to lie, you may consider that as well in evaluating the witness’s truthfulness."

Merchan explains instructions on 'Accomplice as a Matter of Law'

“Under our law, Michael Cohen is an accomplice because there is evidence that he participated in a crime based upon conduct involved in the allegations here against the defendant," the judge read aloud.

Merchan reads instructions on the 'credibility of witnesses'

Merchan is now reading instructions on the “credibility of witnesses.”

“You must decide whether a witness told the truth and was accurate, or instead, testified falsely or was mistaken,” the instructions read. “You must also decide what importance to give to the testimony you accept as truthful and accurate. It is the quality of the testimony that is controlling, not the number of witnesses who testify.”

Jurors, especially one who is lawyer, taking diligent notes

Many of the jurors are taking diligent notes as Merchan goes over the jury instructions. Juror 7, who is a civil litigator, seems to be the most prolific.

Judge gets into the 'fundamental principles' related to burden of proof

Judge Merchan is getting into the "fundamental principles" related to the burden of proof in the jury instructions.

Here's what the judge said yesterday:

"The defendant is not required to prove that he is not guilty. In fact, the defendant is not required to prove or disprove anything. To the contrary, the People have the burden of proving the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. That means, before you can find the defendant guilty of a crime, the People must prove beyond a reasonable doubt every element of the crime including that the defendant is the person who committed that crime. The burden of proof never shifts from the People to the defendant. If the People fail to satisfy their burden of proof, you must find the defendant not guilty and if the People satisfy their burden of proof, you must find the defendant guilty."

Merchan begins reading jury instructions aloud

Judge Merchan has begun reading the jury instructions. It is estimated to take up about 20-25 minutes to do so.

Several of the jurors are taking diligent notes as he reads.

Trump supporter outside court hangs 'Black Lives MAGA' banner

There was one Trump supporter in Collect Pond Park attaching a banner to one of the metal barricades: “Black Lives MAGA.” The person is masked and wearing another pro-Trump banner (“F--- Biden”) as a cape.

Judge tells jurors that he can provide them headphones or speakers: 'The choice is yours'

Judge Merchan is telling the jurors that he can provide them with headphones or speakers: "The choice is yours." Merchan asks them to send him a note clarifying which one. He also asks whether they want the instructions first or the testimony first. The foreperson says they want the instructions first.

Judge rereads jury requests

Judge Merchan just gave a rundown of the requests submitted by the jury so far during deliberations.

He said yesterday the jurors requested certain testimony from David Pecker and Michael Cohen, as well as a rereading of the judge's instructions. They also just requested headphones to use for the laptop containing the evidence.

Trump joined by a friend, and his son Eric

Jake Traylor

Jesse Rodriguez

The Trump campaign said that his only “courthouse guest” today would be Steve Witkoff, a longtime friend and real estate investor. But Eric Trump was spotted in court too.

The jurors enter the room. Several of them are toting notebooks.

Trump sits stone-faced as lawyers discuss jury notes

As always, Trump is sitting low in his chair, stone-faced, bordering on a scowl. He conferred with lawyers briefly as the new note was handed to them.

Jury submits third note clarifying what it wants from judge's instructions

At 9:32 a.m., the judge said he received another note from the jury asking for him to reread his instructions to the panel from page 7 through page 35.

The jury has also requested that it be provided with headphones for the laptop.

In asking for the headphones, the jurors likely want to listen to certain recordings, which could include the September 2016 conversation that Steinglass encouraged them to revisit in his closing. He had told them that if they listened to it with the volume up, they would hear a reference to a possible $150,000 payment to Karen McDougal during that conversation.

Park outside Manhattan courthouse is nearly empty

The park outside the Manhattan courthouse where Trump supporters gathered yesterday is nearly empty right now. But there are at least two men in "Make America Great Again" hats and a few photographers spotted.

No anti-Trump protesters have been seen at the park either. (Compared to yesterday, when at least six people stood across the street with “Sleepy Don” signs.)

Court is now in session

Court is now in session as of 9:37 a.m.  Judge Merchan said he would rule now on what transcripts can come in.

Trump before entering courtroom: 'This is a very sad day for America'

Before walking into the courtroom, Trump once again read off several statements from legal scholars expressing support for him.

"The judge unfortunately is corrupt," Trump said about Judge Merchan.

"This is a very sad day for America," he said. "The whole world is watching."

DA's team, full of binders and women, enters the courtroom

The DA’s team has entered with Josh Steinglass toting a large box, presumably of binders. Their two paralegals, Jaden Jarmel-Schneider and Georgia Longstreet, also came in toting binders that they handed to prosecutors Becky Mangold and Matt Colangelo.

As they set up, there are at least four women in the courtroom who appear to work for the court and are consulting with Steinglass over individual pages of the transcript that one of the women is adding to a massive binder.

Trump awaits his fate as jury deliberations begin: What you missed yesterday

Jurors began deliberations yesterday in Trump’s hush money trial, kicking off a crucial and delicate phase in the case that will see 12 ordinary citizens decide whether a former and potentially future president becomes the first to be convicted.

As many as 22 witnesses took the stand over six weeks, as the seven men and five women who make up the jury sat for more than 80 hours of testimony in New York City. Then, after nearly eight hours of closing arguments, the judge presiding over the case, Juan Merchan, began instructing the panel of 12 New Yorkers yesterday on how to weigh whether the Manhattan district attorney’s office had left any room for doubt in what prosecutors deemed a “mountain” of evidence. 

“The defendant is not required to prove that he is not guilty,” Merchan said. “The defendant is not required to prove or disprove anything.”

As Merchan reviewed the burden of proof, Trump kept silent, his eyes closed and his head tilted softly back. He broke that up with short bursts of activity.

Here's what you missed on Day 22 of the trial.

Trump quotes allies on Truth Social criticizing the trial

In the hours after court adjourned yesterday, Trump again took to Truth Social to quote political allies and pundits criticizing the trial and Democrats.

Trump quoted Ohio Sen. JD Vance, former Trump adviser Stephen Miller and multiple Fox News hosts. Earlier in the day, he released a torrent of posts in the same vein, saying in one, in all-caps: “I don’t even know what the charges are in this rigged case — I am entitled to specificity just like anyone else. There is no crime!”

In fact, Judge Juan Merchan had read the charges in full detail.

Jurors to hear judge's instructions again

The jury will rehear the judge's instructions today, though it is unclear whether Merchan will reread all of the instructions or a just a portion.

It took Merchan about a little over an hour to read the full instructions yesterday.

The jury's request to revisit Merchan's instructions was their second of the day yesterday after they asked to rehear portions of testimony.

Jurors will rehear portions of witness testimony

Jurors yesterday afternoon requested to rehear parts of witness testimony, including three portions of David Pecker's testimony and a section of Michael Cohen's testimony.

The requests include revisiting Pecker's testimony about a phone call with Trump in which he advised the then-candidate to purchase Playboy model Karen McDougal's story to “take it off the market," his testimony about the life rights discussions on McDougal, and Cohen's testimony about a Trump Tower meeting involving him and Pecker where they discussed how the National Enquirer parent company, American Media Inc., could help Trump's campaign.

Here’s what to expect today

Court reconvenes at 9:30 this morning, and some of the first orders of business will be related to jury requests from yesterday.

Amid deliberations, the jury requested to rehear portions of witness testimony, as well as Merchan's jury instructions. It's not yet clear whether Merchan will reread the instructions in their entirety. It took him about an hour to read the full instructions yesterday.

After that, jurors will continue deliberating — but how long those discussions will take is unclear. It's possible a verdict comes today.

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U.K. 2024 General Election: What to Know

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By Esther Bintliff

Reporting from London

Why does this election matter?

How does britain vote, what are the main issues, who is running, and who is likely to win, when will we find out the results, where can i find more information.

The general election on July 4 is a pivotal moment for Britain after 14 years of government by the Conservative Party. The last full parliamentary election was in December 2019, when Boris Johnson won a landslide victory for the Conservatives , propelled by his charisma and a promise to “Get Brexit done” after the country’s decision to leave the European Union in a 2016 referendum.

A lot has changed since then. In July, voters will give their verdict on five tumultuous years of government that have spanned the coronavirus pandemic , the troubled implementation of Brexit , the “Partygate” scandal around Mr. Johnson’s rule-breaking during pandemic lockdowns and the disastrous six-week tenure of Prime Minister Liz Truss .

Polls suggest that the center-left Labour Party is set to return to power after more than a decade in opposition, which would bring a fundamental realignment to British politics.

The United Kingdom — which consists of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales — is divided into 650 constituencies.

Voters in each constituency select a candidate to represent them as a member of Parliament, and the political party that wins the most seats usually forms the next government. That party’s leader also becomes prime minister.

To win an overall majority, a party must secure 326 seats. If the top party falls short of that, the outcome is known as a “hung Parliament” and the party can try to form a coalition government with other parties. In 2010, the Conservatives joined with the Liberal Democrats to form Britain’s first coalition government since World War II, and, in 2017 , the Conservatives allied with Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party.

The state of Britain’s economy is the top issue for most voters today, according to polls, in the wake of a cost-of-living crisis and record inflation — which reached a peak of 11.1 percent in 2022 and has only recently begun to return to target levels .

The National Health Service , the state-funded health care system that provides free care across the country, is another top priority. A decade of fiscal austerity that began under Prime Minister David Cameron after the 2009 global financial crisis left Britain’s public services deeply underfunded and facing chronic staff shortages. Waiting lists for N.H.S. treatment were already growing before the pandemic, and have since rocketed further upward , a major source of public dissatisfaction.

Immigration comes third in many voters’ lists of top issues, although its importance differs starkly according to party preference. Only 20 percent of Labour voters said it was one of their most pressing national concerns, compared with 65 percent of Conservatives in a recent poll conducted by YouGov .

The two largest parties in Britain are the Conservatives, led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak , and the Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer , a former public prosecutor and human rights lawyer.

Labour has maintained a double-digit lead in the polls for more than 18 months , during which time the Conservatives have suffered a series of stinging losses in parliamentary special elections and elections for mayors and local councils . Although the polls often narrow in the final weeks of an election campaign, analysts believe the Conservatives would have to achieve something close to miraculous to win a majority.

In Scotland, the Scottish National Party became the most popular party in 2015 , displacing Labour there. But a funding scandal and the departure of Nicola Sturgeon as first minister has weakened the party’s support over the past year. Polls now suggest that Labour has a chance of gaining significant ground in Scotland this time round, which would ease Mr. Starmer’s path to becoming prime minister.

The populist Reform Party, which was co-founded by Nigel Farage, the champion of Brexit , has risen in the polls in recent months. Conservative Party officials fear that the anti-immigration party could siphon away supporters from their candidates, although Mr. Farage’s decision not to run as a candidate will have been welcomed by the Tories.

Two other parties, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party , made sizable gains in local elections in early May. But while both are aiming to add seats in July, Britain’s electoral system makes it harder for smaller parties to win seats in a parliamentary election.

Just after polls close at 10 p.m. on July 4, exit-poll results are announced, based on surveys of thousands of voters after they have cast their ballots.

Exit polls are not always accurate — famously, in Britain’s 1992 and 2015 elections, they predicted a hung Parliament, when in fact the Conservative Party went on to win a majority. But they have become increasingly reliable in the country in recent years and are generally seen as offering a good early indication of how the public has voted.

The first results from a few individual constituencies will be announced from around 11 p.m., and then a steady rhythm of results arrive through the early hours of the next morning. By around 7 a.m., the overall result is usually clear, although some rural seats can be announced later.

Sunak Announces U.K. Elections for July 4, Months Earlier Than Expected

Rishi Sunak’s Dismal Task: Leading U.K. Conservatives to Likely Defeat

Scotland’s Governing S.N.P. Looks to a Stalwart After Its Leader Quits

England’s Local Elections and Their Wider Significance, Explained

Hall of Famer Bill Walton, 2-time champ at UCLA and in NBA, dies

Relive some of the best moments of Bill Walton's legendary career as an NBA player and as a commentator. (2:19)

• ESPN News Services

Basketball legend Bill Walton, who led the UCLA Bruins to two national titles before winning two championships during his NBA career, has died at the age of 71 after a prolonged battle with cancer.

Walton died Monday while surrounded by his loved ones, his family said in a statement released by the NBA.

"Bill Walton was truly one of a kind," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement.

He was the NBA's MVP in the 1977-78 season and a member of the league's 50th and 75th anniversary teams. That all followed a college career in which he was a two-time champion at UCLA and a three-time national player of the year under iconic coach John Wooden.

"What I will remember most about him was his zest for life," Silver said in his statement. "He was a regular presence at league events -- always upbeat, smiling ear to ear and looking to share his wisdom and warmth. I treasured our close friendship, envied his boundless energy and admired the time he took with every person he encountered.

"As a cherished member of the NBA family for 50 years, Bill will be deeply missed by all those who came to know and love him."

The 6-foot-11 Walton, who was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993, was larger than life on the court, off the court and during his broadcasting career.

His NBA career -- disrupted by chronic foot injuries -- lasted only 468 games with the Portland Trail Blazers , LA (and formerly San Diego) Clippers and Boston Celtics . He averaged a double-double in those games -- 13.3 points and 10.5 rebounds.

Though neither of those numbers is near record-setting, his impact on the game was massive.

"Bill Walton was a true legend -- an extraordinary player, talented broadcaster, and vital part of the Blazers organization," the Trail Blazers said in a statement. "... Bill was so much more than basketball. He was larger than life. His upbeat and vibrant personality will forever be remembered and cherished, and he will be deeply missed by our organization, Rip City and all who experienced him."

His most famous game was the 1973 NCAA title matchup, UCLA against Memphis State , in which he shot an incredible 21-for-22 from the field and led the Bruins to another national championship.

The Bruins kept giving the ball to Walton, and he kept delivering in a performance for the ages.

"It's very hard to put into words what he has meant to UCLA's program, as well as his tremendous impact on college basketball," UCLA coach Mick Cronin said Monday. "Beyond his remarkable accomplishments as a player, it's his relentless energy, enthusiasm for the game and unwavering candor that have been the hallmarks of his larger-than-life personality.

"As a passionate UCLA alumnus and broadcaster, he loved being around our players, hearing their stories and sharing his wisdom and advice. For me as a coach, he was honest, kind and always had his heart in the right place. I will miss him very much. It's hard to imagine a season in Pauley Pavilion without him."

Walton became a charter member of the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 1984, and his No. 32 was joined by the No. 33 of former UCLA great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (known in college as Lew Alcindor) as the first two men's basketball jersey numbers to be retired by the Bruins in 1990.

Today I had to say goodbye to a great friend that I will always miss.... @UCLAAthletics @UCLAMBB @NBA pic.twitter.com/JIA3sORJgY — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (@kaj33) May 27, 2024

"My very close friend, fellow Bruin, and NBA rival Bill Walton died today," Abdul-Jabbar posted to X. "And the world feels so much heavier now. On the court, Bill was a fierce player, but off the court he wasn't happy unless he did everything he could to make everyone around him happy.

"He was the best of us."

Walton retired from the NBA and turned to broadcasting, something he never thought he could be good at -- and an avenue he sometimes wasn't sure would be possible for him -- because he had a pronounced stutter at times in his life.

Turns out, he was excellent at that, too: Walton was an Emmy winner.

"As a Hall of Fame player, he redefined the center position," Silver said. "Bill then translated his infectious enthusiasm and love for the game to broadcasting, where he delivered insightful and colorful commentary which entertained generations of basketball fans."

Walton originally joined ESPN and ABC in 2002 as a lead analyst for NBA games before shifting to college basketball in 2012. He also worked for CBS and NBC and was named one of the top 50 sports broadcasters of all time by the American Sportscasters Association in 2009.

There will never be another quite like Bill Walton. His ESPN family will miss him dearly ❤️ pic.twitter.com/mvS0Sh5iWZ — ESPN (@espn) May 27, 2024

Rip City icon & basketball legend. Rest in Peace, Bill 🕊️ pic.twitter.com/czZ4IiX6m2 — Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) May 27, 2024

Bill Walton was one of the most consequential players of his era. A Hall of Famer, Most Valuable Player, and two-time NBA Champion, Walton could do it all, possessing great timing, complete vision of the floor, excellent fundamentals, and was of one of the greatest passing big... pic.twitter.com/AW1PIUxALk — Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 27, 2024

"Bill Walton was a legendary player and a singular personality who genuinely cherished every experience throughout the journey of his extraordinary life," ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement. "Bill often described himself as 'the luckiest guy in the world,' but anyone who had the opportunity to interact with Bill was the lucky one. He was a truly special, giving person who always made time for others.

"Bill's one-of-a-kind spirit captivated and inspired audiences during his second career as a successful broadcaster. We at ESPN extend our deepest condolences to Bill's loved ones, including the entire Walton family."

Walton was beloved for his on-air tangents. He sometimes appeared on-air in Grateful Dead T-shirts; Walton was a huge fan of the band and referenced it often, even sometimes recording satellite radio specials celebrating what it meant to be a Deadhead.

"In life, being so self-conscious, red hair, big nose, freckles and goofy, nerdy-looking face and can't talk at all. I was incredibly shy and never said a word," Walton told The Oregonian in 2017. "Then, when I was 28, I learned how to speak. It's become my greatest accomplishment of my life and everybody else's biggest nightmare."

The Pac-12 Conference, which has basically evaporated in many ways now because of college realignment, was another of his many loves. He always referred to it as the "Conference of Champions" and loved it all the way to the end.

"It doesn't get any better than this," he once said on an ESPN broadcast, tie-dyed T-shirt on, a Hawaiian lei around his neck.

No, Bill. Thank you for your life. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/3LCRvs4XlJ — Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) May 27, 2024

Walton even appeared on The New York Times' bestseller list for his memoir, "Back from the Dead." It told the story of a debilitating back injury suffered in 2008, one that left him considering taking his own life because of the constant pain, and how he spent years recovering.

In his final years, Walton spoke out about the issues that mattered most to him, such as the problem of homelessness in his native San Diego, urging city leaders to take action and create shelter space to help those in need.

The first overall pick of the 1974 NBA draft by the Trail Blazers, Walton played 10 seasons in the NBA, winning championships with the Blazers (1977) and Celtics (1986). He totaled 6,215 points, 4,923 rebounds, 1,034 blocks and 1,590 assists.

"Bill Walton was one of the most consequential players of his era," the Celtics said in a statement. "... Walton could do it all, possessing great timing, complete vision of the floor, excellent fundamentals and was of one of the greatest passing big men in league history."

Walton said Bill Russell was his favorite player and found Larry Bird the toughest and best he played with, so it was appropriate that his playing career ended as a member of the Celtics.

"Playing basketball with Larry Bird," Walton once said, "is like singing with Jerry Garcia," referencing the co-founder of the Grateful Dead.

"I am very sorry about my good friend, Bill Walton. I love him as a friend and teammate," Bird said in a statement. "It was a thrill for me to play with my childhood idol and together we earned an NBA Championship in 1986. He is one of the greatest ever to play the game.

"I am sure that all of my teammates are as grateful as I am that we were able to know Bill, he was such a joy to know and he will be sorely missed."

The family of Garcia, who died in 1995, paid tribute to Walton in a social media post , writing, "We will miss that big smile and bigger infectious spirit! Bill will be greeted with a joyous guitar riff and big smiles as he arrives on the other side."

The NBA held a moment of silence to commemorate Walton's life before Game 4 of the Boston-Indiana matchup in the Eastern Conference finals on Monday night.

"To me, he was a living, breathing event in history just walking around," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle, who was Walton's teammate in Boston, said before Game 4. "He played drums for the Grateful Dead at the Pyramids in Egypt. He was a guy who did everything and there's been a lot of talk today about how he speaks in hyperbole and stuff, but he just defiantly competed for every moment in life to be the greatest it could possibly be."

A two-time All-Star, Walton led the NBA in rebounding and blocks in 1977 and was the league's Sixth Man of the Year in 1986 -- the only player other than James Harden to have won both MVP and the Sixth Man award.

"They talk about [Nikola] Jokic being the most skilled center but Bill Walton was first!" Hall of Famer Magic Johnson posted to X. "From shooting jump shots to making incredible passes, he was one of the smartest basketball players to ever live. Bill was a great ambassador for college basketball and the NBA, and he will be sorely missed."

Walton will always be synonymous with UCLA's dominance.

"Bill Walton's passing is a sad tragedy. One of the great ones in UCLA basketball history," former Notre Dame coach and ESPN college basketball analyst Digger Phelps posted Monday on social media. "We were great friends over the years. It won't be the same without him."

He enrolled at UCLA in 1970, before freshmen could play on the varsity team. Once he could play for Wooden, the Bruins were unbeatable for more than two years -- Walton's UCLA teams won their first 73 games, the bulk of the Bruins' extraordinary 88-game winning streak.

UCLA went 30-0 in each of his first two seasons, and 86-4 in his career on the varsity.

"My teammates ... made me a much better basketball player than I could ever have become myself," Walton said at his Hall of Fame speech in 1993. "The concept of team has always been the most intriguing aspect of basketball to me. If I had been interested in individual success or an individual sport, I would have taken up tennis or golf."

ESPN's Tim Bontemps and The Associated Press contributed to this report.