LOCATING
MAIN IDEAS
ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND
PR OFESSION AL PU R POSES
LEARNING
COMPETENCIES:
By the end of the lesson, you
will have been able to:
• determine the location of main
ideas; and
• identify strategies in locating thesis
statement and topic sentences.
UNDERSTANDING AND
LOCATING THESIS
• The thesisSTATEMENT
statement presents or
describes the point of an essay.
• In an academic text, the thesis
statement is usually presented in the
abstract or executive summary or
found at the last part of the
introduction.
• *In some cases in academic texts,
the thesis statement located at
the last part of the introduction is
replaced with a purpose
statement. Unlike the thesis
statement, the purpose
statement is introduced by
signal phrases that announce the
•This paper examines…
•The aim of this essay is to…
•This paper begins with…
•In this paper, I hope to…
•The primary objective of this
paper is to…
•The purpose of this essay is
STRATEGIES IN LOCATING THE THESIS
STATEMENT
• Read the title of the text and make
inferences on its purpose.
• If the text has no abstract or executive
summary, read the first few paragraphs
as the thesis statement is usually
located there.
• In other case, you may also check the
conclusion where authors sum up and
U N D E R S TA N D I N G AND LO C AT I N G TOPIC SENTENCES
The topic sentence presents or describes the point of the paragraph; in other works, it is the
main idea of a paragraph. It can be located in the beginning, middle or last part of a
paragraph.
STRATEGIES IN LOCATING THE TOPIC
SENTENCE
• Read the first sentence of the
paragraph very carefully because most
authors state their topic sentence in
the beginning of the paragraph.
• Browse the sentences in the paragraph
to identify what they describe. The
sentence that best describes the topic
STRATEGIES IN LOCATING THE TOPIC
SENTENCE
• Find the concept or idea being tackled,
which in colloquial term is the “big
word” in the paragraph. The sentence
that defines the big word is usually the
topic sentence.
• Identify the purpose of the paragraph.
The sentence that presents or
STRATEGIES IN LOCATING THE TOPIC
SENTENCE
• Observe the writing style of the
author. Focus specifically on where
he/she usually places his/her topic
sentence.
One way of
increasing the speed
in reading is by
finding the main idea
or thesis statement
of the text and the
topic sentence of the
paragraphs.
AT THE END OF THIS
LESSON, YOU WILL BE ABLE
TO:
• identify what a thesis statement is
• distinguish weak and strong thesis
statement; and
• develop a thesis statement for a
given text.
•The thesis is the main idea
or main point of an
informational text.
•It serves as a roadmap of
the text you are reading.
ELEMENTS OF A THESIS
STATEMENT
1. Topic – The topic of your paper.
2. Argument – This depends on the type
of paper you are writing. If it is an
argumentative paper, then this should
express your opinion.
ELEMENTS OF A THESIS
STATEMENT
If it is a research or explanatory paper, this
should explain the purpose of your paper.
3. Evidence – The support for your
argument/claim.
Ex: Argumentative
Topic – The Harry Potter book
series
Argument – stole many
fantastical elements from The
Lord of the Rings Series
Ex: Argumentative
Evidence – giant spiders,
dangerous hooded undead
creature, and a wise mentor.
Answer:
The Harry Potter book series stole
many fantastical elements from The
Lord of the Rings Series. Some of
the uncanny similarities include giant
spiders, dangerous hooded undead
creature, and a wise mentor.
Ex: Research/Explanatory
Topic – Cheese
Argument – has healthy tendencies
Evidence – calcium helps bones and
teeth, boosts the growth of good
bacteria in the gut, and the protein
helps cells repair themselves.
Answer: Research/Explanatory
Research has shown that cheese has
healthy tendencies because its calcium
provides necessary nutrients for the
growth of bone and teeth, boosts the
growth of good bacteria in the gut, and
the protein helps cells repair themselves.
Characteristics
of a Strong
Thesis
Statement
1. IT IS NOT A FACT.
•A fact is irrefutable. Writing a fact as
a thesis makes no argument.
Weak: Cats spend most of their time
sleeping.
Strong: Cats are better than dogs
because they keep pests at bay and
they require less work than puppies.
2. IT IS NOT A QUESTION.
• A question simply does not express one’s
claim or comment about a topic.
Weak: What are the advantages of
keeping a pet at home?
Strong: A person who wants to live
happily in life should own a pet because
of their ability to help decrease
depression, stress and anxiety.
3. IT IS NOT AN ANNOUNCEMENT.
• Avoid saying what you will discuss in the
text.
Weak: This paper discusses the
advantages/disadvantages of owning a pet.
Strong: Owning a pet brings good than
burden because they can lower stress
levels, make one feel safe and teach their
owners responsibility.
4. IT IS NOT TOO BROAD.
• Avoid making vague and confusing thesis
statements by making specific and focused
thesis.
Weak: Too much alcohol consumption is not
good for the health.
Strong: Excessive alcohol consumption
increases the risk to health problems as it
may cause liver damage, stomach distress
5. IT IS A COMPLETE SENTENCE.
•A phrase does not convey
complete ideas or thought.
Stating the thesis in complete
sentence makes it easier for
the reader to understand the
main idea of the text.
6. IT REQUIRES SUPPORT.
•To make your thesis
statement persuasive, facts,
surveys, reports etc. should
be used as proof or evidences
to support your claim or
7. IT TAKES A STAND.
•The thesis should
clearly show your claim
about a subject/topic.
8. IT IS ARGUABLE.
•The thesis should be
contestable, debatable or
argumentative. Again, the
thesis statement should never
be a factual statement.
clear precise restrict
ed
Clearly Straight to Sticks with
understan the point the topic
dable and and not
not going over
misleadin far beyond
g to the
LET’S TRY THESE!
1. ON THE ABS-CBN SHUTDOWN
a. ABS-CBN should not have stopped from
operating as many employees may lose their
job during the pandemic.
b. This paper will explore the reasons why ABS-
CBN should not be shutdown.
c. I think ABS-CBN shutdown is a major blow to
press freedom in the country.
d. What are the reasons of ABS-CBN shutdown?
2. ON REOPENING OF CLASSES
a. It is not safe for students and teachers to
attend classes this August.
b. The schools, both public and private, must
prioritize health safety protocols for learners
and teachers by ensuring that vaccines are
available in the country before school opening.
c. I know a lot of parents are against the
reopening of classes in August.
d. Pros and cons of resumption of classes amidst
this COVID 19 pandemic.
3. ON REINSTATEMENT OF DEATH PENALTY IN THE
PHILIPPINES
a. Surveys show that Filipinos would like death
penalty to be reinstated in the country.
b. I believe that death penalty will only violate the
human rights of every Filipino.
c. Death penalty does not only serve juice to the
victims and their family, but it also helps
decrease the number of heinous crime in the
Philippines.
d. This passage talks about why death penalty
should be reinstated in the Philippines.
4. ON WEARING OF SCHOOL UNIFORMS
a. “It’s not about the dress you wear, but the
life you lead in the dress” Diana Vreeland.
b. Wearing school uniforms promotes not
just self-respect but also respect to
learning and educational institutions.
c. Wearing of school uniforms have
advantages and disadvantages.
d. In this paper, I will explore the benefits of
school uniform policy.
5. ON THE USE OF GADGETS
a.Gadgets use should be in moderation as
it may negatively affect physical and
psychological health.
b.Negative effects of gadget use include
vision problems, lack of sleep, confusion,
and even violence.
c. I guess gadget use does more harm than
good.
d.Any type of gadget is bad for children.
