12

Thesis Statements
Module in English for Academic and
Professional Purposes 12
First Quarter – Week 3

JEANILYN M. COLAL
Developer
Department of Education. Cordillera Administrative Region

NAME:________________________GRADE AND SECTION ________________

TEACHER: ____________________SCORE______________________________

i
 Republic of the Philippines
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Cordillera Administrative Region
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF BAGUIO CITY
No. 82 Military Cut-off, Baguio City

Published by:
DepEd Schools Division of Baguio City
Curriculum Implementation Division
Learning Resource Management and Development System

COPYRIGHT NOTICE
2020

Section 9 of Presidential Decree No. 49 provides:

“No copyright shall subsist in any work of the Government of the Philippines.
However, prior approval of the government agency of office wherein the work is
created shall be necessary for exploitation of such work for profit.”

This material has been developed for the implementation of K-12 Curriculum through
the DepEd Schools Division of Baguio City – Curriculum Implementation Division
(CID). It can be reproduced for educational purposes and the source must be
acknowledged. Derivatives of the work including creating an edited version, an
enhancement or a supplementary work are permitted provided all original work is
acknowledged and the copyright is attributed. No work may be derived from this
material for commercial purposes and profit.

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 WHAT I KNOW

Now, let us discover what you know about thesis statements. Before you will be
directed to the lesson proper, you will do this activity and see what you can get. Take time to
read between the lines so you will be able to understand the text or essay excerpts.

A. On a separate sheet of paper, write the letter that contains the thesis statement in each set.

_____ 1. A. Can removing meat from your diet actually help to lower your risk of cancer or
heart disease?
B. Becoming vegetarian is the best way to lower your risk of cancer or heart
disease.
C. Several studies have found that eating meat can increase your risk of cancer
or heart disease.

_____ 2. A. What are the benefits of using solar energy instead of coal?
B. Solar Energy is a better source of power than coal because it is clean
and renewable.
C. This paper discusses why solar energy is a better source of power than coal.

_____ 3. A. This paper argues why gun locks should be mandatory for all firearms in the
home.
B. Gun locks should be mandatory for all firearms that are stored at home
because they help reduce gun-related injuries.
C. Because gun locks have been shown to reduce injuries in the home, the city
of Baguio passed an ordinance requiring firearms to be stored with
a locking device in place.

_____ 4. A. There is no question that cell phones have changed our lives in a very big
way.
B. While cellphones provide freedom and mobility, they can also become a
leash, compelling users to answer them anywhere at any time.
C. Do you believe that cell phones provide updates through the news we read
and watch?

_____ 5. A. Finding a job is never easy, but it can be especially hard when the economy is
still feeling the effects of a recession and employers are reluctant to hire
new workers.
B. College students can only look for part-time work in posted job-finding
resources on campus.
C. College students are busy looking for part-time jobs in newspapers and in the
social media.

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B. On your answer sheet, write TS if the statement is a thesis statement and write
NTS if it is not.

_____ 6. Because many children are unable to vaccinate due to illness, we must require that
all healthy and able children be vaccinated in order to have herd immunity.
_____ 7. Libraries are essential resources for communities and should be funded more
heavily by local municipalities.
_____ 8. All living things we see around the environment have life and they manage to live
on their own.
_____ 9. Assisted suicide should be legal and doctors should have the ability to make sure
their patients have the end-of-life care that they want to receive.
_____ 10. Having a diverse group of people in an office setting leads to richer ideas, more
cooperation, and more empathy between people with different skin colors or
backgrounds.

C. Pick out the thesis statement in the text excerpt below and copy it on your
answer sheet. (5 points)

THE OTHER SIDE OF E-MAIL

Robert Kuttner
A few years ago, when my daughter was a college freshman, I wrote a column
singing the praises of e-mail. We were, suddenly corresponding. It was, I decided the
revenge of print on electronics – whole generation raised on the tube and the phone,
rediscovering the lost art of writing letters. How utterly charming. Now, I'm not so sure.
Like all new media, e-mail has a dark side…

WHAT’S IN

Activity: Recall!
Have you had any argument with someone lately? It can either be your brother, sister
or friend? If yes, do you remember your stand or the thing you were asserting on in your
conversation? What was it?
On a white pad paper that will serve as your answer sheet throughout this module,
write inside the box figure your stand or the claim you were fighting for. Example: Boys are
better cooks than girls because all the food they cook are being eaten.

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 WHAT’S NEW

Your previous lesson was about techniques in summarizing. Now, Reading can be
very interesting as long as you open your mind towards it. You will discover that slowly, you
can easily understand the gist of what you are reading when you have it as part of your daily
activities. Read and analyze the examples of thesis statements below.

To slow the effects of climate change, the US should immediately begin phasing out
fossil fuels and invest in a Green New Deal; as the world’s most powerful economy, it
can take a global lead in reducing carbon emissions.

Because junk food is bad for your health, the size of sodas offered at fast-food
restaurants should be regulated by the federal government.

Rehabilitation programs for individuals serving life sentences should be funded because
these programs reduce violence within prisons.

You noticed that the statements are strong. They are debatable. You have to bear in
mind that a thesis statement is something that is sharply focused and specific, not just a
general statement of fact. It is something that provokes an argument where one's stand needs
to be supported by evidences or proofs.

WHAT IS IT
LESSON I: KINDS OF THESIS STATEMENTS

A. Expository
An expository (explanatory) paper explains something. It explains a situation to the reader.
It asserts what one wants to know, believe, or understand.If you are reading an expository
essay that only aims to explain and discuss the facts of a topic, your thesis statement should
summarize the main points. Take a look at this:

* Many demographic factors affected how people voted in the Brexit referendum.
* Polling and surveys shed light on the demographics of the Brexit vote: the key factors that
influenced voters’ choices were age, region, and level of education.
The first example is vague and obvious. The second example clearly lays out the sources
and categories of information that your paper will explore. So, it is a thesis statement.

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***If the goal of the paper you are reading is to persuade the reader of a claim, your
thesis statement should take a clear, specific position and introduce the
reasoning you’ll use to argue for it.

a. The Brexit referendum result was driven by political frustration.

b. The Brexit referendum result was driven by working-class frustration with the
political elite, caused by austerity policies that have eroded public services
and fragmented communities; the referendum offered an alternative to the
status quo.
The first example takes a position, but doesn’t tell the reader anything
about how you will build your argument. The second example condenses the
key ideas and evidence that you will use to convince your reader. It is an
expository thesis statement.

B. Argumentative

An argumentative paper convinces a reader to believe in a specific point

of view. It makes a claim about a topic and justifies this claim with specific evidence.
The claim could be an opinion, a policy proposal, an evaluation, a cause-and-effect
statement, or an interpretation. The goal of the argumentative paper is to convince
the audience that the claim is true based on the evidence provided. It presents
something that people can disagree.

Study this:

Junk food is bad for your health is not a debatable thesis. Most people
would agree that junk food is bad for your health.

Because junk food is bad for your health, the size of sodas offered at
fast-food restaurants should be regulated by the federal government is a
debatable thesis. Reasonable people could agree or disagree with the
statement. Therefore, it is a thesis statement.

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 C. Analytical
A writer or author might not want to make a strong persuasive argument, but to
make his work be analyzed, interpreted and evaluated in various aspects of a topic. In this
case, the thesis statement that can be drawn should map out the key points of analysis
and should introduce the conclusions drawn from it.

An analytical paper breaks down an issue or an idea into its component parts, evaluates
the issue or idea, and presents this breakdown and evaluation to the audience. It answers
“how” and “why” questions.

Study these statements:

 The UK has always been hostile to the EU.

 The history of the UK’s relationship to the EU is complicated; from the beginning,
Britain has been reluctant to fully integrate into Europe, both economically and
culturally, but the politics of EU membership has changed throughout the past 50
years.

The first example makes a generalizing statement – it isn’t clear what will be
analyzed or why. The second example is much more specific, and guides the reader
through the historical analysis that your paper will undertake.

LESSON 2: IDENTIFYING THESIS STATEMENTS

The first thing to remember is that a thesis is the point the author is trying to prove. That
means that a topic, which can be expressed in a phrase, like “alcoholism” or “effect of
corruption on poverty,” is not a thesis. A thesis can only be expressed by a complete,
declarative sentence (not a question, either). So be sure to write out a complete sentence
when identifying the source’s thesis.

In research studies, all you need to identify the thesis of an article is the abstract—
the brief summary. It is usually just a short paragraph, provided with the listing of many
articles in most databases. This explains the main idea of the article and states what point it
is trying to prove.

However, an abstract is not always provided. In those cases, you may need to read
the first few paragraphs to get the gist of the article. This is typically where the author will lay
out the argument and, again, state the point that they are trying to prove. In more difficult
cases, it may be necessary to read the conclusion as well, since this is often where they sum
up the argument one last time. Sometimes it’s clearer in the conclusion than in the
introduction.

With books, the thesis may be stated on the back, on the jacket flap, in the preface or
introduction, or early on in the first chapter. On the back and on the jacket look for phrases
like “the author argues that…” In the preface, introduction or first chapter, look for “I argue…”
or similar phrases.

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 In academic writing, the thesis is often explicit: it is included as a sentence as part of
the text. It might be near the beginning of the work, but not always–some types of academic
writing leave the thesis until the conclusion. Journalism and reporting also rely on explicit thesis
statements that appear very early in the piece–the first paragraph or even the first sentence.

Works of literature, on the other hand, usually do not contain a specific sentence that
sums up the core concept of the writing. However, readers should finish the piece with a good
understanding of what the work was trying to convey. This is what’s called an implicit thesis
statement: the primary point of the reading is conveyed indirectly, in multiple locations
throughout the work. (In literature, this is also referred to as the theme of the work.) Academic
writing sometimes relies on implicit thesis statements, as well.

Take a look at this. This is an excerpt of Martin Luther King's speech, "I Have A Dream"
delivered on August 28, 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial Washington D.C. The underlined part
is the thesis statement.
…I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations.
Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas
where your quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and
staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering.
Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi,
go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go
back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can
and will be changed.
Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.
And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream.
It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its
creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." I have a dream
that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave
owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

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 WHAT'S MORE
You have read much about thesis statements and where they can be located
in write-ups. Now, work on the following activities.

ACTIVITY 1: Identify!
Write the letter containing the thesis statement in the choices below.

_____ 1.

A. This essay examines the National Security Administration's collection of Americans' phone data
and shows how it violates the Fourth Amendment and therefore is unconstitutional.

B. The National Security Administration's collection of data from millions of Americans should be
ruled unconstitutional.

C. What should be done in response to the National Security Administration's collection of phone
data from millions of Americans?

______ 2.

A. To reduce litter and help protect marine wildlife, states nationwide need to ban plastic shopping
bags.

B. I will explain why plastic bags should be banned to reduce litter and protect marine wildlife.

C. In an effort to reduce litter and help protect marine wildlife, the Philippines enacted legislation in
2014 to impose the first statewide ban on single-used plastic bags.

_____ 3.

A. Because middle-school children who consumed sweetened energy drinks are more likely to
experience hyperactivity and inattention, schools should not supply these drinks in vending
machines.

B. The purpose of this essay is to show why providing sweetened energy drinks in our school
increases hyperactivity and inattention in middle-school children.

C. A 2015 study found that middle-school children are sixty-six percent more likely to experience
hyperactivity and inattention when they consumed sweetened energy drinks.

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 _____ 4.

A. This paper will discuss how the rising cost of college tuition has affected median-income
Cordillerans.

B. The cost of college tuition in the Cordilleras has been steadily increasing since the 1970s.

C. The government should subsidize college for median-income Filipinos to help with the rising of
tuition.

______ 5.

A. Do increased crop production and pest resistance justify an increased use of genetically modified
food crops?

B. In this essay, I will show how farmers should grow genetically modified food crops.

C. Genetically modifying plants can make them more pest-resistant and increase growth, so it is
essential for farmers to grow genetically modified food crops.

ACTIVITY 2: Analyze!
Write letter "Y" if the text is a thesis statement and write "N" if it is not. Strictly follow
the instruction.

_____1. The Civil War took place between 1861-1865.

_____ 2. The Civil War, which took place between 1861-1865, was the most
devastating war in United States history.
_____ 3. Although some people believe that George Washington was the best
president, Abraham Lincoln was much better.
_____ 4. Abraham Lincoln was the best president because he fought to keep the
country together and fought for the elimination of slavery.
_____ 5. The Crusades were fought because of religion.
_____ 6. The Crusades were fought due to religious fanaticism and a struggle for
power in the Holy Land.
_____ 7. How is the Philippine economy affected by forgiving student loans for
graduates who are unable to repay their debts?
_____ 8. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are the best type of sandwich because
they are versatile, easy to make, and taste good.
_____ 9. Puppies are adorable and everyone knows it.
_____ 10. A puppy's cuteness is derived from its floppy ears, small body and
playfulness.

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ACTIVITY 3: Locate!
Read the academic text excerpt and on your answer sheet, copy the thesis statement
that you can find.

HOW TO START A BUSINESS

In this age of capitalism, starting a business sounds like a great thing to do.
However, many people do not know where to start. In fact, “how to start a business” is
one of the most searched-for queries on the internet for a reason. It is a daunting act.
You have to sacrifice your time, money, and energy for an idea that might not come to
fruition. That is why it is good to know a process you can follow to ensure success. In
the following paragraphs, a step by step guide on how to start a business will be given.

The first step in starting a business is doing research. You have to investigate your
business idea, explore the market for your concept, look into your competition, and
more. According to The Balance, there are a few questions you should ask during the
research process: “Is there…

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED

Activity: Time to summarize!

Recall what you have read earlier and answer the following on your answer
sheets.

1. Write three descriptions about thesis statements.

2. What are the three kinds of thesis statements?
3. How does thesis statement differ from any ordinary statement?

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 WHAT I CAN DO

Activity: Classify!
Classify the thesis statements according to the three choices. Write in
capital letters your answers.

A. Expository B. Argumentative C. Analytical

_____ 1. At least 25 percent of the federal budget should be spent on limiting

pollution.

_____ 2. Although the promotion of responsible parenthood is the most popular means of
tackling the growing number of global population, investing into the healthcare
in the developing countries is much more effective long term”

_____ 3. The process of metamorphosis signifies the class struggles of the organisms to
break out of a life of being oppressed.

_____ 4. Considering the threat to the environment overpopulation causes, it is certainly a

concerning issue, which should be addressed by the global community and
individual states in particular”

_____ 5. America's anti-pollution efforts should focus on privately owned cars.

POST ASSESSMENT
Answer the following on your answer sheet.

A. Write the letter that contains the thesis statement in each set

_____ 1. A. Can removing meat from your diet actually help to lower your risk of cancer or
heart disease?
B. Becoming vegetarian is the best way to lower your risk of cancer or heart
disease.
C. Several studies have found that eating meat can increase your risk of cancer
or heart disease.

_____ 2. A. What are the benefits of using solar energy instead of coal?
B. Solar Energy is a better source of power than coal because it is clean
and renewable.
C. This paper discusses why solar energy is a better source of power than coal.

12
 _____ 3. A. This paper argues why gun locks should be mandatory for all firearms in the
home.
B. Gun locks should be mandatory for all firearms that are stored at home
because they help reduce gun-related injuries.
C. Because gun locks have been shown to reduce injuries in the home, the city
of Baguio passed an ordinance requiring firearms to be stored with
a locking device in place.

_____ 4. A. There is no question that cell phones have changed our lives in a very big
way.
B. While cellphone provide freedom and mobility, they can also become a leash,
compelling users to answer them anywhere at any time.
C. Do you believe that cell phones provide updates through the news we read
and watch?

_____ 5. A. Finding a job is never easy, but it can be especially hard when the economy is
still feeling the effects of a recession and employers are reluctant to hire
new workers.
B. College students can only look for part-time work in posted job-finding
resources on campus.
C. College students are busy looking for part-time jobs in newspapers and in the
social media.

B. On your answer sheet, write TS if the statement is a thesis statement and write
NTS if it is not.

_____ 6. Because many children are unable to vaccinate due to illness, we must require that
all healthy and able children be vaccinated in order to have herd immunity.
_____ 7. Libraries are essential resources for communities and should be funded more
heavily by local municipalities.
_____ 8. All living things we see around the environment have life and they manage to live
on their own.
_____ 9. Assisted suicide should be legal and doctors should have the ability to make sure
their patients have the end-of-life care that they want to receive.
_____ 10. Having a diverse group of people in an office setting leads to richer ideas, more
cooperation, and more empathy between people with different skin colors or
backgrounds.

C. Pick out the thesis statement in the text excerpt below and copy it on your
answer sheet. (5 points)

THE OTHER SIDE OF E-MAIL by Robert Kuttner

A few years ago, when my daughter was a college freshman, I wrote a column singing the
praises of e-mail. We were, suddenly corresponding. It was, I decided the revenge of print on
electronics – whole generation raised on the tube and the phone, rediscovering the lost art of writing
letters. How utterly charming. Now, I'm not so sure. Like all new media, e-mail has a dark side.

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 ANSWER KEY

WHAT I CAN DO Activity 3 WHAT I CAN DO

A. A. That is why it is good to know 1. B
1. B a process you can follow to 2. A
2. A ensure success 3. C
3. C 4. C
4. A 5. B
5. B WHAT I HAVE LEARNED POST ASSESSMENT
Possible Answers A.
B. 1. a) Thesis statements tell the 1. B
6. TS reader how he will interpret the 2. A
7. TS importance of the subject 3. C
8. NTS matter discussed in the text. 4. A
9. TS b) They are a roadmap for the 5. B
10. TS paper because they tell the
reader what to expect from the B.
C. rest of the paper or text. 6. TS
"Like all new media, e-mail has 7. TS
a dark side." 8. NTS
9. TS
10. TS
WHAT'S IN c) Thesis statements make a C.
Answers vary claim that others can dispute "Like all new media, e-mail has
or argue within themselves. a dark side."
d) They are usually one
sentence, that summarizes the
main point or claim of an
essay, research paper, etc.
WHAT'S MORE
Activity 1
1. B
2. A
3. A e) They provoke arguments
4. C where one's stand needs to be
5. C supported by evidences or
proofs.
Activity 2
1. N
2. Y
3. Y
4. Y
5. N
6. Y f) They are the points the
7. N authors/writers are trying to
8. Y prove in their essays.
9. N
10. Y

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https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:QY51_mJIqH8J:https://w
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Purdue university. Purdue Online Writing Lab, College of Liberal Arts. N. d. Tips and Examples
for Writing Thesis Statements. Accessed September 10, 2020.
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/the_writing_process/thesis_statement_tip
s.html

McCombes, Shona. 2019. Thesis statement. Scribbr. Accessed September 10, 2020.
https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/thesis-statement/

Lumen writing skills lab. N.d. Argumentative thesis statements. Accessed September 11,
2020. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-writingskillslab-
2/chapter/argumentative-thesis-statements/
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September 11, 2020. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-
basicreadingwriting/chapter/outcome-thesis/
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September 11, 2020.
https://app.shoreline.edu/doldham/102/HTML/Identifying%20a%20Thesis.html

IXL Search topics and skills. N. d. Identify thesis statements. Accessed September 11, 2020.
https://www.ixl.com/ela/grade-12/identify-thesis-statements

Teachers Pay teachers. n.d. Identifying thesis statements worksheet. Accessed September
11, 2020.
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Browse/Search:identifying%20thesis%20stat
ements%20worksheet

The Writing Center: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. n.d. Thesis Statements.
Accessed September 15, 2020. https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/thesis-
statements/

Kibin Essay Writing Blog. 2018. 15 Thesis statements examples to inspire your next
argumentative essay. Accessed September 17, 2020. https://www.kibin.com/essay-
writing-blog/thesis-statement-examples/

Wr1ter. n.d. Thesis Examples. Accessed September 17, 2020. https://wr1ter.com/thesis-

examples

Academic Help Write Better. n.d. How to start a business. Accessed September 17, 2020.
https://academichelp.net/samples/academics/process-papers/how-to-start-a-
business.html

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