The document provides information about developing a thesis statement and outline for an academic essay. It defines what a thesis statement is and its key characteristics, including that it should be arguable, specific, and address the central topic without straying. It notes that a thesis statement serves as a roadmap and controls the direction of the paper. The document also discusses the basic outline form of an introduction, body, and conclusion and the benefits of outlining such as allowing writers to organize topics and ideas before drafting.

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ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC &
PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES
Module 4 – Developing a Thesis
Outline

2. DIRECTION: Look carefully at the jumbled words and
try unscrambling them with its meaning.

3. 1. What is the first paragraph of an essay called?
2. . What is the main idea of an essay called?
3. What is the last paragraph of an essay called?
4. It is an outline that allows writers to organize
the topics of a paper quickly without going into
details.
5. It is outline allows writers to crystallize ideas by
summarizing a paragraph’s point or a major
sub-point in a paragraph in one clear sentence.

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I N T R O D U C T I O N
B O D Y
C O N C L U S I O N
T O P I C
S E N T E N C E

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Developing a Thesis and Outline
The thesis statement is sometimes called the
controlling idea because it controls the direction of
the paper like a steering wheel controls the direction
of a vehicle.

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It can also be called the main idea.
Everything in your paper should support or prove your
thesis statement. It is king of the paper, and everything
in your paper should bow to it.

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Direction: Analyze the diagram carefully. Label in each part and write
its description. Use another sheet of paper.
1.________________
Introduce the subject
and come to the point
2.__________________
3. _________________

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1.Introduction
Introduce the subject
and come to the point
2.Body
This is the main part
of the essay.
3. Conclusion
The ending, like the
beginning, should be
brief and striking.

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Based on the preceding activities:
1. Analyze the relevance of getting the main
ideas of an essay just to begin thinking about
writing of thesis statement?
2. How to start writing a good thesis
statement?

10. What is a Thesis Statement?
 It is a declarative sentence which
states the focus or argument of
the essay.
 It is a central idea or main point
of an information text.
 It serves as a roadmap of the text
you are reading. It is a controlling
idea.
 It can be expressed anywhere in
the selection or passage you are
reading.
What are the Characteristics of a
Strong Thesis Statement?
 It is arguable, the kind of
statement someone can agree
or disagree with.
 It provides the answer to a
specific question or the
solution to a specific problem.
 It addresses the topic of the
paper without straying from
the central idea.
 It states the specific topic and
claims.
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11. Why thesis statement is
important?
A thesis statement can be
very helpful in constructing the
outline your thesis.
What is the basic outline
form of a thesis statement.
 Introduction -
 Body; and
 Conclusion
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What are the Two Types of
Outlines?
• Topic Outline -makes use of
key words and phrases for all
entries and no punctuation
after entries; it is brief and
easy to write. and
• Sentence Outline-makes
use of complete sentences
and correct punctuation for
all entries; it is more
detailed and informative.

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Directions: Write “T” if the statement is True and write “F” if
the statement is False. Answer it in your big notebook.
_____________ 1. A thesis statement expresses the main idea
of an academic text.
_____________ 2. A thesis statement serves as a roadmap of a
paper.
_____________ 3. A weak thesis statement is arguable,
debatable, or argumentative. _
_____________ 4. To support the author’s claim, the writer
must provide result in a form of facts, surveys or reports.
_____________ 5. A thesis statement should not be too
broad to avoid vague and confusing claims.

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Direction: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on
a separate sheet of paper.
1. What is a thesis statement?
A. A summarized, short, and snappy idea which provides the
reader an exact point of argument, analysis, opinion or reason
to investigate the paper.
B. Umbrella that covers all the main points in your research
paper
C. One sentence that provides the control idea
D. All the above
2. Where should a thesis statement appear?
A. first paragraph B. last paragraph
C. anywhere in the essay D. the first sentence of every
paragraph

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3. How long is a thesis statement?
A. 1-2 sentences B. 1-2 words
C. 1-2 paragraphs D. 1-2 pages
4. Which is a thesis statement?
A. I intend to show how large classroom sizes can affect
test performance for high school students in the
Philippines.
B. Reducing classroom size is the most effective way to
test performance for students in the Philippines.
C. How can reducing large classroom sizes improve
performance on standardized testing for students in the
Philippines.
D. None of the above.

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5. Which is a thesis statement?
A. A complete ban on smoking in public places is an
appropriate response to mitigate the harmful effects of
secondhand smoke.
B. Research has shown that exposure to secondhand
smoke in public places can be harmful to people’s health.
C. How should communities handle the harmful effects
caused by secondhand smoke in public places?
D. All of the above.
6. What do you call the first part of the introduction?
A. Attention grabber B. Conclusion
C. Opener D. Summary

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8. Which Roman numeral the body of speech is labeled with?
A. I B. II C. III. D. IV
9. How does the main points of speech are labeled with?
A. numbers B. lower cases letters
C. upper case letters D. None of the above
10. What is the greatest benefit of using an outline to draft an
essay?
A. Outlines allow the writer to compile information and
set a direction for essay before jumping to a first draft.
B. An outline is the same thing as the first draft, so once
the outline is written, the draft is done.
C. With an outline, writers don’t have to worry so, much
about their final product.
D. Writers who use an outline always produce successful
and engaging essays.

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