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TEACHER DATE SUBMITTED

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SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL- English for Academic and Professional Purposes

STUDENT’S NAME GRADE /

I. LEARNING SKILLS SECTION
A. Most Essential Learning Competency: State the thesis statement of an
academic text
B. Objectives
a. Write an arguable thesis statement effectively
b. Write supporting details effectively

II. INTRODUCTORY CONCEPT

Effective reading and writing involve critical analysis and a deeper understanding of
the topic. It is very crucial to know various techniques and styles in developing reading
and writing. In this module, you will able to learn how to identify and write a thesis
statement. You will learn how to unify ideas and control specific details into a simpler
and clearer statement. Also, you will able to identify the supporting details from the
essays/texts and write, respectively. Thus, knowing what thesis statement is will enable
you to write an essay/text effectively.

What is a Thesis Statement?

Thesis Statement

A controlling idea about The central idea of a multiple-

the topic that the writer is paragraph composition. A one-
attempting to prove. It is sentence summary that guides, The thesis statement
usually found at controls, and unifies ideas when may be expressed or the
beginning of the text writing a paper. In simple terms, all implied.

or at the end of it. a text revolve around the thesis other ideas present in
statement.

Why do we have to write a thesis statement?

We must write thesis statement:

● to test your ideas by narrowing them into a sentence or two
● to better organize and develop argument
● to provide the reader with “guide” to the argument
What are the characteristics of a good thesis statement?

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 Every thesis statement has to have supporting arguments, usually three to five of
them. You can think of the main ideas in supporting arguments as mini-thesis
statements. Consider, for example, the following:

Thesis Statement

The cafeteria management is doing a good job.

Without supporting arguments, the statement above is simply an opinion. It is

also an opinion even with supporting arguments, but it is an opinion with an argument
that supports it.

Supporting Arguments

Cafeteria hours accommodate every student’s schedule.

The cafeteria offers a variety of main courses at each meal.
The cafeteria serves plenty of food that is both healthy and tasty.
The cafeteria has been citation free for over two years.
The four statements above offer evidence that cafeteria management is doing a
good job. If this were a thesis statement for an assignment, the bulk of the paper would
provide evidence for the four supporting arguments. For example, one paragraph might
“prove” the cafeteria is open to accommodate every student’s schedule by including the
earliest times that students need in the cafeteria, the latest times, and the fact that the
cafeteria is open during those times.

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Thesis as a Strategy for the Writer and Reader
A thesis is both a writer and a reader strategy…

For the writer, the thesis statement is a writer strategy because it:
• serves as a planning tool and one-sentence summary of the writer’s opinions
about a topic
• helps the writer determine the paper's real focus and lets the writer know if an
essay is wandering off in too many directions
• becomes an organizational framework for the topic sentences
• provides the writer with something to define, prove, and develop For readers, the
thesis statement is a reader strategy because it:
• serves as a contract with the writer, engaging and allowing readers to follow
through the paper
• keeps readers focused on the argument, so they know what to expect in the
essay
• allows readers to identify the main ideas and see exactly how each topic
sentence connects to the thesis
• offers enough detail for readers to grasp the writer’s argument

A thesis, thus, lets your reader know what to expect from your paper and allows
your reader to decide how well you’ve accomplished what you’ve set out to do. In fact,
some thesis statements might even give you an outline for your paper.

III. ACTIVITIES A.
Practice Tasks /
PORTFOLIO
TASK 1. Directions: Write T next to each thesis statement below. Write NT if there is no
thesis statement.
____1. My sister is a terrible cook.
____2. Violent video games should be made illegal, for it might incite some
people to commit violent acts.
____3. It’s not only rich people who can avail the vaccines.
____4. Justice delayed is justice denied.
____5. This paper will examine recent proposals to impose death penalty on
corrupt government officials.

TASK 2. Directions: Write G next to each good thesis statement. Write NG next to a
statement that is not sufficiently restricted, unified, or specific and be prepared to
suggest revisions.
1. The way people shake hands can reveal something about their
characters. Suggestion:
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
2. Exercise is a worthwhile activity.
Suggestion:
___________________________________________________________

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 ___________________________________________________________
3. Common sense is sometimes the enemy of genius. ___ Suggestion:
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
4. Teaching tricks to a dog is easier than most people think. ___ Suggestion:
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
5. Thirst is harder to endure than hunger. ___ Suggestion:
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________

TASK 3. Directions: Write two (2) arguable thesis statements, each with at least three
supporting arguments. They do not need to be complicated. The important thing is that
your thesis and supporting arguments logically align.
Example:
Sample 1 - Thesis: Random drug testing should not be allowed in high schools.
Supporting Arguments:
1. It is a violation of privacy.
2. It wastes taxpayer money because most students know how to “cheat”
on the tests.
3. It instills unnecessary fear in students and consequently affects their
academic performance in a negative way.
Sample 2 - Thesis: Education is important to have.
Supports:
1. It could enable one to get a better paying job.
2. It makes a person a more interesting individual.
3. It makes a person a more informed citizen.
Thesis: _________________________________________________________
Supports:
1. ________________________________________________________ 2.
________________________________________________________ 3.
________________________________________________________

Thesis: _________________________________________________________
Supports:
1. ________________________________________________________ 2.
________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________

B. ASSESSMENT /SUMMATIVE TEST

Directions: Each item below contains a general subject and a narrower subject that
is derivative of it. Write an arguable thesis statement for each group of words in the
column labeled “Narrower Topic.” You may use an extra sheet of paper for your
answers.
General Topic Narrower Topic Thesis Statement
1. Education distance education ?

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 2. Family eating together ?
3. Dishonesty cheating in sports ?
4. Community volunteerism ?
5. Distance Learning home schooling ?

Directions: Read the following 3 paragraphs. Write a thesis statement for each
paragraph.

6._________________________________________________________________
People with good attitudes who tend to be more effective problem solvers, and
teamplayers are the types of people most employers are looking for. Being able to
see the positive side of a negative situation is a valuable character trait in the
workplace. Positive thinking contributes to more productivity and workplace harmony,
whereas someone who is negative and complains a lot could affect others with their
negativity and result in less productivity in the workplace, which is why most
employers steer clear of pessimists.

7._________________________________________________________________
Nothing is more frustrating to an employer than someone who cuts corners or leaves
work incomplete. Employers want to hire people who are not just positive about doing
work, but are willing to put in a bit of extra effort to get the work done. If you can show
an employer that you are willing to break a sweat to get a job done, they will take you
more seriously as a capable candidate for the position you are applying for.

8._________________________________________________________________
Passion and willingness to work hard can only offer a prospective employer so much.
Unless you can show how your experiences have helped prepare you for the position
you are interviewing for, the employers may decide to go with a candidate who has
completed the appropriate training already. It is costly and time-consuming to train a
new employee, which may make many employers hesitate before hiring less-
qualified applicants.

Directions: Underline the thesis statement in the following paragraphs.

9. When I was young, I always knew that I wanted to become a teacher someday.
When I played, I would often gather my dolls together and pretend to teach them
how to do math problems or how to read a book. As I grew older, my desire to
become an ESL teacher became clearer as I did some volunteer teaching
overseas and in the United States. As I look back on my reasons for becoming a
teacher, there are three reasons that stand out. They are: my love for the English
language, my innate interest in how people learn, and my desire to help other
people.

10. Psychologists have argued for decades about how a person’s character is
formed.
Numerous psychologists believe that one’s birth order (i.e. place in the family as the
youngest, oldest, or middle child) has the greatest influence. I believe birth order can

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 have a significant impact in the formation of a child’s character based on my own
experience growing up in a family of four children. Birth order can strongly affect
one’s relationship with parents, relationships with others, and how one views
responsibility as an adult.

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