PACIFIC SOUTHBAY COLLEGE, INC.

PurokCarmenville, Brgy. Calumpang General Santos City

HUMSS
(Humanities and Social Sciences)

MODULE 2
1ST SEMESTER S.Y. 2021-2022

NAME: _______________________________________________
GRADE & SECTION: 11-Tesla
SUBJECT: English for Academics
SUBJECT TEACHER: Aron Adarson Bago
 PACIFIC SOUTHBAY COLLEGE, INC
Purok Carmenville, Calumpang, General Santos City
HUMSS 11-Tesla
MODULE NO. 2
2nd Term, 1ST Semester, SY 2020-2021

Descriptive Title : ENGLISH FOR ACADEMICS

Course Credit : 4 units
Class Schedule : Monday-Friday (Online and Modular)
Room : Google Classroom
Instructor : ARON ADARSON J. BAGO
Contact Details : arkaye1220@gmail.com

WEEK 1 - Main Idea and Pre-Writing Strategies

INFERRING MAIN IDEA

WEEK 2:. Main Idea and Pre-Writing Strategies
LESSON 3. Main Idea
Learning Objectives:
A. Explain what is Main Idea
B. Recognize the importance of Main idea in academic text
C. Determine main ideas in a passage
How Can I Locate the Main Idea?
The main idea of a paragraph is the primary point or concept that the author wants to
communicate to the readers about the topic. Hence, in a paragraph, when the main idea is
stated directly, it is expressed in what is called the topic sentence. It gives the overarching idea
of what the paragraph is about and is supported by the details in subsequent sentences in the
paragraph. In a multi-paragraph article, the main idea is expressed in the thesis
statement, which is then supported by individual smaller points.

Think of the main idea as a brief but all-encompassing summary. It covers everything the
paragraph talks about in a general way, but does not include the specifics. Those details will
come in later sentences or paragraphs and add nuance and context; the main idea will need
those details to support its argument.

Once you can find the topic, you are ready to find the main idea. The main idea is the point of
the paragraph. It is the most important thought about the topic. To figure out the main idea, ask
yourself this question: What is being said about the person, thing, or idea (the topic)?. The
author can locate the main idea in different places within a paragraph. The main idea is usually
a sentence, and it is usually the first sentence. The writer then uses the rest of the paragraph to
support the main idea.

Summer is a wonderful time to spend at West Beach. It is a beach with light- colored, soft sand.
The coastline goes on for a long way and many people enjoy walking along it. Children like to
play in the surf and walk along the rocks that are visible at low tide. This is a fun beach for
people of all ages. 

In this paragraph:    
 the topic is West Beach
 the main idea (what the writer is saying about the topic) is that summer is a wonderful
time at West Beach

Here is another example:

The movie Apollo 13 was a blockbuster for the summer of 1995. It is an exciting story about
space exploration. In the movie, the astronauts get in trouble while they are trying to return to
Earth. People in the audience are on the edge of their seats waiting to see what happens. What
makes it even more exciting is that it is a true story. 

In this paragraph:  
 the topic is the movie Apollo 13
 the main idea is in the first sentence: Apollo 13 was a blockbuster for the summer of
1995

While the main idea is usually in the first sentence, the next most common placement is in the
last sentence of a paragraph. The author gives supporting information first and then makes the
point in the last sentence.

Here’s a paragraph we can use as an example. Try to locate the topic and the main idea.

Most teenagers and young adults do not know what they want to do for the rest of their lives. It
is a big decision. There are a number of things you can do to narrow the choices. For example
you can take an interest test, do some research on your own about a career, try volunteer work
in the field in which you are interested, or “job-shadow”, in which you spend a day with a person
who is working in a field that interests you. These are just a few helpful ideas as you begin to
choose a career. 

 In this paragraph:

 the topic is jobs or career choices
 the main idea is a few ideas to help the reader choose a career

Finally, an author might put the main idea in the middle of a paragraph. The author will spend a
few sentences introducing the topic, present the main idea, then spend the rest of the paragraph
supporting it. This can make the main idea more difficult to find.

How to Find the Main Idea

Finding the main idea is critical to understanding what you are reading. It helps the details make
sense and have relevance, and provides a framework for remembering the content. Try these
specific tips to pinpoint the main idea of a passage.

1) Identify the Topic

Read the passage through completely, then try to identify the topic. Who or what is the
paragraph about? This part is just figuring out a topic like "cause of World War I" or "new
hearing devices;" don't worry yet about deciding what argument the passage is making about
this topic.

2) Summarize the Passage

After reading the passage thoroughly, summarize it in your own words in one sentence.
Pretend you have just ten to twelve words to tell someone what the passage is about—what
would you say?
3) Look at the First and Last Sentences of the Passage
Authors often put the main idea in or near either the first or last sentence of the paragraph or
article, so isolate those sentences to see if they make sense as the overarching theme of the
passage. Be careful: sometimes the author will use words like but, however, in
contrast, nevertheless, etc. that indicate that the second sentence is actually the main idea. If
you see one of these words that negate or qualify the first sentence that is a clue that the
second sentence is the main idea.

Lesson 4. PRE-WRITING STRATEGIES

Learning Objectives:
A. Identify the different pre-writing strategies
B. Recognize the difference of each pre-writing strategies
C. Apply at least one pre-writing strategies.
PREWRITING STRATEGIES

Pre-writing strategies use writing to generate and clarify ideas. While many writers have
traditionally created outlines before beginning writing, there are several other effective prewriting
activities. We often call these prewriting strategies “brainstorming techniques.” Five useful
strategies are listing, clustering, freewriting, looping, and asking the six journalists' questions.
These strategies help you with both your invention and organization of ideas, and can aid you in
developing topics for your writing.

Listing

Listing is a process of generating a lot of information within a short time by generating some
broad ideas and then building on those associations for more detail. Listing is particularly useful
if your starting topic is very broad and you need to narrow it down.

 Jot down all the possible terms that emerge from the general topic you are working on. This
procedure works especially well if you work in a team. All team members can generate
ideas, with one member acting as scribe. Do not worry about editing or throwing out what
might not be a good idea. Simply write down as many possibilities as you can.
 Group the items that you have listed according to arrangements that make sense to you. Are
things thematically related?
 Give each group a label. Now you have a narrower topic with possible points of
development.
 Write a sentence about the label you have given the group of ideas. Now you have a topic
sentence or possibly a thesis statement.

Clustering

Clustering, also called mind mapping or idea mapping, is a strategy that allows you to explore
the relationships between ideas.

 Put the subject in the center of a page. Circle or underline it.

 As you think of other ideas, write them on the page surrounding the central idea. Link the
new ideas to the central circle with lines.
 As you think of ideas that relate to the new ideas, add to those in the same way.

The result will look like a web on your page. Locate clusters of interest to you, and use the
terms you attached to the key ideas as departure points for your paper.

Clustering is especially useful in determining the relationship between ideas. You will be able to
distinguish how the ideas fit together, especially where there is an abundance of ideas.
Clustering your ideas lets you see them visually in a different way, so that you can more readily
understand possible directions your paper may take.
 Stalking

Major
impact Personal
Addiction Social Attack
Media

Identity
Theft

Freewriting

Free writing is a process of generating a lot of information by writing non-stop for a

predetermined amount of time. It allows you to focus on a specific topic, but forces you to write
so quickly that you are unable to edit any of your ideas.

 Free write on the assignment or general topic for five to ten minutes non-stop. Force yourself
to continue writing even if nothing specific comes to mind (so you could end up writing “I
don’t know what to write about” over and over until an idea pops into your head. This is okay;
the important thing is that you do not stop writing). This free writing will include many ideas;
at this point, generating ideas is what is important, not the grammar or the spelling.

 After you have finished free writing, look back over what you have written and highlight the
most prominent and interesting ideas; then you can begin all over again, with a tighter focus
(see looping). You will narrow your topic and, in the process, you will generate several
relevant points about the topic.

ACTIVITY 3
ACTUAL READING
 The Prodigal Son
There was a very rich person. He had two sons. The first son was hard working. He always
obeyed his father. He was very good and nice person. But the second son was totally different
from the first son. He was lazy. He did not work in his father’s field. He was disobedient to his
father. He wanted to lead a gay and free life.

One day, the younger son said to his father. “Father, give me my share of property." The father
felt very sad. He divided the property. The second son took his share of property. He left home
with his share. He went to a distant land. There he made a lot of friends. He spent his property
lavishly on his friends, foods and drinks. He had many bad habits too. He wasted all the money.
Soon he was left with no money. His friends saw this. They all deserted him one by one.
AT that time, there was a famine in that land. He could not get any job. None of his friends gave
him food or money. He was forced to take up a very mean job. His job was to feed the pigs.
Very often he ate the food kept for the pigs. He was very sad about his present conditions. He
soon began to think of his father and his brother. He said to himself, “In my father’s house, even
the servants have enough food. They get good shelter too. But here, I am struggling for food
and shelter. I will go back to my father. I will beg him to take me as his servant."

So decided, the prodigal son set out for his father’s house. In the meantime, his father was
always thinking of his second son. He would sit near the windows. He would look out at the
road, expecting his son to return home.

One day his father saw his son coming at a distance. He ran out of his house in great joy. He
met his son on the way. His son knelt down. He said, “Father, I am not fit to be your son. Take
me as your servant."

His father lifted his lovingly. He embraced him. He turned to his servants. He said, “Bring the
best robe. Put it on my son. Put a ring on his fingers and shoes on his feet. Kill the fatted calf.
Prepare a feast. Let us eat and enjoy. My son was lost. Now he is fount."

The elder son was returning from his work. He heard the sound of the music and dancing from
his house. He asked one of his servants about it. His servant told his, “Your brother has come.
Your father is rejoicing at his return. A fatted calf has been killed to prepare for a delicious feast
and the celebration."

The first son was angry. He refused to enter his house. The father came out. He begged his
elder son to come in for rejoicing. The elder son said, “I have obeyed you all these years. I have
done all your works. But you never gave me even a kid to enjoy with my friends. This son
wasted all your money and property. And you order a fatted calf for him!"

His father replied, “My dear son, you are always with me. All my property is yours. Your younger
brother was dead. Now he is alive. He was lost. Now he is found. Therefore should we not
rejoice?"

The elder son understood the love behind the words of his father. He forgot everything about his
younger brother. He decided to take part in the celebration. He was happy.