Locating Main Ideas (Thesis Statement, Purpose Statement, and Topic

Sentence)

Understanding and Locating the Thesis Statement

The thesis statement presents or describes the point of a text. 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. It is written in a declarative sentence.

Elements of a Thesis Statement

1. Topic. The topic of your paper.

2. Argument/Claim. This depends on the type of paper you are writing. If it is an
argumentative paper, then this should express your opinion. If it is a research or
explanatory paper, this should explain the purpose of your paper.
3. Evidence. The support for your argument/claim.

If you already have these three elements, you can combine them to create your thesis statement.

Example 1: (argumentative)

1. Topic - The Harry Potter book series

2. Argument - stole many fantastical elements from The Lord of the Rings series
3. Evidence - giant spiders, dangerous hooded undead creatures (Dementors and
Nazgul), and a wise mentor.

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 creatures, and
a wise mentor that the hero must learn to survive without.

Example 2: (Research/explanatory)

1. Topic — Cheese
2. Argument — has healthy tendencies
3. Evidence — calcium helps bones and teeth, boosts the growth of good bacteria in the
gut, and the protein helps cells repair themselves.

Research has shown that cheese has healthy tendencies because its calcium provides necessary
nutrients for the growth of bone and teeth, it boosts the growth of food bacteria in the gut, and it
has protein that helps cells repair themselves.
Consider the sample abstract and introduction presented below. The thesis statement has been
underlined.

Sample abstract:

Previous studies revealed that meaning-focused instruction (MFI) and form focus
instruction (FFI) are two of the most effective approaches in developing the overall
language skills of second language learners, separately. However, no experimental studies
have been conducted to prove their effectiveness when integrated. This study, therefore,
aims to fill in this gap by investigating the effects of combining MFI and FFI in developing
the speaking, writing, and grammar skills of selected secondary ESL students in public
high schools in the Philippines. The participants involved in this study are 480 third-year
high school students. the students were divided into four groups: group A (n=120) received
both the MFI and FFI, Group B (n=120) received MMI only, group C (n=120) received
FFI only, and group D(n=120) receive the standard english programme for secondary ESL
students. findings revealed that students from group A, B, and C significantly improved in
their speaking, writing, and grammar skills but not group D. based on ANOVA, findings
further show that students from group A have outperformed students from groups B, C,
and [Link] these findings, it is concluded that combining MFI and FFI is an effective way
in significantly improving the language skills of students. future directions and
implications for teaching are also discussed.

Sample introduction:

Filipinos are frequent moviegoers. Perhaps because of the comic relief that comedy films
promise, or the fairytale ending we all want to have that the rom-coms provide, indulge in
the cinematography of moving pictures. In the 1984 Guinness book of world records, the
Philippines was listed as the nation with the world's most avid film going public, averaging
19 trips to the cinema per year, per person (Yeatter, 2007) .In a more recent statistic, the
country has also been known to have the highest level of theater admissions in southeast
asia, with 63 million moviegoers in 2004 (“Phil. Indie films”, n.d.). More often than not,
movie theaters all over the Metro are filled with people who want to break out from their
usual working routine to catch a two-hour movie with friends. Oddly enough, however, we
as constant consumers of these motion pictures tend to patronize those that are made
particularly international.
Source: Tagudina, M. ( n.d.) Curiouser and curiouser: The making of a better Philippine
cinema.

In some cases, 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 present the purpose, scope, or direction of the text as well as its focus. These signal
phrases include: “This study examined…”, “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…”, and “The purpose of this essay is to…” among others.

Consider the following example.

There is a challenge posted to higher education. That is to attune its present educational
goals, objectives, and mission-vision to the demands of a globalized world. Consequently,
institutions, especially in the developing countries, have started to reconstruct their global
dynamics of knowledge production through establishing linkages among institutions across
nations. Generally, the common set of internationalization of higher education highlights
the importance of promoting cultural diversity and fostering intercultural understanding,
respect, and tolerance among people (Turner and Robinson, 2007). These reiterations of
what internationalization of higher education should emphasize are actually based on the
profound belief that the cultural heritage of people is universal and humankind shares the
bond of humanity and global citizenship in the process of advancement of knowledge
(Wing, 2010)... Exploratory in nature, this paper aims to examine the key concepts on IHE.
Specifically, this paper reviews articles which will shed light on the significant ideas, and
proposes a preliminary framework for IHE in the Philippines.

Strategies in Locating the Thesis Statement

The following strategies are also used in helping you locate the thesis statement of a text.

● 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 cases, you may also check the conclusion where authors sum up and review
their main points.
Understanding and Locating Topic Sentences

The topic sentence presents or describes the point of a paragraph; in other words, it is the main
idea of a paragraph. it can be located at the beginning, in the middle, or at the last part of a
paragraph.

Consider the examples below.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is the agency responsible
for human development concerns such as the provision of social services such as those
provided in daycare centers. For instance, DSWD is implementing the Supplementary
Feeding Program(SFP) nationwide. This is in addition to the regular meals served to Day
Care Center children as part of DSWD’s program to ensure that they day care children are
well-nourished as they attend classes.

Source: ”Education for All, 2015 National Review Report: Philippines”(2015).

Early childhood care and development(ECCD) plays a crucial role in ensuring that
children are taught the skills and knowledge essential in building a learner’s interest to
acquire education in life. Recognizing the benefits of ECCD to a person's well-being in the
country, RA No. 8980 or the ECCD Act was legislated to institutionalize a national ECCD
system. Through the ECCD ACT, a comprehensive, integrity, and Sustainable ECCD
framework of the country was developed. This ECCD Act promotes multi-sectoral and
inter-agency collaboration under the coordination of a national ECCD council.

Source: ”Education for All, 2015 National Review Report: Philippines”(2015).