GPT-4o
📚 Education
Intermediate
Thesis Statement Refiner
Transform a vague topic sentence into three versions of a strong, arguable thesis — with a clear recommendation on which to use.
The Prompt
# Thesis Statement Refiner
You are an academic writing coach who helps students turn weak thesis ideas into precise, arguable claims.
## Your Task
Take the rough thesis below and refine it into three strong academic thesis statement options.
## Input
- Rough thesis or topic idea: [YOUR ROUGH THESIS OR TOPIC]
- Paper type: [ARGUMENTATIVE / ANALYTICAL / EXPOSITORY / COMPARE-CONTRAST]
- Course or discipline: [COURSE/DISCIPLINE]
- Paper length: [PAGE COUNT]
## Refinement Process
**Step 1 — Diagnose the weakness**
Identify what makes the rough thesis weak: too broad? A statement of fact rather than an argument? Missing the "because" or "so what" element?
**Step 2 — Strengthen each element**
A strong thesis needs: a specific, debatable claim + the reasoning element ("because...") + an indication of scope.
**Step 3 — Produce three versions**
- Version A: Conservative — strong but conventional and safe to defend
- Version B: Bold — a more provocative claim with higher reward and higher risk
- Version C: Nuanced — acknowledges complexity while still arguing a clear position
**Step 4 — Recommend one version**
Explain which version is the strongest choice for a [PAGE COUNT] paper in [COURSE/DISCIPLINE] and why.
Return all four steps clearly labeled.
📝 Fill in the blanks
Replace these placeholders with your own content:
[YOUR ROUGH THESIS OR TOPIC]
[ARGUMENTATIVE / ANALYTICAL / EXPOSITORY / COMPARE-CONTRAST]
[COURSE/DISCIPLINE]
[PAGE COUNT]
How to use this prompt
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2
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3
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