Statement

Examples and Types of Statement

Writers use statements throughout most academic writing, but it is important to understand the difference between the types of statements and what they look like in order to effectively use them.

Thesis Statements

Writers frequently have to formulate thesis statements. Unlike a declarative statement, a thesis statement is not a statement of fact. Instead, a thesis statement is a defensible claim about a topic. A writer has to prove a thesis statement with evidence. For instance, a thesis statement for a literary analysis essay might read: “Johnson suggests that heterosexual marriage reinforces gender inequality through characterization, metaphor, and symbolism.”

Fig. 1 - Thesis statements frame a writer's argument in an essay.

Declarative Statements

Declarative statements make a declaration about a topic. They are declarative sentences that are facts. For instance, the following statements are examples of declarative statements.

• Bees make honey.

• Polar bears live in cold climates.

• The sky is blue.

• The sun rises each morning.

• This article is about statements.

Synopsis and Summary Statements

Writers frequently use statements in synopsis and summaries. A synopsis is a piece of writing condensed to its essential features. Writers often write synopses of books and movies that help readers decide whether they want to read or watch them. Since statements are succinct, straightforward sentences, they help writers concisely craft synopses.

Statements are also particularly useful in summary texts. Summaries are texts that provide an overview of a topic. For example, a writer of a research paper might summarize their paper in a short summary called an abstract. The writer could use statements to describe their paper, such as the following statements:

Functions of a Statement

Statements allow writers to inform readers about a topic. They provide readers with complete information that stands alone out of context. For instance, consider the statement “Strawberries are red.” This tells readers something specific about strawberries.

Statements thus allow writers to demonstrate their knowledge of a topic. For instance, imagine a writer is writing a report about the novel Fahrenheit 451 (1953) by Ray Bradbury. The writer can use statements about the text to show that they have read and understood the book, such as “In Fahrenheit 451, firefighters burn books.”

Another important function of statements, specifically declarative statements, is that they support an argument. To defend a claim, writers integrate evidence into declarative statements. For instance, imagine a writer writes the thesis statement that "People should recycle to protect the environment." To defend this claim, they should craft declarative statements that include credible evidence to support the claim, such as "Humans need trees for oxygen" and "Recycling saves trees."

Importance of Statement

Statements are important because they shape writers' arguments. Thesis statements are a critical part of writers' writing because they set up the argument that frames an entire text. For instance, if a writer crafts a thesis statement with their supporting ideas, those three ideas become the subject of each supporting body paragraph. All the writing in the body of the evidence should connect back to the writer's thesis statement.

Declarative statements are also crucial in writing because they allow writers to use evidence to defend their thesis statements. Without declarative statements, writers could not properly integrate factual evidence to support their thesis and supporting claims.

Differences Between Statement and Phrase

A statement is not the same thing as a phrase. A phrase is a group of words that do not necessarily make up a complete sentence. For instance, the following examples depict the difference between statements and phrases.

Fig. 2 - A phrase is a group of words that do not necessarily make a complete sentence.

Statement

Bees have the ability to fly.

Phrase

Able to fly

Statement:

The statue is all the way up on the mountaintop.

Phrase

All the way up