How to Restate a Thesis Statement: Examples & Tips

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

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

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

• various rephrasing strategies,
• a step-by-step guide,
• the most actionable thesis restatement tips.

✍️ What Is a Restated Thesis?

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

Why Restating Your Thesis Is Necessary

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

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

✅ How to Restate a Thesis Step by Step

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

Step #1	Reread the original thesis statement carefully.
Step #2	Determine in which person it is written (1st, 2nd, or 3rd) and preserve that point of view in the rewrite.
Step #3	Outline all keywords and main points that should be present in the reworded thesis. Applying synonyms and using closely related words will make the sentence look different while still rendering the same idea.
Step #4	Think of expanding the thesis with your original contribution without altering its meaning.
Step #5	Paraphrase the thesis using one of the strategies we’ve laid out below.

💡 How to Rephrase a Thesis: Different Strategies

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

How to Restate a Claim by Substituting Synonyms

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

For instance, imagine that this is your thesis:

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

Restating Your Thesis by Altering the Sentence Structure

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

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

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

How to Restate Your Thesis by Changing the Tense

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

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

Restating a Thesis by Shortening or Lengthening It

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

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

Restating a Thesis by Linking It to the Research Problem

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

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

📋 How to Restate a Thesis: Example Sentences

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

Example # 1

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

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

Example #2

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

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

Example #3

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

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

🖼️ How to Reframe a Reworded Thesis?

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

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

✨ Bonus Thesis Statement Tips

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

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

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

Further reading:

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

🔍 References

1. Writing the Conclusion: Indiana University Bloomington
2. Writing Introductory and Concluding Paragraphs: University of Minnesota
3. How to Restate a Thesis Statement: Classroom: Synonym
4. Writing a Paper: Conclusions: Walden University
5. Conclusions: Purdue University
6. Ending the Essay: Conclusions: Harvard University
7. Thesis Statements: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill