English for Academic and

Professional Purposes

Grade 11
UNIT 1: READING AND WRITING
ACADEMIC TEXTS
MODULE 2: Thesis Statement and
Reading Outline

(Week 4)

Prepared by:

MARILOU T. LUNA, JRA, LPT.

Page 1
 Republic of the Philippines
UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN PHILIPPINES
University Town, Northern Samar, Philippines
Web: [Link] Email: uepnsofficial@[Link]

University of Eastern Philippines Laboratory Senior High School

MODULE 2: Thesis Statement and Reading Outline

Language

In this module, you will be able to:

Identify thesis statements from academic texts and write an outline of the
text being read.

Specifically, you are expected to:

A. Distinguish a strong thesis statement from weak ones;
B. Identify thesis statements from academic texts; and
C. Create an outline of the text being read

I hope you are curious about the activities we are about to do in

this module. Read the excerpt below and answer the following
questions.

LET’S BEGIN

Thesis Statement

Definition
A thesis statement is the claim or stand that you will develop in your
paper. It is the controlling idea of your essay.
A strong thesis statement usually contains an element of uncertainly,
risk or challenge (Ramage, Bean, and Johnson 2006:34). This means that your
Page 2
thesis should offer a debatable claim that you can prove or disprove in your
essay. The claim should be debatable enough to let your readers agree or
disagree with you. Also, you will have to gather evidence in order for you to back
up your thesis statement.

Guide on writing an effective thesis statement

1. Avoid making overly-opinionated stands

While a thesis statement needs to reveal your attitude toward the topic, be
careful not go to the extremes and write a thesis statement with an exaggerated
claim. This is because you need to prove your thesis first, and avoid imposing
your opinion on the reader, lest you affect their disposition toward you.
Example:
The officers of the ROTC are merciless slave drivers who abuse their
fellow students.

2. Avoid making announcement

Sometimes, it is easier to tell your reader what you intend to write about.
However, sometimes it makes a weak thesis statement for it lacks your attitude
or stand in a particular topic.
Example:
In this essay, I will talk about the benefits of having a healthy
lifestyle.

3. Avoid stating fact alone

If you rely only facts in your thesis statements, you will not have much
room for discussion, because facts are generally not as debatable as opinions.
Examples:
Coronavirus is an unseen threat to mankind.

If the thesis is stated at the beginning, then the reader may expect that
the following sentences support or develop it. The ideas are said to be organized
in deductive order. However, if the thesis is stated at the latter part of the text,
then the preceding statements are the details or the specifics. This follows the

Page 3
inductive order. Remember that, thesis statements require proof or evidences
to make your stand more convincing and effective. Thesis statements can also
be explicit or implicit. Implicit thesis statements do not clearly express the
main idea of a text. The reader has to infer from all the details stated in the text.
On the other hand, explicit thesis statements express the main idea clearly
and directly in the text read.

The following are the key elements for 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 and disadvantages of owning a pet.

Strong: Owning a pet brings good than burden because they can lower stress
levels, make one feels safe and teach their owners responsibility.

4. It is not too broad.

Page 4
 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 and even cancer.

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 opinion on the
topic.

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.

OUTLINE

Definition
An outline is a summary that gives the essential features of s text. It shows
how the parts of a text are related trio one another as parts that are of equal
importance, or sections that are subordinates to a main idea.

Page 5
 There are two kinds of outlines; the reading outline and the writing
outline.
A reading outline is used to get the main ideas of a text that is already
written. It helps you understand the texts structure more critically because you
will have to find the texts thesis statement and supporting details. You will better
understand how are writer connects and sequences the information in the
reading text.
Meanwhile, a writing outline is a skeletal version of your essay. It is use
as a guide to organize your ideas. It is usually done before you write the first
draft of your essay.
Steps in creating a reading outline
1 Read the entire text first. Skim the text afterward. Having an overview of
the reading’s content will help you follow its structure better.
2 Locate the thesis statement.
3 Look for the key ideas in each paragraph of the essay.
4 Look at the topic sentence and group related ideas together.
5 Arrange the contents according to chronological order, spatial order, and
general to specific order.
6 Go back to the text and make sure you have not miss any important
information.

Rules for outlining

1 Subdivide topics by a system of numbers nad letters, followed by a period.
In a formal outline, Roman numerals can be used to represent paragraphs.
Capital letters can be used to represent supporting details for the
paragraphs.
2 Each heading and subheading must have at least two parts.
3 Use either brief phrases or complete sentences. Do not use both in one
essay.
Types of outline
1 Topic outline—the headings are given in sing words or brief phrases
2 Sentence outline—all headings are expressed in complete sentences.

Page 6
Sample format
TITLE

Thesis Statement:

I.
A.

1.

a.
b.
B.

1.
2.

a.

b.

II.

A.
B.

1.

a.

2.
a.

b.

Note: The use of roman numerals, capital letters, numbers and lower case
letters will vary depending on the length of the section or paragraph.
Page 7
Name: _____________________________________
Grade & Section: ___________________________
Date: _______________________________________

ACTIVITY 1

I.
DIRECTIONS: Identify the thesis statement in each of the following passages.

1. It is commonplace to say nationalism is one of the most potent factors in

the cultural development of a people. Love of one’s own is essential in the
equipment of all truly civilized human beings; it is only safe and sensible
basis for the appreciation of things that pertain to others. Only those who
truly love their own country and people—their tradition, history, and
destiny—can develop a sincere interest in, and admiration for, the
tradition, history, and destiny of other countries and people. Only they
can become genuine and cosmopolites, or “citizens of the world.”
- S.P. Lopez, “Return of the Primitive”

Thesis Statement:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

II.

DIRECTIONS: Make a strong thesis statement based on the given situation and
supports. Kindly check the sample below:

Example:

Situation: You won in a raffle draw and you were given a chance to choose any
tourist destination you would like to visit. Write about your dream place and
explain why you would like to go there.

Supports:
a. Palawan is a home to beautiful coral reefs and stunning beaches.

Page 8
b. It is the best place for scuba diving and snorkeling.
c. The people in Palawan are friendly.

Thesis Statement: With stunning beaches and coral reefs, friendly people and
a place for exciting water activities, Palawan is the best place to relieve stress
from the bustling noise of a city.

1. Situation: Your friend from South Korea is looking for a place where he can
spend his summer vacation with his family.

Supports:

a. Philippines has many pristine beaches, and hot and cold springs.

b. Filipinos are warm, hospitable, and generous.

c. The travel and food expenses in the country are affordable.

Thesis Statement:

2. Situation: Your little brother is asking for help in his report on the positive
and negative effects of smartphones on children.

Supports:

a. Smartphones can be used for communication, anywhere, anytime.

b. Smartphones may cause mental health such as depression.

c. Smartphones may damage eyes and natural sleep cycle.

Thesis Statement:

______________________________________________________________________________

Page 9
Name: _____________________________________
Grade & Section: ___________________________
Date: _______________________________________

ACTIVITY 2

DIRECTION: Create a reading outline using the given text.

Text

STRESS AND STRAIN

In engineering, stress and strain describe the conditions of a material
under varying circumstances. Stress is the material’s resistance to external
forces measured in terms of the force exerted per unit of area, and strain is the
material’s change resulting from those external forces. Every force that acts on
a material creates a types of stress, and each stress has an accompanying type
of strain. The three basic types of stress are tensile, compressive, and shearing.
Tensile stress occurs when a pair of forces act on opposite end of the
material and attempt to pull it apart. The resistance the material offers to this
action is known as the tensile stress in the material. Tensile stress is most easily
demonstrated by pulling on the ends of a rubber band. The type pf stretching
(strain) taking place in the rubber band occurs to some in all other materials
which are this type of force.
Compressive stress results from forces pushing in on the ends of a
material. A simple example of a compressive force is pressure exerted to push an
accordion together. An accordion has only a small compressive stress because
the accordion bag offers little resistance to being forced together. Reduction is
the length of the material (strain) accompanies a compressive stress.
Shearing stress occurs when a force acts downward on a material, causing
a piece of it to bend or break off. This type of force, kwon as shearing force, is
resisted by shearing stress. Shearing force and shearing stress can be
demonstrated by slicing a loaf of bread. Although amplified by the knife’s cutting
edge, the force cab still be considered a shearing force. Like all the other
materials, the bread offers resistance (stress) but tends to break (strain) under
such force.

Note: Kindly write your reading outline at the back of this paper. Page 10
Name: _____________________________________
Grade & Section: ___________________________
Date: _______________________________________

ASSESSMENT

Direction: Supply the correct word from the Word Bank to complete the
statements below.

WORD BANK

road map strong thesis anywhere

stand main idea inductive deductive

implicit broad specific explicit

fact weak evidence

1. A thesis statement expresses the _________________________ of an academic

text.

2. A thesis statement serves as a/an _________________________ of a paper.

3. Thesis statements should never be a/an _________________ because it’s not

debatable and does not clearly state the author’s claim on an issue.

4. A strong thesis statement should take a/an ___________________ on a topic.

5. To keep the paper manageable, the thesis statement should be

________________.

6. A thesis statement should not be too ________________ to avoid vague and

confusing claims.

7. A thesis statement is located ____________________ in an academic text.

8. To support the author’s claim, the writer must provide _____________________

in a form of facts, surveys or reports.

Page 11
9. If a thesis statement is stated at the beginning of an academic text, followed
by supporting details, it is said that ideas are organized in ___________________
order.

10. However, if a thesis statement is presented after its supporting details,

then ideas are arranged in __________________ order.

11. ________________________ thesis statements clearly and directly express the

main idea of a text while 12.s ________________________ thesis statements do
not.

13. A _______________ thesis statement is arguable, debatable or

argumentative.

14. A __________________ thesis statement is written in a form of phrase,

question or announcement.
15. Without a __________________, an academic text is unfocused and unclear.

Page 12